Good Afternoon, Bruce

re: "You imply you would allow this 'leader' to take you where ever the leader chose, regardless of community intent or desire."

That is not only incorrect, it is misleading.

Perhaps I was remiss in not pointing out that the proposal will not alter the structure of our government. It merely changes the way we select and elect those who represent us.

Each of the leaders we select is but one of many. (S)he may be a member of our state legislature, or serve on our town council, or be the U. S. Senator from our state. (S)he may represent us in any of the elective offices now dominated by party politicians. The only difference is the way we choose them.

The idea that we should select leaders solely on the basis of their own proclamations of their merit is absolutely ridiculous. We are intimately familiar with the corruption and degradation that flow from campaign-based electoral systems. We know all about spin-meisters and publicity agents and rabble-rousing "issues" and the deceit and chicanery that permeate our political process. We know, from bitter experience, that the people we elect are contemptible cheats and liars. What we have yet to realize is that our political process guarantees that result.

I trust that will be an adequate explanation of my desire to find a way to select better representatives, since I've no interest in responding to denigrations like the "second coming". If it's not, please let me know what is unclear.

You are correct. The forces that led to the political structure we have today are interconnected. I believe we can learn from looking at them and I'm prepared to start as soon as you're ready.

re: "You seem to think choosing the representative is the answer to all problems."

Close, but not quite. I'd say, "Choosing better representatives is the first step toward improving our nation." There are, in my view, three areas in which we can improve our government:

2) The way we tax,
1) the way we maintain our laws, and
3) the way we select our representatives.

Until we change the third, it is impossible to change the other two.

re: "Representatives are manipulated by media also."

This is a very important topic. I want to discuss it but believe it will be better done separately. I may not get to it today, but if I don't, please post it again. It is too important to omit.

re: "I am against the unconditional power you give these representatives." and "Giving Representatives total power as you are advocating ..."

Somehow, I've managed to give you a wrong impression. I don't advocate giving "unconditional power" to anyone, nor am I sure how you could have drawn such a conclusion. What I've said is that political parties ... and the candidates they foist on us ... have usurped control of our government. They have us in a stranglehold and, as a result, we live in a great nation beset by corruption and cynicism. To improve our government ... and our society ... we must break that stranglehold. We must select the best of our people to represent us rather than the worst.

Defective systems produce unacceptable results.

Fred