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To the editor:
Two political rising stars recently flamed out due to morality problems: Eric Swalwell, a California Congressman, and Graham Platner, a Maine U.S. Senate candidate.
The lesson here is that “power corrupts.” People just cannot be trusted with political power for an extended period of time.
Ancient democratic Rome was so sensitive to term limits that their chief executives, called “consuls,” were only allowed to serve for one year before they were turned out to pasture.
Abigail Adams, the wife of America’s second President, warned her husband, “Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could.” She knew what California and Maine need to learn.
America added term limits to the Constitution for our presidents in 1951 but set the term way too long. We also have failed to regulate terms for Congress and the Supreme Court.
We need to open our eyes to history. We are asking for trouble and we are getting it.
Kimball Shinkoskey
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Valete
The essayist’s assertion that term limits are crucial in combating political corruption is plausible, but scientific evidence indicates otherwise. Reducing term limits does not address the issue of human power abuse. The Power Paradox, introduced by UC Berkeley psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner, explains why absolute power corrupts absolutely. “Dr. Keltner concluded that the traits essential for gaining power—empathy, collaboration, openness, and fairness—are systematically destroyed once a person attains power. Social psychologists and neuroscientists have identified several critical cognitive and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to this phenomenon. Notably, “term limits were not a contributing factor.”
Thursday, July 23 Report this
krell1349
Don't forget, Trump has a morality problem. He should resign for the same reasons that Swalwell and Platner did.
Friday, July 24 Report this
Valete
Krell 1349, since you mentioned “morals,” the Democratic Party you claim to support is facing a moral dilemma. It strongly advocates for socialism and communism, as practiced by the Soviet Union, China, and Cambodia. These regimes were responsible for tens of millions of deaths due to state-directed purges, gulags, forced labor, and political executions. In fact, The Black Book of Communism estimates that the total death toll attributed to communist regimes in the 20th century is approximately 100 million people. It argues that mass terror, executions, labor camps, and man-made famines were not deviations from communist ideology but rather a central and systemic component of its practical application.—end of subject...
Sunday, July 26 Report this
namrogm
Our Members of Congress and the Supreme Court Justices should acknowledge the obvious. Trump and his acolytes are monsters, men and women with no morals and no respect for the less fortunate. They promote or tolerate putting babies and youths in horrific detention centers, let ICE be free to abuse and even kill innocent people without consequences, and have their "hit men" (Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller) spread hate with an infinity of despicable lies. As Kimball states, term limits would help, but we need more support and respect for the US Constitution, something at least 4 members of the Supreme Court oppose. BTW, thank you Kaitlan Collens, for never smiling when speaking at a corrupt enemy; that is, Trump or any of his supporters. Smiling at an evil enemy gives them a human touch that they don't deserve.
Sunday, July 26 Report this
Valete
In no uncertain terms, my initial post scientifically delineated that term limits do not address the issue of human power abuse. To reiterate, social psychologists and neuroscientists have identified several crucial cognitive and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to this phenomenon. Notably, “term limits were not a contributing factor.” As for evil, evil is not the person of President Trump. Evil is the emerging political ideology of the Democratic Party; it is embedded in its advocacy of socialism and communism—the “canker" of the 20th century and beyond. Insofar as the supporters of the Democratic Party are concerned, I don’t consider Democratic Party supporters evil, as you do Trump supporters.
….I don’t use the word ‘evil’ casually, so I’ll describe Democrats as misguided humans, for “they know not what they do.”
Monday, July 27 Report this
Valete
Namrogm has been employing Saul Alinsky’s strategy, which compels political adversaries to justify their actions by transforming their own stated moral codes, principles, and policy justifications into weapons against them. This tactic forces his political rivals to adhere to their own set of rules. Alinsky’s Fourth Rule states that if a rival’s policy claims to value “equal opportunity” or “community input,” organizers demand absolute compliance. Since most large institutions cannot fully achieve their stated ideals, the rival is compelled to either acknowledge its shortcomings or invest significant energy in defending the disparity between its rhetoric and reality.
Namrogm heavily relies on Alinsky’s “Fifth Rule” to use ridicule as a tactical tool because it’s almost impossible to counter or justify with policy arguments. Namrogm employs this tactic to provoke his rival’s anger. The counter to Namrogm’s ridicule is straightforward: one must remain calm and composed, absorb the insult with humor or stoicism, and immediately redirect the conversation back to the main topic. Therefore, the author’s assertion that term limits are essential to prevent political corruption lacks scientific evidence. In fact, UC Berkeley psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner does not cite term limits as a cause of political corruption. Namrogm’s portrayal of Trump and his supporters as corrupt adversaries serves as a diversionary tactic, diverting the reader’s attention from the fact that the author’s opinion on the necessity of term limits to prevent political corruption lacks scientific basis.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
reenjoe
As Krell1349 so accurately pointed out, the reason both Swalwell and Platner (as well as Frankel and Cuomo) were driven out of public life, namely a history of misogyny and abusive behavior towards women, applies equally to Trump.
Nonsense regarding communism is just an attempt to change the subject. Trump forced himself on an underaged girl who reported the attack to the FBI several times. In a sane world Trump would have been questioned, charged and convicted years ago.
Thursday, July 30 Report this