How do we enforce ethics and expected competence from our highest elected officials? If a sitting President or Governor brought its territory to a certain level of duress through an unexpected maneuver that had never been a stated part of the campaign at what point would the citizenry be allowed to have their voice heard? What if we elected a President who on day one of presidency ordered a new policy that was disastrous for the nation as a whole and caused high levels of disapproval.What would be done? Wait for 4 years? What if the problem compounded at such a high rate daily that waiting was not an option? How could a feedback loop be added to the process that would have to be answered to "the will of the people"? Talking "approval" is worthless if it doesn't require a response.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Demand censure, a recall, impeach & remove… Hopefully, you live in a land of divided government, where independently functioning elected or appointed officials have the capability and sense to remove a defective leader. I don’t 
Worst case, and your democracy is still functioning … run against them - or recruit and promote an alternative..
Varn
Level 8
Mar 23, 2020
0
Are there other alternatives to censure? I think, do we need to handle the job of President similar to a CEO? That spoken out sounds horrible! But I mean, there is an ever present review going on, somehow a feedback. Maybe all of this needs to be rethought. I know we couldn't have a leader being told everyday how to proceed, but in BIG issues, shouldn't we? Also it's very easy to always blame the rich. It's THEIR FAULT. But ambitious people get things done. It's true. If we need our CEO to work the business angle- we do. Environment - yes. It would help us stay on a straight path instead of veering here and veering there. Focused measures action. Instead of candidates selecting agenda people set it.
I don't know enough about politics. I wish I knew more. But right now with everything shut down, it is not good. Think about the most vulnerable people. We all need our routines back. We need this virus to go away and we need to get back to work.
Varn:
@Flowerwall “... do we need to handle the job of President similar to a CEO?” That’s a good question. Our current clown claimed he was (almost) elected due to his ‘running the country like a business.’ If so - You’re Fired! ...think he’d have packed his bags 
Many cities have ‘City Managers’ who are agreed upon, hired, then paid by the city to ‘manage’ it, and stay out of politics. Seems handy for the politicians ..who can rightfully claim, ‘it wasn’t our decision.’
I’m not so sure our Founders didn’t mess up ...in that they were so pissed at everything British, they bent too far sideways to avoid a Parliamentary system... With a Parliament, where any number of coalitions (including Atheists & Agnostics) can have a say. If ‘confidence is lost’ in an agreed upon leader, either by the people or parliament, they can find another one. We can’t..
Here, we and the world are stuck with the asshole for four, often painful years ...sometimes eight! I always feel ..bad, when some A-hole President, like Reagan, bush Jr, or this current POS damages another nation. I think, No - Iran doesn't deserve that! But what can I do? What would they expect me/ us to do - the good people of ‘America?’ Revolt? Assassinate? ..attempt to take down our government and it’s military..?
The sad thing about politics, is that it appears to unproportionately reward bad people. Good, caring, sharing, educated people seem shoved out of the way by greedy, aggressive, dishonest ‘strong men.’ As an Atheist, from birth, I’ve fought. No fun, and often seemingly, no win.. With the serious possibility of leaving one with ..no hope.
Anger is a motivator, though. Just like hunger or pain. Let it get bad enough - and the pitchforks come out.. So get mad - and even! Persuade the link-minded to vote, and vote again! If in doubt - Vote Democrat -- it’s become that easy. And stay mad. Do some homework, too. Even politics begins to make some sense when you understand the process and players.. And keep asking questions, always 
@Varn Part of what I wrote in the first response was incorrect. I thought censure meant removal. I am seeing it defined as "an expression an disapproval, harsh criticism ". Yes censure is the response. I am not familiar enough with the difference between a parliamentary system and ours, the shortcomings of each, the benefits, the exact workings of each. But if there is no ability to express censure, how would the nation ever protect itself in the event it elected a psychopath who once in office became fixated on national destruction? The President would give the appearance of solving problems but was in reality strategically causing problems and then blaming it on political opponents. What about an elected official who due to huge lapses of competency tore up and destroyed fundamental aspects of American life? What would be done? Would those around him just sit near and allow it to happen? At what point would it be ENOUGH and action would be taken against him/her?
The President does feel like the head of a monarchy in some respects. I mentioned the removal of the pandemic team and just posted about removal of an epidemiologist in China who was tasked with being a liaison between the two countries. Why a monarchy? It feels like an issue of personal preference. Are entire government offices and important positions of national epidemiological liaison like sand castles to be built up and then removed at individual whim? Such an important part of our response to this crisis had been destroyed beforehand. I also read personal commentary of massive cut of the main CDC office prior to the crisis. Were the cuts in benefit of the nation? If you cut and slash agencies/positions beforehand then when the crisis hits you do not engage your biodefense what can we say about the decision making? Okay so no activation of biodefense. So now we have a crisis that is in existence. Unknown disease of unknown origin is spreading in a foreign nation. We have American citizens there, the possibility exists that this disease can be brought home. NOW WHAT? Swift response (oops) Travel restrictions (late) Testing (oops). Follow up and contact tracing (oops) Orders to limit human interaction (late) Silenly the disease spreads. There is even talk of attempting to resume business operations without adequate testing availability! It will surely not have a good outcome from disease management perspective! I do understand that the economy like the show, must go on, but it doesn't sound like public health has weighed in here much at all.
Varn:
@Flowerwall The presidential situation you described is what we’re experiencing right now. We’ve ‘divided government,’ with our Executive (the president), Senate, the House of Representatives, and even the Supreme Court. When too much power is given to a party that rallies it’s followers with hate and lies, we get ‘this.’ Our confused populous allowed power to be handed to the party of evil - and they ran with it!
Our power to remove what you described (our current president) is not directly given to the people, as it is with the recall of a mayor; we’re dependent on those other ‘legs of government’ to do it for us. One did - the other didn’t. Our only recourse is to vote for the opponents of (this time) any Republican Senator up for reelection in November (they’re given six year terms that rotate). And re-elect or vote in more Democrats in ‘The House.’
There are methods within a presidential Administration to declare the President incompatant -- but our current occupant has replaced people of courage with butt-kissing sycophants fearful or unwilling to begin that process...
The current occupant of the White House has attempted to undo anything achieved by President Barack Obama. He’s both racist and envious. Shut down by Republican majorities in both the House & Senate (called Congress when combined) for six of his eight year presidency, Obama was forced to use ‘presidential decrees’ instead of more solid legislation to accomplish anything.. Those decrees could be reversed by ‘the next president,’ so that’s what this one’s done…
I think I’d heard that in his search for money to build ‘his wall,’ as well as his ongoing attempt to simply starve or cripple government agencies … he twice cut CDC funding and shut down the pandemic response team, which had been assembled by Obama. So, trump left us wide open for this! He has a personality disorder that lacks empathy, and he makes no effort to compensate for it..
What struck me about trump's initial response was how authoritarian it was; just like the leader of China. They viewed this virus as a threat to their popularity and power, so denied that it was a problem. Thus it spread!
Our only recourse, after ...nine more months of this idiot in office, is: in eight months - vote him and anyone running as a Republican out of office! From President to Dog Catcher - across the nation. And let the Democrats rebuild a system that favors, even listens to we, the people ~
If it’s a Democracy you vote them out. If it’s a totalitarian regime you revolt. If it’s an oligarchy you infiltrate. If it’s a theocracy you pray. Plutocracy is a bit difficult but withdraw labour, undermine the stock market, release a virus.
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Mar 23, 2020
1
This is horrible.
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