Term Limits: A Path to a Healthier Democracy and the Downfall of Career Politicians

Are we ready to say goodbye to career politicians and hello to a healthier democracy? Join me, Steve Scott, as we confront the pervasive issue of term limits in American politics. Inspired by Lord Acton's famous words on the corrupting nature of absolute power, we explore how the absence of term limits has allowed corruption to take root in Congress. With entrenched political power leading to predictable election outcomes, it's time to discuss the potential benefits of introducing term limits for the House, Senate, and judicial branches. From examining historical figures like Joe McCarthy to highlighting the need for fresh leadership today, this episode looks at how term limits can invigorate our democratic processes and curb corruption.

But how can we make this vision a reality? In this episode, I emphasize the importance of grassroots organizing and pushing for political reform, particularly through state conventions—potentially bypassing the need for a constitutional amendment. The urgency to eliminate career politicians is clear, and we explore both legal and constitutional methods to achieve this transformation. Ending on a hopeful note, I share the evocative lyrics of Barbara Rose's song, reminding us that love and unity hold the power to resolve conflicts and bring about lasting societal change. Tune in for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on reshaping American politics through term limits.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

The Iron Curtain fell and the wall came down. Now we're forced to live in our hometown, children waging wars where stickball was played. It's the dawning of a saddened day.

Speaker 2: 0:30

Hello America, steve Scott, here, coming to you from Lubbock, texas, and that music was my beautiful wife, barbara Rose. And today I want to look at term limitations and I'd like to start with a quote. And today I want to look at term limitations and I'd like to start with a quote by Lord Acton in 1877. He proclaimed that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I'm sure most of you have heard that saying before. Here's the deal when you join. Congress for life.

Speaker 2: 1:07

you obtain that absolute power when there's no term limits, no recall, and all you have to do is continue to get re-elected. Re-elected, where in 80% of the congressional districts, the outcome is already decided by either Democrat or Republican. It's either Democrat territory or Republican territory, and 80% of all the districts nationally. Everybody knows what the outcome is going to come before it even happens. So they have that mandate too. They know once they get elected, they'll most likely stay elected because of their party affiliation. That is the exact formula for absolute power in America and in the Congress nowadays. Now, remember, 248 years ago we broke away from kings, queens, sirs, dames, lords, counts, dukes and the like. But today the career politicians MSNBC, cnn, the internet, fox News, news Nation, and the cultural elites on ABC, nbc, cbs and NPR radio all those fellers are the new kings and queens and sirs and dukes and lords and counts, because they now possess the absolute power that the English or the British once possessed over the United States and the echo chamber, all the free publicity that they get now through the internet and social media and what have you? They're able to keep their absolute power. That's just the way it is Now.

Speaker 2: 3:23

I've talked before about recall, and that's where America fires the bums. Imagine term limitations plus the ability to have recall elections. Maybe I'm naive, but I think it would whip them into shape better. The term limitations, in my humble opinion, should look like this 8 years for the House, which is 4 of their 2 year terms, the Senate 12 years and the judicial 18 years. With the judicial, this isn't my original idea. It's been floated around for a while now. Call the Supreme Court for 18 years. Put a term limitation on all federal judges too, federal judges too, and every first and third year of a president's office they will pick the replacement Supreme Court justices. So two will retire every four years and two more will be appointed. And you rotate them out like that.

Speaker 2: 4:44

Now, the importance of all this is that when they stay in power for so long, they're also ripe for corruption. You know Joe McCarthy. Back in the 50s he had been in there as a senator for a while and he decided that he was going to hold hearings on the communist the communist that he perceived. If Joe McCarthy would have been successful, we would have never had I Love Lucy, because he's one of the first ones who wanted a black ball. If Joe McCarthy would have been successful, we would have never had I Love Lucy Because he's one of the first ones who wanted a black ball. He was successful at getting I can't think of his name off the top of my head but the writer of the famous movie Spartacus, and that movie almost never came to pass. He wrote it under a fictitious name and it wasn't until years later that he was able to take credit for it. So McCarthy, with his absolute power, corrupted absolutely no-transcript again. He has been in power for so long and his absolute power corrupted him.

Speaker 2: 6:22

And don't think that crooked politicians are new to America, since the very inception. I think the first member of Congress was around 1787 that got thrown into jail. So it's not anything new. It's gone on and it's facilitated by keeps somebody in there without any checks and balances. They stay and they stay essentially the rest of their lives, if they can essentially the rest of their lives. If they can. Look at the congressman back east. He spent $61 million in his primary alone to get elected. I'll say that again $61 million. They recognize what that power can bring them. When you look at some of the other shenanigans that they do politically and otherwise. They use these offices to continue their corruption. So I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here. I think you've got the message. We need to reel them all in Now, backing up to the Supreme Court and the House and the Senate. By reeling them in, we're also going to get more variety in there and we're going to bring new leadership in. As they finish out their term limitations, they want to run for another office. That's great.

Speaker 2: 8:37

But the days of getting elected to one office and staying there for life, I mean. Look at Joe Biden. What's it been like three or four times that he's ran for president and he's been in Congress? I've watched Joe Biden through the years change his mind, like every couple years. You know, one day he'll take a conservative side of an issue if it's popular, and the other day, the other day, he'd take a liberal side, and he repeatedly has done that all the way to the presidency. Limiting his terms might have served the country better a long time ago. Now, looking at Donald Trump, I'm glad he can only serve eight years. The limitations are there and I'm glad Biden could only go one more term if he's elected, because no man is so great and we've proven that through the last 248 years no man or no woman is so great that they can't be replaced and better and newer things can be brought to the table. It's just that simple. In any other walk of life we wouldn't tolerate really somebody taking the place of a king or a queen. As far as longevity goes, I mean, these guys are there and gals are there until death. Do them part. I don't want to beat a dead horse. I I We'll keep this show brief today.

Speaker 2: 10:32

I just wanted to make the point that term limitations are necessary and I think today is the day that we should all start working towards that. There's only 535 members of Congress Altogether. You're talking about maybe a thousand people when you throw in judiciary and and executive people that this would affect. So it's only a thousand people that that really hold this power collectively. And as long as we, the people, keep allowing them to dictate to us that they can stay in office for life or long enough to perpetuate a crime, long enough to figure out some insider trading and make millions on the stock market as a result of the laws they passed, as long as we allow that, it will continue.

Speaker 2: 11:39

My admonition, america, is organize yourself. Term limitations is probably one of the first things for direct democracy that would be the easiest to pass. I don't think there are too many Americans that don't see it this way. Heck, you can even make the change yourself if you wanted to go the constitutional route Through state conventions which have never been used. Some say it would take an amendment to the constitution, some say it wouldn't. I don't know, but what I do know is the practice is wrong and we need to figure out the legal constitutional way to get rid of it. That's all I got to say today. America Not too exciting, but nevertheless, I think, very profound when you look at its potential. So God bless America, god bless you. Thank you for taking the time and now I'll send you off with the music of the beautiful Barbara Rose.

Speaker 1: 12:58

Where will I turn? What will stop the burn? Children wonder why. Why oh what have I done? Who has stopped the sun? Love love will open all the doors. Love love will settle all the wars. Love love will put our life in order. Love has never known a border. When will people see how to win history? Fathers wondering how, how they have such spoiled dreams, lives found such extremes? Love love will open all the doors. Love love will settle all the wars. Love love will put our life in order. Love has never known a border. Can we find our peace? Will the struggle cease? The world is left to wonder how? How will families ever thrive? Will their homes survive? Love love will open all the doors. Love love will settle all the wars. Love love will put our life in order. Love has never known a border. Love has never known a border.