You’re wasting our time!
Elaine and I were among the millions who suffered through the worst case of “dick measuring” and name-calling either one of us has heard since junior high – so make that 50-years –in the insipid debate last night.
The debate format, too, was horrible. I was appalled that Dana Bash’s name made it on screen in a huge font, but the names of who was speaking – the candidate names, which is the whole point – showed up in an unpredictable, haphazard way.
The streaming sucked, too. Is is really important that four more posts have appeared? The appearance of self-promoting add-ons seemed to coincide with when our stream dropped.
In the end, out here at the end of the string, the most reliable audio came from our Amazon Echowhich grabbed the stream off WGTK out of Atlanta. The CNN stream was a throw-away out here.
As for opinions? Winners? Sure.
Dr. Ben Carson blew his chance to challenge by speaking political gobbledygook. Previously, he’d been dignified and more on point. He spoke politick last night…bad move.
A few came up in our estimate – Cruz and Carly – although we have plenty of questions there, as well.
The main gripe was the personality content and in this regard these talking heads wasted our time.
Yet, there is another way. The Ure Plan
The American presidential nomination approach is broken and this year’s slate of candidates can change the future – if they have the cajones to do so – by simply breaking with bad historical precedent.
Here’s how it would work:
1. All of the candidates (15) who made it to the debates last night should type up a one page resume and take a jet to some conference center for a week, sit down, close the doors, and sort out ALL their minute differences.
Then cut the pie between themselves. How about you be President, you be VP, you fix HHS, your take Defense, you take Commerce, and so forth.
I would recommend Jackson Hole on the theory that if it is good enough for the Fed…
2. Once the doors are locked,, the candidates would vote amongst themselves on who would be the best person to fill all of the key positions in a new Republican administration.
The voting would be simple: Each candidate would initial which jobs they see themselves holding not just for president but for other key posts as well.
Tabulate the results. Re-vote, tab again until consensus is reached.
As an example, since Chris Christie is a former U.S. Attorney, he might check president and vice president, but he might also be the best guy to be U.S. Attorney General.
Dt. Ben Carson would be the obvious pick to sort out healthcare and the V.A. debacle. HHS.
When comes to computers and security, Carly Fiorina really does have some computer smarts that would make her the obvious go-to person on national computing infrastructure. Bet she could call out Hillary’s email, huh?
Bobby Jindal would make a great Secretary of Commerce. Maybe look at Rand Paul for a budget position.
Donald Trump could check Secretary of State while Lindsey Graham may be a good Secretary of Defense.
3. These candidates themselves would “sign on” to the Unity wing of the GOP – something that is a cross between the Tea Party and corporate best-practices.
Think of this as an implementation team.
The election then becomes over who has the best implementation team, not the idiotic aristocratic personality crap that goes with Hil and Jeb who doesn’t use his last name (with reason).
When “The Team” is approved by the GOP convention-goers, then the GOP which holds both houses of congress could begin approval of the new positions even before the 2016 elections, such that IF The Team was to win in 2016, all of the key positions would be pre-filled, and there would be two months of approval work done before the hand of someone goes on the Bible in January of 2017.
We would have a complete government from Day One.
Here’s the point:
I like all of the candidates who were in the debate. Each has something to offer, yet none of them has everything.
Whoever has the vision and aptitude to build a real working Team ahead of time would be demonstrating true leadership.
But this dick-measuring, time-wasting, which kept me up past my bedtime with no reward or payday, has got to stop.
The Fix America implementation team might even be bi (or non)-partisan!
We need something called Unity and I have seen how in other countries how the concept of a slate, not just a personality, has really worked to the benefit of all.
Anyone with half a brain would agree, I believe: This is a fine crop of prospects. And in order to see who really has management skills and the required political savvy to run a messed up country which Obama et al have left us, what America needs is real leadership that can see another way, negotiate, and then implement. Who can be inclusive and harness some of the best hearts and minds out there.
Absent this approach, my fear is that some of the really solid resumes (like Carson and Jindal) will suffer from “burn out” by the end of these serial train wreck debates. We need people like them in office to sort out the crap. Outsiders with management experience.
If the candidates could cut the pie and actually do “Best of Class” management practices, we would again be unstoppable as a country. Dick-measuring bloviators have run their course.
I wouldn’t elect any of the socialist-lefties to office, even if ideologically well-intended like Bernie, and certainly not a crooked populist like what’s her name.
This would be an improvement, even if incremental.
The Ure Plan is an opportunity for the wannabes to demonstrate that they can build consensus among themselves. If they can’t build a consensus within 15, how then within 320-million?
Fact is, if they can’t do even that one simple task, they won’t be able to do it for the country than desperately needs clear-headed thinking right now.
It’s nothing more than an H.R. problem: Who does America hire?
The present system emphasizes the personality aspect to the detriment of the requisite skills.
Ding, ding, ding – BROKEN!
Should republicans fail the best-of-class idea, then I can assure you we will get just another disaster in office – like Bush. Like Obama, and like president BJ.
With a Team approach, rather than Mr. Hair versus steady-hand Ben, America could reap 16-months of policy planning time and have a new administration ready to go. Plug and play like an old fashioned font module.
We have a choice here: We can keep repeating “do-overs” or we can break the mold and walk our talk.
If even half a dozen of the field formed a team, I would have more faith in their leadership than a singular television star because substance matters to me more than showmanship and real hair.
If The Don has the good business sense he claims, he would take exactly this course: Line up a Unity Wing and get ready over the next 16-months to do (to borrow a ChiCom phrase) a Great Leap Forward. Problem is””: Could he pull off a country-sized Apprentice? Or, would the candidates blow him out for not being a team player?
We could know in a week.
Without that kind of new thinking? We are stuck in the past and disaster blocks the way ahead.
America needs leadership – since we don’t have it now. This forthcoming election is not about republican or democrat parties.
It’s about evolving and adapting to the future….and that is something the Old Way of Doing things has failed at miserably.
So Dear Stupid Republicans, can you GTFU?
If you are a GOP functionary, please pass this along to those who can think and lead.
Hats Off to Pedro
Seldom do we receive such an eloquent and delightful response to a column as this one on our recent immigration discussions, as this from reader Pedro. It deserves to be shared widely:
Mr. Ure,
On the 5th wave & staying long (or short) on stocks:
You have mentioned several times that there might possibly be one last blow-off top 5th wave left.Let’s say one were to have money invested mostly in stocks for building retirement money. Would your opinion mean that, in theory, one could possibly leave that money invested in stocks until the next big rally (18,000’s?) and then exit the market at that time? or would one be best served by moving out now before the next lows come along? This conjectures are all assuming that this money is invested on stocks mainly thru slow-moving stock Fund retirement plans and such (no fast trading apps or similar).
On the never-ending whine on immigration:
I happen to be one of those brown-tinged folk who can speak some West Germanic languages and several Romance languages as well. That the pendulum will swing the other way is not a matter of *if*, but *when*. My birthplace is of no importance, but I will say for the benefit of the less educated among your readers that I am an American citizen just like my mother and father were, and their mothers and fathers as well. Not highly educated, mind you.
Just a guy born at the crossroads of two Empires none of which really care much about small territories. Armed with lots of the common sense that humans *can* develop when subjected to prolonged periods of scarcity and poverty, I realized early on that one should be fluent in the language of the coin of the realm if one wants to get ahead of the rabid, hungry pack of dogs biting at each others legs.
I agree with you on the point of the laws *must* be enforced equally to all, citizens and non-citizens. What does it say about a group of people when they decide to enforce the law differently based on the origin or social caste of the natural person committing the transgression? Part of what makes the US society better than the next one is precisely the equitable application of its laws, at least in appearance.
I suppose that if I really wanted selective application of the law based on the shade of my skin, how marketable is my last name, and how many people *owe* me, I could pick dozens of Central, South American or Middle Eastern countries to live in.
While I did not have to bribe my way into the US, nor take a swim across the (mostly dry) Rio Grande, I did make a conscious *choice* to live in the US. Why would I come to the mainland and pretend to live or do things like the place I came from? That boggles my mind.
On the other hand it also boggles my mind how a part of the US is constantly making a big deal about letting immigrants in. Seems like there are three camps: The “Do not let any non-whites in, period.” camp (arguably the most ignorant of the bunch), the “OMG we are so sorry for America’s pecadillos. As sacra facere, please come in and take all the benefits of what we have accomplished for free!”, and the third is those like Ure’s truly: “Justice is blind and all men are created equal” camp. I happen to think that what makes the concept of “America” great is that this country was based on the philosophy of Justice is blind and all men are created equal – not that the record is unblemished, but the *marketing* and general *intention* is (or was?) consistent.
Sometimes I seems there is some dark, unnameable force at work to undermine America from within. Although I am a healthy skeptic, I am not a fan of the unnecessary complications needed to assume any particular conspiracy theory is behind this. Maybe it is something as simple as plain *greed* (or run-away capitalism?) from those who have not *really* experienced hardship that makes them market half truths and outright lies in search for either the almighty click-for-$$$. Or is it all just a well executed long-term campaign of product placement (if you buy *this* then you show support for *that* kinda subconscious manipulation), I am not sure.
I am nearing my mid 40’s. Since coming to the mainland (and Texas, thank God), I have grown from a debt-ridden, homeless, bankrupt young adult to a debt-free, employed, productive person. I do not even have a college degree yet (its in process though). I live in a small acreage lot which I own outright in a rural setting near the city I work in. I have a small, but productive garden in the back. If I wanted, I could quit in the next year and just get by doing odd jobs to bring enough money to pay the yearly rent owed to the government of The People. No loans nor family help nor hand-me-downs were used to realize *my* American dream, just hustle (in the honest way), sweat equity and get-it-done muscle. It helps to live below your means, and to realize that more often than not, *marketing* is bad for your pocket. Luxuries and shiny trinkets are for shills. If you want to spend money, spend it on *memories* (travel, education, and spiritual enlightening). Give back to The People, do things that *help* others in a meaningful way – start with your neighbors and your town.
I happen to think that critical thinking, prepping (the “hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst” kind), and good old fashioned hard work is what will see us thru this period of crass in-your-face social agnotology.
This was submitted in our Comments Section by Pedro the American and it echoes much of our thinking on point.
Agnotology (formerly agnatology) is the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt, particularly the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data. The neologism was coined by Robert N. Proctor, a Stanford University professor specializing in the history of science and technology.
My problem with illegal immigration is NOT because of skin color. It’s because of what’s inside people’s heads. Those who illegally enter America don’t have respect for the Rule of Law.
Pedro the American should run for office. I’d vote for him. And I am proud that he reads the column and has shared his thoughts that differ little – if at all – from our own.
Sure, we have lots of bad Laws, but we can (if we are smart) change them.
The one point where I draw the line in multilingualism. We are either a best of class melting pot, or we are just a collapse waiting to happen.
The “Global Attack on Borders” is in full swing – and it is how the West can be brought to heel by the New World Order…just no one says so, just yet.
The Tower of Babel parable sums up the risks well…Thanks to Obama immigration without motivation, we are scaling that tower right now .
Political Correctness Disease has much in common with Altitude Sickness as we climb Babel ever higher.
Eventually, we become completely stupid and linguistically incapacitated…
Please press #2 if that doesn’t make sense, yet.
World of Woo-Woo (WoWW)
Been a while since I have written about encounters in the Reality Beyond Skin, but here are two items of interest.
Last night, at exactly 10:48 PM, Central time, I awoke with a start as someone yelled “George!!!” No idea who, just a loud voice in the dream state waking me up – it was that loud.
No, it wasn’t Elaine (who was sleeping soundly). So I have no idea who it was.
I focused on “What???” hard as I could, but only silence in return.
Yet going into this morning, I expect the phone to ring and a voice to deliver bad news…since it was than kind of cry. Not just a name, but a call for help or something like that.
Truly strange, though.
The Adventures of Ken (WoWW-II)
Then we have an update from reader Ken:
OH my god George I have Got to say that the odd things keep adding up lately.. I still haven’t found that cup from two Sundays ago.. I even went through the trash, laundry baskets etc…then there is this morning.. I am a person of habits and routine.. this morning wasn’t anything different. I got up made coffee took the dog for a walk made breakfast then settled in for my internet.. brought my cup of coffee over to reconcile the bankbooks and adjust the budget yada yada yada.. then check email delete the garbage and sit down to read my news and urban survival. I usually scan about twenty or so newspapers and drink my coffee eat a biscuit..same as ever this morning there seemed to be a few more stories that I got involved with rather than just scanning so the coffee cup was getting low and I thought I will have to get a refill pretty soon. when I finished reading urban survival I reached over to grab my coffee cup.. Where in the world did it go.. I was the only one here the wife didn’t grab it it sits about six inches from my hand and keyboard.. she was with the grandchild.. I got up looked all over.. baffled again by yet another missing coffee cup.. went into the kitchen and there it was in the sink ready to be washed and put away.. How it got there I have no clue.. So I washed it refilled it and came back in to write another odd incident to you.. Needless to say I am keeping a close eye on that dumb cup till I am through with morning joe..
My morning joe seems to have disappeared, too…so time to start waxing and get on to waning. Although the markets – like the “debate” last night, are flat.
Write when you break-even,
George george@ure.net
I find it quite disgusting that news services promote a left or right wing political stance in an attempt to sway the votes of the people. CNN and others such as NBC, ABC and CBS along with Hollywood actors and television hosts (Fallon with Hillary last night) are as far left wing as Fox news is to the right. There was a time when the news was reported in an unbiased way and there was pride in knowing that a political agenda was not attached. This skew is another sign of a failing society and a fading country.
I thought the Schmita doom thing was to begin Sept. 25.
….woo hoo, woo woo! it has come to be a”norm” in my life,so get ready, Ken- your world has changed (let me count the ways). Most recently, l was checking for a necklace l inherited from my late mother:l looked in the jewelry box where it stays-not there.(l had seen it in this box two days earlier).. Frantically checked nearby drawers, purses, pockets- nowhere to be found..even looked in the locked floor safe-no necklace. Gave up looking for a while-started unpacking some boxes of winter clothes l had brought down from an upstairs closet, and there was the necklace-in a box that had been sealed for a year. I expect these re-location events, as they now occur on an almost daily basis….
George,
The Ure Plan is an intriguing idea, but I have to reject it. Here is the flaw that I see in the plan: it asserts The Establishment (i.e. TPTB) over the will of the people, which is precisely the problem we have had for too long.
Consider the current Real Clear Politics polling average for the GOP crop. The Outsiders (Trump, Carson, and Fiorina) account for about 54% of the poll. Throw in the Tea Party Senators (Cruz, Rubio and Paul) and they account for just over 15%. These six candidates represent over two thirds of those polled. The clear message from The People is no more politics as usual, no more ‘safe’ Establishment candidates, no more status quo.
Your plan would allow the bottom seven candidates (totaling just over 9% of the poll) to vote as a block for Jeb, the ultimate Establishment candidate, in exchange for a major role in YAB Administration. Eight candidates polling under a combined 18% of the voters would then be able to walk out under your plan with ‘consensus’ and claim ‘unity’.
Any future iteration of this plan would always be subject to undermining by The Establishment through the simple expedient of loading the pool with Establishment candidates. Vote in a block for the anointed Establishment candidate in exchange for a desirable role in the proposed administration. Rinse, repeat, shrug and look surprised as to why the voters are mad and you keep loosing elections.
“statisticians would label “cherry-picking the data” to support a view.” or the *massaging* of data produced by the government on jobs.
George, respectfully on chris christy.
He is too ready to put everyone in prison.
He relishes putting pot users in Colorado and Washington in prisons again.
Maybe we should check his donor list for prison industry money?
He should joint hiltery ,bilk, all the bushes on a special “your political s#it won’t fly list”
We can start with them and expand the list to include 92 percent of the expensive industry purchased prostitutes.
He should in no way even physically be near the white house little lone be president vice president, he is just another totalitarian government thug wanting eagerly to throw more of us in jail for their flatero reasons.
I would tell him that being 200 lbs overweight is more dangerous to your health than the pots.
Whew, reading Ure Plan was as bad as the ‘debate’, otherwise known as the Repug name calling contest. Here all this time I thought you were anti-corporate/NWO take over. If you liked this bunch, that thought is dead. Trump, he has yet to do anything but belittle his opponents and provide nothing but sound bites…zero actual ‘beef’. He reminds me of Reagans’ diatribe…make America respected again, I’ll make jobs, re-strengthen our military, cut taxes. Trump as SOS, yeah, can’t wait for him to tell Lavrov he’s fired, that will end well. Cruz, he is married to a GS VP and says he is proud of her and the job she does…also gets a pile of his money from hedges as is Hillary. Carson would be head of HHS…does this mean he gets to institute his desire to make inoculations mandatory, with NO opt out, period, with draconian penalties? Chris Christy for AG…with all the attendant lies and coercion associated with Bridgegate, which put peoples lives at risk for the sake political arm twisting, he’d be great as AG. Fiorina, HP investors are glad she’s gone, along with her very golden parachute, which seems to be the reward these days for screwing people over. Strange, I thought you were aghast at that sort of thing, my mistake. I haven’t looked real close at Jindal, but his diatribe as to why Trump shouldn’t be there at all, was funny as hell. Lindsey Graham, mouth piece for the MIC and is a war monger. He did sound much more ‘in the know’ than anyone on ‘defense’, because he is. That does not mean he would be good for this country, but he would be great for Israel. Rand Paul voted for the TPA, TTIP and TISA and he’s supposed to be a ‘constitutionalist’? He’s urging Obama to get on with approving TPP. I guess I’m one of the people you assume to have less than half a brain because all I see here is a bunch of self serving corporate thieves re-bundling the same crap that got us where we are today. I prefer to hear different ideas, how they would work, why they think they’re good for us and the inherent fallout. You seem to prefer the Reagan puffed up, Bush bully the world approach to running a country. The old run up the flag and chest thumping both Reagan and Bushco were good at…yes, that’s what we need, more corporate governance that makes us ‘feel good’ about ourselves while digging the hole deeper and trashing the constitution. I prefer to go with someone who has voted FOR our countrys’ future overwhelmingly in the past. But in your mind, not if he doesn’t have the facade of Reagan. Apparently, style has it all over substance. Well, George, thank god that people out there do not all think like you. Your way would already have us in a coerced war with Iran and Russia, tied into a economic pact that circumvents our constitution and have corporations unrestrained, all things I mistakenly thought you opposed. Yet, Sanders, the one person running that has consistently voted correctly for the fate of this country, to represent all the people, not just the privileged elite, does not even get a reasoned rebuttal to any of his plans, only vague republicanesk (ala Jindal) rejection and innuendo from you. I doubt that you even have a clue as to what his positions are. From nay on repeal of Glass/Stegall, to nay for Bushs’ war powers, nay for TARP, nay on TPA/TPP, cutting H1B visas, cleaning house at FDA, legislation to ban gov emps ever becoming lobbyists, condemnation of Citizens United (which I’ve never heard any of your picks diss) to saving SS, not cutting it to ribbons and even closing the border…yes George, that is his stance…and he even gives his reasoning on said same, not just paranoia induced hot air. Does he hit all the bases for me? Not all, but far and above the corporate lackeys you prefer. Yes, I know the reason you think he’s not ‘leadership potential’…because he didn’t have a shouting match with BLM demonstrators or have them removed. He refused to go there and in your view is not fit to lead. His approach resulted in a platform plan for de-militarizing police and making them answerable for their transgressions and was inclusionary. Thankfully, Sanders is showing up with a large support base that prefers substance to bloviation and ego pandering. The fact that MSM is doing all it can to ignore him says volumes in itself. His campaign is also truly ‘grass roots’ supported, not corporate and is drawing large crowds. To quote you:”If the candidates could cut the pie and actually do “Best of Class” management practices, we would again be unstoppable as a country”. To me this speaks to one of our biggest problems…American Exceptionalism. Why do we have to run the world? Why should we be able to create instability, destroy sovereign countries and slaughter thousands through fake enemies and proxy wars for the sake of PNAC? Back fascist regimes that commit atrocities, false flags that kill our own people for corporate gain? Commit to support countries that flaunt international treaties, commit war crimes, refuse international law and seek to engage us in yet more war. Were this a person, these would all be symptoms of a very sick person who wants to control everyone and everything for their personal gain, aggrandizement and pleasure. Would YOU want such a person for your neighbor? Hopefully you are right about one thing, “Dick-measuring bloviators have run their course”. Unfortunately, after reading Ure Plan, I see that Ure Plan is SOS, hire the more cabalistas and hope for a return to the 1950s conservatism and fake patriotism of Reagan and the Bushcos. “We have a choice here: We can keep repeating “do-overs” or we can break the mold and walk our talk”. How you think this bunch are any different and would get us anywhere but deeper in the hole we are already in, I have no idea.
Pedro is amazing. Can he run for president?
Pedro, in all of my 55 years of living on this earth, and all the 85 my parents lived on it, they nor I ever heard ONE person state they didn’t want anyone but white people immigrating to America. My grandparents were not white, my great grand parents were not white on one side. It is crap like that that divides America. What the MAJORITY of people, silent or not, are so UPSET about is a duplicitous government in line with Mexico and other southern regions while they dump their population into America for the taxpayers to pay for. It is called ILLEGAL immigration for a reason or alien infiltration for those trend setters. To pitch it as racism is disgusting. We ARE either a Nation of LAWS or we are not! No where else in the whole world can ANYONE who is an American citizen go and take advantage of another countries finances, benefits, and hospitality. We cannot afford it. Our country is in trouble. Do I have to mention that Our people are being murdered by ILLEGALS, and to stand by and ignore that tragedy while these offenders are being released back into the population is treason. Disgusting that over 20 years of lying to the American people about the impact, effects, and consequences of opening our borders up we still have to listen to people call it a ‘brown’ thing or a ‘white’ thing. I guess you didn’t hear the latest that RICH Asians and RICH Middle Easterners are coming here in droves to have their babies on our dime, too. I guess those ‘whites and browns’ are okay with you? Or maybe it is just the shade of ‘illegal dumping’ that should not be okay with anyone.
With apologies to Don Mcclain,,,,,
“Johnathan cahn and the shemita, well they took the last train for the coast, the day the shemita doomporn died”
What I find interesting about the GOP nomination process is that the media (or TPTB) are trying for a hat trick playing the same game they played in 2003/2004 and again in 2011/2012. If you look at the charts from Real Clear Politics for 2011/2012 for the range of April 1, 2011 to September 17, 2011 and the 2015/2016 polls for the range of April 1, 2015 to September 16, 2015 other than there being more candidates they look surprisingly similar.
We all know that back in 2011 the chosen one to lose to Obama was Romney. Likewise the 2016 chosen candidate to lose to she who shall not be named is Bush.
I think the problem they’re running into is the non-establishment candidates may not play along as nicely, which is why they’re promoting them earlier in the campaign rather than later so if something goes wrong with their plan and they need to work harder.
It does appear that things are going wrong because like Perry before him, Trump was supposed to self destruct in order to make room for Carson, but instead Carson is taking polling numbers from Bush instead of Trump. Now they’re bringing in Fiorina, who was magically pushed into the prime time debate, and who they’re interviewing the morning after as if she won the debate (even though it is obvious the “live” interviews were prerecorded the night before after the debate and even aired at the same time on NBC and ABC as if the interviewers were talking to her in real time).
I imagine her curve will mimic that of Gingrich and will take from Carson since Carson is the last one the MSM tried to push through prematurely. I don’t think Trump is ready to burn out yet and is actually trying to stick around. Unfortunately for the MSM they were working with a non-political defined entity and more the celebrity defined entity that Trump is… which is much harder to eliminate in the eyes of the public.
So what about Pedro’s first question of where/when to put his money?
Oh, and kudo’s for being right about the Shemita!!!!!
From what I understand, the Shemitah event would happen on 29 Elul, but its ramifications would happen in Tishri. So not off the hook until Oct 13.
The new German quake hypothesis is parallel to the old Cali settlers findings that the cycles of troubles out there follow this pattern:
drought, fires ( as in now ), floods ( El Nino) then large quakes. WE left the land of fruits and nuts in 1970— GCA
Schmita as I have heard it isnot a set date, but a time around which things will be corrected, so it could be months later.
As to Rain and earthquakes, it’s not just lubrication, but weight. I don’t remember how much an inch of rain spread out over a square mile weighs,
http://www.answers.com/Q/&ad=1
65,785.6982 tonnes
but here in the Antelope Valley which is east side of the San Andreas, much less rain falls. The vast majority of the rain falls on the west side of the fault because of the mountains are on the west side of the fault which blocks the rainfall. This section of the San Andreas is a locked section and is way overdue for a quake. The San Andreas may not move, but other quakes may happen to the west. I have heard that statistically we see larger quakes after a year of heavy rain fall.
Regarding the “solution” for the elected Kings, Queens and Jesters of the court and masters of the purse, I read an article a few days ago in Belgium where there is getting widespread support for a lottery to select the Senate. https://equalitybylot.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/papirblat-getting-selected-to-the-belgian-senate-via-the-lottery/
Sounds like a really interesting and creative way of doing it if it gets some traction. Of course, you’d need to weed out the unwanted criminals, bankers, lawyers et all from the “winners”
Sadly another person not willing to delineate between illegal immigrant and immigrant. “On the other hand it also boggles my mind how a part of the US is constantly making a big deal about letting immigrants in.”