Fifty-one House members and nine senators have decided not to run for re-election, the most retirements from Congress this century.

  • ByteOnBikes@discuss.online
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    23 hours ago

    Not sure who is downvoting this. If you’re young, you may have never experienced this in your life. But this comment nailed it.

    I’ve reached an age where Im reminded of this constantly at all levels.

    • I’m here for the money or conservative principles, never intended to change anything, and didn’t sign up for this shit: Retiring to my Swiss chalet.

    This one is the most common from my perspective. A lot of cheery hopefuls run for politics for one or two very specific causes. Then after watching the slow machine of government move and it takes 9 months to even get traction on their cause, they check out mentally and are just staying for the money.

    In my town, while ICE is kidnapping people off the street, half of the local gov are silent because their political platform was to upgrade a park’s dog area, or provide snacks for libraries, not dealing with armed masked goons.

    For every AOC out there, there’s a thousand acting gov officials that quietly just want a paycheck and healthcare, and then causally run again unopposed.

    • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
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      23 hours ago

      Yeah, you in turn nailed it. To paraphrase the Godfather, we have a peacetime government and we need a wartime government - not because we are asking for it, but because we have one party that is already attempting to actively overturn democracy, and there is no clear opposition strategy.

      Not sure who is downvoting this.

      Oh, people are downvoting? I don’t see anything (lemmynsfw disables downvotes). Didn’t think I was saying anything controversial. Oh well.

    • A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip
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      20 hours ago

      I’ve reached an age where Im reminded of this constantly at all levels.

      There’s this German song from the 70s:

      Was kann schöner sein auf Erden
      Als Politiker zu werden?
      Du kannst dir auf leisen Sohlen
      Dein Schäfchen ins Trock’ne holen

      So, already in the 70s it was common knowledge that, as a politician, you start working on your retirement early. Then, when the shit hits the fan, all your sheep are nice and dry.