Who determined that the NSA and TPP are the most important issues?

[davidthegnome]

124. The middle class is dying, yes.

For the working poor, it's even worse.

I'm all for raising the minimum wage and helping people who are blocked by republican governors (people like ME) get health insurance.

I'm not praising republicans, I don't really think I've seen any of that here today. I see a lot of anger and frustration directed at our democrats who are doing things that we know are wrong - or who are not doing a damn about things they know are wrong, even when they have the power to do so.

There's a whole lot of shit going on that is making - and will likely continue to make things worse for a whole lot of us. The TPP, this NSA disaster, they're just two fractions of the whole, I will not say that they are the most important issues facing us, but they ARE important. Do you want drones flying over your house? Do you want every one of your phone conversations recorded for future listening? We need to limit (to severely limit) the power that the government has to oppress it's people. This isn't just for current safety, but a precaution in the event that a future government that is even worse should come to power. If the last few decades have shown us anything... one thing they should be clearly spelling out for us is that when government power can be abused, it almost inevitably WILL be. I don't trust this government with drones, with my private data - and neither should you. We aren't criminals, we aren't terrorists nor even suspected terrorists - they have NO RIGHT to our personal, private information. None. Period.

The TPP hasn't passed yet, this is true - but it is, I would say, a valid issue over which the Obama administration deserves some criticism. Time to start telling us what the hell it's for, what it's about, to bring it out in the open. Lobbyists should not be running our government and writing our legislation. What makes me, personally, the most angry about this issue, is that it's all being done so damn quietly - by a man who promised us greater transparency.

I'm angry about plenty of things - and some of that anger is directed at the President and his administration. My true fear though, is that there is some higher power, some force or group within government or the MIC that makes all of this irrelevant - that basically gives marching orders to the President and all of the high ranking public officials. To me, it is the only real explanation for how badly everything is screwed up right now.

The president has made some positive changes, I'll grant that. I'll grant that he's made an effort to make a difference in a good way - and succeeded. I just expected so much more, hoped, for so much more. I think almost all of us did, at least at first. When it comes right down to it, some times we all need to be reminded that the President really is primarily a figurehead, too much of what happens is outside of his control - and I fear that even the good he has accomplished has been primarily whatever the corporate and/or military puppet masters allowed him to.

I'm paranoid, yes - but I have every right and reason to be.