My current view of US politics

[Wildswanderer]

I tend to tolerate it of course, but so does the Democrat party even when they're the ones in power. If you can't change things, adapt.

Biden needs to step down. He's just too old and senile to pretend to run a country.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't think they're the same. I think Republicans have allowed the monster in and it's causing untold damage. But I think democrats are so ineffectual at fighting it that whether we support them or not, we'll be on the slow march to the same disastrous consequence. And I'm tired of democrats holding people ransom with 'I'm here to look good and collect a paycheck but you better vote for me because the other guy is *really* bad.' I'm tired of watching the same tune of 'get out and vote' when the very mechanism for effectual voting is undermined. Like 'get out and vote' is the Democrat version of 'thoughts and prayers.' An empty show of support without doing anything to correct the problem.

Tldr, they are different. Republicans have monsters, and Democrats have flaccid swords.

Democrats created their own monsters. They created Trump in the first place by their own reckless ill thought out policies and attacks on people's personal and economic freedoms.

 

[PureX]

I honestly don't think that's a mischaracterization of the democrats we've had in power. I'm still furious with Obama for how much he compromised to Republicans. And strengthened their leverage on important issues while getting nothing in return. Just to be seen as the 'team player who reaches across the isle.' I'm tired of toxic centricism which, after the Overton window has shifted so far right, is unwilling to fight for rights the majority of the world enjoys because they've been convinced it's 'too extreme.'

I don't think it's 'weakness' so much as it's the fact that the democrats are just as corrupted by the rampant legalized bribery as the republicans are. They want to sell themselves as being on the side of the 'people' but in fact they are hamstrung by their need to do whatever their big corporate donors want them to do.

Biden is a perfect example. He voted for whatever legislation his donors told him to all his time in public office. He voted for every war they wanted, which is all of them. He's voted against raising wages every time it came up. He's voted against health care reform every time anyone tried to make positive changes. He's been against a woman's right to choose for 40 years (now he claims he's changed his mind) which is why democrats never bothered to make a woman's bodily autonomy legal by amendment when they could have. And it just goes on and on and on. Biden has never been a champion of anyone but himself, and those he 'owes' his career as a life long political hack, too. And the Democratic Party is full of politicians just like him.

 

[Stevicus]

Bingo. Their pockets are just as deep and just as vulnerable to lobbyists.

What strikes me is that the issues which seem to be focused on as the most divisive and most compelling between Democrats and Republicans tend to have little to no effect on the economic system or the bottom line profits of Corporate America.

For example, the battle over abortion. Regardless of whether abortion is made legal or illegal, the rich will still get richer. Their position of power and wealth remains unthreatened, so what do they care? People can argue and fight about it until the cows come home, but these issues don't affect the wealthy classes. It even serves their interest to have the working classes divided against each other over the kinds of issues which keep people distracted fighting each other, which is preferable to the alternative of the working classes united against the upper class.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Democrats created their own monsters. They created Trump in the first place by their own reckless ill thought out policies and attacks on people's personal and economic freedoms.

Anyone who thinks that democrats are attacking personal freedoms more than Republicans are very much not worth my time. They can go have a seat while I battle to keep Republicans out of my uterus, or roll back gay marriage, or even roll back voting rights and descrimination protection (line item 244 Texas 2022 platform & resolution committee) or even abolish the equal rights amendment (line item 29 same doc.)

Republicans can't blame their 1950's bigotry on democrats. But I can blame democrats for not fighting hard enough against them.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

What strikes me is that the issues which seem to be focused on as the most divisive and most compelling between Democrats and Republicans tend to have little to no effect on the economic system or the bottom line profits of Corporate America.

For example, the battle over abortion. Regardless of whether abortion is made legal or illegal, the rich will still get richer. Their position of power and wealth remains unthreatened, so what do they care? People can argue and fight about it until the cows come home, but these issues don't affect the wealthy classes. It even serves their interest to have the working classes divided against each other over the kinds of issues which keep people distracted fighting each other, which is preferable to the alternative of the working classes united against the upper class.

I agree that we definitely need to cut off the golden titty of corporate funding to both parties. But good luck doing that through a vote.

 

[esmith]

I can 100% see and understand your perspective. But there are certain changes that would make the political landscape in the US more diverse and, ultimately, more accurate in reflecting the will of the people. A few of my suggestions:

• Supreme Court Justices are limited to 6 year term and can be appointed twice in their lifetime (the term length is negotiable, but this would be a nice place to start).
• Senators elected officials can only serve two terms (6 years apiece).
• House of Representative officials can only serve a combined of 10 years in their lifetime.
• The Electoral College needs to be abolished and all federal offices should be filled via the popular vote.
• Ranked voting should be enacted to allow a viable third party.
• Voting day should be a federal holiday.

But here is the thing, none of these items on my list have been seriously considered regardless of what party holds power. It is like asking the king to voluntarily give up the crown: I don't think it will ever happen. From my perspective, the more things change, the more things seem to stay the same (at a high level).

Item 1 no,
Item 2 ok
Item 3 ok
Item 4 no, this is a Republic not a Democracy
Item 5 not sure what you mean
Item 6 why, we have federal holidays and people are still required to work. What would making it a federal holiday accomplish?

 

[Quetzal]

Item 1 no,

Why not?

 

[esmith]

Anyone who thinks that democrats are attacking personal freedoms more than Republicans are very much not worth my time. They can go have a seat while I battle to keep Republicans out of my uterus.

And keep democrats out of my Constitutional rights

 

[esmith]

Why not?

Because I like it the way is now..that is unless Democrats get the upper hand

 

[Subduction Zone]

Item 4 no, this is a Republic not a Democracy

That has nothing to do with the issue. We would still be a Republic even if the President was elected by majority vote.

 

[Quetzal]

And keep democrats out of my Constitutional rights

What Constitutional right have they taken away from you? Specifically.

 

[Subduction Zone]

And keep democrats out of my Constitutional rights

What Constitutional rights have Democrats interfered with?

 

[Quetzal]

Because I like it the way is now..that is unless Democrats get the upper hand

Finally, an honest response to a political topic.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

And keep democrats out of my Constitutional rights

Most Republicans in power only care about constitutional rights when it serves their primitive ideology. **** originalists who want to return to a time closer to when segregation was a thing and women's vote wasn't a thing.

 

[esmith]

That has nothing to do with the issue. We would still be a Republic even if the President was elected by majority vote.

Ok, my choice is electoral college and my opinion counts just as much as yours

 

[esmith]

Most Republicans in power only care about constitutional rights when it serves their primitive ideology. **** originalists who want to return to a time closer to when segregation was a thing and women's vote wasn't a thing.

Fine you have your opinion and I have mine.

 

[Twilight Hue]

¹

Anyone who thinks that democrats are attacking personal freedoms more than Republicans are very much not worth my time. They can go have a seat while I battle to keep Republicans out of my uterus, or roll back gay marriage, or even roll back voting rights and descrimination protection (line item 244 Texas 2022 platform & resolution committee) or even abolish the equal rights amendment (line item 29 same doc.)

Republicans can't blame their 1950's bigotry on democrats. But I can blame democrats for not fighting hard enough against them.

It's not the Republicans that are trying to tell and force people to drive evs , tell people what they can and cannot say, tell people what they can and cannot eat , tell people people what they can and cannot use atvthe store, putting handcuffs on little kids, rifling through kids lunches that their parents made for them.

Democrats have an obsession and infatuation with compulsory policymaking where the last elective policy was the bottle law.

No , democrats are the cause of the backlash they are receiving now and as the saying goes, "Karma is a beach". Or was it another word?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

¹

It's not the Republicans that are trying to tell and force people to drive evs , tell people what they can and cannot say, tell people what they can and cannot eat , tell people people what they can and cannot use atvthe store, putting handcuffs on little kids, rifling through kids lunches that their parents made for them.

Democrats have an obsession and infatuation with compulsory policymaking where the last elective policy was the bottle law.

No , democrats are the cause of the backlash they are receiving now and as the saying goes, "Karma is a beach". Or was it another word?

Republicans absolutely make compulsory policymaking when they have power.

I don't know if you're willfully obtuse and just ignoring the religious legislators getting their steamroller on but if you're just going to sit and complain about democrats while turning a blind eye to republicans and this, (note, pdf download) you are just simply not worth my time.

 

[F1fan]

I don't see it as people tolerating the existence of a party, in and of itself. It's more a matter of shifting ideas (which seemed to happen around 1980). I think the culture changed such that more predatory and mercenary behavior was more tolerated, while the Democrats' "bleeding heart liberalism" was being discredited as soft and weak.

Carter was shown as weak during the Iranian crisis, Mondale was weak and also deemed economically inept. The Democrats really didn't do much to dispel this notion, and in fact, they practically confirmed it by the late 1980s when candidate Michael Dukakis wanted to prove how tough he was by showing him riding on a tank.

Democrats have a pattern of electing more decent candidates to manage our national affairs, but might not be tough enough to manage our global affairs. We need a soft touch at home and a pretty hard touch globally.

Clinton was different, although he struck me as Reagan Lite. He seemed a Republican in sheep's clothing, yet so many Democrats flocked to him like he was the greatest thing since JFK.

I think Bill was a good compromise, as he was willing to compromise with republicans on a lot of policies,a nd republicans were willing to compromise with Bill. Gingrich changed all that and was the father of divisive politics that pretty much ruined our federal government since. We can't say 9-11 was an exception because the vote to invade Iraq was based on false intel that was likely the Bush administration. Clinton was savvy and a popular president. Let's be honest, Reagan is Republican Lite today. Would he stand a chance in many conservative parts of America? Hell no. Trump would tear him to shreds for working with democrats.

The Republicans were basically a constant. They hadn't changed much since Eisenhower and Nixon, yet I'm sure they were probably quite amused watching the Democrats dance to their tune.

Really? Eisenhower and Nixon both passed legislation that would not be any platform priority for the GOP today. Eisenhower spent a huge amount of money (of course there was very high tax rates on the very wealthy) on the interstate highway system. Nixon had little pushback on signing Medicaid and expanding social security. In recent years republicans have floated the idea of privatizing SS and eliminating welfare programs. They moved from using high taxes to invest in infrastructure to the idea that cutting taxes will benefit all of society naturally (which is hasn't, it's only helped the wealthy). So I don't see much constant in their approach and policies. Reagan started the whole "government is the problem" attitude, and Gingrich started the whole "we won't cooperate with democrats" attitude. It's been getting more toxic ever since. I suggest it's been democrats who have been the constant, with the understanding that government are people hired to manage our local, state, federal, and global affairs. This is very serious work that requires serious and dedicated people. That Trump became a cult is the antithesis of what politics should be.

I look at Amy Klobuchar, Katie Porter, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, etc. as examples of what our elected representatives should be, sober, ethical public servants working for the benefit of Americans, and not being political performers.

It's not so much about the political party as much as it's about a culture shift. George Carlin expressed it when he demonstrated just how far gone the Baby Boomers were. "They went from 'All You Need Is Love' to 'He Who Dies With The Most Toys Wins'." They turned from anti-war peaceniks into warmongers. They turned into Yuppies and NIMBYs.

Those who get caught up in which party is better or worse are missing the point.

This is why I don't blame politicians solely. Vile politicians like Trump, and Greene, and Gaetz, and Desantis, etc. are selected and elected by the voters. I see a lot of complaints by voters who get elected, and it's the voters doing it. It's like someone buying a house they know is falling apart and then blames the house for falling apart.

I still think there needs to be serious consequences to the bad choices voters are making. Was Jan 6 bad enough to serve as a lesson? Was the overturning of Roe enough to serve as a lesson? Was the massive death tool from a bad response to the pandemic enough to serve as a lesson? I don't think so. I still see people complain and want something from politics they are NOT articulating, but also not willing to work for a better government and society. Talk about lazy and entitled society.