Who would you consider the more oppressive political party - Democrats or Republicans

[Cthulhu 2020]

While the OP is very unbiased, I did find a couple of things funny.

- Create environmental regulations you have to abide by regardless of whether you believe in them.

I know a lot of conservatives don't "believe in" (agree with) environmental legislation, but a large number of free market fiscal conservatives go against every grain of science to deny environmental issues that are very real. It's hard to believe that there are people out there that can honestly not believe in scientifically drawn conclusions with it being such a rigorous process.

- Promote the unionization of workers to fight against corporate profits.

Fighting against corporate profits isn't really a good term. Proper compensation and safe work environments. But I suppose such things do impede on profits...

[Elegiac]

Over here we have preferential voting, but it has little real impact. Those batshit crazy parties just funnel their preferences to their ideological allies, which are the same as they are in the US. We have like 3 independents in the whole Senate. Although we also have the Greens, who are in a pseudo-coalition with our left wing party and indeed without them they couldn't have formed a government for the last two elections. All of politics is split very much down those two lines.

It used to be alright when you had to choose between Whitlam and Fraser. Choosing between Gillard and Abbot, however, is a marked decrease in quality.

The problem came in the post-Keating era. The ALP let Howard define the issues.

[Rukentuts]

Old people need to stop voting. -.-

Don't worry, they'll be dead soon.

[Mormolyce]

You mean the Democrats, right? Considering that the top 3 billionaires in the U.S. all donate very heavily to the Democrat party.

They cover their bases.

Anyway, Warren Buffet is a maverick, and I'm never quite sure if Bill Gates is genuine or running some kind of PR campaign.

[Elegiac]

They cover their bases.

Anyway, Warren Buffet is a maverick, and I'm never quite sure if Bill Gates is genuine or running some kind of PR campaign.

Having met the man, I can tell you that he and Melinda are genuine.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Do you have numbers that say there are more Republicans than Democrats in the billionaire's club? I couldn't find anything other than Forbes' list of the Richest People in America. Looking just at the Top 20, it's an even split.

Yeah, you're probably right, I mean it's mostly the poor that receive the most welfare who tend to vote red.

[Mormolyce]

It used to be alright when you had to choose between Whitlam and Fraser. Choosing between Gillard and Abbot, however, is a marked decrease in quality.

The problem came in the post-Keating era. The ALP let Howard define the issues.

For as long as I've been alive we've had one party strong and in power while the other one became a laughingstock. Last two elections, they've both been laughingstocks.

How many fucking years did the ALP keep trying to make Kim Beazley happen? Fuck me. Talk about a one-horse race. And they finally managed enough vim and vigour to put up Kevin Rudd as a reasonable-looking candidate while the Liberals destroyed themselves. Then the ALP turned into some kind of Praetorian Guard nightmare with the idiots swapping leaders every time a poll came in and expecting that shit to fly. Meanwhile the Libs kicked their only sane candidate in years (shit I despised Howard but even I was considering voting Turnbull) and replaced him with a Howard-era bootlicker whose only interest in politics is to sneer at the opposition and dog-whistle to right wing fruitcakes. Fucking idiot could've been PM last election if he had made the slightest effort to court the independents, but cooperating is just too far outside his comfort zone.

Considering leaving this shithole after this election.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Having met the man, I can tell you that he and Melinda are genuine.

I'm jealous.

[Elegiac]

For as long as I've been alive we've had one party strong and in power while the other one became a laughingstock. Last two elections, they've both been laughingstocks.

How many fucking years did the ALP keep trying to make Kim Beazley happen? Fuck me. Talk about a one-horse race. And they finally managed enough vim and vigour to put up Kevin Rudd as a reasonable-looking candidate while the Liberals destroyed themselves. Then the ALP turned into some kind of Praetorian Guard nightmare with the idiots swapping leaders every time a poll came in and expecting that shit to fly. Meanwhile the Libs kicked their only sane candidate in years (shit I despised Howard but even I was considering voting Turnbull) and replaced him with a Howard-era bootlicker whose only interest in politics is to sneer at the opposition and dog-whistle to right wing fruitcakes. Fucking idiot could've been PM last election if he had made the slightest effort to court the independents, but cooperating is just too far outside his comfort zone.

Considering leaving this shithole after this election.

Oh yes, I very much remember Beazley the Hutt.

Again, the problem is that Keating left some very big shoes to fill. The ALP needs a leader who won't get embroiled in shit like Carbon Tax and Boat People. Of course, partly to blame is the Australian electorate for having it too good and not focusing on critical issues.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm jealous.

The benefits of living in Washington and having relatives working for Microsoft.

[Chickntender]

To mirror the sentiments of a few others on here:
Compromise means meeting halfway (or somewhere else in the middle); not "you drop that, and I'll drop this", which serves nobody.

A third party which is socially liberal and fiscally conservative would most likely reach the most people in the U.S., but unfortunately that most likely won't ever happen. Or if there was just a party that used logic when it came to fiscal concerns, that would be nice too.

Environmental concerns are legit -- and that doesn't mean specifically global warming, although I do sorta subscribe to it even if I haven't actively looked for all the relevant data.

Having worked in the corporate world (and with all of my friends currently employed in similar spots) I can tell you that most corporations would probably approve of slavery if it helped their bottom line by even a bit (hyperbole). Unions, while sometimes being a detriment, are also very necessary.

edit: As an aside, I am 1,000% in favor of instituting a test to qualify people for voting. Too many dumbasses are allowed to vote under the current system. Letting every citizen vote because it's what our founders wanted is just asinine, that was when we were operating under the assumption that everyone voting was an "educated white male".

[Cthulhu 2020]

The benefits of living in Washington and having relatives working for Microsoft.

I have many friends in Washington who are game devs. Gets me into lots of alpha tests. One of them used to work for MS but he quit to become a game dev.

- - - Updated - - -

To mirror the sentiments of a few others on here:
Compromise means meeting halfway (or somewhere else in the middle); not "you drop that, and I'll drop this", which serves nobody.

A third party which is socially liberal and fiscally conservative would most likely reach the most people in the U.S., but unfortunately that most likely won't ever happen. Or if there was just a party that used logic when it came to fiscal concerns, that would be nice too.

Environmental concerns are legit -- and that doesn't mean specifically global warming, although I do sorta subscribe to it even if I haven't actively looked for all the relevant data.

Having worked in the corporate world (and with all of my friends currently employed in similar spots) I can tell you that most corporations would probably approve of slavery if it helped their bottom line by even a bit (hyperbole). Unions, while sometimes being a detriment, are also very necessary.

The problem is that a lot of policy that claims to be fiscally conservative is really just fiscally retarded. Truly fiscally conservative legislation that promotes small business and start up is great. This free market crap that a lot of people throw around makes me wonder if they even know what they're talking about. As you said, they'd probably approve of slavery if they could.

[GreatOak]

Can't have government interfere with Medicare.

That has to be controlled opposition.

OT: Rethuglicans are more oppressive, but Democrats are quickly becoming just as hypocritical

[Rukentuts]

That has to be controlled opposition.

I say the same fucking thing every time I see it. I refuse to believe people are that fucking stupid.

[Mormolyce]

Oh yes, I very much remember Beazley the Hutt.

Again, the problem is that Keating left some very big shoes to fill. The ALP needs a leader who won't get embroiled in shit like Carbon Tax and Boat People. Of course, partly to blame is the Australian electorate for having it too good and not focusing on critical issues.

Didn't literally everyone hate Keating? Shrug. At least Bob Hawke was the last PM who gave the impression he was actually Australian.

IMO the problem is that both parties are treating this like some kind of government job where you get to be PM just by being around the longest. So now we're scraping the bottom of the barrel and all the candidates are these old wood career politicians whose "turn" it is because anyone with a scrap of charisma or ability has already had a go and left. It is a really anemic fucking lineup this time around. Rudd and Gillard are both pencil-pushing bureaucrats and Abbott is an ass-kissing, backstabbing slime.

Still I suppose I can rest easy in the knowledge that neither party has any substantial policies and it really makes no difference who gets in.

Then again if the Liberals get in and fuck up the NBN then hey, go fuck yourself Australia, I'm out.

P.S. How the hell is Kevin Rudd running on a platform that includes LEGALISING GAY MARRIAGE and not making that the centrepiece of his election bid? It's time, freedom, liberty, equality, tolerance... he has a massive fucking axe to turn on Abbott and the ability to sound like this is a big revolution to get on board with, positive message blah blah blah... and the fuckwit isn't even emphasising it.

- - - Updated - - -

I say the same fucking thing every time I see it. I refuse to believe people are that fucking stupid.

Don't really get what the big problem with that placard is, the left want big government to perform certain tasks for them, they don't just write it a blank check.

Though yeah I get the irony with the hammer and sickle.

[Elegiac]

Didn't literally everyone hate Keating? Shrug. At least Bob Hawke was the last PM who gave the impression he was actually Australian.

IMO the problem is that both parties are treating this like some kind of government job where you get to be PM just by being around the longest. So now we're scraping the bottom of the barrel and all the candidates are these old wood career politicians whose "turn" it is because anyone with a scrap of charisma or ability has already had a go and left. It is a really anemic fucking lineup this time around. Rudd and Gillard are both pencil-pushing bureaucrats and Abbott is an ass-kissing, backstabbing slime.

Still I suppose I can rest easy in the knowledge that neither party has any substantial policies and it really makes no difference who gets in.

Then again if the Liberals get in and fuck up the NBN then hey, go fuck yourself Australia, I'm out.

P.S. How the hell is Kevin Rudd running on a platform that includes LEGALISING GAY MARRIAGE and not making that the centrepiece of his election bid? It's time, freedom, liberty, equality, tolerance... he has a massive fucking axe to turn on Abbott and the ability to sound like this is a big revolution to get on board with, positive message blah blah blah... and the fuckwit isn't even emphasising it.

People hated Keating because he was an elitist; an academic aristocrat. However, he was also a highly effective Treasurer and statesman.

Again, as I said. The Liberal Party defines the issues, the ALP is playing according to their rules.

[Rukentuts]

Don't really get what the big problem with that placard is

It's protesting Obamacare as "socialized medicine" and interfering with Medicare, which is actually in itself socialized medicine. It's the fact that the person doesn't seemingly know that which blows my mind.

[Elegiac]

It's protesting Obamacare as "socialized medicine" and interfering with Medicare, which is actually in itself socialized medicine.

"Don't steal from my socialized medicine to pay for socialized medicine!"

[ringpriest]

You need a third option. Both parties are equally corrupt, equally dedicated to acting to the detriment of the American public.