I am sick and tired of the state of politics

[CmdrShep2154]

I am a political moderate.

I support a strong economy, military, rebuilding America's infrastructure, having a world class health and education system, taking care of all Americans, and having an awesome space program.

Why all the fear and hatred? Why the lack of civility and unity? How did it get to this point?

I think the vast majority of presidential candidates lack moral character. They will say anything to get attention and votes. I think these narcissists will destroy the United States of America!

[Independent voter]

We should elect cheer leaders!

[belfpala]

I support a strong economy, military, rebuilding America's infrastructure, having a world class health and education system, taking care of all Americans, and having an awesome space program.

I think everyone should be the 1%. I failed at math.

[Lothaeryn]

We are the Rome of the Modern Age, withstood the test of time for 300 years only to be felled by corrupt politicians who forced a Plutocracy onto the masses.

History is yet again repeating itself. I very much doubt that violence won't ensue in the states sometime within our lifetime.

[procne]

I am a political moderate.

I support a strong economy, military, rebuilding America's infrastructure, having a world class health and education system, taking care of all Americans, and having an awesome space program.

Why all the fear and hatred? Why the lack of civility and unity? How did it get to this point?

I think the vast majority of presidential candidates lack moral character. They will say anything to get attention and votes. I think these narcissists will destroy the United States of America!

But that's natural in democracy. Most people lack proper knowledge to understand how everything in country works but they are the ones electing government. It's easier to gain their votes using emotional arguments rather than truth. Most people will choose to believe nice lies ("the government can give everyone free monies and budget can handle it! It was our predecessors and their corruption which wasted a lot of monies! But we will fix that and give everyone freebies!") than not-so-nice truth ("our budget is in poor condition, and we will have to cut on some social policies or impose new taxes").

Politicians know that and the ones who are the best at sugar coating, and who are most willing to rule, win. And who is the most willing? Usually the ones who are most power-hungry, who want to fullfil their own ambitions rather than help their countries. After 4-5 years their term is over and whatever happens with the country further is not their problem. And then citizens get to choose again, and again they will choose candidates who are selling out nice illusions, flavored with "the last government were thieves and scum! Let's get rid of them!".

[belfpala]

Politicians know that and the ones who are the best at sugar coating, and who are most willing to rule, win. And who is the most willing? Usually the ones who are most power-hungry, who want to fullfil their own ambitions rather than help their countries.

Here...

“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

--Douglas Adams, RIP.

[Revi]

No one would disagree with you on any of those goals.

Now explain how you pay for them?

[Oktoberfest]

We are the Rome of the Modern Age, withstood the test of time for 300 years only to be felled by corrupt politicians who forced a Plutocracy onto the masses.

History is yet again repeating itself. I very much doubt that violence won't ensue in the states sometime within our lifetime.

I tend to agree with this.

Now while America has always had pretty aggressive disputes between political sides, dating back to its founding and before, I think its different now. At least in the past, the politicians all agreed on Liberty. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists both, completely distrusted govt. They just disagreed on how to work around it. But today? We have a bunch of liars on both sides screwing us all.

Read the Declaration of Independence sometime. I swear a lot of it is just like the country today.... and you know where that lead.


"I know of no way of judging the future but by the past."- Patrick Henry

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

This is a good article on the subject

http://www.corson.org/archives/socio...S27_090109.htm

THE RISE AND FALL OF GREAT CIVILIZATIONS
From Apathy to Dependence to Slavery


Now i personally think the stakes are far greater than they ever have been because of the technological advances. Trust me, you REALLY do NOT want to see the 'King' win this time. Even if the main guys on the Patriot side are not ones you care for politically or socially.

[Kalis]

We are the Rome of the Modern Age, withstood the test of time for 300 years only to be felled by corrupt politicians who forced a Plutocracy onto the masses.

History is yet again repeating itself. I very much doubt that violence won't ensue in the states sometime within our lifetime.

Rome's greatest era came after wealth dominated politics, e.g. Julius Caesar borrowed money to buy votes and establish his powerbase.

The US has only been a power for a century, so you still need to elect a dictator, persecute some monotheists, go into a period of religious zealotry after converting to the religion you had been persecuting, split in two and then have the two halves conquered a thousand years apart.

If you go the way of Rome, you have your greatest period in front of you.

[Iphie]

Nope.

It's a result of having two parties.
That way you don't have to sell yourself, you just have to discredit the opponent.
When you have eight political parties that gets a lot harder.
That forces you to work together ánd it's almost impossible to throw mud at seven opponents while making sure you are 'clean' yourself.

Mind you having 17 parties/factions in parliament isn't ideal either... I mean right now it would appear that there's no workable government to be formed back home. We'll see in 2017.

[xChurch]

Not much you can do when you only have 2 choices and both are corrupt.

[Deleted]

We are the Rome of the Modern Age, withstood the test of time for 300 years only to be felled by corrupt politicians who forced a Plutocracy onto the masses.

History is yet again repeating itself. I very much doubt that violence won't ensue in the states sometime within our lifetime.

This seems to be the general state of affairs almost everywher in the Western world. Too easy life for too long has detached people from reality. The average Americans in their own continent are far away from the world's troubles, while Europeans have relied on the U.S. military might to protect them far too much, while they themselves keep playing gay parades and inviting troublemaking muslims at the same time.

People have forgotten how much blood has been shed to make the West a good place to live.

[belfpala]

Not much you can do when you only have 2 choices and both are corrupt.

We have parties within parties. The problem is that to get the nomination, a candidate has to tow the rope. That's why we saw John McCain go from the Maverick to the Shill during his candidacy. Then, oh, back to the Maverick once he was free.

How to fix?

[Raynre Valence]

We've deviated too far from the original framework. There were a lot of checks and balances that were thrown out over the years because they represented a threat to someone's power grab. The reduction in state's rights, allowing everyone to vote even if they don't have any skin in the game, the legal bullshit regarding the definition of "welfare" and "territory" in the Constitution allowing for massive overreach... The list goes on.

Bernie and Trump both represent the average voter's total disgust with the system as it stands. Problem is, only one philosophy can come out on top, and the other is gonna be left with a lot of angry people in the most heavily armed nation on Earth. Stock up a cabin in Idaho with beans and ammo, because shit's about to get real interesting.

[belfpala]

We've deviated too far from the original framework. There were a lot of checks and balances that were thrown out over the years because they represented a threat to someone's power grab. The reduction in state's rights, allowing everyone to vote even if they don't have any skin in the game, the legal bullshit regarding the definition of "welfare" and "territory" in the Constitution allowing for massive overreach... The list goes on.

I can only think currently of three game-changing power grabs. Early on, the SCOTUS case Marbury v. Madison, which has nothing to do with, but gave SCOTUS the power to overrule Congress. Then, the expansion of the Commerce Clause, which was largely due to railroad monopolies. Then, FDR's attempt to expand SCOTUS by three, which failed.

Probably more, but those came to my mind first.

[May90]

I am a political moderate.

I support a strong economy, military, rebuilding America's infrastructure, having a world class health and education system, taking care of all Americans, and having an awesome space program.

Why all the fear and hatred? Why the lack of civility and unity? How did it get to this point?

I think the vast majority of presidential candidates lack moral character. They will say anything to get attention and votes. I think these narcissists will destroy the United States of America!

I think people just like to complain too much nowadays. If you look back, you will see that nearly all the problems the US face today existed in the past as well, along with other problems that aren't around any more, such as lawful racial segregation.

The world is a much better place today than it was, say, 60 years ago, and all First World countries have gone a long way since then. Yet, the life became too easy, people's standards changed, and they now cry about every minor inconvenience. It is natural, I do not criticize anyone for that; it is just a bit annoying sometimes that people do not appreciate what they have and, instead, complain about what they could have.

[Oktoberfest]

Not much you can do when you only have 2 choices and both are corrupt.

Washington in his farewell address had a great quote about that. Read it and be amazed at his accurate he was.


"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." George Washington