I’ll add 2 more cents.
Get social justice issues the mother fk out of government decisions. On both sides of the aisle. Get rid of DEI but don’t dumb the system down. Human beings are human beings. That’s it.
Focus on the economy. Focus on making every American work better. Et cetera. Get real. Be real.
Yes, I see that point. My point is, even if that is correctly viewed as a structural problem just deal with it.As Roberts says, and my original post outlines at least for our presidents in the ME over the last 50 years, our form of government has evolved past what we used to think of as a democratic republic--we've lost a lot of the constitutional checks on the executive. Maybe that was necessary to deal with our problems. Doesn't seem to be working well right now, though.Can a democratic republic thrive with a majority of dumb robotic people?
We basically have two choices, constitutional convention or man up and get real. First one’s only going to make everything worse because the current divide can’t possible agree on an improvement.
The second requires real people making tough decisions kind of like in Goat’s Rome thread.
There is no way to deal with that area IMO. They can't even deal with each other except when it comes to hating Israel.Two seeminlgy unrelated questions. But I'll try to show why they might be related (or at least why I considered them together this morning while walking the dog). Poke holes as you see fit. Try not to be too partisan (although I focused on GOP presidents here, so I might be a bit hypocrtical there):
One of the defining features of America is its citizens distrust of government. That has existed since the founding. Since Adams, large swaths of people have hated and distrusted the President. Yet we seem to gloss over that when considering presidents of the past.
Over the last 50 years, it's tough to blame them. Let's just do Republicans:
Nixon--Watergate is the most obvious but his hidden knowledge of the torture and murder of dissidents in nations we were propping up is probably worse (and utlimately more devastating, as seen below)
Reagan--Iran/Contra (actually worse than Watergate)
GWBush--Iraq War run up (worse still, given the loss of life and money)
Trump--there are many but the Iran War now, after running on no Middle East wars is pretty glaring.
(We can add in Clinton's Lewinksi affair and general womanizing and Biden's coverup of his cognitive decline, too, but those don't relate to my second question.)
On the Republican side, notice that three of the four involve the Middle East. Maybe that's because there are no good solutions there? Maybe it's because the solutions that might work are all dirty? Maybe it's because our democratic form of government isn't cut out to deal with complicated situations or ones involving Arab/Islamic states because they play by different rules? Maybe it's something related to the Republican party or it's just coincidence?
It's just striking to me that the American public never voted for terrorizing dissenters in the Middle East in the 50s-70s, never voted for selling arms to Iran (kinda the opposite, actually), had a ginned up war pushed on them in Iraq, and never voted for a war with Iran. That is, for 50 years, our leaders have made big decisions on Middle East policy that the American people probably wouldn't support if they knew the truth.
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who know binary and those who don't.
@hhlurker The constitutional convention is needed along with numerous other changes. but it's purely academic. it won't happen. as amazing as our founders were we're experiencing change that no one could have contemplated. and in your other post you note something about ending dei and getting people to work. if you want to know what is going on in the country you have to follow the real news. you ONLY get that from social media. instagram. legacy media is agenda-driven propaganda. good for reporting a bombing happened not much else. hell anderson cooper bounces from cnn to 60 minutes. colbert will end up at cnn etc. you want to know what is going on in LA. Follow an instagram account where a guy spends every day riding his bike around la. read the comments on teh post. follow as many diverse accounts as possible. that's the real news today.
and what i've gleaned is that socialism is popular. what we think of as radical from both sides is popular. kids love socialism. it's not a coincidence that nyc has the mayor that it does. it's because what he espouses many people want. we are deeply fundamentally divided in this country. and having 50 percent win and the other 50 percent with polar opposite views is not healthy for a country. and yes i believe we are that divided. fundamentally.
hence a constl convention and other legal reforms. to revamp elections. two party system cock blocks third parties to our detriment. election reform. term limits. no more 50 year congress people. but the most impt part imo would be to dismantle most of the federal gov. all that wilson/fdr did tear it down. make our fed gov just raw basics. military and a few other things. then create regional governments that are more responsive. NE loves socialism and woke shit. go for it! have your states but then a regional government as well that reflects your desires. southeast wants maga mania. go for it. have a regional gov that reflects those desires. in this way half the country wouldn't have shit they hate foisted upon them. the gov would be more responsive. and i believe if done properly more representative, leaner, and potentially cheaper.
Well that was a complex post aptly representing the prohibitively complex challenge of resolving our divided dilemma.
Having lived outside looking in the US for years, I remain optimistic. There’s something American that binds us that financially successful people from other countries will argue they have but it’s plain to see they don’t. I think you have to be born here or desired it so strongly to move and live here to have. It exists in this forum with widely divergent views and even vitriol.
Viewed as a seed, it’s in us all and needs some sort of moisture to sprout and then fertilizer to grow.
Giving up would be the end.
I’m divorced and no way I’ll ever lie in bed with her again but she’s the mother of my children. Finding a new squeeze doesn’t change that.
Finding a new squeeze doesn’t change that.
Aren't you 67? That would be a monumental mistake.
STAY SINGLE KINGS!!!!!!!!!!
Finding a new squeeze doesn’t change that.
Aren't you 67? That would be a monumental mistake.
STAY SINGLE KINGS!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely +1
Squeeze /= wife (Divorce was a blessing)
Domination = maximum sexual tension. The contract is simple: as long as it’s fun.
Life is too fun to fuck around with female bullshit. Too many games yet to play. (Vice versa for hot women.)
One exception to the rule.
Funny story from the old folks home where some family friends resided (Meadowood in Bton).
Lots of old women, fewer men. One single guy who wasn’t financially sound advertised himself around to the eligible women, saying he wanted a rich wife. They all lined up.
“The men don’t know what the little girls understand.” - The Doors
I've never had trust or faith in any President during my lifetime. And doubt that ever changes. Some are worse than others (my personal opinion is the current one is the worst, but last one was pretty bad).
I had political disagreements with Clinton, GWB and Obama admins on many issues.... But that's to be expected. Never though the abject disgust I've had for the last near decade.
What bothers me more than policy disagreements is the rampant incompetence and blatant political hackery so common in this era.
We are a wildly successful country in spite of our government, not because of it.
Reason to be hopeful for our nation?We are a wildly successful country in spite of our government, not because of it.
@hhlurker this country will be fine. The government isn't the country. We all treat our neighbors a lot better than we talk about our politicians. Most people in this country actually like each other. Only the overlords want us to be so divided
I've worked along probably 200+ people in my professional career (and a lot in odd jobs younger). The % of those people I'd consider assaholes is under 10%. Most people are good, just trying to find their own path
@twenty Strongly agree. I’d even estimate the percentage of “evil” doers at under 3% and the rest of your 10% and maybe a bit more somehow under the influence of the few percent.