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Yeah, if only we were more like the EU, where the top scientist working on this problem (checks notes) just resigned due to all the political infighting. Why ca

Yeah, if only we were more like the EU, where the top scientist working on this problem (checks notes) just resigned due to all the political infighting. Why can't we be more like... oh, wait.

alextheparrot 7y ago
Super fair comment — though I’ve been trying to refrain from the comparative approach (Two incompetent responses does not make the one I directly experience “better”). There’s an underlying hope that the US is a great nation, or could display the characteristics of one at least. The lack of unity displayed between the states and federal government leaves me less convinced of this. My entire life I’ve been told America was great, but all I’ve seen is sand turned to glassy mirrors inside explosive crucibles. It is easy to hate our reflection, and even harder to realise we don’t seem willing to change it.
- malandrew 7y ago
  If you want unity, you need to vote for candidates that only pursue policies that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree with. Right now however Americans are mostly voting for candidates that pursue policies that half of Americans will agree strongly with and half will disagree strongly with. Moving the locus of policy making away from Washington DC and towards state legislatures would be a good thing since the policies would largely impact populations where the overwhelming majority agrees with the policies.
  - alextheparrot 7y ago
    Fifty ways of doing something isn’t an American union, just as the Treaty of Verdun didn’t form Germany. To add to the initial commentary, when the state governments and federal government are fighting each other, it shows a lack of unity. I’m not asking for a hegemonic unity where we all think the similar things for it to be enacted nationally, but instead for us to just have higher guiding principles that can align a nation in common action, politics irrespective.

Yeah, if only we were more like the EU, where the top scientist working on this problem (checks notes) just resigned due to all the political infighting. Why can't we be more like... oh, wait.

alextheparrot 7y ago

Super fair comment — though I’ve been trying to refrain from the comparative approach (Two incompetent responses does not make the one I directly experience “better”). There’s an underlying hope that the US is a great nation, or could display the characteristics of one at least. The lack of unity displayed between the states and federal government leaves me less convinced of this. My entire life I’ve been told America was great, but all I’ve seen is sand turned to glassy mirrors inside explosive crucibles. It is easy to hate our reflection, and even harder to realise we don’t seem willing to change it.

malandrew 7y ago
If you want unity, you need to vote for candidates that only pursue policies that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree with. Right now however Americans are mostly voting for candidates that pursue policies that half of Americans will agree strongly with and half will disagree strongly with. Moving the locus of policy making away from Washington DC and towards state legislatures would be a good thing since the policies would largely impact populations where the overwhelming majority agrees with the policies.
- alextheparrot 7y ago
  Fifty ways of doing something isn’t an American union, just as the Treaty of Verdun didn’t form Germany. To add to the initial commentary, when the state governments and federal government are fighting each other, it shows a lack of unity. I’m not asking for a hegemonic unity where we all think the similar things for it to be enacted nationally, but instead for us to just have higher guiding principles that can align a nation in common action, politics irrespective.