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I think the root problem is that both political parties portray the other party as an existential threat to our country. Personally I think this is absurd: our
by mark_l_watson 6y ago
I think the root problem is that both political parties portray the other party as an existential threat to our country. Personally I think this is absurd: our country (USA) is strong enough to survive either the republicans or democrats in control of both houses or Congress and the White House. No, the country will not crash and burn depending on which party the elites and corporate news media happens to put in power.
When the Cold War ended, we (the US) lost our Worthy Rival (in the sense discussed in the book The Infinite Game). During the Cold War, both political parties agreed to get along because of an external rival. We now have several Worthy Rivals but fail to realize that, so as a country we have nothing to rally around except for an inaccurate belief in American Exceptualism.
I am hopeful that all of the problems (political, COVID 19, economy, and racism) that we face might unite the country.
As for Facebook acting in our public interest: I will believe it if it ever actually happens.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- thinknboutstuff 6y agoThere's a part of me that hopes one side gets somewhat of a sustained power over time, just so we can see how it really plays out. You know, for science.
- newacct583 6y agoI genuinely want to agree with you. I want to be an optimist. But this it outrageously naive. And here's the proof in one completely in-context quote: > I am hopeful that all of the problems (political, COVID 19, economy, and racism) that we face might unite the country. Literally, (LITERALLY), one of our political parties is spending its energy at the moment denying that the final three problems exist, and blaming the controversies about them on the first, explaining how it's all the fault of the other party. I mean, we actually do have politicians in this country who want to see solutions to that stuff. You should consider voting for them instead of tut-tutting them for not being centrist enough.
- mark_l_watson 6y agoI am voting for Biden no matter what. I almost always vote for Democrats, but using a weird metric: I try to find out who funds candidates, and vote on which doesn’t smell as bad in the sense of taking special interest money. Both parties are bad, but the democrats are I think not quite as bad.
- austincheney 6y agoI will continue tut-tutting politicians that are not centrist enough. Pandering to extreme perspectives strikes me as representing the interests of fewer people.
- newacct583 6y agoWhat specific positions does the democratic party hold that you consider to be extreme and unrepresentative of a majority of the electorate?
- austincheney 6y agoProbably the same reservations I have for any political party. A political party is not there to represent me. I can do that well enough on my own with my vote. I only need political parties to provide candidates and put pressure on other political parties.
- newacct583 6y agoThat's still not specific. You said you want to tut-tutt the Democratic party for not being centrist enough and for holding extreme positions. Which ones?
- austincheney 6y agoI never mentioned any party. I refuse to vote along party lines.
- yks 6y ago> our country (USA) is strong enough to survive either the republicans or democrats in control of both houses or Congress and the White House. Usually yes, but the executive branch has currently gone rogue, i.e. been firing investigators, stealing 500B of taxpayers money without any oversight etc. This level of corruption is unprecedented for the US and it is clear that the foundational system of checks and balances does not work anymore. > No, the country will not crash and burn No but it well might be a slow descent into a Russian-style "democracy" instead.