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Maybe we've entertained it and we still disagree.

by vlunkr 6y ago

majormajor 6y ago
I would agree with the parent poster that the downvotes represent a lack of entertaining the idea, because instead of engaging and arguing against it, it's merely immediately downvoted. Look how often constitutional ammendments were proposed in the past compared to today. We're fossilizing the idea of our country into a religion instead of continuing to have useful debate on why today isn't like yesterday and on what updates we need to make now.
- nickff 6y ago
  Well, first off, from the site guidelines: >"Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading."[1] But to address your key point, I'd bet a lot of people are down-voting the grandparent's superior/condescending tone, as exemplified by the following fragments: >"America’s big problem... yet Americans take it on faith... Americans simply cannot entertain" [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- vlunkr 6y ago
  Lots of comments are downvoted quickly without replies, I don't think you can infer that much from it. I also don't think the rate at which amendments are proposed is a good indication of how healthy our country is. Shouldn't things stabilize and require less revision eventually?
  - majormajor 6y ago
    > I also don't think the rate at which amendments are proposed is a good indication of how healthy our country is. Shouldn't things stabilize and require less revision eventually? I don't think that's obvious at all, especially given changes in population, technology, and international situations over the same timeframe as that nation's institutional stagnation.
    - loopz 6y ago
      The two party system is outdated. While Democrats fight for unlimited abortion up to birth, republicans fight to end the world. There's no sane middle ground. There is political room for a third middle party.

Maybe we've entertained it and we still disagree.

by vlunkr 6y ago

Maybe we've entertained it and we still disagree.

I would agree with the parent poster that the downvotes represent a lack of entertaining the idea, because instead of engaging and arguing against it, it's merely immediately downvoted. Look how often constitutional ammendments were proposed in the past compared to today. We're fossilizing the idea of our country into a religion instead of continuing to have useful debate on why today isn't like yesterday and on what updates we need to make now.

nickff 6y ago
Well, first off, from the site guidelines: >"Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading."[1] But to address your key point, I'd bet a lot of people are down-voting the grandparent's superior/condescending tone, as exemplified by the following fragments: >"America’s big problem... yet Americans take it on faith... Americans simply cannot entertain" [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
vlunkr 6y ago
Lots of comments are downvoted quickly without replies, I don't think you can infer that much from it. I also don't think the rate at which amendments are proposed is a good indication of how healthy our country is. Shouldn't things stabilize and require less revision eventually?
- majormajor 6y ago
  > I also don't think the rate at which amendments are proposed is a good indication of how healthy our country is. Shouldn't things stabilize and require less revision eventually? I don't think that's obvious at all, especially given changes in population, technology, and international situations over the same timeframe as that nation's institutional stagnation.
  - loopz 6y ago
    The two party system is outdated. While Democrats fight for unlimited abortion up to birth, republicans fight to end the world. There's no sane middle ground. There is political room for a third middle party.