4 ms·

I can't believe any of that is controversial. All political systems have been extremely captured and are very polarized and focused on short term thinking to ma

I can't believe any of that is controversial. All political systems have been extremely captured and are very polarized and focused on short term thinking to make us miss the forest and focus on tiny divisive details. I would never vote for anything but democrats in the current form, but I think they are deeply corrupt and not really working for the people. Sadly easily the best we have right now. Especially in California we could do with competition from good republicans. And from better democrats.

mellavora 5y ago
Yes, and keeping this generic to help keep HN politics-free, given that the US has a 2-party system, the nation only functions if both parties are functioning. If one goes off the rails, it is bad for both. You need the counterweight.
- throwawayboise 5y ago
  What happens when neither party is functioning?
  - kmonsen 5y ago
    then we live in a one party state which is not democracy
  - CoastalCoder 5y ago
    I suppose we'll feel that in every area of life, both domestic and internationally. As a parent, especially of young men, this scares me greatly.
    - InTheArena 5y ago
      this. It feels like where are in the reverse of the 50s. Where the 50s promoted masculinity, downplayed femininity the exact opposite is true now. Instead of father knows best, it's instead father knows nothing. My best advice to young men - Be polite. Be deferential. Study well. Work hard. Take care of yourself. Help others. Don't assume that anyone is going to recognize your work or your achievements without crying privileged, but also realize that regardless of it that is true, you have a responsibility to help others. This seems to me to apropos to the original article.
      - jimbokun 5y ago
        Agreed there is a responsibility to help others. At the same time, some people demanding help and claiming oppression, are some of the most privileged people in society and more than capable of taking care of themselves. Direct your charity to those most in need of it.
Ma8ee 5y ago
Why do you feel that the Democrats are deeply corrupt?
- deberon 5y ago
  I think their meddling in the Bernie/Hillary primaries broke a lot of peoples trust in them.
  - lalaland1125 5y ago
    If a single person leaking a debate question (a person who then got immediately fired once exposed) is enough to call the Democrats corrupt, then I think that was a standard doomed to fail.
    - nitrogen 5y ago
      Superdelegates were also problematic, as was a constant drumbeat of the self-fulfilling word "unelectable." But that's ancient history at this point and the current challenges are different.
- throwawayboise 5y ago
peatmoss 5y ago
I feel the same way (lack of good alternatives from all sides), and find myself becoming a bit of a one-issue believer in - Open primaries - Ranked choice voting I believe our current system rewards either extremism or outwardly expressed extremism. Each side has to one-up others on the same side to prove that they are the purest avatar of their side. Current candidates are physical manifestations of click-bait. But at the same time, effective politics requires nuance and competence. The shouting match that is current US politics definitely lacks nuance. I believe nuance is a prerequisite to competence. In the last ~6 years or so, I learned that there are some people towards the middle, on the “other side” that I’d have been delighted to select as my #2 choice either for reasons of temperament or specific policies. Open primaries and ranked choice voting would have let me do that.
- zeruch 5y ago
  "I believe our current system rewards either extremism or outwardly expressed extremism." Pretty much. We've allowed a system of regulatory capture, gerrymandering, lobbying payola, and an incoherent pandering media pipeline to make the whole political discourse a giant meth-addled goat rodeo.
  - notpachet 5y ago
    > giant meth-addled goat rodeo Saving this one for a rainy day. Thank you. I frequently find myself in these, of one size or another.

mellavora 5y ago

Yes, and keeping this generic to help keep HN politics-free, given that the US has a 2-party system, the nation only functions if both parties are functioning. If one goes off the rails, it is bad for both. You need the counterweight.

throwawayboise 5y ago
What happens when neither party is functioning?
- kmonsen 5y ago
  then we live in a one party state which is not democracy
- CoastalCoder 5y ago
  I suppose we'll feel that in every area of life, both domestic and internationally. As a parent, especially of young men, this scares me greatly.
  - InTheArena 5y ago
    this. It feels like where are in the reverse of the 50s. Where the 50s promoted masculinity, downplayed femininity the exact opposite is true now. Instead of father knows best, it's instead father knows nothing. My best advice to young men - Be polite. Be deferential. Study well. Work hard. Take care of yourself. Help others. Don't assume that anyone is going to recognize your work or your achievements without crying privileged, but also realize that regardless of it that is true, you have a responsibility to help others. This seems to me to apropos to the original article.
    - jimbokun 5y ago
      Agreed there is a responsibility to help others. At the same time, some people demanding help and claiming oppression, are some of the most privileged people in society and more than capable of taking care of themselves. Direct your charity to those most in need of it.

Ma8ee 5y ago

Why do you feel that the Democrats are deeply corrupt?

deberon 5y ago
I think their meddling in the Bernie/Hillary primaries broke a lot of peoples trust in them.
- lalaland1125 5y ago
  If a single person leaking a debate question (a person who then got immediately fired once exposed) is enough to call the Democrats corrupt, then I think that was a standard doomed to fail.
  - nitrogen 5y ago
    Superdelegates were also problematic, as was a constant drumbeat of the self-fulfilling word "unelectable." But that's ancient history at this point and the current challenges are different.
throwawayboise 5y ago

peatmoss 5y ago

I feel the same way (lack of good alternatives from all sides), and find myself becoming a bit of a one-issue believer in - Open primaries - Ranked choice voting I believe our current system rewards either extremism or outwardly expressed extremism. Each side has to one-up others on the same side to prove that they are the purest avatar of their side. Current candidates are physical manifestations of click-bait. But at the same time, effective politics requires nuance and competence. The shouting match that is current US politics definitely lacks nuance. I believe nuance is a prerequisite to competence. In the last ~6 years or so, I learned that there are some people towards the middle, on the “other side” that I’d have been delighted to select as my #2 choice either for reasons of temperament or specific policies. Open primaries and ranked choice voting would have let me do that.

zeruch 5y ago
"I believe our current system rewards either extremism or outwardly expressed extremism." Pretty much. We've allowed a system of regulatory capture, gerrymandering, lobbying payola, and an incoherent pandering media pipeline to make the whole political discourse a giant meth-addled goat rodeo.
- notpachet 5y ago
  > giant meth-addled goat rodeo Saving this one for a rainy day. Thank you. I frequently find myself in these, of one size or another.