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If the center of the political spectrum shifts too far left or right then things get distorted. Moderate viewpoints when this happens will similarly have shift

by syki 5y ago

If the center of the political spectrum shifts too far left or right then things get distorted. Moderate viewpoints when this happens will similarly have shifted to the right or left. From my perspective the U.S. has very much shifted to the right the past 50 years. Consider that Nixon created the EPA and Regan believed that the tax on labor should be less than the tax on capital. When the starting point on discussions has shifted too far in one direction then it’s hard to have sane discussions with the majority of the electorate. That we have sitting members of Congress openly call for secession and the suppression of voting rights without their party condemning them indicates to me that we have tilted too far to the right for common ground to be found.

hangpelosi 5y ago
- syki 5y ago
  It’s easy to find articles on voter suppression efforts. This is particularly true in the South. There are lots of articles detailing these efforts. Here is one: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-21-000-polling-locations-eliminated-for-2020-election-day-report https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-21-000-pollin... Ironically your response to my post aptly demonstrates the veracity of the essence of the point I made. Namely, it’s hard to have a civil discussion when the center of the politics of a nation have shifted too far right or too far left.
  - hangpelosi 5y ago
anamax 5y ago
> the suppression of voting rights Which countries allow voting by mail and/or without ID?
- syki 5y ago
  Don’t know. We don’t have a national ID system in the U.S. In Wisconsin they mandated voter ID and promptly closed a lot of places to get said IDs. They made it harder for people to get it. In some states Polling places get closed down in poor areas or make things like 1 drop off location per county regardless of population size. Some places put in enough poll workers to make voting fast while limiting the number of poll workers in less desirable locations to make voting slow. You can get a passport via mail and can file taxes via mail. Selective Service is done by mail. There isn’t any evidence of voter fraud beyond an extremely small number of cases. There are plenty of sources to give you the information on the ways voter suppression is accomplished. They are easy to find.
  - anamax 5y ago
    > You can get a passport via mail You can renew by mail in certain circumstances. However, the initial application requires an in-person check. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-pa... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-pa... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-pa... > There isn’t any evidence of voter fraud beyond an extremely small number of cases. There are a fair number of cases, which is amazing because we actually don't look for it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_North_Carolina%27s_9th_congressional_district_election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_North_Carolina%27s_9th_co...
    - ineedasername 5y ago
      Former President Trump setup a special commission to look for voter fraud and it was disbanded after not finding any significant evidence of widespread fraud. So even the most vocal proponent on the existence of fraud, with ample resources at their disposal, was unable to find it.
    - syki 5y ago
      First time you get passport it’s in person. Renewals are by mail. So do you support first time voting in person and mail in voting for subsequent elections? I don’t believe there are a fair number of cases in which voter fraud caused the wrong candidate to win. I’m all in favor of week long voting, with plenty of well staffed polling places, and plenty of readily available places to acquire free state IDs. Continue with your belief that voter suppression is not a thing.

by syki 5y ago

hangpelosi 5y ago

syki 5y ago
It’s easy to find articles on voter suppression efforts. This is particularly true in the South. There are lots of articles detailing these efforts. Here is one: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-21-000-polling-locations-eliminated-for-2020-election-day-report https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-21-000-pollin... Ironically your response to my post aptly demonstrates the veracity of the essence of the point I made. Namely, it’s hard to have a civil discussion when the center of the politics of a nation have shifted too far right or too far left.
- hangpelosi 5y ago

anamax 5y ago

> the suppression of voting rights Which countries allow voting by mail and/or without ID?

syki 5y ago
Don’t know. We don’t have a national ID system in the U.S. In Wisconsin they mandated voter ID and promptly closed a lot of places to get said IDs. They made it harder for people to get it. In some states Polling places get closed down in poor areas or make things like 1 drop off location per county regardless of population size. Some places put in enough poll workers to make voting fast while limiting the number of poll workers in less desirable locations to make voting slow. You can get a passport via mail and can file taxes via mail. Selective Service is done by mail. There isn’t any evidence of voter fraud beyond an extremely small number of cases. There are plenty of sources to give you the information on the ways voter suppression is accomplished. They are easy to find.
- anamax 5y ago
  > You can get a passport via mail You can renew by mail in certain circumstances. However, the initial application requires an in-person check. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-pa... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-pa... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-pa... > There isn’t any evidence of voter fraud beyond an extremely small number of cases. There are a fair number of cases, which is amazing because we actually don't look for it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_North_Carolina%27s_9th_congressional_district_election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_North_Carolina%27s_9th_co...
  - ineedasername 5y ago
    Former President Trump setup a special commission to look for voter fraud and it was disbanded after not finding any significant evidence of widespread fraud. So even the most vocal proponent on the existence of fraud, with ample resources at their disposal, was unable to find it.
  - syki 5y ago
    First time you get passport it’s in person. Renewals are by mail. So do you support first time voting in person and mail in voting for subsequent elections? I don’t believe there are a fair number of cases in which voter fraud caused the wrong candidate to win. I’m all in favor of week long voting, with plenty of well staffed polling places, and plenty of readily available places to acquire free state IDs. Continue with your belief that voter suppression is not a thing.