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> The U.S. has a 1 party problem. The other party is a big standard average Western centrist party at worst. The other party has a problem too, just a very dif

> The U.S. has a 1 party problem. The other party is a big standard average Western centrist party at worst. The other party has a problem too, just a very different kind that is ultimately synergizing well with the badness of the Republican party - utter incompetence at a lot of points. The 2016 election was a great example of that. Dem-affiliated media giving Trump all the screen time in the world and free promotion they could, because the profits are too nice to ignore and “haha who would vote for him anyway, amirite”? Check. Running a heavily disliked candidate that previously failed (in 2008), with a heavy twinge of “it is her turn”? Check. That candidate almost entirely ignoring important battleground states during the campaign, all while Trump was campaigning very aggressively in those states (and then subsequently winning them)? Check. I absolutely hate the fact that I called it out (as soon as the primaries started) that Trump was very likely to win. Which got me clowned at the time. This is just the most surface level easiest points to make, and only about the 2016 election. If one wanted to, they could dive into this much deeper. I will say this though, Dems seem to have gotten their shit together a bit more recently, so that’s a nice development. However, let’s not pretend that just because the Republican party is tearing things up using their methods, Dems aren’t doing the same as well (just in very different ways that help the Reps do their job more efficiently).

ZeroGravitas 3y ago
So your big complaint about the other party is that media companies they are "affiliated" with covered someone running for President who was saying shocking things? Yes, both sides are truly the same. Why bother even voting?
- standing_user 3y ago
  Quite a big theme tbh I'm not smart enough to make a comprehensive reply to your question that encompasses all the socialogical, economical and so on thing. But my 2 cent on this topic as common dude is that nowadays it pretty useless to vote since both parties have scandals or some grade of corruption. On the other hand if you don't vote you are just idle and you can't complain if things don't change if you don't act I'm talking about almost every first world country rn not just the US
- filoleg 3y ago
  I know it is in bad tone on HN, but did you read the rest of my comment? Asking because the part about the media was just one small piece and, imo, the least relevant point out of all that I’ve made. And I’ve never said anything even close to resembling “both sides are the same.” They are not. But they are both contributing to the whole tearing things apart issue, just in very different ways. > Why bother even voting? Because I believe that voter participation is vital to preserving any semblance of a democracy.
  - ZeroGravitas 3y ago
    The comment you replied to was making a fairly clear case, which you quoted: > The U.S. has a 1 party problem. The other party is a big standard average Western centrist party at worst. Their entire point was about the false balance BS that enables this almost incredible level of dysfunction. And your reply is about how the Democrats really do have problems and your list is, in a word, weak. All of it, not just the "news media covering news" item I singled out. So you're doing exactly what the person you replied to was complaining about, and contributing to the problem.

ZeroGravitas 3y ago

So your big complaint about the other party is that media companies they are "affiliated" with covered someone running for President who was saying shocking things? Yes, both sides are truly the same. Why bother even voting?

standing_user 3y ago
Quite a big theme tbh I'm not smart enough to make a comprehensive reply to your question that encompasses all the socialogical, economical and so on thing. But my 2 cent on this topic as common dude is that nowadays it pretty useless to vote since both parties have scandals or some grade of corruption. On the other hand if you don't vote you are just idle and you can't complain if things don't change if you don't act I'm talking about almost every first world country rn not just the US
filoleg 3y ago
I know it is in bad tone on HN, but did you read the rest of my comment? Asking because the part about the media was just one small piece and, imo, the least relevant point out of all that I’ve made. And I’ve never said anything even close to resembling “both sides are the same.” They are not. But they are both contributing to the whole tearing things apart issue, just in very different ways. > Why bother even voting? Because I believe that voter participation is vital to preserving any semblance of a democracy.
- ZeroGravitas 3y ago
  The comment you replied to was making a fairly clear case, which you quoted: > The U.S. has a 1 party problem. The other party is a big standard average Western centrist party at worst. Their entire point was about the false balance BS that enables this almost incredible level of dysfunction. And your reply is about how the Democrats really do have problems and your list is, in a word, weak. All of it, not just the "news media covering news" item I singled out. So you're doing exactly what the person you replied to was complaining about, and contributing to the problem.