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Locke Dunnegan posted:At the ripe old age of 27, I have become a bit disillusioned with the American political system. Our federal government is corrupt with gerrymandering, lies, special interest, bribery, and strong-arming. The military budget vastly outstrips every other country's, the rich pay the government to dismantle hard-won and important checks to defend the poor and disenfranchised, and Hillary Clinton is bad with computers. We are doing self-destructive, myopic things like widespread fracking, drug prohibition, and ignoring crumbling infrastructure. Immediate questions for you, you're 27. Have you ever participated in the Democratic process? Voluntered to walk turf and phonebank for your local electeds? Contributed to a Federal level campaign? Please, answer honestly. I understand how easy it would be to become disillusioned if the only participation one has in our democracy is to spend five minutes once every two years participating in representational government. Some of us contribute our lives towards public service; what do you do for America, and why should I not become disillusioned in you? ps locke, you sound a bit hobbswanian in your epiphany of disenfranchisement, so tl;dr what have you done to entitle yourself? Is it safe to assume that you're a white male?
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Apr 14, 2015 02:21
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HorseLord posted:It would be cool if the US stopped being a federation, and was instead abolished. You do realize that the Republic of Arizona would soon after decide to nuke all the terrorists, and once the missiles start flying over your territory, everybody begins to launch nukes because OH CHRIST WHAT IF THEY'RE HEADED FOR US?!?! The rest of the world won't be able to thank us; won't be able to strive to become American through their righteous, appropriate, and sustainable actions. The rest of the world gonna be dead, boy. Gonna be charred-black dead, gonna be spitting blood as our biological agents get released into the wild dead, gonna be charcoals of a hundred milleniums' bonobo's flint-kindled fire. You think America is a force for evil in this world? You naive little worm, the ideal of the America is all which stands between humanity and ISIL; between homo sapien and pan troglodytes. America's perceived current ills are the result of two forces: the decentralization of power in the post-war environment, and the empowerment of individuals outside the white male identity. The two are a mixed matrix'd so an eye without framework to different between the two will discern either one or neither. OP, I can elaborate if you wish, or recommend further readings on the historical nature of power and the exceptional American exertion of that power. My Imaginary GF fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Apr 14, 2015 |
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Apr 14, 2015 02:29
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Bel Shazar posted:I think I would just settle for a pure proportional House. You can keep the senate just how it is and it can be the bastion of state equality or whatever. We have a House proportional to population, with decentralization: the states are free to regulate how they choose to divvy up that proportional representation within their administrative bounds, in accordance with the will of the people.
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Apr 14, 2015 02:57
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Typo posted:Why? You identify power-sharing between branches as a problem, and not the core principle, of American democracy. You state you want a "decisive" and "technocratic" 'reform' of US governance. What you want, sir, is un-American. What you want is benevolent dictatorship so long as you perceive it as personally benefiting you and your kin. You would kill democracy to feel satisfied; what, sir, have you contributed to your community, what have you done personally to reform the democratic process in your community? If you cannot, or will not, answer this, the only legitimate interpretation of your silence is that you have done nothing and perceive yourself entitled to something. Well, guess what, white males are no longer entitled to the perception of entitlement in America. Get the gently caress over it and don't seek to destroy the genius of American democracy because of the unfulfillment of your perceived entitlements.
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Apr 14, 2015 03:05
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Bel Shazar posted:Proportional* +-500k in a nation of 330 million is 0.15% of the population. Motherfucker, a difference of 0.15% is more than merely adequate.
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Apr 14, 2015 03:07
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Stereotype posted:why on earth are you comparing it to the total national population instead of the differences between the two populations? his post was that is it "proportional," +-100%, which is lovely. Because all the population has the opportunity for representation. If your bitch is that a 0.15% difference in the proportion of reprentation isn't perfect representation, well, guess what, you got all the freedom in the world to move your rear end to Montana. You wanna, or you gonna sit in wherever the gently caress you are and complain that life ain't perfect because its off by 0.15%? Mister Macys posted:Yeah, I mean, both parties are just the loving same, amirite? Motherfucker, how much do you give to either party? None? Then you've purchased yourself no stakeholdership in this argument.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:00
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Mister Macys posted:I have family in America; you're God damned right it's my business Rahm. How much money you give to your local Democratic party? If you ain't a stakeholder in the Democratic process, you're entitled to no say in the processes of our democracy.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:28
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VitalSigns posted:I don't think you understand the "demo-" part of that word. I don't think you understand the responsibilities which come with democracy, rather, you want a whole buncha priviledges without engaging with your community and participating through the appropriate systems to earn them. Come on OP, contribute enough to your local and state Democratic parties or candidates to get automatically invited to all future events in your state. You'll get rid of that feeling of disenfranchisement lickity-split, and all you have to do is click now to empower yourself through your contribution. What are you waiting for, OP? Help empower your community right now and acquire the access necessary to understand the stressors of public service from your humbly elected servant's perspective.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:40
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Mister Macys posted:My family is my stake, and I expect a positive return for it. You and the 4 billion other families on this planet, pal. Get in line; compared to the Clinton family, the Kennedy family, or, hell, the Bush family, who the hell is your family and why are you worth giving a drat about? Or, skip the line by affecting positive impacts upon your local community through stakeholdership in the Democratic process.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:48
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ReidRansom posted:Those families all suck though. Only because you haven't married into one. Maybe you should lower your ambitions, chief, and go for someone more realistic while preparing your offspring to achieve an appropriate utilization of the founding principles of advancement in americs.
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Apr 14, 2015 05:14
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Avalanche posted:Down with the fed! OPPRESSION! This, this I agree with. One of the greatest threats to our freedom is our response to terrorism, and one of the greatest financing mechanisms of terrorism is international drug smuggling from the undeveloped world to the developed world, namely, through Al Qaeda-controlled territory in Africa and ME region to reach Europe. The solution to preserve our freedom? Decentralize power in America by empowering Europe to integrate fully into American representational democracy, with an adequate first step being parity in our respective criminal justice systems. For instance, Europe does nothing to contribute to the war on drugs by incarcerating addicts for life. Solution? Europe begins to implement privitized prisons and strict drug sentencing guidelines, so that our freedom in America may be secured from our own reaction for all future generations. OP, your need for weed erodes freedom in America. This is why institutions such as DEA were forced to harvest your international data usage. Why don't you participate in the process and lobby to have weed legalized, rather than advocating for seccession as an easy answer to your narrow-minded issue?
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Apr 14, 2015 05:22
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SMOKE WEED
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PupsOfWar posted:All of theese troublesome areas would be better if we had been allowed to continue Reconstruction. The only way to crush them is to win another war for freedom and democracy. Think on American history and tell me this: when have been the only times when civil rights were being actively expanded? Answer: during war. We integrated the military because war gave us a general with courage; we cracked down on the south because a man cannot be asked to die for his country in the age of television without the right to vote. We have an enemy who is fighting total war against us; we have the urgent need to expand civil rights in America. We need leadership in Washington, men who are willing to call upon the suitable men of our nation to rise up to defeat those who would destroy our way of life, to use an empowered national army to fight them over there so we can get back to avoiding fighting ourselves over here. War. War is the only solution to the perceived loss of entitlement which was reported in the OP. War is the only period when American perception is allowed to become single-minded in its hatred of the enemy, when we can define our enemy on our own terms and differentiate ourselves from them by make all Americans part of an us that's better than them. War, what is it good for? National unity and straightening out disillusioned young adult males such as the OP by instilling a do-or-die sense of purpose behind why our capitalist democracy is the best of all systems in the world. SedanChair posted:This nation is actually a paradise where every citizen, and many noncitizens, are absolutely free to express themselves, to love, to move across borders, to engage in trade, to make fortunes, to criticize the government, to praise God or deplore him, and to traverse its broad highways and take in its scenic parks. That which has never been achieved in all history, has been achieved in America. It's easy to criticize the prosperous, egalitarian and bureaucratically sound model which we have wrested from the founders' original intentions but this is it. The stable and effective governance of 300 million. It is astonishing. Christ, SedanChair, quit making good posts I agree with. My only contention is that meaningful reform is entirely possible to be implemented that would affect measurable change; all we need to do so is accept reality and fight this war in the open, with all our heart, all our soul, and all our hellfire. My Imaginary GF fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Apr 14, 2015 |
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Apr 14, 2015 06:13
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Tao Jones posted:If you want to really want to undermine the government, keep the proportions in Congress the same but double the membership numbers. You'd square all of the infighting, pettiness, arguing, and grandstanding that goes on now to the point where it's totally impotent. You'd further consolidate power in leadership positions and reduce the power of local elites, outside those able to finance leadership bids. Gerrymandering isn't a problem, until your team loses its statehouse during a census year and you suddenly find yourself  feeling unentitled That's politics!
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Apr 14, 2015 07:30
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VitalSigns posted:That's some crap right there. Realpolitik doesn't allow for introspection. When the other team is gerrymandering and you can't break it, call them every name in the book and push ballot initiatives to take that power away from the legislature. What good is a congressional power if the other team controls it? You don't wish on a star and think what you would gerrymander if only you could win, you get in there, fight dirty, and who cares if you take over a House that has one less power than before: you just brought a ton more powers to into your column. Here's a better realpolitik solution for ya: don't be so poo poo you loving lose power during a census year. When your state is somewhere full to the brim of talent, like Illinois, you don't worry about those cornballer league political considerations, you focus on the business of government administration.
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Apr 14, 2015 07:46
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Stereotype posted:Not 0.15%! That doesn't refer to anything! Read what I wrote! Some people have 100% more representation than others, that is the figure of merit. oh god, 0.15% of the population votes for one congressman and two senators in order to balance power between states as institutions and populations capable o representative government! the horror, the horror! If you're so outraged by it, why don't you up your stakes and move to Montana? loving christ, you're never gonna see a Congressman from Montana head the appropriations committee, state ain't got no delegation to get behind 'em. And if you know any loving thing about basic civics in america, which I seriously question, you'd know that all legislation originates in the house and gets ratified in the senate. Oh god, what a horrible population, getting a Rep without important committee placement while other states have double the pop in a district and get Chair of the House Ways and Means! Such injustice!!!!!! Jesus loving christ, the purpose of House delegations shifting sizes is to force intra-state bipartisanship in advancing that state's interests in the House by making more populated states have greater weight than less populated states, even if they have double Montana's pop:rep ratio. Why the gently caress do you oppose bipartisanship? OH GOD GUYS, BIG STATES HAVE MORE COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND MORE MEMBERS ON WAYS&MEANS! THIS IS SUCH A HUGE TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE! -- Jefferson Davis, circa 1859 e: motherfucker shiiitteee go back to the founder's intent with 3/5ths count for non-whites and you'll find that representation is about drat even. Why do you oppose minority members from large states sitting on important committees and not just that no loving pork at loving all shitshow whivh is Ag, Vet Affairs, and Small Business? My Imaginary GF fucked around with this message at 08:12 on Apr 14, 2015 |
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Apr 14, 2015 08:07
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mugrim posted:I became very disillusioned and I was a paid campaigner for multiple cycles/candidates. I've worked over a dozen campaigns for everything from Board of Education to the presidency. I see most of my city council at least once a month now and still do political advocacy work. Don't get me wrong, I empathize with you whole-heartedly. The pay is poo poo, the hours long, the bonuses too small, the bosses quite verbally abusive, the parties too few and far inbetween. My point was, you have to earn the right to feel dissillusioned through participation in the democratic process, you aren't entitled to feel like you understand the true nature of American politics without first paying your dues. Hitlers Gay Secret posted:So what can we do to shift the balance towards good? How do we paint the government in a positive light? Pay me to implement methodologies which do so.
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Apr 15, 2015 03:01
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Obdicut posted:Is this a good time to remind you that your schtick is dumb and you look like an idiot a lot? Is this a good time to remind you that the solution to America's problems, and the quickest way to feeling as if you live a rich and fulfilling life, is to make a contribution to your local Democratic party?
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Apr 15, 2015 03:05
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