Politics Can we discuss this? Topic: Anti-Corruption

[Propagandist]

I'm so burnt out on American politics. I'm tired of my blood pressure spiking and my incredulity being constantly activated. I am tired of despising the hypocrites and tired of all the thousands of lies. Watching people defend people we should all stand against hurts. It hurts that people I love give credence to conspiracy theories and support a cartoon villain of a president. This is a hateful era. We've become medieval. We live in a time where being an intellectual is a bad thing, where caring about other people is a bad thing, especially those who are different. We look like idiots to the rest of the world. The constant irony has nearly ruined irony itself! Decorum is dead. Class is dead, meanwhile the class system is alive and well. And you can feel the chaos: people are shooting each other, hating each other, colluding with one another. It's awful and we should be ashamed. I am very ashamed. What's happening is unAmerican.

Anyhow...I could go on forever, but I was wondering what y'all thought of this RepresentUs group.

 

[MarAzul]

Well I would guess they hired Michael Douglas.
Is this correct?

https://represent.us/about/

 

[Propagandist]

Watch the goddamn video, people, and tell me what you think.

 

[MarAzul]

I watched the video. It seems they hire Michael Douglas.
I gather you do not want comment of this observation.

Ok!
How about the History of working together. I found that most interesting.

How it worked so well, Democrats and Republicans working together 60, 70 years ago. Well to be more specific, prior to Lyndon Johnson.
Now not so much. Well shit, not at all.

Do you know why it worked years ago and not now?

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Props, I feel you man. I generally don't know what to make of this group I'm always a little leery of so much hollywood types in one place. When I think of Politics this is generally my thought.

 

[MarAzul]

Props, I feel you man. I generally don't know what to make of this group I'm always a little leery of so much hollywood types in one place. When I think of Politics this is generally my thought.

Is Michael not on your team?
I have no clue if he is on mine.

 

[MarAzul]

Watch the goddamn video, people, and tell me what you think.

I watched the video. It seems they hire Michael Douglas.
I gather you do not want comment of this observation.

Ok!
How about the History of working together. I found that most interesting.

How it worked so well, Democrats and Republicans working together 60, 70 years ago. Well to be more specific, prior to Lyndon Johnson.
Now not so much. Well shit, not at all.

Do you know why it worked years ago and not now?

Well heck, I will answer for you. Being a resident of this nation for a full 1/3rd of it's existants, I feel at least qualified.
Back in the day there was a colition of of sorts by a the Republicans of the North and some of the Democrats.
The Nation in effect did have three parties in that day, Southern Democrats, Republicans, and Northern Democrats.

The coalition of the Southern Democrats and the Republicans were for year the majority party(coalition) in congress for many years until the era of Johnson.
Over the next 10 years Republicans replace the party affiliation of most of the Southern Democrats.

Over the past 200 plus years the two parties have just about swap ideological positions. The party of Jefferson, Democrat Republicans has be come Republicans.
The Federalist party, became the Whigs, then the Republican Party under John C. Frémont with Lincoln being the first elected President. The Democrats philosophically of today.


In 24o some years the parties have morphed and converted. Some what like a helix over time.

 

[Propagandist]

Well heck, I will answer for you. Being a resident of this nation for a full 1/3rd of it's existants, I feel at least qualified.
Back in the day there was a colition of of sorts by a the Republicans of the North and some of the Democrats.
The Nation in effect did have three parties in that day, Southern Democrats, Republicans, and Northern Democrats.

The coalition of the Southern Democrats and the Republicans were for year the majority party(coalition) in congress for many years until the era of Johnson.
Over the next 10 years Republicans replace the party affiliation of most of the Southern Democrats.

Over the past 200 plus years the two parties have just about swap ideological positions. The party of Jefferson, Democrat Republicans has be come Republicans.
The Federalist party, became the Whigs, then the Republican Party under John C. Frémont with Lincoln being the first elected President. The Democrats philosophically of today.


In 24o some years the parties have morphed and converted. Some what like a helix over time.

But where we are now. The idea of reestablishing who is in charge is appealing to me (or maybe establishing: us). Eliminating lobbying and fucking gerrymandering and making voting easier and more secure are noble pursuits. I don't know, I found it compelling; our system is rotten, but not broken.

 

[MarAzul]

Eliminating lobbying and fucking gerrymandering and making voting easier and more secure are noble pursuits. I don't know, I found it compelling; our system is rotten, but not broken.

No it is not broken, we must rely on the wisdom of our countryman. But I must say, those countryman must be educated, not indoctrinated. Given time they all will be educated by life itself, but they do get to vote before education can occur.
The only help for this must come from the help of other countryman working with the those coming.

Ha! gerrymandering! Yep it sure as hell happens, but I find no hope in and un-elected body to fix this. It seems to be the nature of man, therefore the only hope is to switch the culprit often enough to balance the tort.
While at the same time, wailing enough the intimidate the would be perpetrator.

I do not think voting should be necessarily easy, it must be desired and done with diligent preparation as a citizen, not easy. Doing the legal requirements is easy for a citizen.

 

[Road Ratt]

This is why I don't trust the republicans nor the democrats.

 

[MARIS61]

The parties are partners in the Deep State.

Everything else is theater.

 

[stampedehero]

Watch the goddamn video, people, and tell me what you think.

Thanks for THIS post. I often feel we are the ants on a plate of crumbs and the status quo parties are the guests who throw us away. I want to be a part of the 11 million too. We need Robert DeNiro for a sequel.

 

[stampedehero]

I watched the video. It seems they hire Michael Douglas.
I gather you do not want comment of this observation.

Ok!
How about the History of working together. I found that most interesting.

How it worked so well, Democrats and Republicans working together 60, 70 years ago. Well to be more specific, prior to Lyndon Johnson.
Now not so much. Well shit, not at all.

Do you know why it worked years ago and not now?

1963 to present: The assassination of JFK, his bother Bobby, Malcolm X and MLK were only the tips of the political rape against us. Vietnam, Hoover led FBI, defense expenditures and payoffs to other countries through the nefarious Foreign Aid program are examples of party over people. I love my country but have deep disdain for it political organization. With Trump $$ and Clinton $$ as our choice, I knew we were screwed by these parties. There is no happiness voting for one or the other party as the voter consensus views the system as a choice for the party, not the citizens.

 

[jonnyboy]

I'm so burnt out on American politics. I'm tired of my blood pressure spiking and my incredulity being constantly activated. I am tired of despising the hypocrites and tired of all the thousands of lies. Watching people defend people we should all stand against hurts. It hurts that people I love give credence to conspiracy theories and support a cartoon villain of a president. This is a hateful era. We've become medieval. We live in a time where being an intellectual is a bad thing, where caring about other people is a bad thing, especially those who are different. We look like idiots to the rest of the world. The constant irony has nearly ruined irony itself! Decorum is dead. Class is dead, meanwhile the class system is alive and well. And you can feel the chaos: people are shooting each other, hating each other, colluding with one another. It's awful and we should be ashamed. I am very ashamed. What's happening is unAmerican.

Anyhow...I could go on forever, but I was wondering what y'all thought of this RepresentUs group.

It was actually pretty good. I saw the video screenshot and was like “great, a Hollywood actor is gonna tell us what to do again” but it was intriguing. I’m skeptical as usual, but am interested to dig more into this organization.

 

[Propagandist]

It was actually pretty good. I saw the video screenshot and was like “great, a Hollywood actor is gonna tell us what to do again” but it was intriguing. I’m skeptical as usual, but am interested to dig more into this organization.

Right? That’s why I posted it. I thought it was going to be, honestly, progressive preaching to the choir stuff. It was oddly surprising.

 

[Propagandist]

Seems like an example of something we can all agree is fucked, regardless of political affiliation.

 

[Hoopguru]

I get tired of celebrities preaching income inequality from their Beverly Hills mansions and private jets. Maybe they should vacation in Pakistan or Ethiopia where there is income equality, but less access to fine dinning / clubs & Prada sunglasses.

 

[barfo]

I get tired of celebrities preaching income inequality from their Beverly Hills mansions and private jets. Maybe they should vacation in Pakistan or Ethiopia where there is income equality, but less access to fine dinning / clubs & Prada sunglasses.

So you are offended by wealthy people saying that they should have less money so that you can have more?

barfo

 

[Hoopguru]

So you are offended by wealthy people saying that they should have less money so that you can have more?

barfo

Not all all. Im for prosperity and long as it earned and legal. They can do what they want with their income. Im more of a capitalist than a socialist.
I believe in private ownership of production, and free markets. Even in Scandinavia, they would tell you their economy is capitalist driven with high taxes to support social programs, which is cool as long as government doesn't wants to own production, control prices and stagnant the economy.
See, you can have equality in poverty, equality in misery, and equality in no opportunities, look at Cuba, Venezuela and other countries. Their problems were only a few in Government wanted to own what production they had where its bound to fail. It wasn't always that way in Venezuela with their oil when the markets helped them prosper tremendously until government dictators that Sean Penn, Bernie and others admired harvested the profits themselves and let their people starve and their economies collapse.
Im all for a Government that helps provide for the needy and believe in progressive tax structure to support programs, but keep government away from controlling production and markets, as the capitalistic economy is the engines that supports Growth and Prosperity that Government to can benefits from.

 

[barfo]

Not all all. Im for prosperity and long as it earned and legal. They can do what they want with their income. Im more of a capitalist than a socialist.
I believe in private ownership of production, and free markets. Even in Scandinavia, they would tell you their economy is capitalist driven with high taxes to support social programs, which is cool as long as government doesn't wants to own production, control prices and stagnant the economy.
See, you can have equality in poverty, equality in misery, and equality in no opportunities, look at Cuba, Venezuela and other countries. Their problems were only a few in Government wanted to own what production they had where its bound to fail. It wasn't always that way in Venezuela with their oil when the markets helped them prosper tremendously until government dictators that Sean Penn, Bernie and others admired harvested the profits themselves and let their people starve and their economies collapse.
Im all for a Government that helps provide for the needy and believe in progressive tax structure to support programs, but keep government away from controlling production and markets, as the capitalistic economy is the engines that supports Growth and Prosperity that Government to can benefits from.

Then maybe you aren't on the same wavelength as they are when they talk about income inequality. Being against income inequality doesn't mean you want the US to be a communist or socialist country.

barfo

 

[Hoopguru]

Then maybe you aren't on the same wavelength as they are when they talk about income inequality. Being against income inequality doesn't mean you want the US to be a communist or socialist country.

barfo

I agree with that, as long as capitalism remains the driver of our economy. What I don't want is for a government to own production and control prices as the driver of our economy.
Scandinavia has had a lower corporate tax than the US over the years, but I think they are close to the same now.

 

[Hoopguru]

Scandinavia isn't really socialist because they keep and know that capitalism is better for them, and it's the Golden Goose Laying the Golden eggs for their supercharged welfare sate that is supported by citizens paying large tax rates. They have been ok with it for the most part as most all work a job and contribute, but now there are more and more refugees that where mom or grandma & kids stay at home unemployed but receive assistance of which they are not paying into. Thats ok by me to a degree, but when these countries face big spikes in refugees it has an economic impact. Thats why you've seen Norway pass a law limiting/governing the amount of refugees that enter.

 

[Lanny]

Then maybe you aren't on the same wavelength as they are when they talk about income inequality. Being against income inequality doesn't mean you want the US to be a communist or socialist country.

barfo

Absolutely, barfo! It means that the playing field ought not to be tipped heavily in favor of the wealthy. e.g. Taxing that favors the wealthy most starkly presented as a flat tax for all or a favored tax rate for long term capitol gains which allows the wealthy to buy stocks and bonds for several years and sell them for a lower tax than the poor who couldn't keep an investment, if they could even afford one, for the long term required for the lower tax.

 

[Lanny]

Scandinavia isn't really socialist because they keep and know that capitalism is better for them, and it's the Golden Goose Laying the Golden eggs for their supercharged welfare sate that is supported by citizens paying large tax rates. They have been ok with it for the most part as most all work a job and contribute, but now there are more and more refugees that where mom or grandma & kids stay at home unemployed but receive assistance of which they are not paying into. Thats ok by me to a degree, but when these countries face big spikes in refugees it has an economic impact. Thats why you've seen Norway pass a law limiting/governing the amount of refugees that enter.

This raises an interesting issue. We need to get at the root causes of all this immigration. When people feel the need to flee a country in large numbers one should realize that something is drastically wrong and you need someone at the head of the advantaged countries to tackle these root problems. e.g. Getting rid of the president of Syria.

 

[Hoopguru]

Absolutely, baro! It means that the playing field ought not to be tipped heavily in favor of the wealthy. e.g. Taxing that favors the wealthy most starkly presented as a flat tax for all or a favored tax rate for long term capitol gains which allows the wealthy to buy stocks and bonds for several years and sell them for a lower tax than the poor who couldn't keep an investment, if they could even afford one, for the long term required for the lower tax.

Scandinavia has learned if you tax corporations to much it effects the economy negatively that why they tax the citizens a much higher rate.
A progressive tax structure where everyone pays there fare share and promote a positive business message rather than not.

 

[Lanny]

Scandinavia has learned if you tax corporations to much it effects the economy negatively that why they tax the citizens a much higher rate.
A progressive tax structure where everyone pays there fare share and promote a positive business message rather than not.

All tax rates need careful, not reckless, thought.

 

[Road Ratt]