left vs right, democrat vs. republican?!?!

I think that people would elect someone like that, but it isn't realistic that one can actually run. You need a lot of money to run for office, and a lot of help, and the two major parties will do what they can to keep you off of the ballot.

Without a lot of finacial support, even if they get on the ballot, the candidate just becomes another name on the ballot that most people haven't heard of.

blackredyellow wrote:

I think that people would elect someone like that, but it isn't realistic that one can actually run. You need a lot of money to run for office, and a lot of help, and the two major parties will do what they can to keep you off of the ballot.

Without a lot of finacial support, even if they get on the ballot, the candidate just becomes another name on the ballot that most people haven't heard of.

Absolutely! God that system needs changing.

?ing my education wrote:

I completely agree with this. I hope enough people are paying attention.

They are paying attention.

Do you really thing the "current political climate" is causing enough stir in the American people?

No. The current political climate is what they want.

?ing my education wrote:

Do you ever think there will come a time when there are no more "sides"? When will the elected officials actually look out for or makes choices for "the people" as a whole? Will "the people" ever elect someone who might do so? Will there ever be a person who can act for "the people"?

These might seem like silly questions because no one knows for sure (just looking for your thoughts/opinions) but most comments I read on here, people are so determined to prove their "side" is right on any given topic, the best solution for the topic is overlooked (this really goes for our politicians/government). "Solution" might not be the right word but I think you know what I am getting at.

Anyway, just thinking out loud after reading a lot of the threads today.

How much money is made in this country because of elec1t0ions?
That's why there will always be two sides swinging it out.

?ing my education wrote:

Do you ever think there will come a time when there are no more "sides"? When will the elected officials actually look out for or makes choices for "the people" as a whole? Will "the people" ever elect someone who might do so? Will there ever be a person who can act for "the people"?

These might seem like silly questions because no one knows for sure (just looking for your thoughts/opinions) but most comments I read on here, people are so determined to prove their "side" is right on any given topic, the best solution for the topic is overlooked (this really goes for our politicians/government). "Solution" might not be the right word but I think you know what I am getting at.

Anyway, just thinking out loud after reading a lot of the threads today.

I think associating democrats with the left and republicans with the right is a mistake. There's a left-right continuum, and I think both democrats and republicans would fall more towards the right (depending on how it's defined).

But the more accurate continuum would be rich-poor, or more specifically corporate-individual. Both democrats and republicans are way over on the corporate/rich side. On major issues like war, economics, healthcare, etc. they're basically the same. They both support the wishes of rich investors on these matters. That's why the war passed without fail, that's why it's still going on, that's why the Patriot Act passed with no problems, that's why NAFTA was passed with no problems, etc.

farfromglorified wrote:

I agree with your point that putting Repubs/Demos on ends of a spectrum is pretty silly. However, I see both parties on the left, rather than on the right.



Slow down. Rich/poor does not a political spectrum make. There are no defining political principles held by either side of that mix. It's like suggesting that a more accurate continuum would be white/black. It's blatant generalizing.



That's one side of a penny, my friend.



Yep.

I'm not your friend, ya know-it-all.

I think the outlook is bleak. I have NEVER seen the nation as divided as it is today... and I was around during Viet Nam. Even back then, it wasn't by political party, but more along class lines or ideological (pro-War/anti-War) camps. Viet Nam was seen as a War waged by our collective government and fought by our poorest young men.
Today... I see the 'dumbing' effect seeping into the political arena. This didn't exist before because politics has always been complicated and multi-faceted and not necessarily what it seems to be. You had to (and still have to) look beyond what is written and what is said to find out the truth of what it is. It is real easy today to flip it to the Cable station that tells you what things are. Too many people accept the world inside that box as reality and truth... it isn't. The lines between journalism and entertainment have been blurred.
This leads us back to the dumbing effect. People don't understand politics... too complex and icky for many. But people understand sports. So, we pick a team, Republican or Democrat... get a Team Name, Conservatives or Liberals... get a Team color, Red or Blue... we even get a Team mascot, Elephant or Donkey. Americans understand this. Once we pick a team... the opposition is the enemy and we MUST WIN... regardless of anything else.

**As a side note... if you go to a ball game at your local stadium before the All-Star Game... and the ushers pass out ballots so you can pick who you think should represent the All-Stars... how many ballots do you think pick every player on the home team? Even the catcher who is batting .175 or the outfielder who has been on the DL since June 1st. Granted, a lot of them are little kids, but, there are adults who do this, too.**

This is why you see the real hatred in the words on this board... hear the hatred in the voices on talk radio... that hatred is not directed to the prick that is planning the next attack against America... it is directed towards fellow Americans!!! It's demonizing other Americans for having a differing opinion on a specific issue... the terms "Liberal" or "Conservative" are spoken with hate... like the terms, "Gook" or "Jap" or "Sand Nigger". They cease becoming human and more like things.
This is how the political parties want it. Dumb votes count the same as smart votes and can cancel them out. Until american voters come to the understanding that we are all Americans and should drop the crap that is force fed us by political party strategists and pundits whose wages depends upon them choosing extreme sides... and cast our ballots based upon what WE believe is the best for our country... not for our Team... then, this moronic, childish division of America will continue.

Cosmo wrote:

I think the outlook is bleak. I have NEVER seen the nation as divided as it is today... and I was around during Viet Nam. Even back then, it wasn't by political party, but more along class lines or ideological (pro-War/anti-War) camps. Viet Nam was seen as a War waged by our collective government and fought by our poorest young men.
Today... I see the 'dumbing' effect seeping into the political arena. This didn't exist before because politics has always been complicated and multi-faceted and not necessarily what it seems to be. You had to (and still have to) look beyond what is written and what is said to find out the truth of what it is. It is real easy today to flip it to the Cable station that tells you what things are. Too many people accept the world inside that box as reality and truth... it isn't. The lines between journalism and entertainment have been blurred.
This leads us back to the dumbing effect. People don't understand politics... too complex and icky for many. But people understand sports. So, we pick a team, Republican or Democrat... get a Team Name, Conservatives or Liberals... get a Team color, Red or Blue... we even get a Team mascot, Elephant or Donkey. Americans understand this. Once we pick a team... the opposition is the enemy and we MUST WIN... regardless of anything else.

**As a side note... if you go to a ball game at your local stadium before the All-Star Game... and the ushers pass out ballots so you can pick who you think should represent the All-Stars... how many ballots do you think pick every player on the home team? Even the catcher who is batting .175 or the outfielder who has been on the DL since June 1st. Granted, a lot of them are little kids, but, there are adults who do this, too.**

This is why you see the real hatred in the words on this board... hear the hatred in the voices on talk radio... that hatred is not directed to the prick that is planning the next attack against America... it is directed towards fellow Americans!!! It's demonizing other Americans for having a differing opinion on a specific issue... the terms "Liberal" or "Conservative" are spoken with hate... like the terms, "Gook" or "Jap" or "Sand Nigger". They cease becoming human and more like things.
This is how the political parties want it. Dumb votes count the same as smart votes and can cancel them out. Until american voters come to the understanding that we are all Americans and should drop the crap that is force fed us by political party strategists and pundits whose wages depends upon them choosing extreme sides... and cast our ballots based upon what WE believe is the best for our country... not for our Team... then, this moronic, childish division of America will continue.

Bravo.