Quote:Okay so what are people's thoughts on how divisive we have become in this country. Just look at it...the majority of politicians on both sides (though I completely believe it is much worse on one side...) have turned everything into a black and white issue? I know this isn't really a new thing in politics, but to me, it seems like it is worse than ever. It's starting to border on pre-civil war (not that I think that'll happen, but know that there are a LOT of people who would be okay with secession.)

 

In my opinion, this is the result of having a two party system. In this kind of system, everything is one way over the other, no matter what. No compromise, no debate. Those are the party lines and everyone complies with it. Lobbys have too much influence on politics. We only have two legitimate candidates for every election, so if you believe in fiscal responsibility but also social justice you have no one to vote for. 

 

Anyway, I would like a civil discussion without name calling and dismissive comments. I know that's a tall order on the internet, but try. It's not that difficult. 

 

First of all, love the avatar.  :thumbsup:

 

I wish I knew the answer as to how to really fix this problem.  I disagree with you that one side or the other more so sees everything as a black and white issue.  Both sides are equally to blame.

 

There are a few different types of people that vote for our politicians.

 

1. The staunch party people that will vote a straight Democrat or Republican ticket in every election, regardless of the candidate or the candidate's stance on issues.
   
2. The "un-educated" voters that get their news and information from television shows like "Saturday Night Live" or "The Daily Show".
   
3. The "populist" crowd who votes for a candidate based on popularity rather than qualifications.
   
4. The "what's in it for me" crowd that will vote for whatever candidate offers them "more stuff".
   
5. Finally, there are some people that actually follow the news and current events.  These people are usually identified as "moderates" since they don't really lean one way or the other.
   

One change that I would like to see is how the Senators get elected/appointed.  By design, the Senate is supposed to support State's Rights and should be selected by each State's Government.  Senate members were never supposed to be chosen by the people, they were supposed to be chosen by the State.  The popular vote of the people is supposed to be the House of Representatives.  That is why each State has an equal number of members in The Senate (2 for each State) and a number or Representatives in The House based on the State's population.  This would require the repeal of the 17th Amendment.

 

Another change that I would like to see has to do with tax laws.  The income tax is unfair and is possibly a big reason why we see so much divide.  As people are more successful and earn more, they are also penalized more.  I would be happy to see a flat tax, or better yet a fair tax implemented that makes it even across the board.  We are a nation of consumption at all economic levels.  The problem with doing something like this is it takes power away from politicians and gives it back to the people.

 

I'll post more thoughts later.

---