1645: The Civil War II

[BrianAlt]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

...here in the states the people have become disenfranchised from the process which is dangerous because we bear the burden of our situation. we were given the power to steer our ship; it was a radical thought. we got lazy and handed the wheel over to the robber barons.

I think it's worse than that. It's been demonstrated that people vote AGAINST their best interest. Too many people are too easily fooled and can't understand the ramifications of their own actions.

I can take it locally. People in my town have been voting against a bond referendum for years that would give money to improve the schools in my town. Why? Because their taxes would go up by 5 cents per month per 10k of house assessment. That's $2.50 per month for a house worth 1/2 a million dollars! $30 a year! Will their house go down by more than $30 if the schools in town become crap? Damn right they will. But people kept voting against it. That was until a group got together and spelled all of this out and last year it narrowly passed.

So people that are involved, too many of them have no idea what they're voting for or against. They do it for ideological reasons and some abstract concept they think they understand. I believe much of the apathy comes from this very problem. Others that see this sit on the sidelines. And that's where I agree with you.

I agree that thinking people, clear thinkers, need to take back our country. Not by dividing it, but by showing where we should go. I know what I say is difficult to achieve, but it took a long time to break it. We have a long time to put it back together.

That's why I voted NO on the poll. Sure, sometimes I think I'm fooling myself to think that it's possible. But I hold on to that possibility.

[stulagu]

Originally Posted by BrianAlt

I think it's worse than that. It's been demonstrated that people vote AGAINST their best interest. Too many people are too easily fooled and can't understand the ramifications of their own actions.

I can take it locally. People in my town have been voting against a bond referendum for years that would give money to improve the schools in my town. Why? Because their taxes would go up by 5 cents per month per 10k of house assessment. That's $2.50 per month for a house worth 1/2 a million dollars! $30 a year! Will their house go down by more than $30 if the schools in town become crap? Damn right they will. But people kept voting against it. That was until a group got together and spelled all of this out and last year it narrowly passed.

I have just been sick when people post things like "school unions are simply the mafia" and other talking points like this with no basis in fact. I don't know WHY people don't get that if you put money into your schools and invest in your kids, they will create a better foundation for future generations.

Compromise is considered weakness, and it is so frustrating that political parties are allowed to abide by this. I really do think Obama is in the middle range as far as his politics goes and he has shown that he wants to compromise but with all the fillibusters and rediculous pandering he (and some really good people on both sides of the spectrum) is being held back.

I'm hoping that the coup the RNC pulled on the Ron Paul supporters will wake up some of the die hard republicans. I hope they start a new party and we get some three party legit politics going on.

I love the Michele Bachmann race that is gearing up in MN. All of her points have been proven completely false and she is getting more and more crazy. The opponant is a rich guy, but he at least seems to be level headed, so hopefully people will see the light and get that crazy bitch out of office.

We need more people in politics like Al Franken (and I'm totally serious). Someone that is really savvy, doesn't take himself too seriously and actually writes legislation!

A friend of mine on facebook said he'd love it if there was a political app where you could direct message your representatives and follow their votes (with politifact checking the actual facts). I like that idea, make it EASY to be involved in politics and maybe, just maybe, people will start to care again.

And Sparrow, everything you said is golden.

[BrianAlt]

The problem is there is so much BS rhetoric that trying to follow it is impossible. Because now it's about the rhetoric and not the issues!

That would be great (the app) if it could be simplified.

[stulagu]

Originally Posted by BrianAlt

The problem is there is so much BS rhetoric that trying to follow it is impossible. Because now it's about the rhetoric and not the issues!

That would be great (the app) if it could be simplified.

Just in the world of education alone I can't believe the politics. So I can't IMAGINE how rediculous it is to be in actualy politics.

I wrote Amy Klobuchar an angry letter because she passed legislation that said pizza counts as a vegetable and she sent me a very nice email back saying that in order to pass legislation on much larger issues, she had to pass the pizza one because it was tacked on and it had to be a yea for the entire bill. She is also under fire because she moved her family to DC with her (she has a little girl with special needs) so her primary residence isn't in MN anymore.

This sort of thing really bothers me...the many obsticles set up to keep her from doing her job and passing the bills that really matter.