Exit Strategy

voters' reaction
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/09/25/ted-cruz-and-wife-shouted-out-of-d-c-restaurant-over-his-support-for-kavanaugh/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e5ca624edd3d

So sitting in a restaurant waiting for more than an hour for them to show up so you can get in their face and scream until they leave isn't in your face harassment? Imagine if pro-life activists decided they were going to show up whenever a democratic senator or official was trying to have a meal with his family and started chanting something along the lines of "baby-killer". Would that be civil or would you think they're showing a major lack of class or respect?

When they violate the very basics of the Constitution then they violate our rights. That's not in your face harrsssment that deserves retaliation? You can't treat people like they don't matter without those people trying to prove they are. No one should have to feel like they have to defend their rights from their own government. It isn't us vs them. This is US vs US and we shouldn't be excluding anyone just because they disagree. When you take everything from people they tend to fight back. If he didn't want people, that he supposedly represents, in his face then he should vote what's right instead of just voting party. Cruz already said he couldn't stand Trump. Now he's kissing Trump's felonious bum just like all republicans. It's everyone's right to fight a corrupt government. It's everyone's duty to fight a corrupt government.

I hear what you're saying. Realize though that very close to half the nation is conservative leaning, and Trump has LOT of support from his conservative base. Ignoring them makes those senators just as guilty as ignoring the left.

There's got to be some common ground somewhere, but for the most part the positions of the right and the left have moved so far apart that whenever one side pushes its agenda the other feels taken advantage of - I know I'm still suffering after Obamacare got pushed through. It's not some news article I read that told me it was bad.. it was watching my healthcare bills double.. then double again, then nearly double again. A plan that used to cost me very little and gave good coverage now costs me nearly $700 a month. But the democrats don't want to hear it. Anyone mentions that Obamacare has been a disaster for millions, they call it fake and pretend we're trying to destroy healthcare for the poor. Do I not deserve good healthcare, too?

Just keep in mind there are two sides to every story and that not all those who support Trump are evil people who want to destroy democrats, or hate immigrants or the poor. A lot of the time they are just doing what the people who voted them into office wanted them to do, same as the dems do. Or do you feel that the modern democratic party pays a lot of attention to the needs of conservative voters and that I'm way off base here? Not saying two wrongs make a right, just trying to highlight the situation. In the current political environment, no matter who is in charge someone in the country is losing because of it.

Out of 231 million people how many are registered voters? How many registered voters bother to vote or are allowed to vote? I'd venture to guess half of the country doesn't vote at all. I wish half of the country cared enough to vote but I fear it's just a small percentage.

That's what bothers me about the whole system. When democrats are in office half of the country lives in fear. When republicans are in office the other half lives in fear. The only people that never seem to feel any fear are career politicians. Every politician has forgotten who they're working for. They think they've got the power and we should follow them.

The way the game is played it's impossible to vote for the best or refuse to vote until someone good comes along. No one with honor ever runs.

I've never argued for or against Obamacare because I'm lucky enough to have good insurance. I've read horrible things about the costs too. I'm very liberal when it comes to healthcare and education. I think both should be free to everyone. If everyone is healthy and everyone that wants an education gets it the entire country benefits. I know it's not that simple but those two things should be a priority.

I hate more than anything that everyone seems to think it's republicans vs democrats when we're actually on the same team. It should be seen as We, the People vs Career Politicians. They keep us at each other's throats by making everyone think we all want different things. I think we all just want to make enough money to enjoy life and have enough time off to do it. And we don't want government asshats giving themselves all the benefits we deserve and break our backs for. They're not breaking their backs but they have the power to vote for raises and extra pension plans for themselves. That seems to be all any of them ever agree on.

The whole thing has turned into a joke and the Politicians are the only ones laughing.

I think a lot of people have been convinced as they grew older that their vote was meaningless and/or that politics didn't matter. Neither could be further from the truth, but I know that has always seemed to be a common sentiment in my experience. It may also just be a personality type - many people seem to be entirely content living in nations where the government makes virtually all decisions and the people just go along with it. The world is full of countries where the people never cared enough to even try to make sure their voice was heard. If they exist overseas, I am sure they exist here as well.

As far as the system being broken.. it is. But it seems to be broken in nearly every other western nation, as well. Britain, Germany, France.. anywhere you look the left and right are currently at each others' throats. My fear is that social media has made it too easy for both sides to propagandize which is leading to a total breakdown in compromise and communication between opposing parties. If you're bombarded by messages about how evil the democrats are or how evil the republicans are(or tories vs. labour, etc), you are very unlikely to take the time to listen to them or try to figure out a way you can both be happy. They're evil, so why bother? Just throw them to the curb and push what we want.

I remember writing a research paper in uni about wartime propaganda and tbh there was very little difference between how we treat and talk about each other, and how we treated and talked about the Japanese or the Nazis in WW2. Both sides do their absolute damnedest to dehumanize the other side.. and it is working. We're seeing a breakdown of civility across the country from BOTH sides and if history is any indicator.. the only place this leads if we don't fix it is civil war. Given how radical parts of each party is currently, I don't believe the US would ever recover from another civil war. Moderates always seem to lose their voice during wartime. Whatever emerged would likely be either so far left or so far right we would not recognize our home any more. We're in an extremely dangerous position and I don't think most people realize it.

And yes, absolutely everyone just wants to be able to have a happy and peaceful life. We're all Americans but somewhere along the line we forgot. I hear it even on imgflip all the time "republicans are traitors" "REAL americans vote this way or that way" "democrats are communist scum". All just leading us to the edge.

As far as crooked politicians.. I agree but what do we do about it, really? History has shown pure democracy doesn't work, so we (imo) need elected officials. How do we get around the fact that once they're elected they start getting an overinflated ego? Term limits would likely be a good start I guess, but.. at the same rate with short terms we end up with people with no experience trying to run a superpower. I don't know. Current situation seems bad, but alternatives seem worse. What to do? :P Maybe eliminate political parties as an entity. Have politicians run as only individuals. I know some of the founders(Washington especially) warned against the formation of political parties.

"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." - G. Washington

Also "The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country is subjected to the policy and will of another." - G. Washington

Sorry for the long-winded double-reply. It's not too often you get an opportunity to have a civil discussion about this stuff so figured I'd take advantage :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlMIyae9-ZU