America is buckling

[grip]

It's hard to deny that America is undergoing change and upheaval at an unprecedented pace. Between pandemics, socioeconomic troubles, political divisions, foreign intrigue, and our reasons to dislike each other, they are not as important as our need to come together.

America is buckling

It's hard to escape the feeling we're watching the slow-motion collapse of American self-government

theweek.com

If you've been following the news lately, it's hard to avoid the feeling that we're watching the slow-motion breakdown of American self-government.

Why is it happening?

Some of it is an expression of assiduously cultivated partisan hatred of Democrats. Some of it is a consequence of a widespread collapse of trust in public institutions and a resulting turn to folk conspiracies as an alternative way of making sense of reality. And some of it seems to follow from a sheer love of conflict and combat for its own sake. A sizable portion of the American public appears to crave enemies. This feeds an increasingly agonistic politics modeled on warfare or a violent sporting event. Think of it as the resurgence of a warrior ethic unwilling to be tamped down by the niceties of civilization.

In the political and social spheres, it's becoming impossible to deny that the United States is buckling.

 

[joko104]

Just partisan crap claiming it is only Republicans who hate Democrats. The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

 

[watsup]

Just partisan crap claiming it is only Republicans who hate Democrats. The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

OP point immediately proven by a rabid Trump supporter. No surprise there.

 

[joko104]

OP point immediately proven by a rabid Trump supporter. No surprise there.

No, but you continue to prove mine.

 

[Phys251]

It's hard to deny that America is undergoing change and upheaval at an unprecedented pace. Between pandemics, socioeconomic troubles, political divisions, foreign intrigue, and our reasons to dislike each other, they are not as important as our need to come together.

All the disinformation out there is literally killing us. End that and you cut the problem off at its source.

I have no idea to do that in a way that doesn't flagrantly violate the First Amendment, however. The best that Biden will be able to do is use his bully pulpit to speak truth to power.

 

[SonOfDaedalus]

Just partisan crap claiming it is only Republicans who hate Democrats. The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

It's Trump who is trying to discard the results of an election and have officials declare him the winner. It's not both sides here. There is one side that doesn't want to accept the results of an election.

 

[eohrnberger]

It's Trump who is trying to discard the results of an election and have officials declare him the winner. It's not both sides here. There is one side that doesn't want to accept the results of an election.

Completely ignoring the toxic vile from the left since before the 2016 election.
Don't take this post as claiming it is only the left which does this, that's not true, just that the left is where most of it is coming from.

 

[Tralfamadore]

The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

Yes, when Trump declared the press as the 'enemy of the people', that was a turning point as you have so eloquently put it.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Just partisan crap claiming it is only Republicans who hate Democrats. The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

A perfect example of why the US is messed up.

Purveyors of disinformation. Doing Putin's work.

 

[Slavister]

The MSM, press and Internet - and therefore the majority of the plutocrat's servants and submissive peasants - hate mongering is 90% against Trump supporters, not Democrats.

Oh, no, the Internet is in on it!

 

[Perotista]

It's hard to deny that America is undergoing change and upheaval at an unprecedented pace. Between pandemics, socioeconomic troubles, political divisions, foreign intrigue, and our reasons to dislike each other, they are not as important as our need to come together.

The problem is for around 20-30 years now both parties have used a divide and conquer strategy in their search for votes. Both parties try to paint the other party and candidates as the devil reincarnated if not worst. Both parties portray the other party as out to destroy America which only their party can save her. Both parties run nothing but negative personal attack ads, trying to drive the voter to hate the other party and their candidates more than they hate you. In fact, neither party gives the voter a reason to vote FOR them, just against their opponent. This has been going on so long that the party faithful believe entirely their own negative propaganda against the other party.

It use to be that both major parties respected the other. That both realized the goal for both major parties was for a secure, proposous and free America. Only their paths differed somewhat. It use to be they'd work with each other for the good of the country, compromise, play the game of give and take. Not anymore. It's all boiled down for the good of the party, loyalty to party and not the country. Trump isn't the problem, he's just an end result of the problem that has been going on for a very long time. It doesn't help matters that we have two major cable news networks presenting their news from a strictly Democratic point of view while the other presents its news from a Republican point of view. The news have become partisan propaganda as each network tries to keep and add viewership. To keep their viewers happy and add a few more, the more viewers, the higher ranking, the more money they can charge for their commercials. Straight news has gone the way of the dodo bird.

Each is trying to tell you what to think and how to react. What is needed is a change in both parties leadership. Where both party's leadership put all of America first and foremost, not just their party's base. What we have today is 30% of American who call themselves Republicans trying to force their ideals on the rest of us. The same for the 30% who call themselves Democrats, they want to force their beliefs on the remaining 70%. We as a country has lost the ideal of what is good for the country as a whole, only looking at what is good and wanted by one or the other major political party. We need to return to the old ways or all is lost.

 

[Ikari]

Well things are not looking good at this point and Trump is doing his best to drive a wedge into the Republic and attack our most fundamental of pillars supporting it.

 

[Noodlegawd]

It's hard to deny that America is undergoing change and upheaval at an unprecedented pace. Between pandemics, socioeconomic troubles, political divisions, foreign intrigue, and our reasons to dislike each other, they are not as important as our need to come together.

90% of our problems are the result of phony or exaggerated narratives coming from both sides. The problem is that we have no honest, trusted broker in the middle.

 

[eohrnberger]

90% of our problems are the result of phony or exaggerated narratives coming from both sides. The problem is that we have no honest, trusted broker in the middle.

A role the news media used to play, but has abandoned for political activism.

 

[Yakshi]

OP point immediately proven by a rabid Trump supporter. No surprise there.

No doubt. By incompetently arguing their side, they sometimes argue the side of liberals better than liberals do.

They're facepunching themselves unconscious while we watch.

 

[Yakshi]

You can't have an honest discussion with a side that is so distrustful of government, media, science, expertise of any kind, and education.

If they don't believe in reality or facts, what are the odds that these conservatives are going to believe a rational argument?

They've created a mental Candyland, and they're living there in tree houses.

 

[chuckiechan]

It's Trump who is trying to discard the results of an election and have officials declare him the winner. It's not both sides here. There is one side that doesn't want to accept the results of an election.

What is the problem with making sure the count is correct, legal, and accurate?

 

[Noodlegawd]

What is needed is a change in both parties leadership. Where both party's leadership put all of America first and foremost, not just their party's base. What we have today is 30% of American who call themselves Republicans trying to force their ideals on the rest of us. The same for the 30% who call themselves Democrats, they want to force their beliefs on the remaining 70%. We as a country has lost the ideal of what is good for the country as a whole, only looking at what is good and wanted by one or the other major political party. We need to return to the old ways or all is lost.

What is needed is a new party that represents the 40-50% in the middle who can reasonably differ over how (or even whether) to solve various problems and the direction our country should go, but arrive at compromises that all of them can live with. To hell with the extremes. They are the source of all our problems.

 

[SonOfDaedalus]

What is the problem with making sure the count is correct, legal, and accurate?

None. He got a recount in Georgia. His legal challenges were heard. What else does he want?

Any loser can claim he was cheated. I've said this before, but why is it even surprising to anyone that he lost? He is only president because of low turnout by Blacks in 2016. This year, Mr. "Blue Lives Matter" got them voting.

Moreover, Trump even lost Arizona and Georgia. He has been the most unpopular president in history. So, why is it a surprise he lost? I'm surprised he did as well as he did.

 

[chuckiechan]

What is needed is a new party that represents the 40-50% in the middle who can reasonable differ over how (or even whether) to solve various problems and the direction our country should go, but arrive at compromises that all of them can live with. To hell with the extremes. They are the source of all our problems.

Another problem is that when the media treats minor political players like shit they don’t want to work in government anymore. They is one reason we are so God awful ****ed up when it come time to do their jobs, like write coherant common sense laws. We have a general lack of talent in everyone below agency heads, and FYI, they, and the lobbyists are the ones grinding out the work.
As I say, “We get the government we deserve”.

 

[Noodlegawd]

What is the problem with making sure the count is correct, legal, and accurate?

No problem. The problem is that every time one of his theories doesn't pan out, he makes up a new, bigger, and more absurd one like the one Giuliani premiered yesterday without even hinting at a shred of evidence to support it.

 

[SonOfDaedalus]

Another problem is that when the media treats minor political players like shit they don’t want to work in government anymore. They is one reason we are so God awful ****ed up when it come time to do their jobs, like write coherant common sense laws. We have a general lack of talent in everyone below agency heads, and FYI, they, and the lobbyists are the ones grinding out the work.
As I say, “We get the government we deserve”.

We deserve better than a crook and liar like Trump. Surely, you don't believe the conman has any talent other than conning people.

 

[Perotista]

What is needed is a new party that represents the 40-50% in the middle who can reasonably differ over how (or even whether) to solve various problems and the direction our country should go, but arrive at compromises that all of them can live with. To hell with the extremes. They are the source of all our problems.

We are of like minds. One of my pet peeves is we have several problems for a very long time that neither party wants or is willing to solve, compromise or no compromise. This problems, issues are way too valuable as a campaign tool to fire up one's base. To solve them would eliminate them as a campaign tool, issue.

 

[poweRob]

90% of our problems are the result of phony or exaggerated narratives coming from both sides. The problem is that we have no honest, trusted broker in the middle.

 

[reflechissez]

What is the problem with making sure the count is correct, legal, and accurate?

That's exactly what the states are and have been doing. What's different about this election?