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Help, I’m trying to understand American politics

Iggyfire said:
I’ll be limited to cities on the east coast due to work unless I change my field.
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You'll be fine. You'd probably be fine in any state. I would just avoid the right to work states that are very red. I mean, I like my state, but it's very anti-labor.
 
Iggyfire said:
What do you mean by ‘liberal orthodoxy’ that word can have a lot of meanings. Are you meaning liberal as in the economic idea? Liberal as in philosophical school of thought? Liberal as in anti authoritarian? The word doesn’t mean anything without context. What do you mean?
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I'm was using 'liberal' in the US sense: left wing, intolerant, authoritarian, giving priority to the collective, over the individual.
 
Iggyfire said:
Oh ****. That’s really really bad, but that can only happen with people’s cooperation, even if it is true, I still want to try to understand why.
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That is half true. People, often with corporate ties, who are silly wealthy find it jolly good sport to finance smear campaigns against candidates they don't approve of. But the smear campaigns don't always win the day.

Hard core party themes (either party) can rule the day in one state, mean little in the next state over. Over enough years, these sands do shift.
 
Hi @Iggyfire, Jetboogieman said it simply, in a nutshell.

welcome.gif
 
Iggyfire said:
That’s what everyone says, but I’m trying to understand the country I’m supposed to call home, but I feel like I really don’t understand it. Where should I start? I’ve already tried watching American news, and it genuinely frightened me. I grew up with France24, euronews, and thelocal, and I cannot seem to find anything similar. I tried CNN and Fox, and they feel like Russia Today quality broadcasting. Do people actually watch these? Where can I go to try to find informational news on the US?
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Have you tried KPBS? If so, what was the problem with them?

I find foreign news to cover more subjects than US news. Plus, their coverage of the US is more informative whereas US coverage of itself is more repetitive.
 
Iggyfire said:
I’ve only now decided to start getting involved in politics, and when I get back to the states I’m actually going to get involved, but I just find it exhausting, I feel like this isn’t the country I was taught about by my parents, and I wonder if I was lied to my whole life about America.

Where should I start? I’ve already tried to do some research but I just seem to always hit a wall of obvious lies. What should I do?

For context I was born in rural New England, but I left America when I was 5. But I’m now coming back, and I feel like I need to understand America more if I am to call myself an American.
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I would start with the subjects that interest you, if we can get that out of the way we can discuss why politics is rough today for those subjects.

But as others have commented on much of our issue comes down to duopoly of political power thus a real and purposeful emphasis on us vs. them.
 
Iggyfire said:
I’ve only now decided to start getting involved in politics, and when I get back to the states I’m actually going to get involved, but I just find it exhausting, I feel like this isn’t the country I was taught about by my parents, and I wonder if I was lied to my whole life about America.

Where should I start? I’ve already tried to do some research but I just seem to always hit a wall of obvious lies. What should I do?

For context I was born in rural New England, but I left America when I was 5. But I’m now coming back, and I feel like I need to understand America more if I am to call myself an American.
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Take comfort in the fact that there are some real Americans left here. Not everyone here is a damn commie like some of the freaks in this thread. God Bless America! :LOL:
 
Welcome @Iggyfire. Let's start at the beginning. Do you prefer:

Dictators, authoritarianism, racism, sedition and insurrection, book bannings, censorship in schools, religion in government, restrictive voting laws, no free choice regarding abortion? Then go (red) with the US Republicans.

If you would rather not engage in any of the above autocratic political behaviors, then go (blue) with Western Liberalism and the US Democrats.

Or.... you can spare yourself a lot of grief and go with gardening or some similar innocuous diversion.
 
Sweden said:
I'm was using 'liberal' in the US sense: left wing, intolerant, authoritarian, giving priority to the collective, over the individual.
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In other words, pretty much the opposite of liberal.
Good of you to feed and promote the ignorance.
 
Sweden said:
I'm was using 'liberal' in the US sense: left wing, intolerant, authoritarian, giving priority to the collective, over the individual.
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What are you talking about? Yes American politics is intolerant and authoritarian, but in all my research I have yet to see any major left wing policies or communard policies get headlined by either the Republicans or the Democrats.
 
Iggyfire:

Somethings are better left as mysteries. Understanding American politics is sort of like spelling tough Welsh words and place names. If you study long and hard, then you can get there; but once you get there you look around and wonder why you bothered in the first place. Better to take the ferry to Anglesey and spend some quality time in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

Welcome and enjoy your journey down the rabbit hole.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.
 
@Iggyfire

To answer your question, American politics is best understood by peering at it through these three separate keyholes. These keyholes are "Greed", "Hope" and "Aggression". It is cynical but it is also true in my humble opinion and experience. Best luck.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.
 
American politics is like a gentleman’s club. If you show up with a wad of large denomination bills, you may get extra attention. After the wad runs out, good luck!
 
Iggyfire said:
I’ve only now decided to start getting involved in politics, and when I get back to the states I’m actually going to get involved, but I just find it exhausting, I feel like this isn’t the country I was taught about by my parents, and I wonder if I was lied to my whole life about America.

Where should I start? I’ve already tried to do some research but I just seem to always hit a wall of obvious lies. What should I do?

For context I was born in rural New England, but I left America when I was 5. But I’m now coming back, and I feel like I need to understand America more if I am to call myself an American.
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One side thinks they are right. The other side thinks they are right. No one is willing to meet in the middle. Nothing gets done.
 
Minerva said:
One interesting book I read that I feel explains how our system has become so fractured/partisan/dysfunctional is "The Parties vs. The People" by former Oklahoma GOP Rep Mickey Edwards. Your local library should have a copy and in that section of the shelves you should find other titles that explain our system.
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Meh, I wouldn't suggest anyone who wants to truly learn about unbiased politics read something from a biased politician who cofounded the Heritage Center.
 
Jetboogieman said:
All you really need to know about American politics is, politicians backed by extremely wealthy donors, appeal to the loudest and most insane minority of backwards thinking Americans and somehow, trick them into supporting policies that are absolutely ****ing them over and making all but sure their kids futures will be worse in more ways than one.

The majority of Americans can’t seem to get it together to stop this.

The end.
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Helix said:
I'd start by giving up and doing something else. For a lot of us, it's too late.
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Rexedgar said:
American politics is like a gentleman’s club. If you show up with a wad of large denomination bills, you may get extra attention. After the wad runs out, good luck!
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donhughesmusic said:
One side thinks they are right. The other side thinks they are right. No one is willing to meet in the middle. Nothing gets done.
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This is pretty much it. This country is toast. If you can, run hard and fast to another country.

If I didn't already live here, no ****ing way I'd move here on purpose.
 
Iggyfire said:
That’s what everyone says, but I’m trying to understand the country I’m supposed to call home, but I feel like I really don’t understand it. Where should I start? I’ve already tried watching American news, and it genuinely frightened me. I grew up with France24, euronews, and thelocal, and I cannot seem to find anything similar. I tried CNN and Fox, and they feel like Russia Today quality broadcasting. Do people actually watch these? Where can I go to try to find informational news on the US?
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AP, Reuters are a good start. Don't be dependent upon US television news, because it has been a "consumer product" sold at profit for the last three decades, it is NOT a public service like it is in Europe or UK. Our news is a lot like Sky News, the Murdoch empire.
Murdoch took our news model down decades ago, and it has never recovered.
 
Superfly said:
I'm not. Then, I'm not suggesting it to anyone - you are.
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...and I gladly make the recommendation a second time.

What I found most interesting about the book was how the party bosses shifted the power of the purse strings by the use of Leadership Political Action Committees. Also at the end of the book the author gives a state by state breakdown of the processes used by each state to affect change in the system. So not only does it give a view from the national level of politics of some of the changes that have occurred, it gives local ways of implementing change if some one so wishes.

The OP started with a request for a starting point on where to learn about the US political system. Mostly what I have read here is just lame attempts at humor shrouded in defeatist attitudes or tying to gig the other side.

If you are not in agreement with by my recommendation please balance it out with a recommendation that presents a different view point.
 
Minerva said:
...and I gladly make the recommendation a second time.

What I found most interesting about the book was how the party bosses shifted the power of the purse strings by the use of Leadership Political Action Committees. Also at the end of the book the author gives a state by state breakdown of the processes used by each state to affect change in the system. So not only does it give a view from the national level of politics of some of the changes that have occurred, it gives local ways of implementing change if some one so wishes.

The OP started with a request for a starting point on where to learn about the US political system. Mostly what I have read here is just lame attempts at humor shrouded in defeatist attitudes or tying to gig the other side.

If you are not in agreement with by my recommendation please balance it out with a recommendation that presents a different view point.
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I'll do so if I can ever find one that is not filled with partisan hogwash - from either side.
 
Iggyfire said:
I’ve only now decided to start getting involved in politics, and when I get back to the states I’m actually going to get involved, but I just find it exhausting, I feel like this isn’t the country I was taught about by my parents, and I wonder if I was lied to my whole life about America.

Where should I start? I’ve already tried to do some research but I just seem to always hit a wall of obvious lies. What should I do?

For context I was born in rural New England, but I left America when I was 5. But I’m now coming back, and I feel like I need to understand America more if I am to call myself an American.
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Start fresh and start at the beginning.

Toss out preconceived notions.

Toss out the idea it will be an easy task.

Don't be afraid to be surprised.

Don't be afraid to be amazed.

Ask for help or knowledge from folks whom you feel would leave the partisan out of what they might have to say.

See if maybe you could audit American History classes at a nearby Community College or if money and time is not an object register and take some classes.

I also suggest if you have the free time once you settle in where ever you land to sign up to be a Poll Worker for the Local Election Authority.

It is a good thing for one to get on the inside of the system, as it were, to see how the sausage is made, as they also say.

I am 65 and I am still a newbie at this whole America and how she works thingie, of I feel that way often.

I learn something new every day, it is a never ending learning curve.

Sometimes I feel like I have learned more about America in the last 5 years that I had in the previous 60.

I can look back at what I learned in school as a kid and from my parents and friends and neighbors and I can separate the wheat from the chaff now that I know better.

But I love it all!
 
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