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How to renew America's democracy

Rich2018 said:
The worst, the absolute worst ever president.

Never takes responsibility
Never admits fault
Tries to take all the credit...he'd claim it was him who rolled the stone away from Jesus' tomb if he thought he could get away with it.
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Who knows.

He's also capable of thinking he IS Jesus reincarnated ...

From "Salon" (June, 2019) and worth a read: Yale psychiatrist Bandy Lee: Trump's mental health is now a "national and global emergency"

Excerpt:
Dr. Bandy Lee
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, who is a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and editor of the bestselling book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" convened a panel comprised of leading mental health experts to evaluate Donald Trump based upon his behavior as detailed in the Mueller report.

Their definitive conclusion: Trump is mentally unfit, a threat to the United States and the world, and as such should have his powers severely restricted. At the invitation of several Democratic members of Congress, Lee and other mental health professionals will present their findings about Donald Trump's mental health at what they hope will be a bipartisan congressional meeting in Washington ...
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Rich2018 said:
He's possibly suffering from mental illness, but I think that's just his character showing through, he's just a self-centered, selfish, narcissist obsessed with power and money and always has been.
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Narcissism is a recognized mental illness. See here ...
 
A DEEPLY DIVIDED NATION

Rich2018 said:
... then he has a mental illness. Personally I'd say it wasn't, It's just being a self centered jerk.
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What's most important is that he is "gone". He's going to try to make a "come-back" because he is a stubborn SOB.

That will likely fail. We-the-sheeple want to "move on". Moreover, public opinion as regards his administration was consistently bad is often said. But, if so, how did he obtain so many votes?

From Pew Research here: How America Changed During Donald Trump’s Presidency

Deeply partisan and personal divides
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Trump’s status as a political outsider, his outspoken nature and his willingness to upend past customs and expectations of presidential behavior made him a constant focus of public attention, as well as a source of deep partisan divisions.

Even before he took office, Trump divided Republicans and Democrats more than any incoming chief executive in the prior three decades. The gap only grew more pronounced after he became president. An average of 86% of Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the job over the course of his tenure, compared with an average of just 6% of Democrats – the widest partisan gap in approval for any president in the modern era of polling. Trump’s overall approval rating never exceeded 50% and fell to a low of just 29% in his final weeks in office, shortly after a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol.
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He's a political "has been". He was never elected to the presidency by means of the popular-vote, which he lost to Hillary by nearly 3%. He subsequently lost to Biden by 19% (88.3M for Biden - 74.2M for Tump).

How Trump got that amount of votes is outstanding, I say. But that is politics today in America, which is politically unlike it has ever been before.

It is presently a deeply divided nation ...
 
Lafayette said:
It is presently a deeply divided nation ...
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We have been abused yet again by a voting-mechanism that was the first of its kind in humanity. Yes, the Electoral College was the first-of-its-kind anywhere on earth!

All other democracies got their foothold in democracy much later in the early 20th century. (The Communists at the beginning of the 20th century, along with Hitler.)

We should rid ourselves of an arcane-device that no other major country on earth employs to count the popular vote*!

We don't need it. As a people, we know how to count the national popular-vote for the presidency and submit it to Congress for its blessing ...

*EC-countries: 10 Countries Besides the U.S. That Have Electoral Colleges
 
THE POLITICAL CIRCUS

Rich2018 said:
Is it - then he has a mental illness. Personally I'd say it wasn't, It's just being a self centered jerk.
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The legal definition is important. He could have been ousted as PotUS had a clear and definitive complaint been made to both houses of Congress.

Why was that not done? Because the Replicants controlled both entities (HofR & Senate) at one moment of time. And as is typical with the political-duality of parties that we have created, that sort of infighting is what happens continually to obtain/maintain political-power.

The Replicants did all they could to protect THEIR PotUS - even if they did not particularly care for him as a person. That's politics - and more so that's dual-democracy (of our kind). The craving for absolute power makes some descend to vile tactics just to maintain political-supremacy. In Europe, there are third-parties and the same antics are played but with more than just two main political-parties. (But rarely more than three.)

It's all the same political-defecation, just different versions of the battle for ultimate power in a democracy.

Which is why voting for political office is the key to power. And many parties will do whatever they think is necessary to obtain that power in order to advance what is best for them. For the attitude that "money-is-politics and politics-is-money" to change, more women will have to contribute to the political-circus we call a "democracy" ...
 
Lafayette said:
The legal definition is important. He could have been ousted as PotUS had a clear and definitive complaint been made to both houses of Congress.
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Confirmed as a narcissist ?

I somehow doubt it


Why was that not done? Because the Replicants controlled both entities (HofR & Senate) at one moment of time. And as is typical with the political-duality of parties that we have created, that sort of infighting is what happens continually to obtain/maintain political-power.
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Plus the VP would never do it

...in Europe, there are third-parties and the same antics are played but with more than just two main political-parties. (But rarely more than three.)
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In Europe they have parliamentary democracies - France excepted with it peculiar hybrid for of government - so the issue would never come to a head.
 
Rich2018 said:
He's possibly suffering from mental illness, but I think that's just his character showing through, he's just a self-centered, selfish, narcissist obsessed with power and money and always has been.
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He was left 340-megabucks by his father. I think that was the key element.

And ever since it will be proven that he has been cheating on his taxes. That analysis will take time, but the Feds in NYC just got a judge's permission to open up his tax-files.

Patience, I keep saying to myself. He's not the only Yank who has ever been spoiled by money.

But he's most certainly the latest political-star to be set upon by a good number of women who have accused him of rape. Which is going to be difficult to prove if there is no sperm to analyze.

It's difficult to find anyone who is soooo sick-in-the-head and needs bundles-of-personal-attention to prove to himself that he is still alive and at the Center of His Personal Universe ...
 
Rich2018 said:
In Europe they have parliamentary democracies - France excepted with it peculiar hybrid for of government - so the issue would never come to a head.
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Yes, it is the parliament that chooses the executive head-of-state in Europe. With the exception of France where the head-of-state is called a Prez-ee-dahnt ...

Comparatively the US and France are not run in the same fashion. The French Senate does not have the same privileges and power as the French House-of-reps. But they do vote on laws. (Which is a singular difference with some other European countries that elect "Senators".)

Another singular difference is that law begin in the French parliament and if they pass there only then are the voted in the French Senate. (Which does not leave much room for "negotiating" the content of the law.)

In the end, there is no comparison between the French and US democracies. The key difference being that two political-parties that run the US Congress - but it's about 6 political parties that vote in the French legislature that passes the key laws ...
 
Lafayette said:
He was left 340-megabucks by his father. I think that was the key element.
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No, it can't be just that. Though I'm sure it contributed

And ever since it will be proven that he has been cheating on his taxes. That analysis will take time, but the Feds in NYC just got a judge's permission to open up his tax-files.
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Oh sure, Trump cheated to get into college, avoid military service, cheated on his taxes and on his wives....
He cheats at golf and pretty much every aspect of his life

Patience, I keep saying to myself. He's not the only Yank who has ever been spoiled by money.
But he's most certainly the latest political-star to be set upon by a good number of women who have accused him of rape. Which is going to be difficult to prove if there is no sperm to analyze.
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But there is in one case

It's difficult to find anyone who is soooo sick-in-the-head and needs bundles-of-personal-attention to prove to himself that he is still alive and at the Center of His Personal Universe ...
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He is a despicable and contemptible human being.
 
Lafayette said:
Comparatively the US and France are not run in the same fashion. The French Senate does not have the same privileges and power as the French House-of-reps. But they do vote on laws. (Which is a singular difference with some other European countries that elect "Senators".)
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No, France has a hybrid form of government - half parliamentary and half presidential.

It's really strange and has obvious flaws

...in the end, there is no comparison between the French and US democracies. The key difference being that two political-parties that run the US Congress - but it's about 6 political parties that vote in the French legislature that passes the key laws ...
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I think there are more differences than the number of political parties, but both share a similar flaw, that being a president can be made into a "lame duck" by a hostile legislature.
 
Lafayette said:
Yes, it is the parliament that chooses the executive head-of-state in Europe. With the exception of France where the head-of-state is called a Prez-ee-dahnt ...

Comparatively the US and France are not run in the same fashion. The French Senate does not have the same privileges and power as the French House-of-reps. But they do vote on laws. (Which is a singular difference with some other European countries that elect "Senators".)

Another singular difference is that law begin in the French parliament and if they pass there only then are the voted in the French Senate. (Which does not leave much room for "negotiating" the content of the law.)

In the end, there is no comparison between the French and US democracies. The key difference being that two political-parties that run the US Congress - but it's about 6 political parties that vote in the French legislature that passes the key laws ...
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Your biggest flaw is that you are comparing the US with a single European nation. When in reality you should be comparing each individual State with each individual nation in Europe who is a member of the EU.

You cannot compare the US with France when just one of those 50 States is bigger than France. You cannot compare the US with Germany when just one of those 50 States has a bigger economy than Germany. You are comparing a single grape to a watermelon, which makes any comparison you make a failure.

The EU is a confederacy of sovereign nations. The US is a federation of sovereign States. The US tried a confederation of sovereign States from 1775 until 1789, but it didn't work out very well. States could, and did, refuse to pay taxes to the central government under a confederacy. Which is why the US abandoned the confederation and adopted a federation instead. Confederations are weak, unable to wield any real authority.
 
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Glitch said:
The EU is a confederacy of sovereign nations. The US is a federation of sovereign States. The US tried a confederation of sovereign States from 1775 until 1789, but it didn't work out very well. States could, and did, refuse to pay taxes to the central government under a confederacy. Which is why the US abandoned the confederation and adopted a federation instead. Confederations are weak, unable to wield any real authority.
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Blah, blah, blah and more blah.

You go on Ignore ...
 
Rich2018 said:
I think there are more differences than the number of political parties, but both share a similar flaw, that being a president can be made into a "lame duck" by a hostile legislature.
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It's not a flaw. It's like speed-radar!

What you understand about democracies would not even fill a thimble.

You go on Ignore ...
 
Lafayette said:
It's not a flaw. It's like speed-radar!

What you understand about democracies would not even fill a thimble.

You go on Ignore ...
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Sorry it is, when you vest so much power in the president, then prevent him from using it because he's emasculated by a hostile legislature, it's a deep flaw.
 
Lafayette said:
From the Economist, here: How to renew America's democracy

Excerpt:

Many may disagree, but the Trump tenure as PotUS was a colossal failure. For four years, his major political achievement was to reduce upper-income taxation the intent of which was to assure donations for his reelection. Which almost succeeded!

The main point regarding his tenure in office being Covid, the consequences of which he clearly either failed to assess or, even, take preventive action. He left office after having allowed Covid to kill 336800 Americans (from here) in 2020 whilst in office. He took no-action-whatsoever in the most deadly invasion of an epidemic in the history of the country.

As regards presidential negligence, which should be on trial shortly, America has not had such a comprehensive peacetime death-related case before ....
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What advice will you be giving Italy, UK and Belgium who had higher rates of death due to COVID?
 
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE???

dixon01767 said:
What advice will you be giving Italy, UK and Belgium who had higher rates of death due to COVID?
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"That's life!" They should have known better but they didn't. Ditto France that did not get serious about Covid until earlier this year (and far too late).

This is not this new century's first epidemic of its kind. That came along with SARS in 2003/4 - and it killed around 400 people whilst affecting somewhere around 3000 world-wide.

Anyway, it went away. But we should have known better. This one wont simply "go away". It's going to be around for quite a while. So, lets hope that any-and-all anti-COVID medicines will be effective throughout its stay.

What is certain is that we have must have learned our lesson (the hard way).

But, don't count on it. Which is why there should be a permanent oversight of any sicknesses that resembles Covid with an eye towards reacting immediately before it gets out-of-hand. That is the WHO's responsibility and I am sure they are up to the task. But, will the world follow suit if-and-when they ring a warning bell? Only time will tell but to scuttle a world-wide epidemic is not childs-play.

Let's hope we have finally learned our lessons. We Are Evidently NOT The Masters Of The Universe that we often think we are. And, far from it ... !
 
Lafayette said:
"That's life!" They should have known better but they didn't. Ditto France that did not get serious about Covid until earlier this year (and far too late).
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At least France didn't have a clown like Trump calling the shots.
 
Lafayette said:
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE???



"That's life!" They should have known better but they didn't. Ditto France that did not get serious about Covid until earlier this year (and far too late).

This is not this new century's first epidemic of its kind. That came along with SARS in 2003/4 - and it killed around 400 people whilst affecting somewhere around 3000 world-wide.

Anyway, it went away. But we should have known better. This one wont simply "go away". It's going to be around for quite a while. So, lets hope that any-and-all anti-COVID medicines will be effective throughout its stay.

What is certain is that we have must have learned our lesson (the hard way).

But, don't count on it. Which is why there should be a permanent oversight of any sicknesses that resembles Covid with an eye towards reacting immediately before it gets out-of-hand. That is the WHO's responsibility and I am sure they are up to the task. But, will the world follow suit if-and-when they ring a warning bell? Only time will tell but to scuttle a world-wide epidemic is not childs-play.

Let's hope we have finally learned our lessons. We Are Evidently NOT The Masters Of The Universe that we often think we are. And, far from it ... !
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Revealing that you a Frenchman, only call out Trump as a colossal failure for what is occurring around the world. What lesson did we learn? With many states who didnt have restrictive lockdowns doing better than states that had draconian lockdowns, weve learned they arent very effective, if at all. And you seem to be arguing that we can be the masters of the universe but here in the US, Trump prevented us from doing so.
 
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dixon01767 said:
Revealing that you a Frenchman, only call out Trump as a colossal failure for what is occurring around the world. What lesson did we learn? With many states who didnt have restrictive lockdowns doing better than states that had draconian lockdowns, weve learned they arent very effective, if at all. And you seem to be arguing that we can be the masters of the universe but here in the US, Trump prevented us from doing so.
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BS

All medical advice says to lock down and wear masks if you must go out.
 
Rich2018 said:
BS

All medical advice says to lock down and wear masks if you must go out.
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All medical advice based upon theory says lock downs and masks. The data in the differing states show they only have a theory that isnt supported by the only data we have.
 
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