No confidence in government, less freedom and corruption on the rise. Why?

[Perotista]

No structural problems? No expectation that whatever one wants, they can demand or vote for themselves? No limit on the mobs ability to take from whomever it doesn't like at the moment? No responsibility for the media to present balance (this one might actually be hyper-partisanship)? There hasn't been any blurring of the separation of powers? It's all due to hyper-partisanship? If only one side or the other would relent? Since the left has had its way for the last hundred years and the needle has only moved left, one assumes you intend for the right to capitulate entirely?

No, but I do expect a bit of give and take. Like what happen between IKE and LBJ, between JFK and LBJ with Everitt Dirksen, Reagan and Tip O'Neil, even Clinton with Gingrich and Lott. Is that too much to ask. I do not expect it to be my way or the highway all the time. I do not expect that both side either get 100%, all that they want or both sides settle for nothing. Call it scorched earth policy.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

Look, I know you Libertarians don't like the bigger picture

:roll: yeah, you're gonna win a lot of people over to your side with insults.

but if you think that unlimited and non-disclosure campaign donations having nothing to do with the current problem, than you're fooling yourselves.

If you think addressing a problem like people concerned with losing their freedoms by limiting them further wouldn't exacerbate the problem, you're fooling yourself. You do not fight an evil by adopting it, you do not drink more of the poison that got you sick to feel better.

 

[Thoreau72]

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for One People to dissolve the Political Bonds that have connected them with one another.....eace

 

[Jetboogieman]

If you think addressing a problem like people concerned with losing their freedoms by limiting them further.

This is so wrong!

I've argued with many Libertarians on this one so I know you won't reneg, but the idea of allowing corporations and wealthy individuals to run amok in terms of Campaign donations is so crazy it defies imagination.

It is precisely BECAUSE of these kinds of donations that things have gone so wrong.

If you limit money in politics, you get politicians to go back to what they should be doing, working for all people, not just corporations and the wealthy and you'll see an improvement in the kinds of laws that are passed.

 

[soccerboy22]

This thread reminds me of an article I read just after the 2010 midterms about partisanship. The basic premise of the article was that partisanship goes in cycles and right now the U.S. political atmosphere is going up more towards extreme partisanship where the party means the most and at the low point of the cycle was where partisanship was at its lowest point obviously and party did not mean as much. I must say that I was not overly convinced by the author's point of view mostly because I've only been interested in politics since I was about 15 which was 2005, however I found the premise to be an interesting one.

I think it makes sense that people feel this mistrust and lack of confidence when it appears that elected officials are only in it for their side given how partisan our system is right now. I feel a culprit to this change in partisanship is the internet and 24 hour media. The internet is a great tool, but at the same time a dangerous tool. It gives the more extreme views a chance to get a larger audience which in turn can begin to create a bigger divide. At the same time it seems as though the more rational cooler head types are getting drowned out. The media as well can be blamed some with these consent news stories where networks have to find people to talk about topics because there is so much time on the air now. And then of course with something being said on the news stations a person can write a blog on the internet and can start the cycle all over again.

Overall, I think that partisanship is a driving factor of public's feelins