The US Election -- Questions from outside the US

[night_son]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

 

[Bernhard]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

Here in Germany, there is a certain minority of people who have no trust in our free republican/democratic system and believe the media, which supports our system, is lying to them ... instead, they keep watching "Russia Today" online.

Seriously. They actually believe the fake news state propaganda of a country where regime critics are poisoned and shot openly on the streets will tell them the "truth" that our free media in our free system doesn't want them to know.

It's a weird world.

 

[Slade3200]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

It’s been marked!

 

[Slade3200]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

Here in Germany, there is a certain minority of people who have no trust in our free republican/democratic system and believe the media, which supports our system, is lying to them ... instead, they keep watching "Russia Today" online.

Seriously. They actually believe the fake news state propaganda of a country where regime critics are poisoned and shot openly on the streets will tell them the "truth" that our free media in our free system doesn't want them to know.

It's a weird world.

How do you think your system gets fixed and trust restored?

 

[TNHarley]

There is no uniting.
Too many people want the govt to run everything. EVERYTHING
Too many people want the govt to run less.
Not very many just want to be left alone.

I don’t think that many people want the government to run everything. They see issues in our society that they want addressed. Environment, racism, healthcare... the left is proposing solutions that are government run, the Right, instead of proving private sector solutions are simply denying these issues exists. So people that care about these things only have one party trying to address the problems. That’s the problem with how the Right has been messaging. If we could get back to a debate about best ways to solve these problems then perhaps the Republicans could pull more people in.

So, running social issues, healthcare, stricter gun control, employer to employee negotiations, degradation of states rights, ways people run their own private property etc is not taking everything over?
Whats left? Who we fuck? Good lord

I don’t think you understood what I was saying. Try reading slower next time

No, i read it. Obviously. The left is wanting the govt to run everything. Like i said. Thanks.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

The real fight in America is between the Brainwashed and the Informed

 

[G.T.]

It seems to be based on a lack of Education and intelligence, first.
Second, an inability to vet information coupled with the Internet(information) age.
Last, a necessity for political pundits, paid to sensationalize against the "other team," to shut the fuck up for five years or so.

 

[Bernhard]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

Here in Germany, there is a certain minority of people who have no trust in our free republican/democratic system and believe the media, which supports our system, is lying to them ... instead, they keep watching "Russia Today" online.

Seriously. They actually believe the fake news state propaganda of a country where regime critics are poisoned and shot openly on the streets will tell them the "truth" that our free media in our free system doesn't want them to know.

It's a weird world.

How do you think your system gets fixed and trust restored?

Well for the time being, the number of these people is still relatively small, fortunately. There is only one political party that addresses these people, the far-right AfD, and it gets only around 10% of the votes, but is shunned by all other parties.

So I think the system still works, so far ... but it's under more stress than it used to be. I'd rather not see the AfD rise in numbers.

My idea for improving the situation: The "established" parties should take the AfD voters seriously, their concerns and needs, or at least those which are reasonable. For example, the matter of immigration. Almost all established parties supported Chancellor Merkel when she allowed a million of refugees in in 2015 -- and those who strongly disagreed found a home in the AfD.

Now that wouldn't be a problem if the AfD was a reasonable party, but it's full of people who hate the free system, including hardcore neo-Nazis and the like, and they'd destroy it if given the chance, without any doubt -- so the other parties should better take the concerns of many people regarding immigration seriously, instead of quickly calling these people "racist". And think of moderate ideas to reduce problems with immigration, ideas that don't require mistreating immigrants or disrespecting their rights.

Reminds me of Trump's "Wall" in the US, by the way -- I'd say there is a lot of room for a sane middle ground between calling every measure limiting immigration "racist" and locking the children of illegals up and letting nobody in, in my opinion.

That's one idea from the top of my head, I could come up with more perhaps, when I go deeper into the subject.

 

[candycorn]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

Well, we're not that divided for one thing. While 170M voted, there are 130M+ who don't care enough to vote. Of the 170M who did vote, I would imagine about 40M are truly hopelessly red or blue. The rest of us are of the 170M are shades of purple.

In our system, the Federal government is set up to where the President can't do much without the numbers in both chambers of our Congress. So it only makes sense to vote for all democrats or all republicans at the federal level. The politics are such today where if you're a Republican working with democrats or vice versa you get shunned by Party bosses. So nobody does it. Had our politics been different, I may have voted for a senator from Arizona named Martha McSally. She is pretty much the poster child for a modern American woman. I mean...shit. Father died when she was a teenager, went to the Air Force Academy, Graduated from freaking Harvard. Flew the A-10 Warthog.... This isn't a high altitude bomber...the A10 is almost like a flying tank. I couldn't imagine the guts it takes to strap this plane on to your body and take it into combat as she did in Afghanistan. The only thing that kept me from voting for her was the R next to her name. Like I said in our system....if you don't have the Presidency and Both Houses....you're nowhere. When she runs for Governor (if she runs), she has my vote. I will probably campaign for her. I love this woman. And I left off a few things I could have mentioned that would add gloss to her halo. Her politics is at odds with mine often but wanting to serve goes a long way with me. And, as an executive, I think you'd see her lead from the center-right.

And I think if more of us who are politically aware actually studied the deeper resumes of those who are candidates, not only would we be better served but you'd probably see some ballot splitting where you don't expect to see it.

What could bring us together? Well...we have a group of people who believe conspiracy theories instead of logic. The only thing that could change them...perhaps...is their fellow republicans to set them straight.

Do you think that something about the political system should be changed, in order to open the door for more bipartisan cooperation, or, in other words, that this is less the result of stubborn people in politics, but more of a system where "the winner takes it all"?

I find political systems in different countries very interesting. It strikes me about the American system that it seems to be very focused on polarization: It's either one party that wins, or the other.

While for example here in Germany, it seems like we have the opposite problem ... our system forces our parties to compromise all the time. So much that many people turn away from the parties, because they feel "they are all the same anyway". In fact, for the past 15 years, our two largest parties have formed a coalition government most of the time (11 years, to be exact).

So... on one side, we don't have this extremely toxic polarization ... but on the other, I feel we'd have a better choice if there was less of compromising all the time.

I had an idea the other day:

You put term limits into play but have the statute read as follows:

"No person shall serve more than ___ terms for one political party".

So you'd see these guys who like their jobs (and who are liked by the voters) jumping into another political party to keep their seats in Congress. This would give rise to a third or even fourth party.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Okay. So do you think this situation should just go on as before, or do you have ideas what could be done to improve it?

I have said this for over 20 years.half if not most the people in America are brainwashed sheep. They don’t get it that they were brainwashed by our corrupt school system what they were taught in history classes was all a lie that we elect our presidents when the facts are our presidents are SELECTED for us by the establishment,that whoever they want in office,they make sure their boy gets in office. Thst the president is just a puppet,if he does not do what his puppet masters tell him to do,they end up like Kennedy.he was our last real president we had,not a puppet for them and he paid the deadly price for it.

the sheep have also been brainwashed by their parents into thinking they should vote for the party they always voted for.our corrupt school system also did not tell us that there is no difference in the two party’s,that both parties are corrupt and one in the same,that it’s a one party system disguised as two so the sheep think they have a choice in who gets elected,anytime I provide proof here to trolls their party did the same thing The party they hate did,they lie and ignore the facts.

I have said this for over 20 years now that until we abolish this corrupt two party system we have,there is no hope for the future of America and the world,it’s long past the time that a revolution needs to happen and arrest all these criminal polticians in the country.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

It is not Republicans against Democrats. It is those who saw the Trump con long ago and those who have still not seen it.

Dont listen to this liar,he hates trump so much he ignores facts that this was the most massive vote fraud ever in the history of mankind that the elite are doing everything they can to keep trump out of office because he is the first president sense carter to not start any wars for them.that was why carter only served one term,good presidents don’t serve more than one term anymore in this day and age.

 

[G.T.]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

Well, we're not that divided for one thing. While 170M voted, there are 130M+ who don't care enough to vote. Of the 170M who did vote, I would imagine about 40M are truly hopelessly red or blue. The rest of us are of the 170M are shades of purple.

In our system, the Federal government is set up to where the President can't do much without the numbers in both chambers of our Congress. So it only makes sense to vote for all democrats or all republicans at the federal level. The politics are such today where if you're a Republican working with democrats or vice versa you get shunned by Party bosses. So nobody does it. Had our politics been different, I may have voted for a senator from Arizona named Martha McSally. She is pretty much the poster child for a modern American woman. I mean...shit. Father died when she was a teenager, went to the Air Force Academy, Graduated from freaking Harvard. Flew the A-10 Warthog.... This isn't a high altitude bomber...the A10 is almost like a flying tank. I couldn't imagine the guts it takes to strap this plane on to your body and take it into combat as she did in Afghanistan. The only thing that kept me from voting for her was the R next to her name. Like I said in our system....if you don't have the Presidency and Both Houses....you're nowhere. When she runs for Governor (if she runs), she has my vote. I will probably campaign for her. I love this woman. And I left off a few things I could have mentioned that would add gloss to her halo. Her politics is at odds with mine often but wanting to serve goes a long way with me. And, as an executive, I think you'd see her lead from the center-right.

And I think if more of us who are politically aware actually studied the deeper resumes of those who are candidates, not only would we be better served but you'd probably see some ballot splitting where you don't expect to see it.

What could bring us together? Well...we have a group of people who believe conspiracy theories instead of logic. The only thing that could change them...perhaps...is their fellow republicans to set them straight.

Do you think that something about the political system should be changed, in order to open the door for more bipartisan cooperation, or, in other words, that this is less the result of stubborn people in politics, but more of a system where "the winner takes it all"?

I find political systems in different countries very interesting. It strikes me about the American system that it seems to be very focused on polarization: It's either one party that wins, or the other.

While for example here in Germany, it seems like we have the opposite problem ... our system forces our parties to compromise all the time. So much that many people turn away from the parties, because they feel "they are all the same anyway". In fact, for the past 15 years, our two largest parties have formed a coalition government most of the time (11 years, to be exact).

So... on one side, we don't have this extremely toxic polarization ... but on the other, I feel we'd have a better choice if there was less of compromising all the time.

I had an idea the other day:

You put term limits into play but have the statute read as follows:

"No person shall serve more than ___ terms for one political party".

So you'd see these guys who like their jobs (and who are liked by the voters) jumping into another political party to keep their seats in Congress. This would give rise to a third or even fourth party.

That's an interesting idea.

To me, a lot of the cynical nature that comes with a Conservative minded person is cashed in on with this age of 24/7 Media. The worst of them seem to believe in any trope that tells them they're being fucked over in some way, any way and at all times.

Its rather disgusting to me that folks who are smart enough to know better, like a Limbaugh for example, game that shit all the way to the bank. Meanwhile others, like a Hannity for instance, are true believers in all that is cynical. Obama is secretly a Muslim, for example, was a good play for the post 9/11 era to dupe these morons with.

You key in on messaging toward the cynical nature of these folks for a few decades...truth and lie becomes blurred over time and you get what we have now.

Hillary Clinton eats babies based on 6-degrees separation based nonsense, and we have millions of enraged, head fucked morons who don't understand how she's POSSIBLY not in Prison.

 

[Slade3200]

There is no uniting.
Too many people want the govt to run everything. EVERYTHING
Too many people want the govt to run less.
Not very many just want to be left alone.

I don’t think that many people want the government to run everything. They see issues in our society that they want addressed. Environment, racism, healthcare... the left is proposing solutions that are government run, the Right, instead of proving private sector solutions are simply denying these issues exists. So people that care about these things only have one party trying to address the problems. That’s the problem with how the Right has been messaging. If we could get back to a debate about best ways to solve these problems then perhaps the Republicans could pull more people in.

So, running social issues, healthcare, stricter gun control, employer to employee negotiations, degradation of states rights, ways people run their own private property etc is not taking everything over?
Whats left? Who we fuck? Good lord

I don’t think you understood what I was saying. Try reading slower next time

No, i read it. Obviously. The left is wanting the govt to run everything. Like i said. Thanks.

The ideology of the “Left” is for government control so all you’re doing is stating a definition. You’re comment was about people and I responded to that.

 

[Bernhard]

Okay. So do you think this situation should just go on as before, or do you have ideas what could be done to improve it?

I have said this for over 20 years.half if not most the people in America are brainwashed sheep. They don’t get it that they were brainwashed by our corrupt school system what they were taught in history classes was all a lie that we elect our presidents when the facts are our presidents are SELECTED for us by the establishment,that whoever they want in office,they make sure their boy gets in office. Thst the president is just a puppet,if he does not do what his puppet masters tell him to do,they end up like Kennedy.he was our last real president we had,not a puppet for them and he paid the deadly price for it.

the sheep have also been brainwashed by their parents into thinking they should vote for the party they always voted for.our corrupt school system also did not tell us that there is no difference in the two party’s,that both parties are corrupt and one in the same,that it’s a one party system disguised as two so the sheep think they have a choice in who gets elected,anytime I provide proof here to trolls their party did the same thing The party they hate did,they lie and ignore the facts.

I have said this for over 20 years now that until we abolish this corrupt two party system we have,there is no hope for the future of America and the world,it’s long past the time that a revolution needs to happen and arrest all these criminal polticians in the country.

I won't agree with the "brainwashed sheep" part, because I don't want to step on the feet of anybody, but I've observed that over here in Germany too, most people are not particularly bright when it comes to politics and history.

Not necessarily blaming them ... many are just not very interested in politics, or how our system works, or in history ... yet they can be decent people. But that makes it easy for certain politicians to abuse this ignorance. Perhaps any politician from any side has to do that to some degree, in order to be successful.

Anyway, that said, I noticed that the American system appears to lean a bit more towards oligarchy than our system over here: For example, it looks to me that private donations are much more important for your politicians than for our's. I assume it's next to impossible to become, say, American President without certain private companies donating millions to you -- the same companies who own tv channels or online outlets and then make propaganda for you. Are we really supposed to believe a candidate who is elected this way will conduct independent policies in the interest of the people, rather than the interests of his donors?

Over here, we have the same problem, but less so ... private donations make less of the income of political parties, and there is public election cost funding: That means each party gets a certain share of their expenses in the campaign from the state, after the election, depending on the number of votes they got. This way, parties are at least a bit less dependent on private money ... though they still are.

 

[Slade3200]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

Here in Germany, there is a certain minority of people who have no trust in our free republican/democratic system and believe the media, which supports our system, is lying to them ... instead, they keep watching "Russia Today" online.

Seriously. They actually believe the fake news state propaganda of a country where regime critics are poisoned and shot openly on the streets will tell them the "truth" that our free media in our free system doesn't want them to know.

It's a weird world.

How do you think your system gets fixed and trust restored?

Well for the time being, the number of these people is still relatively small, fortunately. There is only one political party that addresses these people, the far-right AfD, and it gets only around 10% of the votes, but is shunned by all other parties.

So I think the system still works, so far ... but it's under more stress than it used to be. I'd rather not see the AfD rise in numbers.

My idea for improving the situation: The "established" parties should take the AfD voters seriously, their concerns and needs, or at least those which are reasonable. For example, the matter of immigration. Almost all established parties supported Chancellor Merkel when she allowed a million of refugees in in 2015 -- and those who strongly disagreed found a home in the AfD.

Now that wouldn't be a problem if the AfD was a reasonable party, but it's full of people who hate the free system, including hardcore neo-Nazis and the like, and they'd destroy it if given the chance, without any doubt -- so the other parties should better take the concerns of many people regarding immigration seriously, instead of quickly calling these people "racist". And think of moderate ideas to reduce problems with immigration, ideas that don't require mistreating immigrants or disrespecting their rights.

Reminds me of Trump's "Wall" in the US, by the way -- I'd say there is a lot of room for a sane middle ground between calling every measure limiting immigration "racist" and locking the children of illegals up and letting nobody in, in my opinion.

That's one idea from the top of my head, I could come up with more perhaps, when I go deeper into the subject.

I think that is very relevant to what happened here in the US with Trump. Immigration was his big issue. The Left jumped to the Racist calls and the Right got pushed into their corners giving Nationalists oxygen and then the debate became one of shouts from the wingnuts. Considering and addressing the concerns of the political opposition is key as you pointed out. It seems like modern tactics demonize and mischaracterize their opponents position in an attempt to demean the message. I find it more interesting and useful when politicians can accurate articulate the concerns of their opponents and then address those concerns. Fewer and fewer politicians are able or willing to do that now a days.

 

[Rambunctious]

 

[G.T.]

Okay. So do you think this situation should just go on as before, or do you have ideas what could be done to improve it?

I have said this for over 20 years.half if not most the people in America are brainwashed sheep. They don’t get it that they were brainwashed by our corrupt school system what they were taught in history classes was all a lie that we elect our presidents when the facts are our presidents are SELECTED for us by the establishment,that whoever they want in office,they make sure their boy gets in office. Thst the president is just a puppet,if he does not do what his puppet masters tell him to do,they end up like Kennedy.he was our last real president we had,not a puppet for them and he paid the deadly price for it.

the sheep have also been brainwashed by their parents into thinking they should vote for the party they always voted for.our corrupt school system also did not tell us that there is no difference in the two party’s,that both parties are corrupt and one in the same,that it’s a one party system disguised as two so the sheep think they have a choice in who gets elected,anytime I provide proof here to trolls their party did the same thing The party they hate did,they lie and ignore the facts.

I have said this for over 20 years now that until we abolish this corrupt two party system we have,there is no hope for the future of America and the world,it’s long past the time that a revolution needs to happen and arrest all these criminal polticians in the country.

I won't agree with the "brainwashed sheep" part, because I don't want to step on the feet of anybody, but I've observed that over here too, most people are not particularly bright when it comes to politics and history.

Not necessarily blaming them ... many are just not very interested in politics, or how our system works, or in history ... yet they can be decent people. But that makes it easy for certain politicians to abuse this ignorance. Perhaps any politician from any side has to do that to some degree, in order to be successful.

Anyway, that said, I noticed that the American system appears to lean a bit more towards oligarchy than our system over here: For example, it looks to me that private donations are much more important for your politicians than for our's. I assume it's next to impossible to become, say, American President without certain private companies donating millions to you -- the same companies who own tv channels or online outlets and then make propaganda for you. Are we really supposed to believe a candidate who is elected this way will conduct independent policies in the interest of the people, rather than the interests of his donors?

Over here, we have the same problem, but less so ... private donations make less of the income of political parties, and there is public election cost funding: That means each party gets a certain share of their expenses in the campaign from the state, after the election, depending on the number of votes they got. This way, parties are at least a bit less dependent on private money ... though they still are.

This is a bit of a canard. Donations are part of our Free Speech, and many Candidates are funded by mostly the small-donors as opposed to the large donors - like Andrew Yang, for example, was the fundraising leader for much of the Primary and that was fueled by small donations.

There's also Laws against pay for play, and as easy it is to appeal to our cynical "it's all corrupt" nature...the two sides are in a constant "oversight" battle and have true spite and animosity for one another. If anyone doesn't believe that, they haven't watched any of the oversight hearings for a taste test.

That's not at all to say there's no corruption, but it's largely overstated which is always going to be the nature of any body comprised of hundreds of millions of people - like our Country.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

Unfortunately I think there are going to need to be regulations on how our political leaders speak and campaign. A reform to our entire campaign finance system is desperately needed anyways to reduce the reliance on shady money and fundraising.

The division comes from two main elements. Degradation of civil discourse and a juiced up partisan media that caters only to extremists. People love drama to media and politicians are giving them drama by promoting conspiracies, using hyperbole, shock factor statements, and setting up their political opponents as evil.
As long as politicians use these tactics and they get boosted by the media, divisions will grow.

Trump was a steroid shot to all of this. Getting him out was a good first step. Biden taking a moderate approach is the right tone to take from the top. I hope he keeps it up. I’m still very worried about Trump TV and all the puppets that have clinched onto the Trump attack tactics. They’ve found some success with it so I don’t know how it now gets discouraged.

Yes I wondered about that, too ... what can be done to make public discourse civil again -- talking about the issues, not blaming people and inventing conspiracies?

I liked how moderate Biden sounded in his first speech... that he said he wants to be President even of those who didn't vote for him. That's a welcome change after 4 years when the President just kept praising himself and blaming other people for all kinds of things.

But can Biden even do what he promises? After all, he has to appease the more radical people within his party, too ... so can he even afford to be a uniter, or will he have to resort to divisive policies sooner or later?

Okay. So do you think this situation should just go on as before, or do you have ideas what could be done to improve it?

I have said this for over 20 years.half if not most the people in America are brainwashed sheep. They don’t get it that they were brainwashed by our corrupt school system what they were taught in history classes was all a lie that we elect our presidents when the facts are our presidents are SELECTED for us by the establishment,that whoever they want in office,they make sure their boy gets in office. Thst the president is just a puppet,if he does not do what his puppet masters tell him to do,they end up like Kennedy.he was our last real president we had,not a puppet for them and he paid the deadly price for it.

the sheep have also been brainwashed by their parents into thinking they should vote for the party they always voted for.our corrupt school system also did not tell us that there is no difference in the two party’s,that both parties are corrupt and one in the same,that it’s a one party system disguised as two so the sheep think they have a choice in who gets elected,anytime I provide proof here to trolls their party did the same thing The party they hate did,they lie and ignore the facts.

I have said this for over 20 years now that until we abolish this corrupt two party system we have,there is no hope for the future of America and the world,it’s long past the time that a revolution needs to happen and arrest all these criminal polticians in the country.

I won't agree with the "brainwashed sheep" part, because I don't want to step on the feet of anybody, but I've observed that over here in Germany too, most people are not particularly bright when it comes to politics and history.

Not necessarily blaming them ... many are just not very interested in politics, or how our system works, or in history ... yet they can be decent people. But that makes it easy for certain politicians to abuse this ignorance. Perhaps any politician from any side has to do that to some degree, in order to be successful.

Anyway, that said, I noticed that the American system appears to lean a bit more towards oligarchy than our system over here: For example, it looks to me that private donations are much more important for your politicians than for our's. I assume it's next to impossible to become, say, American President without certain private companies donating millions to you -- the same companies who own tv channels or online outlets and then make propaganda for you. Are we really supposed to believe a candidate who is elected this way will conduct independent policies in the interest of the people, rather than the interests of his donors?

Over here, we have the same problem, but less so ... private donations make less of the income of political parties, and there is public election cost funding: That means each party gets a certain share of their expenses in the campaign from the state, after the election, depending on the number of votes they got. This way, parties are at least a bit less dependent on private money ... though they still are.

as i said,until there is a revolution by the people to abolish this corrupt one party system we have disguised as two,there is no hope for the world because our government is the most corrupt government in the world,the CIA is an evil organization every bit as evil and demonic as the the third reich,they killed kennedy cause he tried to get rid of them and tried to abolish the fed which he would have succeeded at both had he lived to serve a second term.

He was on the verge of getting us back to the constitution where the people have control over the government instead of all these corporations that do now. He gears the first president to ever give the youth hope that they could change things for the better.he believed in peaceful open diologue with other world leaders and establishing world peace.

That’s why his assassination still maters today and still affects us all because our right to freely elect our own leaders was taken away from us thst day and the world would so much be a better place today now than it is. We would not have all these evil organizations as the CIA always starting wars around the country.

the world really started going downhill after the jfk assassination,it got so much worse under Lyndon Johnson,he reversed most of his policys.The world has been a craphole ever sense that fateful day.

the democrat party once used to be a respectable party under kennedy and later carter,now it has gone major downhill,kennedy is rolling over in his grave now how corrupt the party has become sense his heyday.

 

[Bernhard]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

The current division tearing apart my country is NOT due to a Left vs. Right dichotomy; rather what is tearing America to pieces is a matter of a torrent of globalist/Chinese propaganda versus good, patriotic citizenry—the category into which most all Americans fall. The Great Deception of our time, perpetuated by our Mainstream Media, is that half of Americans love their country while the other half despises it. This is not true. If one extracts oneself from social media for a day, ventures forth outside one's abode, and converses face to face with their fellow Americans, then one will quickly discover most Americans share much more in common with each other, despite political beliefs, than not.

If any large groups of real, living breathing Americans actually sharply disagree to the point of wanting to harm one another over their differing political beliefs it is only because of the wedge hammered between them by mainstream media talking heads, Hollywood propagandists, and Marxist/Pro-China university professors. By and large the vast majority of Americans do not buy into revolutionary Marxist/postmodernist ideology—at least not at street level. Hegelian dialectic and hardcore Marxist epistemologies and rabid ideologies do not put food on the table or protect our basic constitutional rights.

All of the BLM/Antifa/NFAC "soldiers" you see on your television marching through the streets of major American cities, looting, burning and killing—they DO NOT represent the majority of American citizens or American citizens' true feelings for each other; they are paid to organize and march; funded by anti-American agencies to sow division and hatred amongst the populous at large.

So what can heal the division between Americans and Chinese/globalist propaganda? Nothing but war.

Edit: welcome to USMB

Thanks!

That's a rather pessimistic view ... war, I mean. And it's exactly what I heard from both sides a couple of times... people feel you can no longer reason with "the other side", but have to fight them (to the death, if necessary).

Let me say I hope there are other options to come together again.

My outside view makes me think the media, both "old media" and online, are broken indeed. I can't really blame one side in particular ... for me it looks like that most media outlets pick one side and then join the battle, and it's truth and accuracy that are thrown under the bus first.

If people were truly debating topics and ideas, rather than playing the blame game, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them on one table again, or so I hope.

The rotten core of the problem is . . . where do the American People hold real debate with each other free from the influence of anti-American propagandists—to put it as simply as possible? We as a people whole cannot debate "cleanly" on social media; on cable news platforms, in newspaper editorials or even, at present, on any university campus imaginable. Wherever Americans strive to hold healing conversations anti-American "forces" poison the waters until they taste so toxic everyone involved on both sides is driven to almost instant murderous rage. This problem also extends to our courts, our elections; our religious organizations and all educational institutions.

When you say “anti American forces” are you talking about the Left?

No. For once, I am not—so mark this day on your calendar, Slade. By anti-American I mean Chinese, United Nations, IMF, WEF and the like.

Here in Germany, there is a certain minority of people who have no trust in our free republican/democratic system and believe the media, which supports our system, is lying to them ... instead, they keep watching "Russia Today" online.

Seriously. They actually believe the fake news state propaganda of a country where regime critics are poisoned and shot openly on the streets will tell them the "truth" that our free media in our free system doesn't want them to know.

It's a weird world.

How do you think your system gets fixed and trust restored?

Well for the time being, the number of these people is still relatively small, fortunately. There is only one political party that addresses these people, the far-right AfD, and it gets only around 10% of the votes, but is shunned by all other parties.

So I think the system still works, so far ... but it's under more stress than it used to be. I'd rather not see the AfD rise in numbers.

My idea for improving the situation: The "established" parties should take the AfD voters seriously, their concerns and needs, or at least those which are reasonable. For example, the matter of immigration. Almost all established parties supported Chancellor Merkel when she allowed a million of refugees in in 2015 -- and those who strongly disagreed found a home in the AfD.

Now that wouldn't be a problem if the AfD was a reasonable party, but it's full of people who hate the free system, including hardcore neo-Nazis and the like, and they'd destroy it if given the chance, without any doubt -- so the other parties should better take the concerns of many people regarding immigration seriously, instead of quickly calling these people "racist". And think of moderate ideas to reduce problems with immigration, ideas that don't require mistreating immigrants or disrespecting their rights.

Reminds me of Trump's "Wall" in the US, by the way -- I'd say there is a lot of room for a sane middle ground between calling every measure limiting immigration "racist" and locking the children of illegals up and letting nobody in, in my opinion.

That's one idea from the top of my head, I could come up with more perhaps, when I go deeper into the subject.

I think that is very relevant to what happened here in the US with Trump. Immigration was his big issue. The Left jumped to the Racist calls and the Right got pushed into their corners giving Nationalists oxygen and then the debate became one of shouts from the wingnuts. Considering and addressing the concerns of the political opposition is key as you pointed out. It seems like modern tactics demonize and mischaracterize their opponents position in an attempt to demean the message. I find it more interesting and useful when politicians can accurate articulate the concerns of their opponents and then address those concerns. Fewer and fewer politicians are able or willing to do that now a days.

Yes, I agree with you ... I haven't followed the debate in the US in detail, but it seemed to me that people on the left were very quick calling people "racist" who are concerned about immigration, while the right indeed pandered to genuine racists and fueled their racist ideas about immigrants.

Not that you misunderstand me, I don't like genuine racists, but I do think that just because you see problems with immigration, you aren't necessarily a racist. There are many good reasons to be concerned. And if those are even just "cultural" concerns, like the fear of becoming a stranger within your own country -- I sympathize with that feeling myself, to some extent, as it makes me feel insecure when most people I see on the streets look alien and don't speak your language, as it has become reality in some quarters of the big cities.

However, I don't think radical measures are the answer, like building a wall or "throwing all brownies out". I'm all for the idea of legal immigration according to clear-cut rules, and for granting persecuted people political asylum ... I just don't think we can handle poverty mass immigration by people who are just looking for better economic conditions, on the long run.

Isn't that a sane middle ground? Be very tough on illegal immigration, but open the door for controlled legal immigration.

I'm sure many of those who are very quick calling other "racists" will agree too, that they don't really want illegal mass immigration of people we don't know who they are.

 

[candycorn]

As I'm not American, I've followed reports about the US election from the outside. What's most remarkable, for me, is that America seems to be so incredibly divided at the moment. It was bad already when I talked with Americans online 15 years ago, but now, it seems to be even worse.

So, my question to you is: What do you think is necessary to heal this division? If you're Democrat, what do you expect from Republicans to unite America again? If you're Republican, what do you think is necessary from the side of Democrats to make it the United States of America again?

Well, we're not that divided for one thing. While 170M voted, there are 130M+ who don't care enough to vote. Of the 170M who did vote, I would imagine about 40M are truly hopelessly red or blue. The rest of us are of the 170M are shades of purple.

In our system, the Federal government is set up to where the President can't do much without the numbers in both chambers of our Congress. So it only makes sense to vote for all democrats or all republicans at the federal level. The politics are such today where if you're a Republican working with democrats or vice versa you get shunned by Party bosses. So nobody does it. Had our politics been different, I may have voted for a senator from Arizona named Martha McSally. She is pretty much the poster child for a modern American woman. I mean...shit. Father died when she was a teenager, went to the Air Force Academy, Graduated from freaking Harvard. Flew the A-10 Warthog.... This isn't a high altitude bomber...the A10 is almost like a flying tank. I couldn't imagine the guts it takes to strap this plane on to your body and take it into combat as she did in Afghanistan. The only thing that kept me from voting for her was the R next to her name. Like I said in our system....if you don't have the Presidency and Both Houses....you're nowhere. When she runs for Governor (if she runs), she has my vote. I will probably campaign for her. I love this woman. And I left off a few things I could have mentioned that would add gloss to her halo. Her politics is at odds with mine often but wanting to serve goes a long way with me. And, as an executive, I think you'd see her lead from the center-right.

And I think if more of us who are politically aware actually studied the deeper resumes of those who are candidates, not only would we be better served but you'd probably see some ballot splitting where you don't expect to see it.

What could bring us together? Well...we have a group of people who believe conspiracy theories instead of logic. The only thing that could change them...perhaps...is their fellow republicans to set them straight.

Do you think that something about the political system should be changed, in order to open the door for more bipartisan cooperation, or, in other words, that this is less the result of stubborn people in politics, but more of a system where "the winner takes it all"?

I find political systems in different countries very interesting. It strikes me about the American system that it seems to be very focused on polarization: It's either one party that wins, or the other.

While for example here in Germany, it seems like we have the opposite problem ... our system forces our parties to compromise all the time. So much that many people turn away from the parties, because they feel "they are all the same anyway". In fact, for the past 15 years, our two largest parties have formed a coalition government most of the time (11 years, to be exact).

So... on one side, we don't have this extremely toxic polarization ... but on the other, I feel we'd have a better choice if there was less of compromising all the time.

I had an idea the other day:

You put term limits into play but have the statute read as follows:

"No person shall serve more than ___ terms for one political party".

So you'd see these guys who like their jobs (and who are liked by the voters) jumping into another political party to keep their seats in Congress. This would give rise to a third or even fourth party.

That's an interesting idea.

To me, a lot of the cynical nature that comes with a Conservative minded person is cashed in on with this age of 24/7 Media. The worst of them seem to believe in any trope that tells them they're being fucked over in some way, any way and at all times.

Its rather disgusting to me that folks who are smart enough to know better, like a Limbaugh for example, game that shit all the way to the bank. Meanwhile others, like a Hannity for instance, are true believers in all that is cynical. Obama is secretly a Muslim, for example, was a good play for the post 9/11 era to dupe these morons with.

You key in on messaging toward the cynical nature of these folks for a few decades...truth and lie becomes blurred over time and you get what we have now.

Hillary Clinton eats babies based on 6-degrees separation based nonsense, and we have millions of enraged, head fucked morons who don't understand how she's POSSIBLY not in Prison.

I think if you were to give most of these shit-brained incels here truth serum, you'd find about 10% actually 100% believe the shit they spew. The other 90 would be somewhere between wanting to believe and skeptical but not wanting to sayso.

Most are just here to get a rise out of the other side of course. Dogbiscuit hasn't made a serious post yet for example.