apolitical/"abolition of civil rights" is wishful thinking

[Chankgeez]

A.K.A. I'm sick and tired of our two party system.

(Non-Americans welcome to chime in on how your system of government is better/worse.)

[oscillateur]

Well, it does make a difference. From an European's perspective it's the difference between right-wing and almost extreme right-wing. I'll take the just bad option instead of the very bad one any day.

Now, if that makes you feel better, the US is not the only country with a history of shitty monolithic government, just take a look at Japanese politics...

[Inconuucl]

I'm playing the POTUS ever mattered. Too much emphasis is put on his role VS congress'. Whatever your opinion on Obama is, you can't deny Congress lately has been the worst.

[goroth]

I think there are some serious structural problems with most democracies. The latest swedish election was a joke, the far-right dick head party has the balance of power, and the minority government is unlikely to even get a budget passed leading to a reelection.

But who cares.

The problem with the U.S. is that everyone cares. When your political system delivers crap the world, to some degree, suffers. Which is tough - not only do you have to battle a political system that is broken, you also have a case where even domestic policy becomes foreign policy.

Tricky.

The realationship between media coverage and politics only compounds the problems of the democratic process. And yeah, you guys got Fox...

[Mudfuzz]

The way things are going I am starting to really doubt that the revolutionary war was all that great of an idea...

[Chankgeez]

When your political system delivers crap the world, to some degree, suffers. Which is tough - not only do you have to battle a political system that is broken, you also have a case where even domestic policy becomes foreign policy.

So, you're saying that the U.S. should readopt a policy of isolationism?

The way things are going I am starting to really doubt that the revolutionary war was all that great of an idea...

Well, I'd say it was a great idea, but things seemed to've been poorly planned after that initial burst of inspiration.

[doommeow]

Yes, the next POTUS (and the one after that and the one after that and and and) is going to matter.

Why?

It’s not about foreign policy, although that’s important. Increasingly important in light of the past 13 years.

It’s not about domestic policy, or what most people thing of as domestic policy. Even though those issues create a feedback loop that can ring round the world.

It’s not about redeeming about the role of the US executive. Even though as comically abysmal as W was as a President, Obama is - and I’m saying this a registered democrat, a person of color, and the child of a mixed marriage - Obama is an absolute failure.

No, the most important thing the next and future president will do is influence the nomination of Judges to the Supreme and Circuit Courts.

I’ve more or less accepted the fact that short of Aaron Sorkin winning the lotto, going to the gym, and becoming fucking Batman, the American experiment is on it’s way out. Or at the very least the definition of it, what we’ve understood it to be, hope and expected it to be, us and the previous 1-3 generations, that’s more or less gonna change. Has changes. Done. All we can do now is fight for and protect the rights we have left and try to slow down the decline long enough for Fugazi to do another record.

The balance of the Supreme court is all that matters now. Want gay marriage recognized on the national level? Want rights, especially federal rights for transgendered persons? Want some sort of limitations on what corporations can do with your data? Want some sort of limitations on what the government can do with you data (even though they are going to FUCKING LIE and do whatever they god damn please)? Want to stop it from being even easier for corporations to influence elections? Do you want any sort of rights to privacy at all if you’re arrested for a crime, regardless of whether or not you’re convicted or even charged? Wanna smoke pot? Wanna do what you want in your bedroom with someone that wants to do those things with you? Do you want your mother/daughter/sister/wife/self to have the right to an abortion? Want to keep which ever corrupt politicians are in power at the local level from redrawing voting lines so they can keep winning elections? Do you want some small chance that the so called free society will exist just a little bit longer (so maybe we’ll get that Fugazi record!)?

Most of what makes that happen - or what prevents other branches of government from making the negatives happen - are laws and Judges at the Federal level.

Judges that are appointed by POTUS.

As we get closer to 2016, forget everything else you’re going to be told, we all know that more than 99% of it is fucking bullshit anyway. What’s going to matter most is the on the bench, not the fuck monkeys running around on the field…

[cedarskies]

republicans scare me.

[Achtane]

I'm for whoever is most likely to participate in a nuclear war.
I'll finally be able to put my Fist of the North Star knowledge to use and become king of the wasteland.

[Twangasaurus]

Honestly wish that Australia had less to do with you guys. Abbott seems to want to continue making our country America's little brother in all the worst ways and our regional relationships (which we should be more focused on because they are our future) are taking a hit because of it.

Maybe we should all just move to Norfolk Island or some shit.

[Iommic Pope]

What, and deal with the inbred descendents of the Bounty mutineers telling us what to do, as opposed to a penis with ears and DTs?
Fuck Norfolk. It'd be the same deal on a smaller scale.

To be honest, our cozying up to China leaves a lot to be desired as well. You should see all the rhetoric in the National Curriculum about our relationship with "Asia" (read China), that shit starts in the Prep year. It makes me sound like a racist xenophobe I know, but I just don't believe in catering to the whims of a government like theirs just because we want them to keep buying shit we pulled out of the ground. This country needs its own fucking identity and industries ASAfuckingP.
Instead of selling everything to multinationals and sending everyone who isn't white to be detained in countries who have no concept of human rights.

More to the point, we need to stop electing fuckwits.
Cause, you know, coal is the mother fucking future.
Apparently.

[leaves turn]

I declared Independent and make a point of voting for whichever third party sounds the least insane.

[snipelfritz]

republicans scare me.

As they should.

Doomymeowmeow makes a very good point about the supreme court. I don't see scalia, Thomas and Ginsberg staying on the bench too much longer (whether by their choice or not) and scotus is definitely making a lot of imimportantdecisions lately.

I think it will make a difference otherwise (also the balance of congress too). While campaign finance reform is much needed and a lot of things won't change until then, seeing republicans take complete control would result in a spiteful self-fulfilling destruction of the federal government, which would be bad.

While our government is an ineffective mess right now, I think we need to be very careful in our reforms. When you abandon one system or ideology it will be replaced by a preexisting one and I think the current tea-party/libertarian waves would do far more harm than good.

I could go on but I need to get back to work now.

[Chankgeez]

I'm for whoever is most likely to participate in a nuclear war.
I'll finally be able to put my Fist of the North Star knowledge to use and become king of the wasteland.

You just made my head explode.

[Inconuucl]

I'm for whoever is most likely to participate in a nuclear war.
I'll finally be able to put my Fist of the North Star knowledge to use and become king of the wasteland.

You just made my head explode.

That's because you were already dead.