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US Political Situation Better or Worse in your Lifetime?

US Political Has Improved/Will Improve?

  • Has Improved/Will Improve

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • Has Improved/Will Not Improve

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Has Not Improved/Will Not Improve

    Votes: 15 71.4%

  • Has Not Improved/Will Improve

    Votes: 4 19.0%
  • Total voters
    21
jonny5

jonny5

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Republic of Florida
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Political Leaning
Libertarian
Poll incoming:

To elaborate, do you believe that the overall political situation, meaning your satisfaction with how the USA is governed, the political ideology of its people, the application of the law and justice, voting and representation, has improved in your lifetime?

And do you believe that it WILL or WONT improve in your remaining lifetime?
 
jonny5 said:
Poll incoming:

To elaborate, do you believe that the overall political situation, meaning your satisfaction with how the USA is governed, the political ideology of its people, the application of the law and justice, voting and representation, has improved in your lifetime?

And do you believe that it WILL or WONT improve in your remaining lifetime?
Click to expand...

It would be difficult for anyone to say that the last congress worked. Reid was the stumbling block that insulated Obama from anything that came from the House. Congress seems to be working in this session. I'm not sure what's coming out of it are good but at least there is work going on.

Having said that, the government is still dysfunctional. It's a bloated bureaucracy which doesn't work efficiently doing anything. The government is most interested in perpetuating itself and it's power. The justice department is racially tainted, involving itself in the recent high profile police shootings prior to having a thorough investigation and without knowing all of the evidence. On much lower levels, they send representatives to the funerals of murdered police officers but none of the funerals get the attention that the police shootings get.

Do I think it will get better? Maybe.
 
Improved in my lifetime? In many ways, most definitely yes, but then again -- my lifetime extends back a bit longer than the majority here.
 
sawdust said:
It would be difficult for anyone to say that the last congress worked. Reid was the stumbling block that insulated Obama from anything that came from the House. Congress seems to be working in this session. I'm not sure what's coming out of it are good but at least there is work going on.

Having said that, the government is still dysfunctional. It's a bloated bureaucracy which doesn't work efficiently doing anything. The government is most interested in perpetuating itself and it's power. The justice department is racially tainted, involving itself in the recent high profile police shootings prior to having a thorough investigation and without knowing all of the evidence. On much lower levels, they send representatives to the funerals of murdered police officers but none of the funerals get the attention that the police shootings get.

Do I think it will get better? Maybe.
Click to expand...

Being a libertarian, do you think that, before you die, you will see an increase in liberty, ie less laws, more freedom, lower taxes, more of your fellow citizens agreeing with your philosophy, being represented in congress, etc?

Or the converse? Higher, more unfair taxes. More foreign intervention, curbs on speech, conflict with individual and states rights?
 
jonny5 said:
Poll incoming:

To elaborate, do you believe that the overall political situation, meaning your satisfaction with how the USA is governed, the political ideology of its people, the application of the law and justice, voting and representation, has improved in your lifetime?

And do you believe that it WILL or WONT improve in your remaining lifetime?
Click to expand...

Has not improved and don't know if it will given patronizing American voters unconditional support for their party which trumps all.
 
jonny5 said:
Being a libertarian, do you think that, before you die, you will see an increase in liberty, ie less laws, more freedom, lower taxes, more of your fellow citizens agreeing with your philosophy, being represented in congress, etc?

Or the converse? Higher, more unfair taxes. More foreign intervention, curbs on speech, conflict with individual and states rights?
Click to expand...

To paraphrase Golda Maier, we will see an increase in liberty when politicians love freedom more than they love their power.
 
sawdust said:
To paraphrase Golda Maier, we will see an increase in liberty when politicians love freedom more than they love their power.
Click to expand...

Thats a no then. What does that say about the possibility of happiness then if we plan to die before ever really being free?
 
jonny5 said:
Thats a no then. What does that say about the possibility of happiness then if we plan to die before ever really being free?
Click to expand...

If you look to government for your happiness, that's a whole other issue.
 
I voted Has improved/Will improve but it wasn't an easy choice because I feel differently about the different criteria you mention.

For example, in my lifetime, I feel as though the way in which the US is governed has gotten worse. Our government has become more authoritarian, more intrusive, and more beholden to corporate interests. However, I feel the political ideology of the citizenry, in general, has improved.

I believe the application of the law and justice has improved or stayed about the same. I do think those with power, while still underserved by the justice system, are being treated more fairly than they used to.

Voting and representation has gotten worse. The richer the uber wealthy and corporations become the more influence they have. Politicians care more about dollars than votes because dollars buy votes. Over 90% of non-Presidential elections are won by the candidate who spent the most money, and much of that money doesn't even come from the candidate's constituents.

So as to whether or not it HAS improved my personal scale, slightly, leaned toward yes.

I also voted I think it WILL improve. Why? Because I believe that within the next decade or two the States will call a Constitutional Convention to pass an amendment to get money out of politics. Several states have already officially called for it. This will allow us to completely bypass the US Congress, who is already too far in the pockets of special interests to take the initiative. Once that happens politicians will have to earn votes the old fashioned way, by being responsive to their constituents. And since I believe the political inclinations of the people is slowly but steadily improving, their untainted (or less tainted) votes will lead to an improving in the government as well.
 
BrewerBob said:
I voted Has improved/Will improve but it wasn't an easy choice because I feel differently about the different criteria you mention.

For example, in my lifetime, I feel as though the way in which the US is governed has gotten worse. Our government has become more authoritarian, more intrusive, and more beholden to corporate interests. However, I feel the political ideology of the citizenry, in general, has improved.

I believe the application of the law and justice has improved or stayed about the same. I do think those with power, while still underserved by the justice system, are being treated more fairly than they used to.

Voting and representation has gotten worse. The richer the uber wealthy and corporations become the more influence they have. Politicians care more about dollars than votes because dollars buy votes. Over 90% of non-Presidential elections are won by the candidate who spent the most money, and much of that money doesn't even come from the candidate's constituents.

So as to whether or not it HAS improved my personal scale, slightly, leaned toward yes.

I also voted I think it WILL improve. Why? Because I believe that within the next decade or two the States will call a Constitutional Convention to pass an amendment to get money out of politics. Several states have already officially called for it. This will allow us to completely bypass the US Congress, who is already too far in the pockets of special interests to take the initiative. Once that happens politicians will have to earn votes the old fashioned way, by being responsive to their constituents. And since I believe the political inclinations of the people is slowly but steadily improving, their untainted (or less tainted) votes will lead to an improving in the government as well.
Click to expand...

Why wouldnt the states just stop electing the same politicians?
 
US Political Situation Better or Worse in your Lifetime?
Click to expand...

for it to get better, we'd have to end gerrymandering, reconsider our duopoly system, and tightly control lobbying. none of these things will happen in my lifetime, so i don't think the political system is going to improve.

some other things might improve, though. gay people being treated like human beings has progressed faster than i ever would have predicted. also, the drug warriors are losing ground pretty fast, at least where pot is concerned. my state will probably be one of the last to wake the **** up, but i guess i could always move. also, i hope to see a time when the US isn't expected to get involved in every conflict on the planet for free. i find it unlikely that our foreign policy will change quickly, though.
 
jonny5 said:
Governments are formed to protect my right and ability to pursue happiness, so yeah.
Click to expand...

While government is intended to maintain social structures which allow people to achieve their goals, success and happiness are personal responsibilities, not something granted to individuals by government fiat. So, no.
 
sawdust said:
While government is intended to maintain social structures which allow people to achieve their goals, success and happiness are personal responsibilities, not something granted to individuals by government fiat. So, no.
Click to expand...

So yes, you agree they are linked. And THIS govt is infringing on that pursuit, not assisting.
 
divisive+legislation.png
 
jonny5 said:
Thats the political elite though, not citizens. Their goal is to get elected, not to work.
Click to expand...
The political elites ate elected by the rest of us. If the population wasn't getting further polarized, the elected officials wouldn't be as polarized.
 
It has gotten worse and will continue to do so. Republocrat rule will steal the Republic out from underneath us.
 
It's gotten worse imo. Whether it will get better or worse is anyone's guess.
 
On the positive side people are less bigoted and more skeptical about getting into wars, even conservatives.

On the negative side, the elites have more influence as election campaigns get more expenses. Also, people on the right don't just have their own opinions, they have their own "facts," thanks to Fox News and the internet.

Media ownership is more concentrated than ever, but the internet has made alternatives accessible to all. The problem is that it is harder for many people to judge the credibility of news/information providers.

Another positive: As evidenced by the failure of the Keystone pipeline, the protection of net neutrality, the resistance to the Comcast/Time Warner merger and the greater awareness of police abuses, grass roots campaigns are working.
 
My lifetime is that long, but I do feel it is getting worse and I'm failing to see how things will improve until something catastrophic happens to finally get changes pushed through.

It feels business are just becoming more consolidated into mega-corps, people and voters are moving further and further to the extremes of both parties and causing gridlock, meanwhile infrastructure is failing apart, we are falling behind on most everything, and yeah.

Not to mention our politics are basically ruled by the rich dumping tons of money into elections, making it impossible for the common man to run for any political office outside maybe their local positions (even that is getting iffy. Hell Tempe's mayor race, each candidate spent over 150,000 dollars.
 
It's in a several year slump, but I believe it can rebound.
 
The poll choices are inadequate. For me, I believe the political situation is worse than it's ever been in my lifetime. Will it improve? Not in my lifetime, but eventually it will have to improve or it will collapse of its own corruption, and be completely replaced.
 
Gardener said:
Improved in my lifetime? In many ways, most definitely yes, but then again -- my lifetime extends back a bit longer than the majority here.
Click to expand...

Indeed, there was the War Between the States. But you were what 10 or 11 at the time?
 
Unrepresented said:
The political elites ate elected by the rest of us. If the population wasn't getting further polarized, the elected officials wouldn't be as polarized.
Click to expand...

I would says elected officials are MORE polarized, because they only represent one faction.
 
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