Politics suck

[Residue]

We all have far more in common than the parties want you to believe.

There is an underlying political perspective in the USA that transcends all parties. The only reason we bicker and argue with each other is because the parties exploit one random issue to pit us against each other and win "the election."

In reality, the true extremists are the party whores. Everyone else is normal and we all want more or less the same thing, give or take an issue or two.

Change the world for the better: stop paying attention to parties, turn off your TV and your radio, stop reading op-eds and "analysis." Just be cognizant of the facts and make non-partisan decisions.

I dare you.

Let's make this a better place to live. Thoughts?

[Shark Black]

I agree 95%

I can still listen to others opinions and still filter out the fact from fiction.

[SethFWF]

I also agree wholeheartedly about the partisan thing, they make me insane which is why I refuse to join either party. But the debates can be fun and interesting, not all the time and on all boards of course...but regardless of what the parties do, we all have different opinions that should be heard(or read as it were)...

I see you've been a member for awhile, but welcome to the Arena....

Seth

[DTJesus]

On some issues, we all want the same thing, yes. In those cases, the parties exist due to fundamental differences in HOW we want to achieve those things. For instance, we all want safer streets. Republicans would achieve this by locking up criminals forever and making punishments stricter. Democrats would rather try to rehabilitate criminals and make guns illegal. Or, we all want great education for our kids. Republicans would like to achieve this with accountability and tough standards. Democrats would like to see lots of money fed into schools for supplies, equipment, and increased salaries.

On other issues like abortion and gay marriages, what each of use want is very different.

So I guess I only agree about 10%. Parties exist due to fundamental differences among us.

[Residue]

DTJesus, I think there are minor differences in the "how," but when you get down to it, I think most people support reasonable gov't measures and minimal gov't spending. I think most of the differences in "how" that you're describing only exist because the political parties say so. On a gut level, I think we all agree. If each program, be it a specific method of "stricter punishments" or a specific method of "more rehabilitation" were presented to the public on its stand-alone merits, I think you'd find most people would go the same way on each of those issues, provided the discussion among the members of the community were restricted to "let's discuss this program" and didn't progress to a lengthy philosophical discourse on whether or not "rehabilitation is the correct thing to do in principle."

If you follow me.

[Joe-×]

residue said:

DTJesus, I think there are minor differences in the "how," but when you get down to it, I think most people support reasonable gov't measures and minimal gov't spending.

I think you read too much into it. Most people already don't give a crap. They are just trying to lead their own lives. You get the people on two ends of a big bell curve screaming really loudly, but the big mass in the middle doesn't give a crap either way about anything until it affects them directly. People only watch the bickering for the same reason that two chicks at school pulling each other's hair draw a big crowd every time. It's entertainment.

Joe