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@Lemming
Statistically, it's far more likely for any individual to fall victim to abuse perpetrated by the government than any one person with a gun.
Ex-Governor Cuomo literally killed 30,000 people in New York with the stroke of a pen. That is true power to be feared.
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@ludofl3x
Well we will have to fundamentally disagree then.
I am not a believer that there are only 2 choices to managing American rights, namely
either over-regulation or no regulation. And I think if people blindly went down the rabbithole of the rhetoric that promotes that false dichotomy, they will discover a world of bad consequences even worse than the ones we suffer through today.
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And frankly equating the right to vote with the right to bear arms seems quite a false equivalence to me.
Why though? Why does one right come with responsibilities and checks and another one does not?
Who do you think benefits more honestly and please don't bring up partisanship and rhetorical talking points with this topic again. Think as an independent.
Who benefits more from unregulated voting, the public or the politicians?
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@ludofl3x
It should be convenient as buying a beer.
And with that "should" comes new consequences. You and DoubleR advocate for remove the cooling down period for voting and with the same breath lament the amount of people responding and voting due to "anger politics"
The amount of people voting may be at an all time high today due to this new tradition of instant Democracy, but so are the monumental amount of people with voter regrets.
Every American has the RIGHT to vote.
We have a right to own a firearm too but we sensibly know that removing the cooldown periods to buy one to prevent people from making long lasting snap decisions in anger would be foolish and socially irresponsible. A convenient vote in anger is even more catastrophic because the government has much more power to take life than any one individual and the impacts can last beyond any one individual's life for generations.
It's an actual problem to be discussed and not be swept under a haze of biased partisan rhetoric. Every American is directly paying for this right now.
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@ludofl3x
I wasn't the one who brought up lobbyists as to why 100M americans don't vote. Or corruption in general.
No, And I never presented a myopic argument conflating the reasons why 100M people do not participate in today's modern version of Democracy. Yet this is what you choose to waste my time discussing. I am really disappointed.
I guess it's a little weird to criticize 100M people who didn't vote
That's your opinion. If you are flippant with people opting out of Democracy, I find it equally weird that you do not think it fundamentally weakens it.
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So are we totally dropping lobbyists as the problem for 100M Americans, as the reason they choose not to vote?
Your insistence throughout this thread conflating dissatisfaction with corruption in DC as THE reason instead of A reason makes me think you are here to troll and not participate in good faith. I've been trying to ignore it up to now but you seem to be fixated and biased, and that's a shame.
it's just unAmerican and antidemocratic
It's actually a new tradition especially with technology to make voting easier than shopping for a beer. With that convenience comes real consequences. A democracy built on snap judgements in the heat of a fickle moment is much weaker than one where the choices are well thought out.
Imagine if this convenience extended to the legal system where jury members could simply swipe their phones or mail in a paper instead of deliberating for days in a sequestered room? Would you trust your life to that new tradition of convenient democracy? Would that be "American"?
We are currently dealing with the consequences of that new tradition today with increasing unresponsiveness from everyone in DC, when they are not busy laughing at questions or walking away from reporters.
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You either value voter participation or you don’t. Pick one.
I value quality over quantity. Is that wrong? I'd rather have voters who care enough about voting to make an effort instead of excuses.
It’s not about shifting blame, the people are to blame.
Here is where we part ways. To continue to believe the lies DC says about the faults of the public can only end in civil war, and I would rather that happen after I am dead.
Our politicians are a reflection of us, and what we care about they will focus on. It’s not DC that needs fixing, it’s us.
Well I can certainly guarantee making voting easier than getting a beer isn't going to help. Holding the government accountable isn't something to be taken lightly, but the government has brainwashed everyone that it must be taken lightly and even lighter still.
Our politicians are a reflection of us, and what we care about they will focus on. It’s not DC that needs fixing, it’s us.
100 million people disagree. They also don't give a fuck about your fanfiction regarding the former president. The removal of the former president hasn't improved the standard of living for anyone in America outside of DC, and it appears that about 37 percent of the people don't give a fuck about that either.
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@Double_R
But the issue is not CRT being taught in schools, which is why I have a problem with this whole thing. Say what you mean and have a honest debate. Instead they play these political games which is why we get no where.
I actually agree with you 100 percent. CRT isn't taught in schools. It is Implemented. It's a noticeable difference.
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@thett3
That is not at all what the topic is about. The topic is about what’s being taught in schools. But why should white people not have a say in what their kids are taught at school? Would you prefer segregated schools?
In fact, there are far more proportionally white people, especially the overwhelming amount of whites in administrative public education positions, promoting the theory than nonwhites. Whites in academia can be insufferably condescending and even moreso when their job is on the line.
Conversely, most minorities are absolute more proportionally upset that their kids are being taught to institutionally limit themselves with victim labels on top of everything else minority parents struggle with as they strive to improve the lives of their children.
I take it you watched this clip?
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@Double_R
so politicians are incentivized to focus all their attention on dividing us and demonizing the other side as opposed to actually governing.
Which has everything to do about shifting blame from the government to the people and nothing to do with preserving Democracy. When the people refuse to hold DC accountable, it's a testament to how weak our Democracy already is.
What would you change to hold DC accountable?
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@Double_R
So do you disagree with my statement that in order for a democracy to thrive the people must see it’s election results as legitimate?
I agree with you.
And the 100 million who don't vote every year is testament to currently how little so many people care about the importance of Democracy or election results.
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@Double_R
So what’s the solution to this? Well, mail in ballots go a long way to minimizing the power of anger in our politics
It would also go a long way to ensure a person's vote shouldn't be earned when it is worth less hassle than getting a 6 pack of beer. Lowering the expectations of politicians is a race to the bottom. It's clear people should be doing more due diligence and putting in more effort to fix DC than the effort it takes to buy a case of beer. Even if beer is getting more expensive lately.
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@ludofl3x
Convenient. That's all it took. It's not that I didn't think my vote counted, which are two different things.
And that's the problem. When people need a convenient reason to vote, it lessens the actual importance of the vote.
If A Democracy hinges on the same convenience as waiting in line for food, then it's already doomed. One would think a vote should matter more than hopping in line to get a 6 pack of beer.
When it doesn't, then we all deserve the mess we currently have in DC.
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@ludofl3x
The reason i didn't do so before was because I didn't want to go stand in line.
What would it take for you to believe your vote for your Senator was worth a wait in a line?
Essentially, what would the circumstances have to be that you would endure the hardship of a line waiting similar to paying for groceries?
That your vote matters more than a weekly food gathering?
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@ludofl3x
And for my money it's the Senate Majority leader.
Have you voted for the Senator you wanted every election? If not, why not?
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@Lemming
An argument that without knowledge or understanding of government and politics, how can people's votes be genuine/meaningful?
The answer to post #70 has a lot to say about the some of the reasons why people choose to not vote.
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@ludofl3x
Out of the big 3 in DC, the Speaker of the house, the Majority Senate leader, and the President, who has the most power and responsibility for crafting Federal legislation in your opinion?
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@ludofl3x
I don't have time for research to satisfy whatever level of expertise you think I should have in order to comment on it.
If I thought you did, I wouldn't have asked for your uninformed opinion. There's no need to get catty over this issue as we are in more agreement than not.
Accessibility is the best excuse not to vote.
"Excuse" is the perfect term here. I like it.
So you agree "accessibility" is a red-herring to excuse and obfuscate the actual reasons why people don't think their vote matters?
the biggest reason I never did had nothing to do with lobbyists, it had to do with the electoral college.
What about state elections? Out of the big 3 in DC, the Speaker of the house, the Majority Senate leader, and the President, who has the most power and responsibility for crafting Federal legislation in your opinion?
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@ludofl3x
Have you really not done any research at all regarding the 100 million Americans that choose to not vote?
What are your uninformed opinions on the matter if so?
I'd really like to hear your detailed arguments as to how accessibility is the major concern for those 100 millions Americans as well since you seem to be fixated on that point.
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@Lemming
Even a mandatory vote, doesn't mean they believe in the system
Exactly. So while it could be a component, it isn't sufficient.
Ensuring 100% accessibility to voting at the end point of a government mandated rifle won't solve that problem.
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@ludofl3x
Let me rephrase since you seem myopic in your reading due to bias.
How do you ENSURE everyone in the country believes the system works? How do you deal with the people that choose to not vote and refuse Democracy?
If you don't answer that seriously, there is no consensus to Democracy.
Double R stated this"
"people must believe it to be legitimate"
So how do you do that? How do you ENSURE everyone does not refuse to vote due to distrust in the system?
If you're not in favor of making voting as accessible as possible...
Making voting accessible isn't the reason people distrust the system. It's not the reason they choose to not vote.
I would like to hear your detailed arguments to the contrary if you want to have a serious discussion.
As it stands now, in most places in America, it takes more effort to shop for groceries than it does to vote.
How do you ENSURE all people believe their vote matters as much as the food they buy?
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@ludofl3x
Maybe I misread your mandatory voting post?
Yes you did.
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@ludofl3x
Making voting more accessible doesn't solve the problem of the persistent absentee voter.
How do you handle a person who sees what the lobbyists are doing in DC and gives up in despair? Is forcing him to vote really the answer?
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@ludofl3x
That doesn't address the problem of the disgruntled absent voter who doesn't believe the system works and refuses to vote.
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@Double_R
Not at all. Do you really believe people choosing to not vote makes for a strong democracy?
I would really like to hear your detailed position on that.
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@Double_R
Do you disagree with the statement that in order for a democracy to thrive the people must believe it to be legitimate?
If this was the case, voting should be mandatory instead of optional to include the people that are sure their vote does not matter.
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@thett3
a highly educated and heavily Democratic state, is full of ignorant rubes who got easily played by Republicans manufacturing a controversy, or you can believe that maybe something sinister really was going on in the school curriculum there. Enough that a Republican got elected on the back of what is historically that parties biggest weakness.
I'll take Ockham's Razor for 1000.
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@ludofl3x
Maybe they unwittingly paid attention then. Or maybe it's because like you said, I live in a heavily regulated Democrat state.
And, unrelated, why haven't you cleaned your car since 2015?
Because the certificates double as floor mats.
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@ludofl3x
Merit or disabilities based on skin color.
It's part of mandated professional development days where kids get a few days off while teachers learn the latest fads in skinducation.
I have a folder full of certificates on the floor of the backseat of my car dating from 2015 onward.
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@thett3
As an educator in public schools, you would be shocked at the mandated "enrichments" teachers have to swallow as part of continuing "development"
You just sign your name, and nod your head for a few hours and if you are lucky, you forget the whole mess afterwards. If you are not so lucky, you regurgitate it all unwittingly in front of your students and hope none of them have parents that care.
This has been going on for decades. It's not a new thing.
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BTW, I'm willing to drop the block if you are. This indirect conversation is silly.
If you can behave like a normal person like DoubleR and n8nrgmi and not play Ad-Hom games, sure.
I'm way too old to entertain shitposters.
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This does not answer the question.
Then you failed to read the Moynihan report. Congratulations.
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I wonder which 1965 policies Parrot desires to be overturned?
The ones that created generations of fatherless families. Go read the Moynihan report.
Don't pretend CRT is anything other than a scapegoat for Democrat failures to ensure their dynasty lives on longer than necessary.
If there is one thing that is constant through the years with Democrat elites, there is always someone else to blame.
Brandon is just the apex of a long line of blame Czars.
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@ludofl3x
This CRT craze will be irrelevant anyway once Democrats lose sufficient political power to permit the opportunity to reverse the social policies they implemented in 1965 that verifiably insured generations of black families would remain largely fatherless and far from the American dream.
Brandon is making this reality possible.
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@ludofl3x
Why is it so hard to grasp what the word THEORY means? It doesn't always mean "One guy's guess at how things work."
So you would have no problem with Holocaust denial theory being promoted in schools?
How about flat earth science and chemtrails? It's just theories after all!
How about the theory that the election was stolen in 2020, would that theory be ok to teach in schools?
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@Double_R
CRT is fundamentally racist in the worst way. There are no exceptions under CRT for anyone of certain shades of arbitrary skin color.
I find it deplorable that you continue to defend this junk science.
demonizing and attacking Dr. Fauci.
He did that to himself by lying to Congress about gain of function, Fauci is a straight up politician that repeatedly ignores science that doesn't grant him power.
are meant to be controversial and make people think
The fact that racism and skinnism as a junk science can't be universally debunked in 2021, 60 years after the CRA and King's crusade to make the world colorblind, is testament to the power of profit from race-baiting. Coates, the Czar of modern race-baiters and skin-baiters himself is worth 20 million.
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What passes for institutional education today is mostly political indoctrination to make sure teachers and administrators keep their jobs. It is a system that was originally set up in the industrial era to teach kids how to be punctual factory workers, and it has changed little.
Anyone who is still a sycophantic shill for industrial education has never been allowed to think for themselves.
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I know there are countless potential Einsteins labeled as "slow" and "unsociable" by a myopic praxis crafted by institutionalists in an ivory tower.
Thank god parents exist.
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There is no way that any single parent, not even a teacher, is the most qualified person to singlehandedly educate their children vs a schooling establishment.
School was a struggle for Einstein and he found it a miserable affair. His teachers reportedly assessed him as being “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams”.
Albert Einstein attended school, but was unhappy with structured teaching. He supplemented his school tuition with self-education, and chose to study complicated mathematical concepts at his own pace, with the support of his parents.
That's proof that institutions don't know best for everyone.
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@Fruit_Inspector
I'd also like to know how Ta-Nehisi Coates with a Net Worth of $19 Million is so oppressed in such a systemically racist country. It seems that there is no end to the profitability of race baiting. Such is the true fragility of people who believe skin matters.
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@Fruit_Inspector
The whole "CRT isn't taught in schools" is so ridiculous.
If it were a requirement for all teachers to be Catholics, the left would lose their minds if it were said Catholicism isn't taught in schools.
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@cristo71
Racism is such a tiny problem in America right now compared to actual problems. 4 dollar gas doesn't care what your skin color is.
Although I heard in California you can spray a tan on and qualify for smash and grab immunity.
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@n8nrgmi
CRT states all people of a certain color have power. That's not the same at all as noting SOME people of color have power.
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@Double_R
There is no reasonable case to be made that either of his impeachments for example were not warranted,
Only a partisan would talk in absolutes like this.
If I heard a Republican saying the same thing about the Clinton impeachment, that would be pure partisan rhetoric. Undeniably.
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@zedvictor4
Your argument is undeniably false.
That's also a presumption. Let's undeniably measure the amount of fight or flight chemicals in your body when you get hit with the sharp edge of a skateboard on a undeniably vital area on your body.
Lets measure those undeniable levels. Or you can undeniably huddle behind your keyboard as well.
12 jurors undeniably thought his life was in danger. Which is now an undeniable court record due to double jeopardy protections in the USA.
Your opinion is undeniably false.
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@zedvictor4
But hey whatever can be used for the gun lobby propaganda, right?
or Kyle Rittenhouse. Gun saved his life. No lobbyist needed.
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@sadolite
Imagine a world where you can't race-bait away your shortcomings.
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