trump off the CO ballot

[President Bush]

I'm annoyed at the new direction america has taken. That's why i rag at her...she's become a weapons dealer; a beast with slovenly ways; should know better...

the surveillance is creepy and dishonest. The prison population is appalling. Public transport, lacking. Corruption instead of transparency...hell, any democracy is better if it's not constantly involved in covert wars. Isn't it? Or is the whole 'war thing' kinda irrelevant? What about our gun-nuttery? Is that a point of pride? No other modern country has our relentless violence. Or homelessness. Or rotten health care. Europe has pretty much banned many of our foods and meds for being too shitty. Should we take pride in being free to feed our kids known carcinogens that sane nations reject?

Our racism and urban decay are a bit shocking to civilized people. It's like we hate some of our citizens, as a policy.
We aren't in good shape. We're fat. and drugged. (Comparatively) We're also dumb as posts. Our kids are lagging behind the school kids of better democracies. Even construction here is far behind the curve. Look at some German home builder sites, and a carpenter here is suddenly primitive. We don't have a handle on our environment. We still have disposable everything; sewage still goes into the ocean; and we're busy messing up other countries like Ecuador for their resources. What other democracies are doing all this shit? How many military bases does Norway have in other countries? Why doesn't Flint, MI have decent drinking water yet? Why did we spend all that money and kill all those people in (here, insert a list of countries we've trashed in my lifetime)? What other democracy does that?
And why don't we have any say in it? Why is so much power delegated to unelected actors? Why is Snowden in exile?
wtf.

really, i must inquire, MM...are you hallucinating? Being patriotic is charming and quaint...but here, it's like a relentless sales pitch. Other countries don't need to fly their freaking flag everywhere. Not a lot of rah rah rah, we're #1 talk in other nations. It's kinda gross and braggy and dumb. It wasn't always like this, you know.

We're Donald Trump now. Diet Coke and McDonald's; aging porn stars; Florida's re-write of history; Clarence Thomas's wife and Mike Lindell's pillow. Let that sink in.

That was cool, stanky.

[Meadmaker]

I'm annoyed at the new direction america has taken. ...

I'm not sure it's all that new. It doesn't seem a lot different than the America of my childhood.

Except for the part where we lag behind other nations in education. When I was a kid we really were ahead of the world in education. Now, some people think we still are.

Anyway....I don't want to go into a list of everything wrong (or right) with America. It would take too long. I was just focusing on the state of our democracy. Do you think those things wrong with America can't be fixed because we aren't a democracy? I think, in large part, it is because we are one. I'll pick one that I think is the best example. Gun nuttery. I don't think there's money or corporate influence or greed at work to cause it. I think it's pure grass roots stupidity. It has gotten to where no one running for office is willing to say "boo" about gun violence, because We The People demand the right to bear arms.* Gun makers don't have enough clout to make office holders deny the will of the people. That is the will of the people. It's not the will of me, but I only have one vote. That's democracy for you.

*And because our education system is second rate, people don't know what was intended when that was written.

[Meadmaker]

Meanwhile, on Trump.

I'm so tired of seeing "star witness" in headlines. Right now, the "star witness" is testifying. I'll be we don't see that phrase again after today. He won't tell us anything we don't already know. I've read a couple of columnists that explain that when his testimony plays out, it will favor the defense. I don't know if that's true. The columnists are all partisans. What they say is that his testimony will demonstrate that Trump just followed his lawyer's (i.e. Cohen's) advice.

[sparks]

MM said: " It doesn't seem a lot different than the America of my childhood."

Young person.

[stanky]

I'm annoyed at the new direction america has taken. ...

I'm not sure it's all that new. It doesn't seem a lot different than the America of my childhood.

Except for the part where we lag behind other nations in education. When I was a kid we really were ahead of the world in education. Now, some people think we still are.

Anyway....I don't want to go into a list of everything wrong (or right) with America. It would take too long. I was just focusing on the state of our democracy. Do you think those things wrong with America can't be fixed because we aren't a democracy? I think, in large part, it is because we are one. I'll pick one that I think is the best example. Gun nuttery. I don't think there's money or corporate influence or greed at work to cause it. I think it's pure grass roots stupidity. It has gotten to where no one running for office is willing to say "boo" about gun violence, because We The People demand the right to bear arms.* Gun makers don't have enough clout to make office holders deny the will of the people. That is the will of the people. It's not the will of me, but I only have one vote. That's democracy for you.

*And because our education system is second rate, people don't know what was intended when that was written.

Yes, i think america's problems stem from its corrupted form of democracy. I know for a fact that voting is made difficult on purpose and that purpose is to thwart the will of the people. The fix would be easy and obvious. Both parties pretend to want to fix it; neither will. The corruption favors the wealthy, of course. In parts of the country, minorities are rightfully afraid to vote. Should we create a means wherein all eligible voices are heard? As if that would be more democratic? Of course. Most people would want that, wouldn't they? We could vote on it, except somehow we can't. Because the other 'we' doesn't want that. And they're in charge. A small minority calls the shots.

sounds hyperbolic and cliched. yes.

why, then, do we see polls constantly, that show large majorities of people wanting background checks and assault rifle bans. America wants more gun regulations. Can't have them. America wants decriminalized weed; universal health care; woman's right to choose; prison reform; less covert activity, spying, surveiling; the end to waged wars; monopolies; hell, all the regular decent stuff is what the polls show to be the will of the people... which, is never reflected by the voting apparatus.

There's an obstacle in the throat of the voice of the people; always has been, everywhere. Egalitarian democracies emerged to overcome this; America brags about it, unfortunately. I don't think we've earned bragging rights for our brand of democracy. The founding 'fathers' had no interest in a democracy. That should be obvious. Their brilliant intent was for only rich white men to vote. Like themselves. Our first president was also the wealthiest person in America. The 'people' have had to struggle to get past the founding father's, and win the vote. The big daddy's are still with us, maybe less so than before. But their will gets done. The other (poor and dark) are filtered out at the onset, as per running for office. Need money to play. Money's voice is the one that's heard, despite democracy. Not surprisingly, the wealthy are thriving and the rest are mostly broke.

That Biden/Trump is a reflection of anything most voters want would be an insult.

Consider:
If all we did was make the vote mandatory, like Australia, and voted on a holiday...just that...we'd see very different results. That alone, if true, exposes the flimsy nature of our democratic intent.

[Meadmaker]

MM said: " It doesn't seem a lot different than the America of my childhood."

Young person.

62.....and it might have been very different ten years ealier. I think the '70s was the decade where America's selfish, consumer driven, personality really came to the front.

[sparks]

OH, OK, you're a year up on me. Sorry.

As for Umerca being selfish, we've been that way since WWII. "We won the the war," Now it's time to eat, drink (a lot) and fuck around. All with no thought for tomorrow or the consequences of these actions.

Wonder how many millions of dollars is in the landfills of aluminum and steel cans.

[arthwollipot]

Consider:
If all we did was make the vote mandatory, like Australia, and voted on a holiday...just that...we'd see very different results. That alone, if true, exposes the flimsy nature of our democratic intent.

Trust me, mandatory voting is a hard sell to Americans. I've never seen someone so vehemently advocate for their right to not care.

[Meadmaker]

Consider:
If all we did was make the vote mandatory, like Australia, and voted on a holiday...just that...we'd see very different results. That alone, if true, exposes the flimsy nature of our democratic intent.

Trust me, mandatory voting is a hard sell to Americans. I've never seen someone so vehemently advocate for their right to not care.

It's true. I don't know if there is truly such a thing as a national character, but Yanks tend not to like being told what to do.

And, "We would get different results if we changed election laws" does not seem to me to be a powerful argument for changing elections laws. "Our team would win more" doesn't seem much like a statement of principle. However, most electoral changes, and most resistance to electoral changes are, in fact, driven by that motive.

As for holidays, I'm curious about something. There is no such thing as a mandatory holiday in the US. There are customs, but no laws. Federal workers get certain holidays off. Other than that, it's all by agreement between employer and employees, sometimes with unions representing employees. Almost everyplace shuts down on Christmas. Most people get Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving off, except for retail workers who often have to work overtime on the day after. There are other days most people get off, but it's all dependent on negotiations betwee employer and employee. The government generally isn't involved. Are things different in Australia?

[arthwollipot]

As for holidays, I'm curious about something. There is no such thing as a mandatory holiday in the US. There are customs, but no laws. Federal workers get certain holidays off. Other than that, it's all by agreement between employer and employees, sometimes with unions representing employees. Almost everyplace shuts down on Christmas. Most people get Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving off, except for retail workers who often have to work overtime on the day after. There are other days most people get off, but it's all dependent on negotiations betwee employer and employee. The government generally isn't involved. Are things different in Australia?

Yes. There are certain conditions that Australian employers must fulfil by law. Mandatory paid leave is one of them, as is a minimum award wage. There are seven national holidays - New Years Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. There are also a bunch of additional holidays that vary by state. If an employee works on one of those days, their employer is required to pay extra - I believe double time is the requirement.

All in all it's pretty good to be employed in Australia, and I look at American working conditions and am often horrified at what employers are allowed to get away with.