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Those few hot button issues are what matter. People are incredibly divided on the two wars, health care, and the economy.
But yet, there are many, many middle of the road solutions to all those problems. Once big money and devisive lobbying gets the heck out of our politics. Nothing we face in unsolvable. nada
The United States is one of the most partisan countries in the developed world. There are two very distinct political ideologies that are diametrically opposed to one another. Add to that the vast distance that the federal government controls, which means people from states with entirely different cultures, histories, and demographics, have to all live under the same set of federal laws. Case in point: The distance from Los Angeles to Columbia, South Carolina is greater than the distance from London to Moscow (and the cultural difference is greater too). Yet, while the Europeans have over 50 independent nations, over here people in San Francisco have to live under the same federal laws as those in Charleston.
What does this mean for us? That we're all unhappy. We are all living under policies we don't want to live under (Health care is the best example, an odd mixture of public [democratic] and private [republican] that make us get the worst of both worlds and the benefits of neither).
Why are we so naive to think that someday things will be better? Are we that shortsighted to believe that "if we can just win this next election, everything will be ok!" Lets just be honest here, we will NEVER be happy living together. Every 4-12 years someone from the other party will gain office, and the majority in congress will shift, and they will remove old policies and implement new ones that will make half the nation ecstatic and leave the other half seethingly bitter and angry. This means no policies will ever be in place long enough to have a real effect, there will always be constant congressional gridlocks so very little will ever get done, and our taxation and economic regulatory systems will constantly be in flux.
When we will all realize that our country isn't "too big to fail" and that completely independent, smaller regional nations would be much more effective. Why can't people in Oregon smoke pot? Why can't kids in Alabama pray in schools? Why can't Arizona enforce it's own immigration laws? Why are Californian's paying for and engaged in a war both of their senators voted againts?
One day you will all wake up and realize this union needs to be divided. I just hope we can do it without any bloodshed.
You really do not get the melting pot thing do ya. FYI, MOST Americans are somewhere in the Middle. Want to divide/break apart this Nation you will have to fight the Americans first, hope you are ready to pay the ultimate price for your new little country, it WILL come down to that.
But yet, there are many, many middle of the road solutions to all those problems. Once big money and devisive lobbying gets the heck out of our politics. Nothing we face in unsolvable. nada
Wish I could rep you for this. Common sense and a willingness to even TALK to each other can solve most problems.
I've never lived in Biloxi or Santa Barbara, but I have lived in Los Angeles and Jackson MS. Outside of choice of beer and manner of speech, I never noticed much difference when it came to issues that come under federal governance.
Come on, you seriously can't be that naive. Just ask the people in both cities what they think about environmental regulations on businesses, affirmative action, universal health care, the death penalty, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, gay marriage, interracial marriage (anyone remember the poll that said half of Mississippi Republicans think interracial marriage should be illegal?), and a slew of other issues.
These are all very serious issues and many of them are matters of life and death (health care, war, crime and punishment). And both peoples have completely opposite views on how to handle these issues. The result is that when we send our local politicians out to Washington to vote on polices, they can't agree on anything or we end up living under legislation that was crafted by someone who lives 3000 miles away, and we all end up unhappy.
Why is this so hard to understand? Why don't Americans want more regional freedom and autonomy?
Why don't Americans want more regional freedom and autonomy?
Mostly... because it just doesn't work.
It didn't really work back in the 18th century either, btw...
but on a practical basis it just made more sense to not upset too many apple carts at once.
Whether talking about one of the very serious matters or even something as mundane as commercial property insurance... how much sense does it make to have a completely different set of rules and policies on how we go about incorporating that into how we live our daily lives... depending solely on which specific piece of dirt we're standing on at that moment? It's nuts.
I strongly suspect, if given factual information and the alternatives to solving a problem, and a pledge to honor the wisdom of everybody , we would agree on at 75% of what is a problem and the solutions. Get the media loudmouths and lobbyists out of the room, real information, consequences of the alternatives and well intentioned people who put ego aside, and we could work it out. And save a bundle of money, too.
When I found out that governments, local, state and federal already pay for 60% of the healthcare in this country, and business pays for 20%, single payer does not look so radical. Bet most of us, together, could figure out how to get everybody's need met.
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Wish I could rep you for this. Common sense and a willingness to even TALK to each other can solve most problems.
