Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Things are pretty unbalanced. The repubs are fractureing apart. The two party system provides a balance but Radicals have thrown a wrench into the gears of our political sysyem.quote=jonhatfield]Questions--what is the meaning of the censure of John McCain for not voting straight line? That is, taking that censure as only a specific attempt to "purge" a "RINO," what is the meaning of the ongoing struggle between "establishment" GOP and the purists on the right? Is it parallel to the dispute between establishment and the Jacksonians in the 1820s? Is the Tea Party parallel to the populists of that era? The Jacksonians and populists ushered in a new partisanship era in American politics and re-set the original disagreement over more or less federal govt. action. One interpretation of the result of this partisan re-set is that one wing of Jacksonian thinking led to the extreme of secession and the Civil War. Might the Tea Party re-set of the right in politics lead to various extremes in action and reaction? For example, if GOP goes straight-line and takes office in states and/or Washington, how far would action go? Or is GOP splits, would that make opening to extreme actions pushed by the further left side of Dems? How unbalanced might politics become? How unbalanced are they already? Answers obviously would be speculative.[/quote]

Glaucon

Most liberals and conservatives would agree to the importance and support for personal responsibility, a government only large enough to fund what our citizens demand, capitalism, a strong national defense. We seem to have agreement. What is the problem?

Glaucon

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Do you think this situation has about hit its highest point? The war in the Republican party is beginning to reach a point at which we will face total gridlock. What will bring about changes in the gerrymandering mess?

jonhatfield Loc: Green Bay, WI

Another question and one I have no information on. Politics in other Western countries are also right and left (oops, that should include further east and south countries--Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Israel, Latin America, etc...self govt. is extended and developing), so is the partisanship between right and left so sharp in Western Europe countries, for example? Is there any equivalent on the right side of their politics of our Tea Party pushing the right side party further right? What are the left and right in eastern European countries formerly Communist? Is two party politics developing in Russia? Is the present Russia governing party right wing or left wing or just plain dictatorship? That is, how does our political partisanship situation compare in the larger picture of self-govt. nations? Are our politics spiraling out of control from extremist trends unique to us, or is this a problem in various "western" nations?

Glaucon

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I believe fraud in our welfare programs is minimal, but there will always be some. We will hear of Reagan's "welfare queen" and like anecdotal reports. However, I support the stiffest penalties for welfare fraud and I support funding for monitoring to prevent and punish it. I still become furious when I read Reagan's mythical welfare queen.

Glaucon

Lowest point?

Artemis

Yes good point, when the power of the people can still have a chance to work. Which brings to mind, on this forum it is stated from many posters, from the right, that the left is anti-capitalism, another statement which it is simply untrue.
Their are many independents and democrats, who are completely 100% for capitalism, but capitalism unrestricted is riding a horse without reins.

Capitalism, in its idealized form is a wonderful thing, for awhile there it seemed to be working really great. Then the turn started and the curve took hold. Why?, because through the pure nature of capitalism, its one single purpose is to make more money. As companies grew so did their staff of lawyers and accountants working for them, for just that purpose. "People" soon became considered a commodity or property. We than saw the wall of business ethics that we had been building beginning to erode away. People who were just about to receive their benefits after twenty five or more years, were simply let go, with nothing but a pink slip.

Finally we saw the panicle of this erosion back when Enron was exposed...
What have we put in place since than? We cannot depend on the moral fortitude of capitalism and its zest to make money guide us in our business practices. People need to be protected, who fights for them? Our laws are what protects them, protects us.

The extreme right, who are mostly for big business and and unrestrained capitalism, spends millions for this purpose, they fight our government at every turn and endlessly demeans it. They want its people to turn their backs, and not listen.
If one turns their back on our government, than they simultaneously turn it on their country, because our government is who we are.

Artemis

Gee Jon little favoritism there, thanks pal

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

The republican struggle is going to be worse before it gets better.Gridlock shall remain until Our president hands the leadership of our nation to a new president at the end of his term.Never have I seen so much disrespect toward the presidency.Whatever is said President Obama and his family have a lot of courage to stand up to every abuse with dignity. The gerrymandering mess is going to be decided by the law. thank you for your questions

Artemis

I for one have a problem with labels to begin with because it segments people into stereotypes. In conclusion it really bothers me that we've now shrunken into two basic groups, left and right, liberal-conservative. Again why I have said all should be independent and cancel parties all together. It is only used as a tool to pin people against each other.
The article I read, went back to the beginnings of our government, if any one would care for the link I think I can still find it, it was neutral to party's and very interesting.

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Courage is a very neccessary trait to be a leader

Artemis

There isn't a problem here, it is out there on the OPP where the common agreements disappear, and accusations fly. I guess I just wanted to reestablish this premise among reasonable people.

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Labels are just a form of the skin game.

Artemis

[quote=fom]Republicans today run on some hardline ideas. In Oregon we had a hardliner Dudley run for govenor. The main thing he pushed was reducing state minimum wage to $5.00 per hour. He nearly won. How folks can be attracted by that kind of disregard for workers is beyond me. Scott Walker busted wisconsins public employee union Rick Scott got mandatory drug testing for those on assistance in Florida. What about stand your ground laws voter i d laws and gerrymandering congressional districts?


To me the republicans want to become our dictators.[/quote
You are not alone in this thought.

emarine

Gerrymandering should be a crime... it will convert the states to a rigid red or blue ideology ignoring the free voice of the people within.... The destruction of balance and free election...The destruction of democracy...