We are now entering a dangerous period for the United States.

[Twilight Hue]

Interesting article that makes the case for a bipartisan effort to put the vitriol that is ripping our governmental structure apart aside and a call to start recognizing that we are not enemies with each other, and to essentially get back on track running government the way it should be before our political system essentially destroys itself from within.

44 ex-senators warn U.S. is 'entering a dangerous period'

What do you think? Are we in a dangerous situation as a country where our worst enemy isn't Russia or China or the Middle East, but rather ourselves?

 

[Woberts]

Eh, you're fine.

*whispers off to the side* I call dibs on California!

 

[tytlyf]

The Tea Party movement started by the Koch roaches and their think tanks really did a number on the deplorables. Since then, all these RW blogs, opinion heads, websites etc all targeting the conservative culture with panic mongering propaganda.

Unfortunately, people are frightened into voting republican over democratic. Here's an example of the scare techniques.

"Democrats don't want secure borders!"

Bold lie, the low information base eats it up. So they show up to the polls thinking "no way I'm voting democratic because they want open borders!!"

 

[metis]

Are we in a dangerous situation as a country where our worst enemy isn't Russia or China or the Middle East, but rather ourselves?

Yep.

At least some of the blame can be put at the feet of Newt Gingrich and his "take no prisoners" approach, and now Trump is Gingrich on steroids.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Eh, you're fine.

*whispers off to the side* I call dibs on California!

The interesting thing about the article is that they're ex-senators, which leads me to think it's going to pretty much get ignored by acting politicians too engrossed in their bickering to even bother.

 

[Curious George]

Interesting article that makes the case for a bipartisan effort to put the vitriol that is ripping our governmental structure apart aside and a call to start recognizing that we are not enemies with each other, and to essentially get back on track running government the way it should be before our political system essentially destroys itself from within.

44 ex-senators warn U.S. is 'entering a dangerous period'

What do you think? Are we in a dangerous situation as a country where our worst enemy isn't Russia or China or the Middle East, but rather ourselves?

There seems to be unequal poo-flinging, and I believe it would behoove us all to address issues with honesty, integrity, and logic.

The problem is that this fear mongering, ad hominem laced politics works. It is the byproduct of our culture. We are becoming a nation of trolls who will gladly purchase tickets to our downfall for the luls.

Something went terribly wrong and I don't think anyone can quite put their finger on it.

 

[tytlyf]

Something went terribly wrong and I don't think anyone can quite put their finger on it.

I've figured it out. I can show my media bias chart again. When you have 1/3 of the country relying on RW entertainment for actual news, that's dangerous. 10's of millions of people infected with the virus. You don't have to watch Fox, Rush, etc to catch the disease. You'll hear it from friends, family, coworkers, etc. Repeating the same nonsense.

So it spreads, then the panic mongering takes it's toll over a decade. Slowly building to this point. It will increase.

First priority is to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine"....something republicans will not be in favor of (obviously).

After that, the only cure is to convince these 10's of millions of people that they have been lied to and intentionally manipulated by republican elitists.
That's the ticket, but they'll probably say CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, PMSNBC, etc are fake news or whatever and completely disregard facts. That's dangerous.

 

[Shiranui117]

There seems to be unequal poo-flinging, and I believe it would behoove us all to address issues with honesty, integrity, and logic.

The problem is that this fear mongering, ad hominem laced politics works. It is the byproduct of our culture. We are becoming a nation of trolls who will gladly purchase tickets to our downfall for the luls.

Something went terribly wrong and I don't think anyone can quite put their finger on it.

I've been on both sides of the political debate. There is equal poo-flinging, the only question is the choice of poo.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Interesting article that makes the case for a bipartisan effort to put the vitriol that is ripping our governmental structure apart aside and a call to start recognizing that we are not enemies with each other, and to essentially get back on track running government the way it should be before our political system essentially destroys itself from within.
44 ex-senators warn U.S. is 'entering a dangerous period'
What do you think? Are we in a dangerous situation as a country where our worst enemy isn't Russia or China or the Middle East, but rather ourselves?

Back in the late 1700's a professor Alexander Tyler pointed out that a democracy can't last much more than 200 years because once the people know how to vote the money out of the public treasury it causes economic collapse.
From Scripture, it seems unlikely to me that our political system will destroy itself from within.
Rather, with growing worsening world conditions with backing the United Nations can be strengthened.
A bad economy can make the wealth the churches have amassed look easy for the political taking.
In Daniel's huge political statue it does Not fall down or collapse on its own - Daniel 2:44.
Today's last governments are left standing until God's kingdom government's ' stone ' hits the statue's toes.
So, we are Now at the fragile 'time of the toes', ( perhaps more like the time of the toenails ) before there is divine involvement into mankind's affairs.

 

[Kenny]

Some things force us to our knees... not a bad place to be.

 

[Curious George]

I've been on both sides of the political debate. There is equal poo-flinging, the only question is the choice of poo.

I do not agree. Maybe I am wrong here. I suppose we could try to breakdown all the attacks over the last half century, but i imagine that we would still be left with subjective disagreement regarding the quantity and quality of the poo.

Regardless of your position on who flung more or whether more poo was flung, why not agree that both sides are guilty of poo flinging and irrespective of the poo flinging equality, or lack thereof, it is best to move forward with honesty, integrity, and logic?

 

[Curious George]

I've figured it out. I can show my media bias chart again. When you have 1/3 of the country relying on RW entertainment for actual news, that's dangerous. 10's of millions of people infected with the virus. You don't have to watch Fox, Rush, etc to catch the disease. You'll hear it from friends, family, coworkers, etc. Repeating the same nonsense.

So it spreads, then the panic mongering takes it's toll over a decade. Slowly building to this point. It will increase.

First priority is to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine"....something republicans will not be in favor of (obviously).

After that, the only cure is to convince these 10's of millions of people that they have been lied to and intentionally manipulated by republican elitists.
That's the ticket, but they'll probably say CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, PMSNBC, etc are fake news or whatever and completely disregard facts. That's dangerous.

View attachment 25943

I do not agree that is the cause. I think it is more cultural than media. I think we see this culture reflected in media. And while media without question fuels animosity, something is wrong with us for flocking to such media.

 

[icehorse]

Interesting article that makes the case for a bipartisan effort to put the vitriol that is ripping our governmental structure apart aside and a call to start recognizing that we are not enemies with each other, and to essentially get back on track running government the way it should be before our political system essentially destroys itself from within.

44 ex-senators warn U.S. is 'entering a dangerous period'

What do you think? Are we in a dangerous situation as a country where our worst enemy isn't Russia or China or the Middle East, but rather ourselves?

I largely agree, but to beat this drum again, what's exacerbating the bitter partisanship is the degree to which most or all of congress has been corrupted by oligarchs. Until I start hearing people be really direct about that problem, I won't hold out much hope. So these ex-senators are getting closer, but they're still avoiding the elephant in the room.

 

[icehorse]

There seems to be unequal poo-flinging, and I believe it would behoove us all to address issues with honesty, integrity, and logic.

The problem is that this fear mongering, ad hominem laced politics works. It is the byproduct of our culture. We are becoming a nation of trolls who will gladly purchase tickets to our downfall for the luls.

Something went terribly wrong and I don't think anyone can quite put their finger on it.

I can. It's the friggin special interests, the oligarchs. They're making it impossible to cook up real solutions.

 

[Curious George]

I can. It's the friggin special interests, the oligarchs. They're making it impossible to cook up real solutions.

That one is a little harder to counter. Oligarchs have such a history in the U.S. that we would be hardpressed not to find an aspect of our culture that is not intertwined with them. Still I wonder if we can blame the oligarchs as well. To do so wpuld be to condemn capitalism at large. Certainly private interest groups muddy the waters and push agenda laced propaganda, but something larger seems to have made the mold this way. I am not defending or rationalizing the oligarchs behavior, but they have been with us for a very, very ling time. To blame them is to admit that we have always been on this road.

Maybe that is the truth of it? Corporate interests amassing wealth, pushing agendas, siphoning away power from the masses, and applying band-aid fixes or sweeping messes under the rug. Oligarchs make for a nice scapegoat, but I say we have let have the power to do as they would. Oligarchs are not some monolithic evil. They, like us, are a scattered, sordid lot. It is easier to blame them because we see them as faceless entities with power.

One blames the media, another the corporations. I think we cannot pinpoint the source because the source is not any one thing. I think we are collectively pushing towards this divide of ours.

Sorry for the lack of organization and clarity here: perhaps you can find a nugget of coherence in my ramblings.

 

[Revoltingest]

Pbbbttttt.....it's always been dangerous.
Some ups & downs from year to year,
but danger always darkens our door.
Are things worse now? I don't think so.
But that could change next year.

 

[Sunstone]

I think bringing back the Fairness Doctrine would help quite a bit.

 

[icehorse]

That one is a little harder to counter. Oligarchs have such a history in the U.S. that we would be hardpressed not to find an aspect of our culture that is not intertwined with them. Still I wonder if we can blame the oligarchs as well. To do so wpuld be to condemn capitalism at large. Certainly private interest groups muddy the waters and push agenda laced propaganda, but something larger seems to have made the mold this way. I am not defending or rationalizing the oligarchs behavior, but they have been with us for a very, very ling time. To blame them is to admit that we have always been on this road.

Maybe that is the truth of it? Corporate interests amassing wealth, pushing agendas, siphoning away power from the masses, and applying band-aid fixes or sweeping messes under the rug. Oligarchs make for a nice scapegoat, but I say we have let have the power to do as they would. Oligarchs are not some monolithic evil. They, like us, are a scattered, sordid lot. It is easier to blame them because we see them as faceless entities with power.

One blames the media, another the corporations. I think we cannot pinpoint the source because the source is not any one thing. I think we are collectively pushing towards this divide of ours.

Sorry for the lack of organization and clarity here: perhaps you can find a nugget of coherence in my ramblings.

First thing I'd say is that I don't go in for the oligarchs having some secret society or other conspiracy theory stuff. What they have in common is legions of lawyers who have all cooked up similar ways to game the system.

And yes, they've been with us for a long time, but I really do think it's worse now. Maybe our advanced technology is making it worse? Not sure, but I think the threat they pose now is far, far greater than at any time in the past.

As far as blaming capitalism, I'd say that capitalism left unmonitored is the real problem here. All economic systems are complex machines, and like all complex machines, they need monitoring and fine tuning to run well. We have let the special interests interfere with the monitoring and tweaking that capitalism needs in order to be beneficial.

 

[sun rise]

There seems to be unequal poo-flinging, and I believe it would behoove us all to address issues with honesty, integrity, and logic.

The problem is that this fear mongering, ad hominem laced politics works. It is the byproduct of our culture. We are becoming a nation of trolls who will gladly purchase tickets to our downfall for the luls.

Something went terribly wrong and I don't think anyone can quite put their finger on it.

Today Pelosi went a long way to correct the imbalanced poo flinging by questioning Trumps manhood. In spite of how I feel about him, that's over the line even for me. But it does match the poo he's flung at others.

 

[Curious George]

Today Pelosi went a long way to correct the imbalanced poo flinging by questioning Trumps manhood. In spite of how I feel about him, that's over the line even for me. But it does match the poo he's flung at others.

I am in no position to evaluate which side has flung more poo. It seems to me that most would agree that a side has flung more though.

I am still trying to find the first piece of poo. I am sure it is well crusted and white by now, more of a fossil than actual poo. But i bet the Smithsonian will offer me a footnote in the annals of history for succeeding.