Democracy isn't essential???

most millennials look at prime examples such as: The Democratic Republic of Congo, and think, this is not what we want.

-------------------------
I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

This is in line with my off topic post yesterday. Millenials are suffering from significant alienation. The ideals we learned in civics class have gone out the window. America rewards the winner of the fight, and there are no points for fighting fair. Business or politics, the ends justify the means.

Democracy is an illusion, both parties represent the interests to those who pay them. The decay of any civic morality in the nation has led to a despicable person like trump in office, and he's doing his best to break down American institutions and generate profits for his family and friends while he can.

College education is reserved for the wealthy and those who accept nearly lifelong debt. Good guys rarely win, and people who play by the rules of ethics and morality are viewed as naive simpletons by those who worship power.

If you're powerful, you can do almost anything, get away with almost anything. If you're poor, it's your own fault and society shouldn't waste time on you. People who are themselves victims of economic exploitation are ready to attack any group who can be singled out and identified as a rival.

Nearly all productivity gains go to the top, and short of some invention or entertainment innovation, there is limited mobility. Born poor, you will stay poor. The game is rigged.

The American Dream is now a lottery. Sorry, you're not a winner, better luck next time.


It's no wonder they are interested in Socialism/Communism/Anarchism on one hand or Ethno-nationalist Fascism on the other.

If there's no change to the malignant maldistribution of wealth in the USA, this is not going to end well.

-------------------------
Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

After seeing our democracy fail so spectacularly in the 2018 Presidential election, no wonder they are losing faith in it.

-------------------------
"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

This can't happen:



Without solving this:



The jab at Trump detracts from what you are saying because the truth is, if it wasn't him, it would just be someone else. Fortunately he is a glaringly obvious example and hopefully it will open a few more eyes. Unfortunately, the reality is that the republican fiasco in DC and the current POTUS will just drive people from one group of offenders to the other. Democrats are every bit as bad as the Republicans and the only difference between the two is which oligarchic entities they represent.

By all means though, people should keep complaining about the problems in our government and blaming the 'other guy' while at the same time spreading the propaganda supported by both sides of the fence that a third party vote is a wasted vote (or vote for the 'other guy'). As long as people support the idea of a fence instead of tearing it down, nothing will ever be fixed barring things getting so bad that there is a civil war or revolution. Well providing that the people of this country still retain the capability to wage one that is .....

lmfao .... 2018?

That isn't when democracy failed. Not even close. It was long long before that when this country sold its soul to the (figurative) devil. Trump is just a glaringly bad symptom of the cancer underneath.

My typo 2016.
I hope to fuck it's not gonna happen again.

And yes, that's when it failed the most, 2016 Presidential election
That failure was not about Party, not about R vs D, not about the broke ass EC system that allows the vote loser to take office.

It was about the election of an unqualified piece of shit thief traitor based upon an effective flood of lies spread wit help from a hostile foreign intelligence agency

Never happened this badly before.

Hopefully, when the Mueller report is public, we will all understand how it did.

-------------------------
"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Hillary lost because largely the millennials would NOT vote for the corporate neo-liberal. I have to smile when all these guys here on NSR attack her as though the left supported her. We didn't. I should say that in my advanced age, I did hold my nose and vote for her in the general because I saw trump as a clear danger. The kids stayed home.

The struggle on the left between what "should" be done versus what "can" be done is longstanding; and sometime you have to compromise, but the mainstream D party has been asleep at the wheel for a generation.

They would rather lose than be elected on a popular left platform and have to actually do something that would offend their corporate masters.

There is a quiet revolt within the D party, and populist candidates are running all over (including locally) and I would encourage people to support them; they are not "Pelosi/Clinton" D's, although their opponents will try to make them out as such.

My personal hope would be that anarcho-syndicalist [basically libertarian trade unionists] and libertarian capitalist youth join together to sweep away the old party apparatus, but any real reform comes down to getting the unlimited dark money out of the game.

With enough money to spend on propaganda, you can sway an electorate. Ask the russians and republicans.



-------------------------
Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wasn't laughing at the typo ....I was laughing at the comment that it failed because Trump was elected because I firmly believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that it failed long long before him. Like I said, he is nothing more than a symptom. Hopefully, we will get a horrible example from a democrat next election while Trump is fresh in people's mind.

Doesn't matter to me, you still contributed to the problem that Trump is a symptom of thus are a part of the problem.

Making a democracy work isn't easy. For it to work properly the governed need to hold accountable those that are governing and that takes effort and the attention span of more than a gnat. Being told what to think and feel is much easier and fits into the instant gratification mold a little better.

I think it started with my generation, the millennials just perfected it.

-------------------------
Specializing in sarcasm and condescending rhetoric since 1971.

Sorry Mike, it's not my intention to "matter" to you.


-------------------------
Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

another great trigger topic!

 

this won't end well

The experience of democracy for millennials is limited to this recent obscene perversion, corrupted to the extreme by corporate campaign finance. Those half awake can see the alternate reality enabled by social media, endless marketing, and fake news.

Even my elementary aged children are cynical about politics. To them, elections mean endless bull shit ads and incredibly stupid televised "debates."

It's a joke. Civics, ethics and democracy are dead. It's all about the $ and self interest.

Sounds like we all agree America is in decline. The question is, can she be saved, and if so, by what?

If I could make one change, it would be to repeal "Citizens United", ban corporate political contributions and PACS, and limit individual contributions to a reasonable amount, like $3K.

That would go a long way.


-------------------------
Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

...and be done with career politicians.

-------------------------
Specializing in sarcasm and condescending rhetoric since 1971.

Agreed. 

That was a horrible decision.  It ruined a lot of our political system.  I wish we could change it.

-------------------------
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC - KV

Why would this trigger you? Do you deny the problem?

Pointless response.

I obviously was pointing out that you are part of the problem rather than the solution.

I'm not sure about that. If we have a functional democracy there should be no need to artificially limit political service.

Let's say someone is a very good leader, with the support of the people. Should she not be able to continue to serve as long as it's the people's will?

I think term limits is a way to treat a symptom rather than the illness.

-------------------------
Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".