No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?

[Anonymous]

When they enacted the 17th amendment and made senators elected by the popular vote, rather than by the state legislatures as previously written into the U.S. Constitution.

At that point, senators became beholden to party first (D or R) like the House of Representatives, rather than representing their state specific matters before the federal government.

[Anonymous]

"their state in specific matters"

[Anonymous]

OP here. Interesting answers. I admit I'm biased but wondering if anyone who voted in the past election did so to expose the dysfunction or extend it or didn't realize it existed in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When they enacted the 17th amendment and made senators elected by the popular vote, rather than by the state legislatures as previously written into the U.S. Constitution.

At that point, senators became beholden to party first (D or R) like the House of Representatives, rather than representing their state specific matters before the federal government.

States vs Feds? Elaborate

[Anonymous]

The country became ungovernable during the Carter administration. Also, the 1980's were the start of corporate layoffs and that's when a lot started going wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Citizens United. Full stop. Money isn't speech, I don't care what SCOTUS says. It lets the Kock brothers spend tens of millions of dollars on sketchy PACs, and essentially buy congressmen and the President . Who are government officials going to listen to? Them and their multi-million donation or the 10,000 Americans who can donate $100 each? Citizens United gives a select few Americans enormous power in government.

Federal elections should be funded through our tax dollars, with no one able to donate more than a nominal amount.

You're arguing against capitalism which is the foundation of our current system. Those are the dollars that control information. How do you assimilate that scenario with our current technological present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When they enacted the 17th amendment and made senators elected by the popular vote, rather than by the state legislatures as previously written into the U.S. Constitution.

At that point, senators became beholden to party first (D or R) like the House of Representatives, rather than representing their state specific matters before the federal government.

States vs Feds? Elaborate

Why must I elaborate? Senators should represent their state, not their party. The priority of a senator is now screwed up in favor of party first. Why have a house and senate if they're essentially the same?


Read it. It's a wonderful thing: https://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Reagan did away with the Fairness Doctrine. This gave birth to Fox, a right wing propaganda network. The people are misinformed and tricked on Fox and don't know fact from fiction.

Are you telling me there was a doctrine that hindered freedom of the press until Reagan did away with it? Bravo to Ronald Reagan.

LOL. Are you really that undereducated?! The Fairness Doctrine insisted on proven facts only and if any opinion was given, it had to be identified as an opinion and a counter argument provided immediately. Newscasters wouldn't say "It was a hot day today" they would say, "It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit.


How can the facts without opinion possibly be bad? Are you incapable of thinking for yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Reagan did away with the Fairness Doctrine. This gave birth to Fox, a right wing propaganda network. The people are misinformed and tricked on Fox and don't know fact from fiction.

Agree

Why didn't Obama and the veto proof Democratic majority reinstate it?

Can't. That was before cable news and didn't cover cable or 24 hour news networks or the internet and podcasts. It would have to be completely rewritten and would have been fought tooth and nail by all commercial news outlets. We should have kept it in place and expanded it. The genie is too far out of the bottle now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When they enacted the 17th amendment and made senators elected by the popular vote, rather than by the state legislatures as previously written into the U.S. Constitution.

At that point, senators became beholden to party first (D or R) like the House of Representatives, rather than representing their state specific matters before the federal government.

States vs Feds? Elaborate

Why must I elaborate? Senators should represent their state, not their party. The priority of a senator is now screwed up in favor of party first. Why have a house and senate if they're essentially the same?


Read it. It's a wonderful thing: https://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

Thanks for the read. So you feel that senators should support their constituents before their interests? How wonderful it must be when the two are the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Reagan did away with the Fairness Doctrine. This gave birth to Fox, a right wing propaganda network. The people are misinformed and tricked on Fox and don't know fact from fiction.

Agree

Why didn't Obama and the veto proof Democratic majority reinstate it?

Can't. That was before cable news and didn't cover cable or 24 hour news networks or the internet and podcasts. It would have to be completely rewritten and would have been fought tooth and nail by all commercial news outlets. We should have kept it in place and expanded it. The genie is too far out of the bottle now.

Holy Shade of Captain Obvious Batman!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Reagan did away with the Fairness Doctrine. This gave birth to Fox, a right wing propaganda network. The people are misinformed and tricked on Fox and don't know fact from fiction.

Are you telling me there was a doctrine that hindered freedom of the press until Reagan did away with it? Bravo to Ronald Reagan.

LOL. Are you really that undereducated?! The Fairness Doctrine insisted on proven facts only and if any opinion was given, it had to be identified as an opinion and a counter argument provided immediately. Newscasters wouldn't say "It was a hot day today" they would say, "It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit.


How can the facts without opinion possibly be bad? Are you incapable of thinking for yourself?

So you like the thought police to control the airwaves based on their set of "facts"? F**k no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the read. So you feel that senators should support their constituents before their interests? How wonderful it must be when the two are the same.

Supporting D or R before the interests of residents of the state is a bad thing. If you're R, you're going to support and concentrate on the R platform and same with D if you're D.

You're disconnected from the will of the people of your state and more interested in party politics. Got it now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the read. So you feel that senators should support their constituents before their interests? How wonderful it must be when the two are the same.

Supporting D or R before the interests of residents of the state is a bad thing. If you're R, you're going to support and concentrate on the R platform and same with D if you're D.

You're disconnected from the will of the people of your state and more interested in party politics. Got it now?

Got it now. What's your stand on abortion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the read. So you feel that senators should support their constituents before their interests? How wonderful it must be when the two are the same.

Supporting D or R before the interests of residents of the state is a bad thing. If you're R, you're going to support and concentrate on the R platform and same with D if you're D.

You're disconnected from the will of the people of your state and more interested in party politics. Got it now?

Got it now. What's your stand on abortion?

What does that have to do with the 17th amendment?