Why is America such a falling empire, and what the hell are its political divisions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the main reasons America is collapsing is because the wealthy can buy politicians.

True. When corporations became people under Citizens United, and campaign finance died, our Democracy was basically doomed.

Add in a culture which is more and more anti-education and this is where you end up.

The fact that the divide between the richest the vast majority of Americans who have little generational wealth grows wider each year due to Ronald Reagan's tax reforms, and you end up with the toxic morass of American political life today.

Let's be clear that every single one of these trends was advanced and primarily championed by Republicans.

When people say that both sides contributed to this equally that is a bald-faced lie.

Yes, we should just ignore ActBlue money laundering.

ACT Blue money laundering has nothing on Don the Con and his sons.

Of course not. It has everything to do with democrats and the DNC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America appears to be collapsing, and what I have noticed is that more developed and urbanized regions tend to vote democrat more, whilst more rural and un-developed regions tend to be more Republican. Why?

Republicans are hate filled people.

Americans are hate filled people.

My MIL doesn’t even know a single Republican personally, but she speaks of them as the evil, ignorant monsters. She says she’ll never stoop low enough to speak to one.

Hate is everywhere and people have lost the ability to respect others with differing beliefs. They use hyperbole and stereotypes, sticking to the image of the monsters they’ve created.

But republicans voted for Trump, which certainly makes them evil, ignorant monsters. This isn’t a situation with two sides. I’d be happy to see republicans fighting against Trump, I just don’t see any. Feel free to post it.

You just proved my point.

Without talking to anybody, you simply assigned labels: evil, ignorant, monster.

That’s just as hateful. Perhaps you don’t see it, but those of us who moderately sit in the middle see this behavior from progressives and Trumpers.

When you resort to name calling, you’re part of the problem whether you accept it or not.

You Kevin McCarthy people who sit in the middle are the problem. If you were truly in the middle you wouldn’t have cast away your votes. Just because two parties vie for your vote doesn’t make you as special as you claim. Like Niki had a chance. Until you fund and do the work to create a relevant 3rd party, you’re just an…丨ʹɱ 𝑎Π 丨ΠɗҼᵱҼΠɗҼΠ七。

r/ENLIGHTENEDCENTRISM

Refuse to take a side or a stand, so they can't be blamed for anything except their intellectual and moral bankruptcy and cowardice.

And all this nonsense from the two posters above…

Just because I’m moderate, that doesn’t mean I fail to take a stand. I voted for Harris.

What I won’t do is stand on the extremes, yelling and spewing hatred toward others. And yes, “both sides” do that.

And those of us moderately in the middle see that the extremes are a problem. Both extremes. Both have lost the ability to communicate. Both have lost the ability to see past their own fear and ignorance. Both.

[Anonymous]

History suggests countries don’t stay dominant for more than 200 years. Sadly Trump is hastening the demise of American dominance by about 50 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:History suggests countries don’t stay dominant for more than 200 years. Sadly Trump is hastening the demise of American dominance by about 50 years

Can't blame Trump for hollowing out our industrial base, outsourcing, and bringing in foreigners to take jobs in STEM and working class jobs.

Nor can we blame trump for years of wars that have nothing to do with defending Americans, not prioritizing education, or putting other countries interest ahead of our own.

Thats administrations and congresses led by others and the desires of wall street for short term profits and financial chicanry rather than building things for the long haul. Trump just exposed it all by being from outside the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:History suggests countries don’t stay dominant for more than 200 years. Sadly Trump is hastening the demise of American dominance by about 50 years

Can't blame Trump for hollowing out our industrial base, outsourcing, and bringing in foreigners to take jobs in STEM and working class jobs.

Nor can we blame trump for years of wars that have nothing to do with defending Americans, not prioritizing education, or putting other countries interest ahead of our own.

Thats administrations and congresses led by others and the desires of wall street for short term profits and financial chicanry rather than building things for the long haul. Trump just exposed it all by being from outside the system.

Um, your guy was president for four years prior, or are we just omitting those years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:History suggests countries don’t stay dominant for more than 200 years. Sadly Trump is hastening the demise of American dominance by about 50 years

Can't blame Trump for hollowing out our industrial base, outsourcing, and bringing in foreigners to take jobs in STEM and working class jobs.

Nor can we blame trump for years of wars that have nothing to do with defending Americans, not prioritizing education, or putting other countries interest ahead of our own.

Thats administrations and congresses led by others and the desires of wall street for short term profits and financial chicanry rather than building things for the long haul. Trump just exposed it all by being from outside the system.

Um, your guy was president for four years prior, or are we just omitting those years?

Trump passed NAFTA? No that was back in the 90s. Waves of outsourcing started 20 years ago in the tech/engineering world.

[Anonymous]

The US is a VERY young country when looking at a global perspective. All countries go through transformation, upheaval, etc. The US is just going through natural growing rhythms. I don't understand why people would suggest that we are one happy prosperous country for 300 years or something. Shit happens and people have bad days. There are bad seasons sometimes.

So..

I think there's a bunch of other reasons of course that contribute to just how far we are failing of course aka DT. BUT - the main story is that there's prob no way to have stopped the misfortune as history in a large country like the US - so big a population, so much immigration, so much money and a unique geographical position where we don't actually see land wars in this country contributes to our experiences. In other words, things were always going to get dicey - it was a matter of when.

We'll ride it out because there's no other way. Every country, even Germany after WWI and WW2, Russia and Japan after WW2, Korea after their war - everyone makes it. It make take a long time, it may be torture and it may totally change our society but we will make it out. It is life.

[Anonymous]

We are a country in decline because we are not led by people from this country

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America appears to be collapsing, and what I have noticed is that more developed and urbanized regions tend to vote democrat more, whilst more rural and un-developed regions tend to be more Republican. Why?

In one of the Psalms it says that when a nation forgets God it perishes. Greed is out new God. The cabal of American billionaires will never have enough.

That is the opposite of America's problem. The last thing it needs is more supernatural. America has forgotten reality. They cant use their frontal lobe well. Descending into animals.

I was brought up attending church and with a sense of religion that also gave me a code of ethics and morals. It also emphasized that we are given free will and each one of us is responsible for our actions and decisions and I taught the same to my children. It isn't supernatural but the means by which to live their lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More rural areas are more homogenous and have less experience encountering people of other nationalities, cultures, religions, races, ethnicities. So they truly do see them as "other," they're more likely to have an instinctive fear response about those people living in other places (even if unconsciously), which drives them to become Republicans.

I mean, not exactly all. I grew up in such an area, and every Christian Sunday school kid sang (do they still? I haven't a clue) " Jesus loved the little children, red and yellow, black and white" (yes, awful words but didn't realize it then) but you know, easier if they are the kids in the missionary posters in the church fellowship hall.

This. Rural America is more tribal, more wary of outsiders and anyone who is different. That's not really that unusual about America, either. Rural China and many other places are the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a country in decline because we are not led by people from this country

Trump grew up a spoiled, entitled brat who was handed a half-billion dollar real estate empire by his daddy and who had never been told "no" and had to accept it. He is definitely not like us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:true of just about any society where the interests and experiences of rural versus urban are divergent. But the democratic party has weaponized these interests and here we are.

FIFY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a country in decline because we are not led by people from this country

Trump grew up a spoiled, entitled brat who was handed a half-billion dollar real estate empire by his daddy and who had never been told "no" and had to accept it. He is definitely not like us.

A recent report states 21 trillion dollars was stolen from the DOD and HUD from 1998-2015. Every American woman, man, and child is owed 60,000 dollars for this theft.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kotlikoff/2017/12/08/has-our-government-spent-21-trillion-of-our-money-without-telling-us/#4b1b01f17aef

The people that did this need to be jailed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America appears to be collapsing, and what I have noticed is that more developed and urbanized regions tend to vote democrat more, whilst more rural and un-developed regions tend to be more Republican. Why?

Republicans are hate filled people.

Americans are hate filled people.

My MIL doesn’t even know a single Republican personally, but she speaks of them as the evil, ignorant monsters. She says she’ll never stoop low enough to speak to one.

Hate is everywhere and people have lost the ability to respect others with differing beliefs. They use hyperbole and stereotypes, sticking to the image of the monsters they’ve created.

But republicans voted for Trump, which certainly makes them evil, ignorant monsters. This isn’t a situation with two sides. I’d be happy to see republicans fighting against Trump, I just don’t see any. Feel free to post it.

Such an infantile take. This is the reason why the division grows. Emotionally and intellectually immature adults that are completely unaware of their ignorance. In fact they believe themselves to be the enlightened ones, when in fact they are what weighs a society down.

I would be happy to listen to concerns of a MAGA voter--if they were rooted in the real world. Say they are in an economically depressed area and they are worried about jobs, prices, etc. I would be interested in those concerns. I would be interested in real-world, feasible suggestions for addressing those concerns. There are many problems to tackle and the best way to do it would be by thoughtful discussion and compromise.

But what am I supposed to do when they say hateful things to blame immigrants for ALL of their woes, that ALL immigrants are horrific criminals, that vaccines cause autism and therefore we should just get rid of all of them, that the 2020 election was stolen and the J6-ers are patriots, complete denial of any climate change or its effects, and on and on with the obvious lies and conspiracy theories they accept and parrot. Am I expected to nod along? The endless hypocrisy where they accuse Democrats of doing things that THIS ADMINISTRATION is doing in plain sight? The acceptance of outright corruption by this administration, not to mention the incompetence? The cheering of the demonization and dismantling of the media, education, science, etc. The demonization of anyone with an education and critical thinking skills? The cheering of dismantling of our democratic institutions, due process, deploying the military to cities when there is no actual emergency, etc.?

Exactly how much are we "mature" adults supposed to swallow?

When people have hateful views, spread lies, and say repugnant things about you, a person will have a dim view of those people. This is a completely mature response based on the behavior in front of them.

Seriously, what in your infinitely emotionally and intellectually mature wisdom are you suggesting is going to bridge this gap when the GOP/MAGA side has been playing unfair, outright lying, and painting Democrats/liberals as the ENEMY since the time of Newt? The Democrats did not destroy bipartisanship, call the other side the enemy, and paint compromise as weak; the GOP did. Until they stop and come to the table in good faith, nothing will change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:true of just about any society where the interests and experiences of rural versus urban are divergent. But the GOP has weaponized these interests and here we are.

FIFY.

Nope. You are in the upside-down buddy.