Anonymous wrote:I hold a wide range of beliefs. I believe the government should be extended to provide a greater social safety net, affordable college and universal healthcare without middle men driving up costs. I also believe we should invest in a border wall at the southern border (astronomical costs, BTW, which is why it's never been done), because it's much easier to treat migrants *humanely* when we can control the flow. We don't need the bad optics of throwing poor people out in shackles if we haven't let them in, in the first place.

And those things cost a shitload of money. We need higher taxes, especially at the higher income brackets (sorry, rich people of DCUM). We need to close corporate tax loopholes.

And most of all: we need to refund the IRS and hire more agents and lawyers to fight tax fraud cases. Every time the IRS was given a little bit more money by Congress, it clawed back much more money than it was given, in unpaid taxes!!! It's the single easiest guaranteed source of untapped income we have - people who don't pay their fair share. I know NO ONE wants to do this, because every individual, regardless of political creed, feels a little better thinking the IRS isn't coming after their potential shenanigans. But ultimately, it's bad for the country and we're missing out on a large pot of money that's right under our nose.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ And to your question, OP...

... a lot of people don't fit into Republican or Democrat belief systems. I'd say, most people, if they pause to think about it!

So you have to look past the label.

There is an easy way to tease this out.

On Election Day 2024, did you think Trump was an acceptable outcome or not?

PP you replied. Most emphatically not!

But to be honest, I think there's a significant correlation between the MAGA portion of the political spectrum and low IQ people (plus billionaire backers who benefit from a stupid populace). Moderate voters on either side of the aisle can all be decent, humane people with similar values. But the existence of a two-party system is what's killing us right now and what's impeding the ability of all moderates to come together. Other democracies have a multiparty system, and fluid coalitions between those parties is what stops policy disagreements from progressing into the fear and loathing we see today in US politics.

We desperately need a multiparty system here in the US. That way, everyone can find their tent, and also ally with the tents slightly to the left or slightly to the right when it comes to putting a candidate in power, which effectively dilutes any extreme actions any party can implement, even if they get to power. It works for other democracies: for example, Italy, who elected "far-right" leader Georgia Meloni, governs from the middle of the right, instead of implementing straight up neofascist policies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ And to your question, OP...

... a lot of people don't fit into Republican or Democrat belief systems. I'd say, most people, if they pause to think about it!

So you have to look past the label.

There is an easy way to tease this out.

On Election Day 2024, did you think Trump was an acceptable outcome or not?

Anonymous wrote:How do you know who your friends and family voted for? Do you actually poll them? I know who my husband voted for, but unless there is a political sign in their front yard, I do not know who they voted for.

Anonymous wrote:^ And to your question, OP...

... a lot of people don't fit into Republican or Democrat belief systems. I'd say, most people, if they pause to think about it!

So you have to look past the label.

Anonymous wrote:There are good people on every side of every political issue. Yes, even MAGA. If you think otherwise, you’ve deeply lost perspective.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know who your friends and family voted for? Do you actually poll them? I know who my husband voted for, but unless there is a political sign in their front yard, I do not know who they voted for.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is precisely why democratic approval numbers are currently at 27%. Burning random people’s cars and rage hating anyone with even a slight difference in opinion is not serving us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s hard when politics doesn’t really mean politics anymore. We’re not arguing about tax rates. One party wants to fundamentally end American democracy.

Yeah, shipping in millions on non citizens to vote and skipping the primary election process was quite a wake up.

Anonymous wrote:I don't have any friends who are too far left or right. Most are somewhere in the middle to left.
While I didn't vote for Trump, I also couldn't vote Democrats this time. I picked the third guy.
I am so tired of Warren and Pelosi. I don't need them protecting me while they are making money left and right.