How can we make politics normal again?

Adfundum · Dec 25, 2024

AmericanNationalist said: ↑

And no, it's not all because of the orange bad man(though yes, he has a significant part to play in this.) But politics used to be boring. The right kind of boring. Taxes, infrastructure, modernization of new technologies, etc. Politics used to be about ideas, ideas made manifest into reality and the competition of those ideas.

For example: To me, the US at her best is a merchant power. Her military should only be used to preserve her free trade routes and economic global activity. Not so much the "freedom of the world" or the "international rules based order"(though some of these might loosely interconnect with the greater goal.). Somewhere along the line, traditional US politicians missed the plot and made the two other ideas the significant core of US foreign policy.

Which bled into domestic policy, causing the erosion of the States(and cities within them) and the degradation of which both led to irrationalism and extremist politics.

That is an idea, and it competes with the neo-liberal idea. I think that debate should happen at any time. But in truth, whoever uses a certain bathroom, or whether Matt Gaetz is a predator. These are not political issues, and they're not even social issues either. It's just a distraction.

If Gaetz is a predator, the House can always(and should) refer his case over to the DOJ. They can always reopen cases based on new evidence. I don't know if the House report contains new information from what the DOJ themselves investigated, but hey if it's that big of a smoking gun they should legally act on it.

Rather than flinging it as a "public report" to damage their political opponent(and the proof of this being political is Kevin McCarthy coming out and essentially saying the only reason he isn't Speaker is because of the Gaetz report. Rather than his actual effectiveness as a Speaker, but I digress)

This isn't me saying he's guilty or not, I'm not qualified to make that call. But what I am asking is simply: Since when was this the new norm, and why should we accept it? I want to get back to boring, normal politics. I want to debate the directions we take as a country and whether or not our government is doing the right thing(or hell, if it's even FUNCTIONAL at this point)

We citizens, regardless of where we stand on the spectrum of liberalism or conservatism deserve a functioning government. I think that's a no-brainer statement to make. And I think that's something all of us can agree on. Of course, what's "functioning" differs between us all, but a Congress that can only pass 1-2% of its bills is a catastrophe. And it hasn't mattered who has held the gavel over the past 16 years, the legislature continues to degenerate.

For me, a true resurrection path for America starts with reviving the importance of Congress, collaboration between cities and States and they with the government and by and large a united citizenry that cares for the good of its neighbors.

A true populist movement, cares about the population of the people and aims to achieve their aims(both conservative and liberal).

Populism now, must answer the call of making popular policy that is effective, the new norm.
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I'm not sure it's a new thing, but at some point we traded the idea of political ethics for staged political drama. The parties have become teams that we cheer for like in sports. We seem to crave the T.V. melodrama style of media. Reality seems to be what we want it to be. Maybe getting rid of the technology and going back to only printed news might take some of the fun out of our new sport, but I think we're stuck with it. Engage the Rage!

btthegreat · Dec 25, 2024

Voters have to reward boring politicians with election and they are not, and media has to cover them in a less salacious way and they are not. Voters have to get so sick of the political warfare that they would rather vote for a competent decent man over their partisan warrior.

Zorro · Dec 25, 2024

Melb_muser said: ↑

Maybe get rid of kickbacks.

I would start with that.

However, I actually think reasonable levels of 'pork' is part of a functioning government. Federation is built upon local representation and local members. They must offer something to their local constituents.
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If the need for the spending isn't obvious enough to a majority in Congress without bribes, then I doubt that it's necessary enough to justify taking the money from us.

James California · Dec 26, 2024

~ Most likely in our lifetime we will not see "normal " as we were before the late 1980's. Western Society itself has changed to a hedonistic dumbed-down shadow of what "used to be". Common sense, logic and reasoning are no longer recognized as essential.
Sociological evolution seems to take two generations. Things could actually get worse ...

"Government is a reflection of society."

" That depends on what the meaning of the word ' Normal ' is ... "

Golem · Dec 26, 2024

AmericanNationalist said: ↑

And no, it's not all because of the orange bad man(though yes, he has a significant part to play in this.) But politics used to be boring. The right kind of boring. Taxes, infrastructure, modernization of new technologies, etc. Politics used to be about ideas, ideas made manifest into reality and the competition of those ideas.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to have to disagree right off the bat. But it IS all because of the "orange bad man". He did away with conservativism in this country as an influential balance of power. We used to have a healthy struggle between progress and fiscal responsibility. We don't have that anymore. Trump has turned the Republican Party into fascism. Oh.... they'll go through the "spiel" of fiscal responsibility. But that is not anywhere near Trump's priority.

If your question is how we're going to return to that. At this point, there is no clear path. After Trump is gone, the Republican Party will be a disaster. No fascist party in history has ever reconstituted after the "leader" is no longer relevant. So it will either be a struggle WITHIN the Democratic Party (which is not healthy). Or a new political party.

Everything Mr. Trump touches dies. And I don't think the Republican Party will be the exception. What you see today in the House is what you will see all over the country. Except... worse. Because there will be no Trump-like figure to DICTATE anything.

I don't know what's in store for this country after Trump. But it will not look pretty. And it will be worse for conservatives who will then remain without a leader.

Just A Man · Dec 26, 2024

How can we make politics normal again?

AmericanNationalist said: ↑

And no, it's not all because of the orange bad man(though yes, he has a significant part to play in this.)
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How about start by not calling the elected President of the United States "the orange bad man".

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How can we make politics normal again?

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How can we make politics normal again?

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