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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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what's wrong in politics is that the politicians know that voters are sheeple and so they can do whatever they want and people just shrug and accept its the way it is..

The word "sheeple" is used quite a lot in these threads. Mindlessly and without grounding in reality. Americans have several major opposing political philosophies. Based on differing economic and social agenda. We are engaged in a continuing discourse about those philosophies. . . . "sheeple" doesn't really describe our political body, imo. We are the most powerful and most prosperous nation in the world. Unfortunately, we are the victims of our own success. We don't know what to do with our power and prosperity because we do not have a common enemy to unite us. Islamic extremists proved to be relatively harmless. So, we are adrift is all.

Can you imagine what will unite us and turn us away from bickering over condoms? It will be pretty horrendous I think.

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ORIGINAL: MrRodgers

A large part of what's wrong with politics is candidates pick their voters...voters don't pick their candidates.

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ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML

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what's wrong in politics is that the politicians know that voters are sheeple and so they can do whatever they want and people just shrug and accept its the way it is..

The word "sheeple" is used quite a lot in these threads. Mindlessly and without grounding in reality. Americans have several major opposing political philosophies. Based on differing economic and social agenda. We are engaged in a continuing discourse about those philosophies. . . . "sheeple" doesn't really describe our political body, imo. We are the most powerful and most prosperous nation in the world. Unfortunately, we are the victims of our own success. We don't know what to do with our power and prosperity because we do not have a common enemy to unite us. Islamic extremists proved to be relatively harmless. So, we are adrift is all.

Can you imagine what will unite us and turn us away from bickering over condoms? It will be pretty horrendous I think.

victims of your success?.. what crap is that? half your population don't even earn enough to pay any federal taxes.. that's not success.. it means half your population are anywhere from homeless with no income to barely getting by..

Politicians bicker cuz you voters bicker.. just read the threads here.. R vs D, D vs R.. its been going on for decades and nothing will change cuz ya'll keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result..

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML
Unfortunately, we are the victims of our own success. We don't know what to do with our power and prosperity because we do not have a common enemy to unite us. Islamic extremists proved to be relatively harmless. So, we are adrift is all.

Can you imagine what will unite us and turn us away from bickering over condoms? It will be pretty horrendous I think.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

The usual and unsurprising hyperbole. In 2010 in America 14.5% of households were "food insecure." And that was just two years into a massive economic meltdown. SOURCE

Bickering amongst our politicians is nothing new. It is an integral part of our history and was worse in past periods. But then not everyone who posts on these boards has a clue about American history. Evidently, some are quite ignorant. Pity

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML

quote:

what's wrong in politics is that the politicians know that voters are sheeple and so they can do whatever they want and people just shrug and accept its the way it is..

The word "sheeple" is used quite a lot in these threads. Mindlessly and without grounding in reality. Americans have several major opposing political philosophies. Based on differing economic and social agenda. We are engaged in a continuing discourse about those philosophies. . . . "sheeple" doesn't really describe our political body, imo. We are the most powerful and most prosperous nation in the world. Unfortunately, we are the victims of our own success. We don't know what to do with our power and prosperity because we do not have a common enemy to unite us. Islamic extremists proved to be relatively harmless. So, we are adrift is all.

Can you imagine what will unite us and turn us away from bickering over condoms? It will be pretty horrendous I think.

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML

The usual and unsurprising hyperbole. In 2010 in America 14.5% of households were "food insecure." And that was just two years into a massive economic meltdown. SOURCE

Bickering amongst our politicians is nothing new. It is an integral part of our history and was worse in past periods. But then not everyone who posts on these boards has a clue about American history. Evidently, some are quite ignorant. Pity

I am not quite sure what your point is about households that are food insecure.. that to me is a given considering that such a large % of the US population don't earn enough to pay federal taxes.. I see that as a major fail (not success).. Its your country, not mine. It is up to you and your fellow Americans to make it the country you want it to be.

Sure, bickering amoung politicians and voters/Americans isn't anything new.. I guess I should have specified that recently (rather than historically) the bickering has turned into the gridlock you have today.. bickering with a good/reasonable resolution is one thing, never-ending bickering while America burns is quite another.. jmo, of course..

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

Food insecure Americans are not the only people who do not pay income taxes. Many middle class and wealthy people itemize enough deductions or use tax credits to reduce their tax burdens to zero. There are many who gather their wealth in the dark and hide their assets offshore. This would include corporations and other businesses. Your use of the income tax records paints a distorted picture of poverty in America even if it is not your intention.

The current bickering in Congress is mild compared to what occurred in the first half of the 19th C when congressmen came to physical blows over the issue of slavery. The bickering that followed the Civil War into the 20th C was about Labor and civil rights. We are witnessing an ideological struggle again today. But that is not new. It is endemic to democracies. Unlike oppressive tyrannies which surpress vocal disharmony amongst the political body. History is filled with conflict most everywhere and in every age.

America is hardly in flames. More hyperbole.

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ORIGINAL: tj444

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

Food insecure Americans are not the only people who do not pay income taxes. Many middle class and wealthy people itemize enough deductions or use tax credits to reduce their tax burdens to zero. There are many who gather their wealth in the dark and hide their assets offshore. This would include corporations and other businesses. Your use of the income tax records paints a distorted picture of poverty in America even if it is not your intention.

The current bickering in Congress is mild compared to what occurred in the first half of the 19th C when congressmen came to physical blows over the issue of slavery. The bickering that followed the Civil War into the 20th C was about Labor and civil rights. We are witnessing an ideological struggle again today. But that is not new. It is endemic to democracies. Unlike oppressive tyrannies which surpress vocal disharmony amongst the political body. History is filled with conflict most everywhere and in every age.

America is hardly in flames. More hyperbole.

of course some rich and middle class people can have a year or even a few years when they don't pay any income tax, like when they have tax losses or charitable donations, start a new business or various other reasons.. blah, blah, blah.. those are not the majority of people I am talking about, and most are very temporary situations so those people do pay federal tax once they have used up those deductions or whatever.. I am also not talking about corporations (which are not included in those stats anyway), or those people that attempt to hide assets offshore (the IRS either catches them or they voluntarily confess and pay back tax & fines).. I am talking about those households that have extremely low household incomes (year after year after year after year after year.. basically permanently low income), the ones that live in areas some people might call "slums", those whose incomes are so low they qualify for section 8 or other (verified) low income benefits..

Just cuz the politicians are not beating each other up physically doesn't mean what is & has been going on recently is mild.. the US is still not over the worst recession/depression since the 30s, its debt has ballooned.. and to the people that lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their 401ks, whose marriages have broken up from the stress & financial problems, etc, I am sure they don't consider it minor either.. but imo, the biggest problem is that the political deadlock isnt gonna change.. that's ok tho, if it doesn't bother you then I wont concern myself with it either..

"The majority this year -- nearly 67% -- have incomes below $30,000."
"The Tax Policy Center estimates that a little more than 1% of nonpayers have six-figure incomes or more."
http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/29/pf/taxes/who-doesnt-pay-federal-income-taxes/

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

The movie is a few years old, but there are some quotes that seem to describe the current atmosphere in American politics:

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People want leadership, and in the absence of genuine leadership they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage. When they discover there's no water there, they'll drink the sand.

People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.

Comments?

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ORIGINAL: vincentML
You ignored the following:

"The issue of Americans with zero tax liability is a politically charged one. Mitt Romney created an uproar on the presidential campaign trail last year after he incorrectly characterized this group as people who are "dependent on government" and "believe they are victims."

Lawmakers, too, often complain about the issue, even though Congress itself boosts the ranks of the nonpayers by passing new tax breaks and failing to review whether the old ones still make sense.

But there may be less fodder for heated rhetoric in the years ahead. The Tax Policy Center estimates the percentage of households without federal income tax liability will continue to drop, falling as low as 34% of households by 2024."