Cat wrote:My point was you can give the American people a proper candidate, and yet they still won't bother to participate in the election process.
Your point about participation is, woefully, completely on point and has a substantial basis in fact.
My point is that we have reached critical mass with regard to messaging and posturing, and now the ordinary business of governing is impossible.
Consider this from today's New York Times:
"The political class is now addicted to Manichaean conflict as a way of life,” Mr. Epstein said. “It’s become the mother’s milk — for base voters in both parties who together make up a minority share of voters, for cable television and for social media.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/13/us/po ... tdown.htmlAgain, my view is this is nothing new, and it has only worsened, exponentially so, during my lifetime. It may partially explain your point about participation - or voter apathy - but we are in deep at this point, it does not bode well for our country, and history provides many examples of where it might lead.
In my humble opinion, the screaming from the extremes is only amplified by corporate media and it sickens me to see how people can be so easily manipulated. Now, we cannot even agree on reality or facts, and the damage continues apace. We have a petulant buffoon in the White House, and two major political parties - two private corporations, mind you - engaged in an endless struggle for the "high ground," all buoyed by a corporate media structure that takes untenable and diametrically opposed positions and bombards the populace with story after story to such an extent that it is exhausting to follow, and for which most working Americans have no time but through which they are nonetheless infected.
Is it any wonder anxiety, fear and coarseness ensue?
Now, a shutdown, furloughed employees, and tax season right around the corner.
Have any of you taken a look at the new Form 1040? Do you do your own taxes? Do you rely on the home mortgage interest deduction? Do you understand the difference between the standard deduction and the credits for dependents? I hope I am wrong, but I predict more angst and frustration to come, and it affects everyone - no matter your political affiliation or views on government.
A 'proper candidate,' you say? Color me skeptical.
Sleep tight.
Cheers,
Slith