it doesn't matter what promises any republican or Dem makes, neither of them have improving the US as a priority.

They just want to be re-elected and serve their respective "corrupt-as-fuck" party.

Both of them get way to much money from special interest groups to function honestly.

Lifting the cap on campaign donations (as if they weren't being circumvented anyway) has really pissed me off to a new level. Because now, not only are these morally bankrupt assholes fucking up this country, they are blatantly rubbing it in our face that they will cater to the wealthy few. Like that Jewish Coalition megadoner thing that train wreck Chris Christie was at a while ago.

Those are who really run the show.

And as long as lemming-America cling to these shit institutions as as the only options, nothing will ever change. Not until they are both gone, and we reform how this shit works.

It's just a cycle:

-Elect party A!
-(term 2)Party A has done a crap job, they just need more time!
-Elect party B!
-(term 2)party B sucks too, give them another chance!
-back to A!

... And on and on.

It's been that way for the last 7(?) presidents? Bush sr. Being the only repeat party in office.

In my mind, it just shows that in the presidential office at least. The party system just flat don't work. And as long as people keep sticking to their partys (and I'm under the assumption people are too stupid/lazy to actually research who they vote for, they just vote for the party) nothing will ever change.

/ 3:30 AM rant over

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Interesting comment. What exactly do you see as needing changing or improving? Things seem pretty damn good to me. I'm inclined to agree with your general assessment of the politicians, but it's a lot more a question of badness cancelling out badness so nothing really changes in any extreme way, and things just stay great like they are.

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years and years ago (I think it was in the late 70's or early 80s) Gallup did a poll and found out that vast majority of people (Somewhere around 80%) felt that Congress was a bunch of thieves and crooks. They said every single Congressman or woman should be thrown out, EXCEPT for their Representative. That person was doing a great job and they could trust him/her. Which explains why despite the ineptitude of our political leaders they keep getting reelected at around a 90+% rate.

As long as they bring the pork back to their constituents (in a large enough quantity) they can do just about anything they want. The more heinous their actions the more pork they need to bring home in order to be reelected. Back in the 70s some guy was reelected to Congress while he was in jail.

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Granted, I have no formal education on the wold of politics,

But I do not believe our current system which is dominated by just two super-party's is at all effective or fair.

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The outlook of some on the topic of politics today reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in film to date.





All is not great.. unless your definition is waste, corruption and greed.

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Laser-
Unfortunately your reaction to the utter clusterfuck that is politics in america is exactly what they want, an apathetic electorate that thinks the status quo is all that can be expected.

The two party system is keeping the 1% in power and the blame rests squarely on the people who keep voting for the name most familiar to, and in support of, the limited agenda of lots of the folks in this once great nation. I'm a republican or I'm a democrat. My god's better than your god. You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. Kinda pathetic if you ask me.

Our infrastructure is failing, our health care system would be laughable if it weren't so insidious and we've been trailing most of the developed nations in every major category for decades now. Infant mortality, education, upward mobility, obesity, crime, poverty, equality, etc. etc. etc.

If that's "pretty great" than we're truly fucked.

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I often wonder what type of statement we could make to our elected representatives if come election day, we all show up to our polling places, but nobody votes. A mid-term like this would be the best time to send the message. 100 million ballots and the only people who vote for each candidate are their own families.

We can't fix the system, but just quitting. IMO, if we want, we can take back our government, and it can be done by starting at the local and state levels. We break the two parties by getting 3rd parties into places of power in the states, and going up from there.

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That's kind of the whole philosophy behind most of the "don't vote" crowd. The masses wouldn't even have to show up. If no one voted, the candidates would have no legitimacy to their respective offices. By voting, one essentially enters a contract to accept the results, whether they like them or not. Voting legitimizes the candidates, even if a majority of the population doesn't even vote (or if the voting population is not representative of the country as a whole). I think less than 40% of the population voted in the 2010 election . If one thinks the system is inherently corrupt and they don't believe it in, why should they vote? They would essentially be voting for something they don't agree with in the first place.

I'm not totally sure if I agree with the no voting approach yet. I can absolutely understand not voting Democrat or Republic. Those parties are reaching a point of a complete joke. If one still believed in the American political institution at all, they could still vote for someone, anyone, even if they knew they wouldn't win. Perhaps that could send a message that the current population doesn't feel that current partisan politics are satisfactory.

I think the main thing people need to get over is that the next President will substantially change or improve things. If they're Democrat of Republican, it's very unlikely they will and will likely just make things worse. The same applies to Congress, too, and perhaps, even more so.

Taking the time to show up, and leaving ballots blank, to me would make a much bigger statement that we actually care. Especially if we would follow that up with recalls of those eligible to be recalled.

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I suppose, but that seems even more unrealistic than no one voting. Getting no one to vote would take a very conscious effort, and would show that we care plenty, imo. Or even better, for those that still believe in the American political system, go and actually vote for someone, regardless of the expected outcome. Vote for local to regional figures or anyone that an individual thinks is better than establishment politicians. The only real way to throw away a vote is to vote for another Jeb Bush, Hilary Clinton, et al.

There doesn't need to be full-scale revolution. The system just needs shaken up a little. Americans are consistently losing hope in mainstream politicians and the political system. Perhaps if things get shaken up a little, confidence and participation would be a little better (at least for a little while). There's too much money and corruption in politics, and there's little-to-no signs that things will improve in the future. In fact, it's likely going to get worse. Something will give, eventually, for better or worse. I always guess it will be another big war event (much bigger than what's occurring now). That usually proves to be a useful tool to take a nation's mind off domestic issues. Perhaps it will be something more simple and civil such as the shake up I mentioned earlier. But make no mistake, something will give eventually. Let's just hope it's for the better.