I say it matters that Republicans are restricting abortion rights, and this policy is one area in which there is a significant difference between Republicans and Democrats — Michael
There's no "objective measure" for how many people must be affected by something for that thing to matter. — Michael
Parties change, the measures I gave haven't. — Isaac
The Greek/Roman/Mayan/Egyptian civilisations would suffice for my purposes.Depends when the "days of the ancients" were, and how you wnat to measure poverty. — Isaac
Depends who you are labelling 'us!'Sure. But that tells us nothing about which policies worked and which were entirely incidental, or even hampered progress. — Isaac
Do you view the United States as a one-party system, or do you reject this view, in favor of some other description. What might a "real" two party system look like? — BC
the money measures you gave DO conflict with the overall historical evidence highlighted on the Steven Pinker chart I posted. — universeness
The Greek/Roman/Mayan/Egyptian civilisations would suffice for my purposes.
The how, would be the economic power of your average citizen at the time and the level of governmental protection they had regarding their legal status, their educational opportunities and their personal well-being. — universeness
I can tell you, with a very high personal credence level, what policies I think work and what efforts created the improvements many people NOW have in our world, that they did not have in earlier times. But you may not agree, perhaps because 'you' are part of the 'us' you refer to. Subjectivity, is forever present in threads such as this one. — universeness
They can't 'conflict'. They're both true. — Isaac
Well then no. I don't agree. The 'economic power' of your average citizen hasn't changed all that much, if anything it's probably got worse. — Isaac
there is a significant difference.
— Michael
No there isn't.
Great conversation... Really nailing this topic. I expect readers are riveted. — Isaac
Gravity is considered true, as is quantum physics but they do conflict.
Two truths can certainly conflict based on perspective.
An observer may experience a different, but equally valid truth but their reference frame may result in conflict when they are compared. — universeness
Steven Pinker's 75 charts and graphs have been described as:... — universeness
The data presented ... is at least contentious, where it’s not plain wrong. ... twenty percent of the data Pinker uses to categorize the violence of the entire planet’s tribal peoples (excluding ‘hunter-gatherers’) is derived from a single anthropologist, Napoleon Chagnon – whose data has been severely criticized for decades.
Perhaps an expedient question to ask would be, when was the last time US party politics had a significant influence on matters that also greatly impacted the 'powers that be', ergo the BlackRocks and Vanguards, the large banks, the US military-industrial complex, etc. — Tzeentch
The thing is, (to over-simplify) there are many Americans who have always disliked progressive politics, and have over time shifted to the more regressive party. Once it was the Democrats, now it is the Republicans. Yes, party propaganda has an effect on the electorate, but the electorate also has an effect on the parties. — BC
Identity politics is an elite contrivance to divert attention from this class chasm.
We should be careful not to dismiss all electoral democracies - having the right to vote is preferable to no election at all. But, as we will see, democracy without constraining liberal institutions can be both chaotic and polarised. Majority rule without limits is dangerous. What is to stop a rogue leader from ignoring elections that vote them out? Recall that in politics there is no third party we can recall to enforce our promises - so shouldn’t this leader be able to close down any opposition? Such threats, after the 6 January 2021 insurrection in America, have become much realer to even citizens of wealthy democracies. It requires strong institutions to keep democracy alive.
Democracy is both ancient and modern. Some of the ideas about a true rule of the masses date to the classical era. But, around the world, actually existing democracy is not much older than the transistor radio. It has been a struggle of centuries to attain the right to rule ourselves, and the threat of backsliding is ever present. Even then, democracy is an imperfect system.
It’s a two-party system, the Ins and the Outs. Those who are in and want to stay in; those who are out but want to get in. — NOS4A2
Perhaps an expedient question to ask would be, when was the last time US party politics had a significant influence on matters that also greatly impacted the 'powers that be', ergo the BlackRocks and Vanguards, the large banks, the US military-industrial complex, etc.
— Tzeentch
No one? — Tzeentch
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. — Google
Perhaps an expedient question to ask would be, when was the last time US party politics had a significant influence on matters that also greatly impacted the 'powers that be', ergo the BlackRocks and Vanguards, the large banks, the US military-industrial complex, etc.
— Tzeentch
No one?
If there are no examples of this, then the cynic in me is inclined to say US politics is little more than an inflammatory clownshow for the peasantry to squabble over, while the fat cats strike up the big bucks. — Tzeentch
So why not start to explain what initial steps YOU think are essential, towards creating a better political system. I am not suggesting that voicing dissent is pointless, it's still very important to voice dissent but what are YOUR suggestions for improving things. Are we just big wide empty vessels making loud noises? — universeness
As Norman Finkelstein put it...
Identity politics is an elite contrivance to divert attention from this class chasm. — Isaac
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