Fucking sexy stuff.

Not so bad when HRC advocates for campaign finance reform, is it?

Meanwhile, when I was talking about Bernie Sanders making a strong case for campaign finance reform and against corrupt elections influenced by big money and special interests, I was just being a naive and foolish youth.

In my opinion, the three biggest issues facing the US are:

1) Income inequality
2) Corrupt campaign finance system
3) Political polarization

I bet a lot of people wish they were living a life where 2 of the 3 biggest problems are the bold

I think the 3 biggest problems are the effects of globalization(which ties into income inequality), the budget(especially now that many more people are retiring and will be dependent on government money), and the various national security threats from Russia, China, and radical Islam.

This post was edited by IceMage on Jul 16 2016 06:54pm

If we addressed and fixed the campaign finance system, people's needs and desires could be more properly met by their government. This would help our government respond to problems that the people care about or want fixed. Corrupt campaign finance affects every issue you can think of. Right now, we exist in a pseudo-democracy where the majority of people's beliefs aren't necessarily reflected by their elected officials. Congress may advocate for one thing, while the people want another. That poses a huge problem for a Democratic-Republic.

Political polarization also poses a huge problem to a Democratic-Republic. Right now, the two sides aren't even talking to each other. Compromise is essential to solving problems. If Republicans and Democrats reached more compromises, we could solve a myriad of problems that our country is facing.



The budget and debt are not as big of problems as people might think. As long as our national debt grows linearly and not exponentially, it can be managed. Admittely, our national debt has gotten a little out of control lately. But there is a healthy amount of debt a country can and should have, according to most economists. Right now, we have slightly unhealthy amount of debt, but it is not a cause for an all-out alarm. As long as we manage our debt in a responsible fashion, we can continue to be the strongest economy in the world. I would not place the budget in the top 3 issues facing this country. Top 10, perhaps.

If the debt wasn't a problem we wouldn't have been downgraded in 2011. You're right, it can be managed, but that means we need to actually manage it. Right now Republicans aren't willing to raise taxes and Democrats aren't willing to cut spending. The political norm is to kick the debt can down the road. Let's have a proactive government for once and address the problem before a crisis.

This post was edited by IceMage on Jul 16 2016 07:42pm

That's true. I think if we had less political polarization (the #3 issue facing the US, in my opinion) like we did in the 1990s, I think we could better address the national debt as well as other issues, such as foreign policy conflicts and globalization, like you mentioned previously.

don't worry

Clinton is heading home soon to save us all

That's a cop-out though. Of course America is divided politically. You could of blamed the Great Depression on political polarization. We could address every serious problem America has in a more effective way if our politics weren't so polarized, but they are. The people have made it that way. So, I think it's not useful at all to talk about the division. Obama mentioned it numerous times during his campaign and clearly he didn't overcome it. Let's stick to the problems, and unity will come when the people demand it.

I have my doubts, but I sincerely hope so. All I want is what is best for America. I'm not an idealogue; I supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries, but I do harbor any bitterness with that loss and sincerely hope our next president is a good one. I try and look at each issue independently and with an open mind. I have aspirations for this country, but I'm also a realistic person. I'll criticize what I should, praise what I can, and do what I must.



It is useful to talk about the division and polarization, though. It didn't used to always be this way. Our country is more productive when we work together. We should not accept political polarization as normal; it is a problem that has grown quite troublesome in recent times: