This assumes that these temper tantrums are some sort of anomalies of the American and British people. If people truly don't want their government to do do things, who is to say they should. Not having children makes it easier for me to say this of course and if I'm lucky I'm living only another 35 years.
Was the denial of the franchise to former Confederates in 1864, 1868, 1872, and 1876 the destruction of democracy? I mean seriously, was it?
I think a big part of the problem was shown today. Supposed GOP wunderkid Nikki Hayley comes out as a full blown Trumper, supporter of corruption and champion of tampering with US elections What can we do if the GOP leaders are corrupt wannabe despots?
I think it is the hallmark of the United States right now that the only feasible alternative to my idea is to do nothing. We haven't added a state to the Union in seventy years - the longest stretch in our history. We haven't added an amendment to our Constitution in nearly thirty years - the third-longest stretch in our history. Our GDP growth has been slowing down - long-term - for fifty years straight now. At some point, when do you look at yourselves and wonder, "Why am I so bad at new ideas? Why are we so bad at new ideas?" What I'm asking the people voluntarily reading this thread to do is ask themselves, 1) "Am I okay living in a democracy where a reality TV star can become President by making shit up, and then once obtaining that office, doing nothing of substance for four years?" 2) "If I am, why have I decided that this is the standard I find acceptable?" 3) "If not, what should we do to stop reality TV stars from becoming President?" 4) "How will I accomplish that goal?" If my idea is dangerous and illegal, what would you do differently?
I'm not an expert in US history, but didn't they fight a civil war and killed millions of people in order to be able to do that? Which begs the question, do you have the US armed forces on your side this time?
This is what happens to mature nations. When those new ideas include explicitly undermining the values one claims to hold, I'm not sure how your way is "better". By all means, attempt to remove the franchise from "people I don't like"! But the catch is you'll have to do so through a legal framework. Go ahead and propose an Amendment! The solution to said situation is not to throw your toys out of the pram, become an anti-democratic shitheel, then pretend you have done something democratic. Things have been unacceptable for a while from my point of view. History did not begin in 2016. Clearly it's to do impossible things that violate the principles you purport to hold dear! 1. Be persuasive, or 2. Be a tyrannical shitheel. Be persuasive. I'm sorry that you are insufficiently so. It is clear that you and I share that in common.
I tend to think that the election of a reality-star President who has violated the Constitution in innumerable ways counts as crazy. Do we need to have a war to admit structural changes are necessary?
Yes, it is the only way it would pass. With out the 1st civil war the 13th, 14th and 15th would not have passed. So we will need round 2 for the 28th+ to pass, or just create a new one. We could also have a new constitutional convention, but the people that voted for Trump and Trump like repugs will have to have representation, unless we go Civil war 2. Many with revolution/civil wars.
Growth slows. If you would like to launch a revolution, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed. Persuade me.
There is no need for war, as long as the armed forces all agree with you and pledge you their support.
I mean Brumie, in Bolivia a president packed the supreme court with his friends/allies, he then tried to force a referendum to amend the constitution to allow him to run for a 3rd term, when it failed, he just got his packed court to over rule it and allow him to run. Then after election irregularities he was declared the winner of the election by his rubber stamp elections board. The opposition rose up and protested. The military said that they would not back the President, now the President is in Exile in Mexico city. It can happen, and it can fail.
As always, the answer is in Plato. "There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands" Philosophers of the world, unite!
Define "unite." And I think your use of the word "world" is a form of question begging Aristotle warned against in his lost work on logic.
Philosophy 101: If Donald Trump opens his mouth and nobody can understand a word he's saying, can it still be defined as a lie?
Right. Here is the problem with applying the principles of Plato's Republic to the current situation: a) Philosophers always bullshit b) Trump always bullshits c) Therefore...wait...no, Trump is no philosopher
I was going to post it on the conservative media bias thread, but since we’re discussing banning “conservatives” from voting, I decided to do it here: 5. The excesses of the left bind Trump's supporters more tightly to him, even as the excesses of the right make it harder for the Republican Party to command majority support, validating the fear that the party is passing into eclipse, in a vicious cycle.— Yoni Appelbaum (@YAppelbaum) November 12, 2019 I mean, his logic is not completely faulty (until he gets to the "excesses of the left"). Basically, is not like the people that voted for Trump - because they're convinced that brown people is taking over - is going to accept quietly that they don't deserve to vote, and they will be partially correct that their votes will not be counted, because brown people took over.
That's the problem in Bolivia. The changes to the constitution should have enabled redistributive policies long after MAS and Morales disappeared from politics. Instead, Morales made the policies about him. Had he retired, and his successors lost in democratic elections, the constitutional changes may have been more durable.
So like if Biden wins, do you advocate like a Biden benevolent dictatorship to reset the democracy? How would this be implemented?
Let me know when. Because I'll go down to 7-11 and round up as much Mountain Dew, Skoal, vapes, beef jerky and Cheetos to set Whitelandian traps in my 'hood.