We need a major change.

[UncleAng]

As an expat always looking in to what's going on in my native US I have to stop and wonder as to how US democracy has evolved since the funding fathers. When I analyze the US system vs. the rest of the democratic world I end up thinking that the US is one of the most undemocratic democracies anywhere.

1. Elections in most democracies take between 4-16 weeks at the federal level; in the US it's an ongoing perpetual machine with billions of dollars spent and in turn billions of IOU's. There's enough corruption generated by 4-16 week elections so in the US it must be staggering. The US system encourages lobbyists to a higher degree than elsewhere in the world and this in turn narrows the scope of governance.

2. Americans hold dear their 2nd amendment right to bear arms but they forget to put it in context of when and why it was written. Face it folks the British ain't going to show up at your door with flintlocks. Neither will the Russians or Chinese.

I could go on and on but the first one on above list is the one that needs to be addressed first in my opinion. What's your opinion?

[donquixote99]

Oh there are major major reforms needed but there's no clear and easy way to get them done. The red states can and will block progressive constitutional amendments.

[Reason10]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Oh there are major major reforms needed but there's no clear and easy way to get them done. The red states can and will block progressive constitutional amendments.

My brother keeps claiming that enough governors will get together and force a Constitutional Convention, where they will have one item on the docket: Term limits for Congress.

Presidential term limits were achieved through a constitutional convention.

I tried to remind him that the 22nd Amendment was ratified from 1947 to 1951. And it was a completely different world back then. There was no golden age of television, no cable news networks, no internet, no Facebook, etc. I say good luck to ANYONE who wants to bring about any more changes to the Constitution.

As a "red stater" and a conservative (which makes up about 76 percent of America) the only amendment I would make to the constitution would be term limits for Congress, simply because the lobbyists on K Street have way too much power, funneling money to incumbents and getting rich on the back end.

And even that sounds unreasonable because every two years (House) and every six years (Senate) there are term limits elections in every state.

I am curious as to what would be so important to you liberals that you would be willing to bypass Congress to enact into law. We already know the things Biden has chose to bypass even a Democrat Congress.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Reason10

My brother keeps claiming that enough governors will get together and force a Constitutional Convention, where they will have one item on the docket: Term limits for Congress.

Presidential term limits were achieved through a constitutional convention.

I tried to remind him that the 22nd Amendment was ratified from 1947 to 1951. And it was a completely different world back then. There was no golden age of television, no cable news networks, no internet, no Facebook, etc. I say good luck to ANYONE who wants to bring about any more changes to the Constitution.

As a "red stater" and a conservative (which makes up about 76 percent of America) the only amendment I would make to the constitution would be term limits for Congress, simply because the lobbyists on K Street have way too much power, funneling money to incumbents and getting rich on the back end.

And even that sounds unreasonable because every two years (House) and every six years (Senate) there are term limits elections in every state.

I am curious as to what would be so important to you liberals that you would be willing to bypass Congress to enact into law. We already know the things Biden has chose to bypass even a Democrat Congress.

There has not been a constitutional convention since the original. Your info on the 22nd amendment is faulty.

I hardly speak for any collective of 'liberals,' let alone your conception of them, but I would like to see amendments to 1) abolish the electoral college system in favor of direct popular nationwide election of the President, and 2) make the over-representation of empty land in the Senate less extreme (by any of several possible schemes, we can discuss). This is not a matter of bypassing Congress, but of accomplishing things beyond the constitutional power of Congress.

Oh, we might straighten out that pesky 'Militia Protection Amendment,' you know, the 2nd one. On the history, it was clearly a mistake, Militias have just been trouble.

[Reason10]

There has not been a constitutional convention since the original. Your info on the 22nd amendment is faulty.


My brother claimed that only a constitutional convention of governors will give us the Congressional term limits that the Woke Congos will refuse to pass. I tell him it's a different world.

I hardly speak for any collective of 'liberals,' let alone your conception of them, but I would like to see amendments to 1) abolish the electoral college system in favor of direct popular nationwide election of the President,

So California and New York get to tell the rest of the country what to do? Yeah, right.



and 2) make the over-representation of empty land in the Senate less extreme (by any of several possible schemes, we can discuss).

So people who are not jammed together, collecting welfare checks and in this country illegally are not worthy of equal representation by government? You propose government for the scumbags, and not the TAXPAYERS? Yeah, right. That worked so well in Venezuela, didn't it?



Oh, we might straighten out that pesky 'Militia Protection Amendment,' you know, the 2nd one. On the history, it was clearly a mistake, Militias have just been trouble.

Only if we can outlaw ANY armed protection of any politician at any spot in the US or abroad. What you think is good for the common taxpayer should be good for the useless Michelle Obamas of the world.


NO secret service protection, PERIOD. Let those hacks call 911 like everyone else and be put on hold.

As far as pesky militias, I agree with you that domestic racist terrorist groups like BLM and ANTIFA have been nothing but trouble. Rather than screw the ENTIRE country and spit on the memory of the Founding Fathers, there is a simpler solution.

If those animals are breaking the law, arrest them and put them in jail. And DON'T BE SUCH AN IDIOT AS TO VOTE FOR A VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO BAILS THEM OUT.

[Oerets]

The reforms needed will have little chance of ever happening if the present evils lurking at the door are allowed in.
The allowing of the "Q" phenomenon running rampant, unchecked conspiracy theories believed by a uncomfortable percentage. With it appears psyops mind controlling masters at work to undermined our country and for what end can only be guessed.

[UncleAng]

Yes, I agree that things look really grim at this moment but do you agree that fundamental changes must be made to our structure in order to reverse course. Nobody I'm aware of brings this up in government or the media regardless of their political stripes.

[barbara]

The first change I would like to see is a return to decency. Since when is ok for adults to tweet garbage and call their opponents names? We have to end the bipartisanship where each side digs in their heels and won't consider compromise. It's time our elected officials start acting like adults.

[Human]

Originally Posted by barbara

The first change I would like to see is a return to decency. Since when is ok for adults to tweet garbage and call their opponents names? We have to end the bipartisanship where each side digs in their heels and won't consider compromise. It's time our elected officials start acting like adults.

I'm not saying it's entirely new behavior, but we can thank Newt Gingrich for a lot of the name calling:

"Gingrich encouraged them to go after their enemies with catchy, alliterative nicknames—“Daffy Dukakis,” “the loony left”—and schooled them in the art of partisan blood sport. Through gopac, he sent out cassette tapes and memos to Republican candidates across the country who wanted to “speak like Newt,” providing them with carefully honed attack lines and creating, quite literally, a new vocabulary for a generation of conservatives. One memo, titled “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control,” included a list of recommended words to use in describing Democrats: sick, pathetic, lie, anti-flag, traitors, radical, corrupt."

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...elcome/570832/

[Oerets]

When one is lacking a effective argument or plan, then name calling demonizing and conspiracies changing the narrative are the only arrows left in the quiver.