Is there too much division in America?

[luke1234]

Remember when America was a whole country. A country that stood up for themselves? A country that acknowledged everyone as a whole? A country that would stand behind their president and have faith in him to make the right decision?

No, I really cant remember what that felt like. I cant remember when the last time was when society had the word American in front of Democrat and Republican. I dont remember that last time for once we all believed in this country. Maybe 9/11 helped spark some patriotism but that was short lived after the war in Iraq.

My point is, Ive been all over the internet(including this site). I go to Temple University and ive listened in on people's political observations and conversations. This election has been so dramatic, so biased, so "choke the other parties throat" that I do not believe when this election is over America will be united. Its just not gonna happen. The gap between republican ideals and democrats are just too far apart. This country is encased in a Right Wing vs Left Wing battle that a lot of people forget what this country really needs. It needs unification. Im sorry if what Im saying is redundant but i just wanted to get this out. I have respect for all the members who speak in this politics forum.(Matt,Marx,Jmanspice,StorminNorman,Excel, Daynose and everyone else.) I dont post a lot i just like to read and interpret. So what do you guys think? Will America ever be the same? will it ever be united again?

 

[Malice]

It is divided by ideals....simple as that

 

[Franklin Richards]

I blame religion more than economics, domestic and foreign policy combined.

 

[Nitehawk013]

Bill Maher is that you?

 

[luke1234]

I blame religion more than economics, domestic and foreign policy combined.

Can you elaborate more?

 

[moraldeficiency]

It is, and it won't stop either. It's not any one concept, it's people in general and that's not changing. People grapple their ideas and refuse to have an open mind on most things, which taints everything they do. People are also fundamentally cowards so rather than see that your "opposition" may have a good point on certian matters or may be actually right and you may be wrong, people choose to just demonize those they disagree with. It's easy to just be on the "right (by right I mean good)" side with others on the "wrong" side. So people rip into anyone that doesn't agree with them, belittling them and by effect their beliefs and ideals until they no longer matter. Makes them sleep better at night. What's even worse is the treatment people give to those on their "side" when they dare to question their own beliefs making them traitors or flip floppers or whatever the hell.

People don't like to admit that no one is nearly smart enough to completely understand a concept, and no one is "right" enough to deserve to belittle the beliefs they don't agree with. That would lead to better understanding of the world as a whole and actually moving forward as people accepting of others. Honestly I think that's why (well one of the reasons) people age and die, it's genetics way of flushing out the old for the new because the old are incapable of adapting for the most part or being open the way younger people are.

 

[The Senator]

I blame religion more than economics, domestic and foreign policy combined.

I tend to agree with this.

 

[lazur]

It's divided between people who believe in big government and that big government has all of the answers, and those who believe in the principles of the Constitution, which are that government should have LIMITED power.

 

[The Senator]

It's divided between people who believe in big government and that big government has all of the answers, and those who believe in the principles of the Constitution, which are that government should have LIMITED power.

And again, I ask: Where in the Constitution does it say big government is bad?

 

[Nitehawk013]

Wasn't it Jefferson who said any Government big enough to give you all you want is also big enough to take away everything you have?

Hmmm.

 

[The Senator]

Wasn't it Jefferson who said any Government big enough to give you all you want is also big enough to take away everything you have?

Hmmm.

But Jefferson didn't put that into the Constitution, which is the legally binding document which governs this country.

Additionally, Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and was a proponent of slavery... so to say that he had the best judgment on every single issue is sort of stretching it...

 

[Malice]

And again, I ask: Where in the Constitution does it say big government is bad?

Technically nowhere, and I agree....

But the thing is, the more government interferes, to more it gets screwed up.
That is a fundamental axiom we have learned in hundreds of years.

 

[moraldeficiency]

But Jefferson didn't put that into the Constitution, which is the legally binding document which governs this country.

Additionally, Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and was a proponent of slavery... so to say that he had the best judgment on every single issue is sort of stretching it...

Well the very term "big" government is extremely subjective at best. What constitutes big gov. differs from one person to the next.

In a hundred years people are going to look back on us and marvel about how we could have such distrubing and utterly wrong concepts. Then in another hundred years the process will repeat. Pick you're favorite person in this day and age and in a century someone will be able to come along with a practice they commonly did which will be considered abominable by their standards and use it to discredit anything worthwhile they ever said or did.

 

[Marx]

I agree with Jman and Franklin. Religion has served as a catalyst for much of the country's division. There are those who lead their lives with a belief in God or spirituality in a private matter. There are those who choose not to believe in a God and lead their lives by the belief that they are here to better the world. And then there are those who use religion as a means to influence others and try to inject those beliefs into our country's way of life. Despite the fact that not everyone follows those same beliefs.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Can you elaborate more?

Sure.

When you have religion you believe that you and you're fellow Whatevers are right. The other people are wrong. Everyone who doesn't agree with your particular beliefs are just "children" who need to be shown the way.

Evangelicals are the worst.

 

[souvlaki]

I blame religion more than economics, domestic and foreign policy combined.

Agree completely.

 

[Nitehawk013]

I blame Liberalism. If we could just send them all to Cuba I think the USA would be fine without them.

 

[DorkyFresh]

I blame religion more than economics, domestic and foreign policy combined.

which is ironic considering freedom of/from religion was the reason our country was founded. for the most part i agree though.

 

[SuBe]

And again, I ask: Where in the Constitution does it say big government is bad?

It's implied in the 10th Amendment.

 

[Marx]

I blame Liberalism. If we could just send them all to Cuba I think the USA would be fine without them.

You've earned it Nitehawk.

:facepalm

 

[moraldeficiency]

I think he was being ironic considering the title, I think....

 

[Franklin Richards]

I blame Liberalism. If we could just send them all to Cuba I think the USA would be fine without them.

Yeah. Because tolerance sucks.

 

[SuBe]

Sure.

When you have religion you believe that you and you're fellow Whatevers are right. The other people are wrong. Everyone who doesn't agree with your particular beliefs are just "children" who need to be shown the way.

Evangelicals are the worst.

Sounds like this can be applied to politics as well.

 

[Goddessreicho]

I blame the southern strategy, the Dixicrats, Culture Wars, misogyny / slave owning / Manifest Destiny...you know what, the whole 2nd class or no class citizenship thing was the beginning of the Divided States of America, pfft just ask people who survived Jim Crow, went to a segregated school, or have yet to get Equal pay.

Edit: America was never one whole county. Men who went to war who weren't white came back to less than what they were fighting, dying, and killing for.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Demonization and closed-mindedness is the biggest problem. It goes on from both directions. The notion that someone of the other political belief somehow wants to destroy the country. I've seen a lot of that kind of demonization of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It's pathetic, but I don't know if it will ever go away.