Political Polarization in the American Public

[delayjf]

Also, in places like Germany and Paris, cars are used (Paris is a nightmare to get around in with a car), but in Scandinavia, bikes and trains are the prevalent means of getting around.

The tax on buying a car in Denmark is 180%.

In other words the illegals' "taxes" (such as they may be) are dwarfed by the liabilities they bring to the economy. Kalifornia needs to hire better bean counters.

Not to mention the estimated 2 billion dollar a year "cash" economy that contributes nothing to CA tax revenues.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by delayjf

Not to mention the estimated 2 billion dollar a year "cash" economy that contributes nothing to CA tax revenues.

This was my greatest surprise when I moved to SoCal in 2002.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by delayjf

Not to mention the estimated 2 billion dollar a year "cash" economy that contributes nothing to CA tax revenues.

And the problem is a lot of that cash is wired south of the border. A lot of the little mom and pop markets in Southern California carried groceries as a service to the illegal immigrant communities, they made their money off of selling phone cards and wiring money out of the country.

[Tom]

Tough issue.
Of course anyone would do what they have to to take care of their families. You can't blame them for that.

We have always been a beacon for people to come here find freedom, security, avoid persecution, to find a better life. This is what we were founded on. Without that ideal, we are nothing more than Europe West.

That deal we make with the huddled masses has great benefit, but it comes with great responsibility. It is stupid to just have open borders - borders exist for good reason.

We have rules, we have criteria we expect to be honored. We expect those who want to come her to join us, to meld with us, to add to our culture with parts of their own.

The fact the Mexico chooses to act as a conduit for illegals from their southern borders makes Mexico a rough state. One that is an enemy of us. We should be sanctioning Mexico for acting as an enemy state. Extremely harshly. Biggly.

The problem is not the illegals, but the Nations that create them and then funnel them here. Illegals are the symptom, not the disease.

I would never back down from a war with Mexico. If they can't clean up up their own S-hole of a county, we might have to do it for them, and make them a protectorate afterwards, until they prove they can be trusted to act responsibly.

[MargieRose]

Originally Posted by Tom

Tough issue.

Great post! I totally respect your strength of resolve!

I'd be all for a "tough" stance on the "issue," as well.

[Inner Dirt]

How about we give the illegals from Mexico all the rights a USA citizen has in Mexico when they travel there. That seems more than fair to me.

[Nutz and Boltz]

Originally Posted by Tom

Tough issue.
Of course anyone would do what they have to to take care of their families. You can't blame them for that.

We have always been a beacon for people to come here find freedom, security, avoid persecution, to find a better life. This is what we were founded on. Without that ideal, we are nothing more than Europe West.

That deal we make with the huddled masses has great benefit, but it comes with great responsibility. It is stupid to just have open borders - borders exist for good reason.

We have rules, we have criteria we expect to be honored. We expect those who want to come her to join us, to meld with us, to add to our culture with parts of their own.

The fact the Mexico chooses to act as a conduit for illegals from their southern borders makes Mexico a rough state. One that is an enemy of us. We should be sanctioning Mexico for acting as an enemy state. Extremely harshly. Biggly.

The problem is not the illegals, but the Nations that create them and then funnel them here. Illegals are the symptom, not the disease.

A well thought out and stated post .

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by ReplayRandall

Stubborn polarization invariably leads to civil unrest and violence, case in point:

Take a good look at this video starting at the 14 second mark. Go frame by frame and you will see 2 guys dressed in black suddenly appear behind the chick who's the instigator. At exactly the 17 second mark, an arm holding a black u-shaped bike lock bar, quickly strikes the head of this Trump supporter in the reddish shirt.

This video has awoke a sleeping giant, down here in the South, a group that has been assembled for quite some time, waiting for an opportunity to rise up and unleash it's fury and anger. Couple this video with what happened in DC at the ball-field shooting, and we're staring at the start of a very hot, angry summer of violence. Make no mistake, there will be MAJOR civil unrest coming dead ahead......Be careful where you go and what you say, no matter how safe your surroundings may appear to be.

https://youtu.be/9qKCl9NL1Cg

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/2...er-goes-viral/

Well, it's two months later since the above post and look what happens.....Charlottesville.

We got a BIG problem in this country and it's going to get a lot worse. I don't know if people really care anymore, everyone just blaming others that don't think, act or look the same as themselves. We have no unifying foundation to gather back to, after all, what did society expect when you took God out of the schools and public squares?

Now you have a generation who don't know and don't care what their leaders and wiser elders have to say.....They've made up their own rules and own ideologies of how they'll live and interact with others whom they don't respect. The violence that you've seen in major cities, is now starting to spill over everywhere. This is not an overnight event, it's been building for decades...

The time to talk openly and with civility is now......Thoughts, comments?

[Marshall Bennett]

A culture divided, and not only with regards to race either.
I totally put the blame with the extremely liberal direction this country has taken over the past couple generations. Its not fair also to place the entire blame on the current crop of liberals that seem so obsessed with destroying what moral fiber still remains. There is such an intense difference with liberals and conservatism here presently. Add to that the deteriorating state of race relations.
As you said, its ugly. I also don't see any solution on the horizon. Short of some sort of civil war, I'm not sure there could be one.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Marshall Bennett

A culture divided, and not only with regards to race either.
I totally put the blame with the extremely liberal direction this country has taken over the past couple generations. Its not fair also to place the entire blame on the current crop of liberals that seem so obsessed with destroying what moral fiber still remains. There is such an intense difference with liberals and conservatism here presently. Add to that the deteriorating state of race relations.
As you said, its ugly. I also don't see any solution on the horizon. Short of some sort of civil war, I'm not sure there could be one.

Great post.

Since you obviously had your Pavlovian responce banging around in your head nothing about Randall's post registered with you. He pointed out that both sides do not and refuse to hear the other side. They simply blame the other side and we are at a stalemate as a country until we can get past that. It took you 1 sentence to prove his point and the funny thing is you probably still have no idea whatsoever that you did it.

[jimmyb]

Originally Posted by ReplayRandall

Well, it's two months later since the above post and look what happens.....Charlottesville.

We got a BIG problem in this country and it's going to get a lot worse. I don't know if people really care anymore, everyone just blaming others that don't think, act or look the same as themselves. We have no unifying foundation to gather back to, after all, what did society expect when you took God out of the schools and public squares?

Now you have a generation who don't know and don't care what their leaders and wiser elders have to say.....They've made up their own rules and own ideologies of how they'll live and interact with others whom they don't respect. The violence that you've seen in major cities, is now starting to spill over everywhere. This is not an overnight event, it's been building for decades...

The time to talk openly and with civility is now......Thoughts, comments?

Civility from a country that loves war and the UFC. Good luck

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by Tom

We even have soap here, and use it!

Stinky, I remind you, the greatest nation in the world got to be that way by LEAVING Europe behind.

Europe -

Bingo. Tom nailed it.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by jimmyb

Civility from a country that loves war and the UFC. Good luck

If NOW is not the time, will there EVER be the right time?

[jimmyb]

Originally Posted by ReplayRandall

If NOW is not the time, will there EVER be the right time?

We can't even get some locals to clean up after their dogs, even with a city law. Some members of my gym will load the bar with lots of weight and not unload it when they're done. The small screen and the big screen are loaded with lack of civility. The 20th century saw 100's of millions of humans killed by other humans.

For as long as humans have existed it's been this way. From a species that has come so far so fast technologically, we have not made much progress in this area.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by jimmyb

We can't even get some locals to clean up after their dogs, even with a city law. Some members of my gym will load the bar with lots of weight and not unload it when they're done. The small screen and the big screen are loaded with lack of civility. The 20th century saw 100's of millions of humans killed by other humans.

For as long as humans have existed it's been this way. From a species that has come so far so fast technologically, we have not made much progress in this area.

So I guess the answer is never.....Let's see how fast Armageddon gets here...