Am I just too politically jaded?

I ask this from the perspective of noticing something about myself. Before I begin, I have to say that I am a "radical" Centrist or Independent. It doesn't seem to matter if it's a post made by a Republican or Democrat, red flags tend to raise for me.

From my perspective, both sides of the political spectrum have been complicit in what I perceive as a steady decline of the country. I listen to Republicans and Democrats argue and essentially demand everything be one hundred percent the way they want it. I don't see anything working one hundred percent of the way either side want it.

What bothers me is that those of us who have dispelled the notion that either side adequately represents them any longer are for all tenses and purposes either ignored or receive snarky comments from the other two. Which to me is the real kicker, especially when one considers the fact that 45% of the population no longer feels represented by the two major political parties. So that leaves about 27% Republican and 27% Democrat.

Now, with all of this being said, I have a tendency of disregarding most of what either side says. To me, it's a small majority dictating to a group that's larger than either of the other two sides by themselves what should happen.

So, I have to ask, am I just jaded towards the whole system and how it functions? I tend to think that may very well be the case. I have a severe distrust of anything that rings of partisanship. I tend to think the disenfranchised are completely justified in the way they feel. I find party liners to be people who just spew partisan tripe. There seems to be no reasoning with either side to me, which leaves only one other option.

I don't know, am I just jaded politically?

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

By what society views as active in politics yes. Politics are trash, I view myself as engaged in current events.

As far as the skepticism of both parties that should be how we all feel. Why on earth would companies spend millions of dollars on campaigns and lobbyists if there wasn't money to be made? They have to profit and those practices must help, that is alarming.

I feel the same way. Anyone who fights for a "side" is actively helping to flush our country and world down the toilet. They're not even the ones who draw the line but they actively defend it as if it is their line.

If you knowingly pick a side then you are against unity and cooperation.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

If you knowingly pick a side then you are against unity and cooperation.

Or you're for cooperation with corporations. Many of them part of the military industrial complex who help tie projection of other agendas.

no, you're just manipulated to be politically jaded.
this was the platform of both presidential candidates during the last stretch. and it carried on after the elections. you're just caught in a weird middle ground where you see the ugliness of both sides. you're not alone.

but morons think policies are going to affect one group of people and not all Americans...

people can be keep thinking this is a pissing contest, but ultimately Americans gets the shaft uniformly, no matter your side.
and ATS simply earns its revenue by clicks, so do the math on why the content has turned into what it is today.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

I don't think you are too jaded. That is a healthy and IMO correct position. The country has been declining for many decades.

The Republicans have been so aligned with corporations that they have let them do whatever they want. And they want profits, so the American worker has suffered greatly with things like 1 million H-1B workers taking college graduate jobs. And the whole trickle down theory in reality became a trickle out system where the CEOs made money buy sending the jobs (the trickle down part) out of the country.

The Dems are no better, they seem act like children thinking there is an infinite amount of money to help people and can't balance their own checkbook. Lately they are so anti-american in their globalist ways that they border on being traitors.

So, as an independent, I am for the first time encouraged by what Trunp wants to do and by the fact that it is not just campaigne rhetoric as he is following through. Sure he is an egomaniac and a shallow person who I would never want to hang out with, but I do believe he wants to help the American worker.

I myself feel probably too jaded about corporations right now, the bigger they are the more evil and controlling of the people they are.

Yes sir, a bit jaded.

Not unjustly, but don't let it narrow your vision. Be an unbiased centrist instead of a biased one.

That being said, if you know for a fact someone has bad intentions, it's not hard to realize one can more easily come to the proper conclusion.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

No, you're not too politically jaded. You're spot on correct. I've voted in my last election; I've lost interest. And for a lot of the reasons you articulate.

Really, your analysis is accurate, but to elaborate I think we need to look at the "sides"; on the one hand you have the SJW/Progressive/Leftists fighting vehemently over the rights of a significant minority of the population. On the other hand you have the Republican/Bankster/Wall Street/Big Capitalist group fighting for better business conditions for another minority, i.e., the filthy rich, the 1%.

Everyone else, you and I are fly over country. We just don't matter.

In reality, nothing's going to change until the "Big Reset"; and that could be a generation away.

originally posted by: TarzanBeta
Yes sir, a bit jaded.

Not unjustly, but don't let it narrow your vision. Be an unbiased centrist instead of a biased one..

That seems like sound advice.

I don't know, am I just jaded politically?

No you're just a realist. I'm an agnostic libertarian, people like me have never had much representation, especially now the old school libertarians like Ron Paul are getting out of the game. Of course I tend to lean more to the right because they have more respect for the concept of liberty and have better economic policies, but the conservative nature of republicans tends to make them highly religious, which leads to very dumb policies like bans on natural plants that have been used by humans for thousands of years. The way I see it, organized religion is just another example of a small majority dictating the actions of a large group, as you say. I don't care what people want to believe, but I do care when they start entwining their fairy tales into the fabric of the government.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

I think a lot of folks feel like you. I don't think you're "jaded" at all. I think you're working through things on an intellectual level and hitting the same frustrating roadblocks we all do when engaged in that process.

I have it easy. When I was in 7th grade, my civics teacher challenged me to base my conclusions or opinions of the news of the day solely upon the strictest interpretation of the Constitution. I pretty much had it memorized by the end of that year

But that actually turned out to form the core of my political ideology. I call myself a "constitutional conservative" because that best describes someone who interprets the Constitution through the Original Intent of the Framers. That philosophical cornerstone has served me quite well since the 7th grade...

There is a learning curve to that particular philosophy -- one has to familiarize themselves with the exo-constitutional writings and thought of the Framers. But once you have a good idea of where they were coming from, 99 times out of 100 it's quite clear what they set forth in the Constitution.

The Framers intended us to use the Constitution in that manner. That's why they made it so difficult to amend it. Sadly -- especially in my lifetime (b. 1964), the Left has created the myth of the Constitution as a "living document". That flawed view is still widely taught in almost every law school.

But if we all simply took the Constitution literally and allowed it to govern the policies of this nation, we would very quickly find that We the People were empowered like never before. In fact, most policy decisions would be left up to the states (10th Amendment) giving the citizens of those states infinitely more power than they have now.

Constitutional conservatism is not a fringe or niche political stance. Most conservatives, to one degree or another, share the belief that the Constitution is fixed and should only be viewed through the strictest interpretation of the Original Intent of its Framers. My guess is, more than half of those who call themselves "moderates" or "Libertarians" like you do as well.

Anyway, just my two cents...

a reply to: TonyS

That seems accurate. I don't see anything significantly changing until there's either an implosion or explosion. Frankly, from what I can see, there's a perfect recipe for either one of those events.

Getting away from Republicans and Democrats is the first step, realizing they aren't doing nothing for us.

Second step is for us to stop listining to "News programs" on Radio and TV. They are the ones driving the 2 party system and telling us that the left or the right are to blame for our problems. We're being brainwashed and dont' realize it.

Turn off the TV and the Radio. Even shows like Duck Dynasty have an Agenda. There are plenty of commedians other than Bill Maher. Rush Limbaugh get's paid to insult, belittle and make you think Liberals are stupid and evil. That's what he gets' paid to do.

Once you can see that and start supporting Third party candidates and getting your news from alternative sources or from the source like a crime in Austin TX...don't watch MSNBC go to a news source in Austin TX.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

Agreed and based on my research and study (macro economic trends), I'd suggest something along the lines of an implosion. Remember the banking crises and the oft heard term of administering the "stress test" to the big money center banks? Well as I type, the US debt and deficit are ballooning to the point that in reality, the US Government/Treasury, itself couldn't pass a "stress test". The next bubble burst, where ever it comes from, will be the ultimate "stress test" that may well push the US into a near debt default. When that happens, they'll have to devalue the currency and the world will abandon the US Dollar as the worlds reserve currency.

A situation much like that which occurred in the UK after WWII and the collapse of the British Empire.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

I feel what you're saying, and definitely agree.

Does either side really fight for individual freedoms anymore?

What happened to "God given rights"? As in, rights that the government cannot allow, nor deny us - they are just a part of our existence.

Now we advocate for" the right" for our small group to be represented, or a different group be oppressed. These aren't rights at all... These are the anti thesis of liberty.

I do not need permission from the government to do as I please. ( within reason )

I do not need the government to stop others from doing things that I disagree with.

I do not need the government.

Everyone talks about reasonable regulation and environmental protection and social security and this and that... I say we should start at zero government involvement, then agree on some things..

Oh wait. That's called the constitution - but people have it in their heads that the constitution was designed specifically to represent their specific subjective stance on things.

-sigh-

What do we do?

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

I feel what you're saying, and definitely agree.

Does either side really fight for individual freedoms anymore?

What happened to "God given rights"? As in, rights that the government cannot allow, nor deny us - they are just a part of our existence.

Now we advocate for" the right" for our small group to be represented, or a different group be oppressed. These aren't rights at all... These are the anti thesis of liberty.

I do not need permission from the government to do as I please. ( within reason )

I do not need the government to stop others from doing things that I disagree with.

I do not need the government.

Everyone talks about reasonable regulation and environmental protection and social security and this and that... I say we should start at zero government involvement, then agree on some things..

Oh wait. That's called the constitution - but people have it in their heads that the constitution was designed specifically to represent their specific subjective stance on things.

-sigh-

What do we do?

Hey everyone, Thomas Jefferson has come back to life!

Coming from a John Adams type, I salute you, sir.

a reply to: SBMcG


I tend to think we should adhere to the Constitution as well. Although, I have to say, I can't label myself as either conservative or liberal. Liberals accuse me of being conservative and conservatives tend to take me as a liberal. Lol. That just implies I am doing something right to me. Hahahaha.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Chaotic, I would tend to agree. I view most things as bent towards division usually only in a black or white dualistic manner. Any shades of grey are by and large ignored. It's unfortunate, but fact.

a reply to: deadlyhope

Well, we can either wait for it all to collapse and believe me, it's going to, or we can enter the fire, which that's already started, and everything explode. Whichever it may be, we'll have to reconstruct after and try something different. What's currently going on isn't working and it's not going to.

I am still waiting to see exactly what Trump's going to do. I know a lot of people have already made up their stance on him, but I am in the "It's still way too early to tell" camp with him.