And They Wonder Why I Hate California

[torredcuda]

I used to have a part time job doing political phone surveys. We often called CA during these surveys. Despite the popular opinion that CA is a cesspool of liberal utopians, I found a pretty even split of liberal, centric, and conservative opinions in these surveys that were conducted throughout the state. I did notice, however, that the liberal opinions were very tightly held and often would not listen to a full question that did not align with their mantra and they were concentrated in the most urban areas on the coast.  Most centrists and conservatives wanted to listen to questions and options before proceeding. If CA wants to change its direction, they simply need to mobilize the voters to do so.

Regarding being at war, yes I'd agree that we are. However, I'd also advise extreme caution about saying its  a liberal/conservative, Democrat/Republican or even Socialist/Capitalist mantra. We are at war with unseen oligarchs that control financial systems throughout the world.  To them, all the confusion around the former three issues allow them to quietly change laws that enable them financial freedom while creating new ways to drain the rest of us while we all squabble about the latest politics of the day. We are falling for it hook, line, and sinker. ALL politicians are guilty of it regardless of party. In my lifetime, they all have done this. All of them. 5 republicans and 4 Democrats have all passed legislation that reduced financial oversight and created unregulated market tools that have slowly and quietly changed the core fabric of the United States financial systems that have brought us to the situation we are in today.

Big business lobbyists and their "campaign contributions" (bribes) have a lot of impact on this countries finances, taxes, regulations etc.

[HP2]

Very true.  It not uncommon for  some to run for Federal government positions as just a gateway to becoming a lobbyist, where the real money is made.

[torredcuda]

When politicians that make around  $175k a year become multi millionaires in a short time don`t you need to be a genious to figure out there are a lot of backroom deals, inside trader info and bogus "consultant" jobs going on there.

[dodj]

It's the same everywhere...if you want to really understand what, or why something is happening...follow, or find the money.

[HP_Cuda]

Even the name is a oxymoron - citizens united is anything but.

We are living in a Corporatocracy where everything is controlled not by the people but by the profit that can be made on the public's back.

I got this from Wiki about the Civil War:
Historians debating the origins of the American Civil War focus on the reasons why seven Southern states declared their secession from the United States (the Union), why they united to form the Confederate States of America (simply known as the "Confederacy"), and why the North refused to let them go. While most historians agree that conflicts over slavery caused the war, they disagree sharply regarding which kinds of conflict—ideological, economic, political, or social—were most important.[1]

The primary catalyst for secession was slavery, most immediately the political battle over the right of Southerners to bring slavery into western territory that had hitherto been free under the terms of the Missouri Compromise or while part of Mexico. Another factor for secession and the formation of the Confederacy, was white Southern nationalism.[2] The primary reason for the North to reject secession was to preserve the Union, a cause based on American nationalism.[3] Most of the debate is about the first question, as to why some Southern states decided to secede.

So basically it does come full circle to slavery as the 7 southern states didn't want someone telling them what to do.

What I do not want to see happen is stoking fires as a country we are already divided enough. We need to start figuring out how to find common ground and get Congress working for us again.

[Brads70]

This type of thing will be the cause of the next civil war.....


https://www.nraila.org/articles/20191125/bloomberg-bought-virginia-legislators-introduce-confiscatory-gun-ban

[Cudakiller70]

One party/group  promotes socialism or communism, where's the common ground?

[HP_Cuda]

The other party/group would say the opposition promotes fascism.

We need to stop the us versus them especially if you want to live in a United States. We have had common ground for a majority of our 243 years of existence, just in recent times we have found ourselves quite polarized.

Take the example of serving in the Military. If you have a brother in the trenches with you and fighting an enemy like the Germans in WW2 - do you think they stopped and asked each other what their party affiliation was? Hell no.

The country needs to come together and stop moving further into the fringes.

One party/group  promotes socialism or communism, where's the common ground?

[cuda hunter]

This type of thing will be the cause of the next civil war.....


https://www.nraila.org/articles/20191125/bloomberg-bought-virginia-legislators-introduce-confiscatory-gun-ban

Truth.  that WILL start what we don't want. 

[torredcuda]

I think a big part of the problem is the two sides are getting farther apart on the issues and not willing to compromise.

[cuda hunter]

The other party/group would say the opposition promotes fascism.

We need to stop the us versus them especially if you want to live in a United States. We have had common ground for a majority of our 243 years of existence, just in recent times we have found ourselves quite polarized.

Take the example of serving in the Military. If you have a brother in the trenches with you and fighting an enemy like the Germans in WW2 - do you think they stopped and asked each other what their party affiliation was? Hell no.

The country needs to come together and stop moving further into the fringes.

One party/group  promotes socialism or communism, where's the common ground?

agree.  Unity is what we need. 

[1 Wild R/T]

I think a big part of the problem is the two sides are getting farther apart on the issues and not willing to compromise.

While that may be true the right has continually bent to the will of the other side & currently is further left than the democratic   policies/platform of the 80's.....  While the dems have gone full blown socialist crazy....   If they can't reel back their positions I truly can't see things getting better....

[dodj]

If you think about it logically, it doesn't really make sense that the war was solely over slavery as history books would have you believe today. I simply cannot see so many men from the north willing to sacrifice their lives to fight for the rights of others whom they didn't even treat as equals back then.

That makes a lot of sense.

[70 Challenger Lover]

Personally, I think there is only one way to hit the reset button. Every politician needs to be voted out after a term or two. Whether they are the best politician ever or not. And none of this two terms in one office , then two terms in another office stuff. There should be no such animal as a career politician. Obviously there needs to be a little exception so that experienced people can be allowed to fill higher offices. Most people cringe at that thought claiming the government couldn't function without experienced people running it and I suppose there is a lot of truth to that but 90% of the people in there now are self serving bastards. Nothing is working well now. Throw them all out and reset things. I'd also modify the constitution to not allow for lifelong judge appointments. Those bastards are just as political in some cases and promote their own agenda of how the country should be based on little more than their own beliefs. The whole concept of lobbying should also be stamped out. Essentially whoever has the biggest checkbook gets to own politicians.

I don't see anything getting better anytime soon. Most voters tend to vote for their local district congress members thinking their person is somehow different from the rest but they are all in it for themselves. It's nice to talk about coming together but in reality it's not very realistic. We grow more divided each decade. It may never come to violence but there will come a day, probably in our lifetimes, where hardcore progressives run the whole country top to bottom. If you don't think that's possible, look at the makeup of the state capital in California. Republicans are rare and have zero say in anything. Democrats hold a significant supermajority and have for the past ten years. That is how they are getting huge volumes of progressive legislation passed week after week. There is no balance of power. None.

In my current assignment at work, I get weekly updates on proposed and pending legislation as it is being crafted. We use it to foresee trends so we can stay ahead of upcoming changes. This stuff comes directly from the state with no editorial spin on its value. It is absolutely stunning to see the things that come through. The things that don't get through are usually tweaked and put through again only to later pass in the next legislative cycle. Look again at #2 on the poster image I started this thread with. Abolish police, ice, and the judicial justice system. That is exactly what my state is doing. It's completely dismantling all of that bit by bit. It's not an exaggeration. That process takes time and they are doing it all very strategically.

As an example, up until recently, if you were the driver in a drive by shooting, you could be convicted of murder just like the guy who pulled the trigger. A recent new law changed that and made it retroactive. We have been getting murderers sent back to our local jail so the courts can change their previous and lawful convictions. Today, a guy who helped murder two people during a home robbery was set free because he only helped. The court decided he had served enough time. They don't advertise this kind of stuff because it would piss people off but year after year we are releasing more and more killers, rapists, child molestors, arsonists, burglars, robbers, etc. It's true. I get to see it constantly.

A few months ago, one of our patrol guys detained an illegal from Central America. He had a warrant for murder using a firearm and the abstract said he was a known MS-13 gang member. It also said they would extradite but not from the USA. The guy actually acknowledged it was him. Because our new state laws about ICE, we couldn't arrest and turn him over to them nor could we even notify them of his address. He's living very comfortably in Newbury Park probably getting section 8 housing, food stamps etc. Insane!

When you see the crap behind the curtain, you come to realize that there is no way to work with politicians who think this is acceptable and want more of it. California lawmakers are fanatical in their beliefs and you're kidding yourself if you think these zealots are going to cross the aisle and work together.

[HP_Cuda]

I believe when the current financial system as we know it collapses - we may have a chance to change things.

Although it will probably be very hairy times.