politics
Politics does not dictate our collective cultural mindset as much as it simply reflects it; We've got to look in the mirror sometimes, and we've got one.
What Is the Best Way a Democracy Can Provide the Nation's Needs?
What is the best way a democracy can provide the nation's needs? How do we get the best out of democracy? The basic requirements that any government should provide for its indigenous people are: security (homeland, civil, and military), housing, education, health care, infrastructure both physical and electronic, and welfare for those in need. We should also add purpose and the opportunity to fulfill ambition.
By Peter Rose6 years ago in The Swamp
Why Should People Pay More?
Every health care system requires a patient, the company that pays for the patient, and a health care provider. Single payer simply means that there would be one payer, the government. People currently have means to get coverage by purchasing a plan from one insurance company, hopefully with coverage for all their major expenses. There isn’t always a need to buy health insurance in today’s market because the government is not always involved with Medicaid. Bernie Sanders-I,VT, in 2017, had introduced a single-payer bill in late September, with 16 Democratic co-sponsors. (Chicago Tribune)
By Iria Vasquez-Paez6 years ago in The Swamp
The Party Swap
There was something very disturbing about seeing Chuck Schumer (the Democratic Senate Minority Leader) and Dick Durbin (also a sitting Democratic Senator) sitting with Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell when I watched the late Sen. McCain’s funeral on Saturday. Especially coming after it was reported on Friday that there was a secret backroom deal that "Charlatan" Chuck cut with "Ug Mug" McConnell behind closed doors to rush through 15 Trump appointed federal judges "so that members could go back home and campaign." That is all while he and other old white male democrats continue to try and squelch the fire and enthusiasm burning in the electorate in revulsion to the GOP and Trump.
By The New Progressives6 years ago in The Swamp
Florida's Gubernatorial Primary Colors
FLORIDA FLORIDA FLORIDA: it’s the ultimate swing state, crazy from the heat of the weather or its own legislative invention, a lawless free-fire zone with guns more abundant than in the wild wild West. And with roughly nine weeks left before the November elections, the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial race is shaping up as the one to watch, thanks to an upset no one thought possible, a racist dog-whistle everyone knew was probably inevitable, and the reliable intrinsic potential for surprise common to a region in the center of the American Venn diagram of race and ethnicity, politics, and the evolving national future.
By Michael Eric Ross6 years ago in The Swamp
Flowers & Thistles
Flowers, Thorns and Thistles—Lessons from 1968 By: Andrew L. Hogue It is a fact in history as well as a promise from biblical scripture that “whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” In taking a retrospective look at the last forty years, this fact becomes more and more evident to me. Reviewing the political wins and losses of each of the two major political parties—the Republicans and the Democrats—I feel it an accurate conclusion to state that this present political climate is one whose beginnings are found not in 2008 but in 1968. I would like to point to some less costly and priceless lessons we ought not to have forgotten from our recent past.
By Drew Lindsey6 years ago in The Swamp
Pulling Rank: Best Strategies for Preventing Gun Tragedies in America Listed From Pick up a Tablet to Lift up the Nation
When shots rang out during a video game conference, the jovial, buoyant atmosphere turned to dread. Yet another shooting had rocked a sector of the United States. The Jacksonville, Florida NFL Madden Championship Series gaming tournament became the scene of carnage. Police sirens blared and officers patrolled the premises as medical professionals carted off the wounded and the dead. What stands as stark is the fact that more and more quotes from people at the scene reverberate about more gun control, mental health for the future perpetrators (the tourney killer took his own life), and the push for politicians to do all of this work.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in The Swamp
Opinion Polls—Are They Sound Advisers for Policy?
Opinion polls—are they sound policy advisers? Why is so much money and attention given to them? Definition of an opinion poll: obtaining the opinion of a selected sample of people regarding a specific subject, and collating the results into a table of opinions.
By Peter Rose6 years ago in The Swamp
Can Federalism Survive?
The ideas introduced though new doctrines can at first seem wonderful, such as federalism. The Founding Fathers’ idea that there could be a document that has a set of guidelines for government to follow along with a separation of a state and federal governments truly seems appetizing. The key word is "seems." Federalism seems great, but there is a structural pitfall, one that has the potential to kill the tantalizing essence of federalism. The structural pitfall is that the federal government trumps the state governments. The states can have their own laws; however, if the federal government makes new legislation, that is the law of the land. It is nearly impossible for states to dispute a federal decision. Today, there is an increase in centralized policy-making in the federal government. This creates a danger for federalism because the centralization of policy is an example of the pitfall discussed before. Centralization of federal policies diminishes the power of state decisions, desires, and determinations which eventually creates a unitary system of government—a concept the Founding Fathers despised considering their revolution against an authoritative king. The eradication of federalism is a reinforcement of executive abuse of power, an elimination of democracy, and an infringement of the Constitution.
By Tasia Kieffer6 years ago in The Swamp