The Dems are still a little better based upon laws they have passed for the people.. What you asked for is great but not in the future.

@Marine The social based laws I agree with.

I contend both sides are extreme, and it's gotten to a point where Democrats no longer care if they associate with violent and disruptive radicals like ANTIFA, and honestly both them and nazis are bad news. Democratic politicians like Maxine Waters and now Hillary Clinton have openly suggested for their supporters to be hostile towards conservatives and harass them in public, how is that any better than what the other side does? Honestly, I'm fed up with both sides, and anybody who insists on taking sides with either may very well be part of the problem. Just saying Mr Tiger...

@SpikeTalon ANTIFA came about as a result of the right wing's acceptance of Nazis and Fascism. It is an indication that a line (of decency in terms of human rights philosophies) was crossed.

If you read the democratic platform, and then go back and read the republican platform brom the Eisen hower era, you'd see that whiel the republicans have gone to far right, the democrats have gone to what use dto be considered the middle right (speakign generally, not in terms of all issues).

I am not completely happy with the democrats, as they too have to deal with the way campaigns are financed and funded, where the rich and corporations have too much influence over both parties and the average voter seldom has a voice. I (generally) view it as the democrats haver half sold out, while the republicans have sold otu completely.

I do usually vote for democrats because on virtually every issue they put people before profits, whiel the replubans on almost every issue put profits before people. It is sad when much of our national policies are decided by what is most profitable to campaign donors rather than in terms of what woudl be best for the people and the country over the long term.

@snytiger6 I would agree with you on the last part of your comment when it comes to the social based issues like equal rights for all and reproductive rights etc, which is why I don't fully respect the Republicans because they are generally against such, but when it comes to economic/financial issues the Republicans fare better. One of the biggest gripes I have with modern day Democrats is that they've become too socialist, I never bought into the group/society as a whole mentality as I value my individuality. Still, I know deep down inside if we don't give other third parties a chance and only keep sticking to the same two, then things by and large in this country won't change much. No reason why a balance could not be reached in this country between economic and social issues, and so far based on what I've seen the Libertarians are the only party trying to reach such a balance.

Regarding the ANTIFA part, I understand for every action there is a reaction, but A has become so radical it appears they are slowly becoming that of which they claim to be against, and extremely intolerent just like they claim the other side is. In all the years I've lived on this planet, I've yet to see where two wrongs make a right, and I'm all for protest as long as you don't infringe on others. There have been numerous documented cases of A organizers trying to shut down what should be free speech events, and acts of vandalism and violence towards any of those of may disagree with them. In recent times I don't see nearly as many of those from the right (with the exception of the looney pro lifers) engaging in such behaviors. In all honesty and not trying to play to your ego or anything, but what you are doing here talking things out with the other side is far more productive than rioting in the streets and risking harm to others. Perhaps some more of those who agree with A should take to social media more and organize online activism instead of what they are currently doing. All I can do at times is sit back and be appalled at what I see from my fellow Americans, and wonder when is it all gonna give?

@SpikeTalon I too like my individuality. However, we all live in a society, whether or not we like the idea of society and group thinking or not. Even as an individual, I have to consider what kind of society i want to live in, and if we dotn' want to live in a society like Somanlia, we need to think of about society at large. (I use Somalia, because they hae small government and virtually no regulation, and pretty much emobodies exactly what most Libertarians say they want, yet none of them actually want to live there).

Also, as i am legally blind, I am well aware that virtually anyone in out society can do everythign right, and through no fault of their own, find themselves virtually unemployable. I survived due to the social safety net provided in our society. One of my cousins had a promisign future until he ws run over by a car and confined to a wheel chair for th erest of his life. My point here is that anyone can fall to the bottom of society, If it were you who fell to the bottom of society, where woudl you want the bottom to ber? It coudl just s esily be your spouse, child or other family member who experiences a fall to the bottom. Where do you wnat them to end up?

When I was young, I was a republican, because I was told they were better with economics. But Reagan/Bush borrowed their way into prosperity with record deficits and national debts. Then Clinton reduced the deficits and actually ran a surplus his last two years in office. Then the next Bush ran up record deficits once again, and the regulatins the relubicans insisted on loosening caused the banking crisis. Obama cme in and reduced the deficits by two thrids and put regulations in place to prevent the bankgin crisis from happenign again. Trump came in and once again we have record deficits and he has undone the regulations Obama put in to stop the banks from misbehaving again.

If you go bakc to the Great Depression, Hoover, a republican, insisted that the free market woudl correct the problems, but every year 1929, 41930, 1931, 1932 and uintil he left office in 1933 things only got worse. FDR came into office, and instead of lookign for shor tterm fixes, he put people to work on projects which literally built the foundations of the infrastructure that enabled the U.S. to eventually become the leading economic power of the world.

I dont' deny that republicans are good for short term profits, but they always seem to lack considerign the long term effects of their actions. Eventually, the U.S. national debt will reach a level where peopel will no longer lond us money, but republicans act liek that will never happen, ever. However at the rate that Trump has increased the national debt (2 Trillion just since taking offfice), it may happen within our lifetimes.

individuality is fine, but ignoring the society in which we live and are a part of, only hurts ourselves.

@snytiger6 I get your point clearly, capitalism hasn't solved all our problems, but in all fairness socialism has only merely patched over said problems and has not offered any more viable a solution than free market capitalism. I contend that if all individuals needs were met, we wouldn't have to worry so much about society as a whole because everyone would be doing good. This is where both major political parties get it wrong. On one hand the Democrats believe in having social safety nets which do not solve the problems in the long run but only patch over them, and on the other hand you have the Republicans who claim to want to give opportunity for all through the free market but they don't keep their word when it actually comes to taking action though, thus resulting in the current situation we all find ourselves in.

When it comes to the healthcare part, I have long resigned myself to the fact that if the day ever comes where I come down with a serious ailment that could kill me and if I don't have enough money saved up, I will surely die plain and simple. Knowing such does not concern me, as I've already witnessed loved ones perish due to not being able to afford/have adequate healthcare coverage, my one aunt in particular being the saddest case. I believe that's part of life no matter how unfair it may be, and people must understand that no one is entitled to healthcare, it is a service that must be paid for just like anything else. We human beings love to deceive ourselves (similar to when it comes to religious based fantasies) and think we are elevated over the other species that share our planet, and I think that's where we as a whole go wrong. We too are an animal, the human animal, and have instincts just like our fellow earthly creatures, and one of the basic instincts we have is survival or as some would call it self preservation. As I said before, if the day ever comes I become deathly ill or critically injured and do not have sufficient funds to cover the costs of care, I will most likely die, and I'm at peace with that because I know deep down inside that life is not fair. I'm sure the progressive Democrats would love for someone like me to die, as their side is the one who appears to constantly talk about reducing carbon footprints among a few other related issues, so my death would help benefit that cause they believe in so deeply. Not trying to be grim there, just an idle thought. I don't have alot of time at the moment so I need to end this comment for now. You asked me an honest question and I tried to give you an honest answer based on how I feel about that issue, and I could certainly go on about the topic if I had more time. Lastly, it takes courage to talk about any personal ailments etc, such as what you mentioned about yourself above, I do hope you are doing okay.

@SpikeTalon Free market capitalism has always needed regulations in order to prevent the excesses which result in a constant boom and bust economy, as experience in the U.S. from the end of the Civil War until the Great Depression, when regulations helped keep the excesses of capitalism in check. Unfortunately, pretty much starting with Reagan, republicans have undone some of the regulations, and the4y want to undo even more. We have already started a bit of a boom and bust pattern in oru economy. At the end of the last Bush administration we almost crashed the world economy.

I think the best economic system wold be a hybrid of socialism and capitalism, ala the Democratic Socialist systems in many countries in Northern Europe. It requires logn term economic planning. As it stand they have a higher average standard of living than we do here in the U.S., free healthcare, free education includign college, and they some have no national debt at all.

You are right we are animals, with instincts, and it is god to keep that in mind. I have said many times on this site that just because humans are capable of rational thought, does not mean that humjkans re rational. We tend to still act enotinally and based on feelings rather than by rational thought.

As animals, humans also evolved in groups and communities and took care of each other. Humans are, to put it bluntly "herd animals". So, the idea of society providign healthcare to those who need it rather than just to those who could afford it , to me, makes sense from the perspective ofour beign animals.

Teh quesion is whether we as animals will ever look at all humans as "people of earth" rand cork towards a common good, rather than keep dividing ourselves into competing factions. The latest UN report on climate change seems to indicate that we are out of time as a species and in about 20 years climate change will go into overdrive and in about 30 years the climate will start to turn hostile to human life. The next great extinction on earth has already started. Theonly question is if humans will survive it, and I'd say it is very doubtful. That doesn't mean it isn't worth working towards that small possibility though.

If one looks at ancient abandoned cities, in virtually almost all cases they were abandoned becaue they destroyed the resources around them and it became too much work to keep them up as livable places. Unfortunately we onlyu have the one planet. We can't move over a couple of valeys as has been general practice when humans had destroyed theri local ecologies.

I just think if humans do make it though it wont' because everyone struck out with the idea of every man for himself. It will be because people work together to get through it and help each other, because as in the historical past of humans, working together in groups is a better survival strategy.

@snytiger6 While I would agree working together in groups would be the way to go, that may not always be practical though depending on the situation at hand. For example, if some natural disaster were to occur close to where I live and many people were negatively impacted, I would gladly work with others to assist those in need, but if things got really bad it's every man for himself then. While a case could be made that humans are herd animals, many of us are content to be on our own, and I suppose that's easy for me to say as I'm introverted by nature.

When it comes to political ideaologies, I don't think humanity will ever reach a balance that satisfies everyone. As with any system capitalism has its downside as well, it's just that with socialism there are too many regulations and socialists are noted to tax tax tax whenever more funding is needed, and that extreme doesn't work either. A mixture would not be as distasteful to me if each individual citizen had more options like if we want to participate in certain programs or not. I understand the ACA helped many people, but equally so many others suffered because of the mandate, and I was one of them. Forcing someone to buy a service or good that they may not be interested in and seek to punish those who do not comply by putting fines on them is no way to run a free country. There is no such thing as free either, the funds have to come from somewhere, someone is paying the price for that "free" healthcare, and healthcare is a service.

I find myself stuck between two extremes, one doesn't believe in oversight and the other is forceful in their approach especially when it comes to taxing citizens. One thing for sure is that life certainly is not dull...