Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You should be aware that it is considered poor manners to discuss politics in public. That's why there are so many people on the internet discussing it I guess.
American politics are not difficult to understand after a bit of reading. What is difficult to understand are peoples opinions of said politics. If you ever get to the point of wanting to bash your head against the wall, just turn everything off and go for a walk. Then you'll understand American politics.
I hold my hands up and admit I know NOTHING about american politics. Sure I know who some of the presidents were but when I read some of the topics here I just think 'what the hell are they all talking about?'
There was always enough of a mess going on in the UK/Europe to hold my attention when I was there and I never really had any American friends to discuss the merits of Republicans over Democrats ( or the other way around !!)
I am not looking for some serious lectures on how I should have been more aware of the super power etc etc I know all that. i just didn't.....
However, I am moving to the US and feel I should at least try to get a basic understanding..... so my question is where should I be looking..... just googled American Politics and my god its all a bit complicated !!
Is there an idiots guide so I don't fall asleep during my first dinner party ??
Also which newspapers are less biased ?? Looking at some of the websites that come up its hard to tell if they are factual or creative journalism....
It's very simple. Since we allow unrestricted financial corruption of our political process by corporations, unions and billionaires, there are precious few decent and respectable political figures active in American politics. Most are the sleaziest of the sleazy marking time in office while shamelessly doing their corporate master's bidding by screwing the public with made to order stealth legislative loopholes and Ninja regulatory exemptions buried deep inside unread bills often passed in the middle of the night or late on Friday afternoon so the Sunday talk shows don't have time to cover them (it's called spiking). The reward they are certain to receive from the hand of their corporate friends when they finally get voted out of office for repeatedly sticking it to their constituents is well advertised by the treatment received by those tossed out before them. Generally this reward takes the form of a multi-million dollar thank you job as a lobbyist or a board seat. Some have even so sullied their reputation and alienated themselves from their supporters as to not even bother running for reelection, but it doesn't matter to them because holding public office is now a means to an end and no longer a reward of its own.
This situations continues to get progressively worse each election cycle because a large slice of the voting population here in the States are drooling morons whose only opinion is that which they have been told it is by the all-knowing fuzzy blue light located directly opposite their living room butt rack. Further complicating matters are the innumerable front groups that continue to grow at an exponential rate and obscure not only the source of their funding but their true motives as well. Those financing the front groups know the drooling morons will never make the effort to find out who is really behind the issue ads and the compliant corporate press will never out them. The same drooling morons are easily lulled into submission with food stamp cards, refundable tax credits, pre-paid cell phones and promises of free health insurance. For some people the prospect of bankrupting future generations is of little consequence.
Enter the Tea Party movement. Though many have tried to co-opt it, the movement still isn't funded or controlled by any person, party or organization. It is literally ordinary people with home-made protest signs showing up at public buildings and parks to object to the corruption and overreaching of the federal government. Obviously this doesn't sit well with the existing corporate puppeteers and back-room dealers since there is no organization to co-opt or buy off. Hopefully the Tea Party movement will continue to thrive since I see little hope for actual change from within the DC culture of corruption given the enormous amounts of money involved.
[quote=WillynillyTalc;16254948]You should be aware that it is considered poor manners to discuss politics in public. That's why there are so many people on the internet discussing it I guess.
REALLY !! wow.... Ok I have to remember that.....in the UK I've been to many dinners where someone says something 'sweeping' and it becomes a full on political debate. Nothing to loose friends over but it keeps things interesting so I quite enjoy it....
We also have some American friends here in Singapore we have great debates with over American / British stance in the various situations worldwide.... I guess it depends on who you invite over..... Its much more fun with an international group and you get into the whole "yeah but your country did this" discussion..... My husband - who is Swiss clears the table and gets it in the neck for being neutral....
You should be aware that it is considered poor manners to discuss politics in public. That's why there are so many people on the internet discussing it I guess.
REALLY !! wow.... Ok I have to remember that.....in the UK I've been to many dinners where someone says something 'sweeping' and it becomes a full on political debate. Nothing to loose friends over but it keeps things interesting so I quite enjoy it....
We also have some American friends here in Singapore we have great debates with over American / British stance in the various situations worldwide.... I guess it depends on who you invite over..... Its much more fun with an international group and you get into the whole "yeah but your country did this" discussion..... My husband - who is Swiss clears the table and gets it in the neck for being neutral....
It isn't that it's always impolite to talk politics (and religion)--it's impolite if you don't know people well, and don't know if they're comfortable with it. We talk politics with friends all the time--some that we agree with and some that we don't, but it's a group where we can have a vigorous debate, but we still listen vs. attack each other. If you're in a better educated (like a university) community, or a little more sophisticated area with an eclectic or international circle of friends, it should be just fine. The problem is that for some people, the discussions tend to get heated and very personal here--they think that if you disagree with their position, you're attacking them as an individual--that's why you don't bring the topics up with strangers, or people you don't know fairly well. I'm an American who's lived overseas--my take is that we tend to get pretty passionate and personal about lots of issues here, compared to many other places. It has its pros and cons, but at least it's never boring. We take politics very seriously. .
I agree with Sid 2001 that Wikipedia is a good source, except I have never thought of it as a communist thing. They are a great source of definitions and always provide their source of information and links to related pages. Of course this dose not include the edit section as it is done by average people that have comment.
You may start looking at the political parties of the US. Wikipedia has a vast listing of parties their core beliefs and positions. You may find one that fits your personality.
You may also want to set up a twitter account and instead of posting on it follow news sources like NBC, Fox, CNN ect ect. Then you can get a more round personal view of the reports and make your own decision.
Don't ever feel that just because you don't agree with someone that you should shy away from your position. Politics boils down to ones own ideas and thought it's your right to have a thought listen to the other side and if your wrong be honest with yourself. You may not always be the smartest most informed person but your never the dumbest.
I would ask that what ever position you take Conservative or Liberal that when you share your idea you don't make a short aggressive opening statement that insults others intelligence. We see allot of that on the boards and it more harms their own cause then helps. Nothing worse then becoming a belligerent hater with no standing.
Wiki is put together by who? Anyone who wants to create or add to a topic. Some of it is so mysterious I can't believe it. If you want a general stepping stone Wiki is a good start.
There are more than two political affiliations one can associate with but you gave a great liberal POV.
The one document you should begin with, since it is what this nation is suppose to be based upon, is the US Constitution.
It is not a long document, and can be easily read in about an hour. It is also well organized. Article I explains about the Legislative Branch (Congress); Article II details the powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch; Article III outlines the responsibilities of the Judiciary; Article IV covers the States; Article V includes instructions on how to make changes; and Article VI explains the authority the document has over all other laws ("Supremacy Clause"). Everything else are the amendments to the document in accordance with Article V.
Without a basic understanding of the US Constitution and its contents, there is no hope in understanding American politics.
I hold my hands up and admit I know NOTHING about american politics. Sure I know who some of the presidents were but when I read some of the topics here I just think 'what the hell are they all talking about?'
There was always enough of a mess going on in the UK/Europe to hold my attention when I was there and I never really had any American friends to discuss the merits of Republicans over Democrats ( or the other way around !!)
I am not looking for some serious lectures on how I should have been more aware of the super power etc etc I know all that. i just didn't.....
However, I am moving to the US and feel I should at least try to get a basic understanding..... so my question is where should I be looking..... just googled American Politics and my god its all a bit complicated !!
Is there an idiots guide so I don't fall asleep during my first dinner party ??
Also which newspapers are less biased ?? Looking at some of the websites that come up its hard to tell if they are factual or creative journalism....
instead of driving your self nuts over trying to figure out american politics, you would better serve yourself by looking at your political views on any subject. then start by listening to the conversation of others, to get a feel for what they believe, and then join in the conversation. it really is that simple.
instead of driving your self nuts over trying to figure out american politics, you would better serve yourself by looking at your political views on any subject. then start by listening to the conversation of others, to get a feel for what they believe, and then join in the conversation. it really is that simple.
Good post. I'll add if you believe in republican or tea party policy of smaller government just realize with the current administration if you disagree with Obama you will be called every nasty name in the book. Don't let it phase you. It's their big defense. Imagine going into court with an attorney and the opposing attorneys only defense is to call you names. Same with current politics.
I hold my hands up and admit I know NOTHING about american politics. Sure I know who some of the presidents were but when I read some of the topics here I just think 'what the hell are they all talking about?'
There was always enough of a mess going on in the UK/Europe to hold my attention when I was there and I never really had any American friends to discuss the merits of Republicans over Democrats ( or the other way around !!)
I am not looking for some serious lectures on how I should have been more aware of the super power etc etc I know all that. i just didn't.....
However, I am moving to the US and feel I should at least try to get a basic understanding..... so my question is where should I be looking..... just googled American Politics and my god its all a bit complicated !!
Is there an idiots guide so I don't fall asleep during my first dinner party ??
Also which newspapers are less biased ?? Looking at some of the websites that come up its hard to tell if they are factual or creative journalism....
Don't worry, as 90% of the American electorate have no clue about the real facts regarding politics.
If you are familiar with the meaning of phrases like "snakeoil salesmen", and "dog and pony show", you can apply those directly to American politics as a good foundation. Then, it's a simple matter of understanding poitical slang and the real meaning to fill in the rest of the blanks.
Lobbying=act of issuing bribes for favors
Lobbyist=bribe giver
Congressman=bribe taking snakeoil salesman
Democrat=Left wing Marxist-communist who hates the US Constitution
Republican=Left wing Fascist pretending to love the Constitution and oppose the democrat communists, but are actually just controlled opposition that panders to the segment of the population not totally brain dead, but apparently not smart enough to see how they are played like pianos.
Tea Party=the few Republicans that not only claim to love the constitution, but sometimes even vote as if ty do. But since there are only a enough of them to fill a VW beettle , they too could be phony opposition, since the party ignores them, as do most of the American sheeple who have been trained to reject freedom and liberty.
You see, it is really not complex at all .... it is the games and the deceptions that make it appear complicated.
Is all about who can spin words better. Take the current situation and a simple word "lie".
"If you like your insurance you can keep your insurance" said at least 24 times. When an old video was shown where Obama said that people would lose their insurance it's called lying.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie
A lie is a false statement to a person or group made by another person or group who knows it is not the whole truth, intentionally.
When a politician is caught you get to see the word redefined by every commentator.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
