Both sides present themselves as virtuous.
This neither side stuff is the worst form of virtue signaling cope itself... yea we get it, you're so virtuous that you're above the fray and completely free to criticize others whilest being immune to criticism yourself
Historically these posts were from perennial loser Libertarians needing to pat themselves on the back while they disgracefully surrender. Funny to see it spreading to the left-coded because the left historically has had organization be a strong suit... they've finally alienated themselves into a thousand woke pieces and united the right, so are now taking their ball and going home.
My intention is not to present myself as virtuous. My point with the virtuous comment is that this is dangerous due to the fact that both sides believe the other is evil while they are not. Its not that they disagree on some policy positions. I also believe the policies and many of the individuals are truly evil. Voting isn't going to change that.
Typically when people believe their voices are not being heard they resort to violence. Voting in the past worked for better at reducing the conflicts between different groups. That is continuing to break down. It appears to me that it is close to complete failure. The consequences of aren't going to be good. Don't think the genie can be put back in the bottle. So something is going to break. Hopefully the states will break up in a peaceful way. Since 2016 the number of people advocating for "national divorce" has increased. I'd rather see that than a civil war with riots in the streets.
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Just to get calibrated, what is this a picture of?
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Interesting the old Facii
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Memphis? Nashville?
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I'm about as left as Rothbard... You have missed the point entirely. I get why people vote. I'm not criticizing voting. That's not my intention. Just that its not the solution.
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Democracy depends on participation by enough citizens to make it truly representative. Participation at all levels of governance. Not just Presidential elections. Levels of participation at all levels have been dropping except the level of corporate sponsorship and consequent control. Apathy and inaction by a complacent population allows a democracy to slowly die. This is what is happening.
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Every election there are arguments like this that the Major election is irrelevant. I have argued the same. However, I'm voting for Trump and some other Republicans because I don't want anymore fuckery. Sure I should participate more but maybe I'm already serving in another capacity.
This election needs to be so obvious as to the intention of Americans that the elected can not manipulate the results.
We've already given the M5M the middle finger. They have an audience of 300,000, were No Agenda has millions, And Joe Rogan has astronomical numbers internationally.
In Spain and Portugal when I met people who found out I was American they would say, "I like Trump." So the idea that he's not respected over seas is a total lie.
Anyway...
I'm getting no sleep jabbering here. I tip my hat to all participants of this forum.
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Fair enough. I'm not in America but from here in New Zealand there was a recent perspective I thought was interesting although I do not usually agree with the author. The rest of the world does still look to the US as 'the leader' and many outside America feel it is in decline and that China is rising into the void left by that.
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Maybe New Zealand is tired of the 5 eyes money and they are warming up to their neighbor in the Pacific. New Zealand has been quiet as far as we are seeing. No Agenda has a large Australian audience but not New Zealand.
My guess is that New Zealand is getting tired of the hegemony and maybe wants to join South Africa and Brazil in Brics.
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New Zealand is hugely dependent upon China for both getting the best prices for its commodity exports and for the supply of manufactured imports at the best price. NZ is one of the few developed economies to have a fairly balanced trade with China- almost all other western countries operate a trade deficit with China. NZ has the exports China wants (fish, wool, timber, meat, and some education and tourism) and NZ needs the manufactured goods China excels in producing at low cost. Yet almost all countries globally are now more reliant upon China for the well being of their economies than the US- simply because China buys commodities and converts them into manufactured goods more efficiently. Despite NZ being militarily and monetarily very much a tribute state to the US since WW2- 80% of our banking sector is majority owned by US shareholders- we pay a higher ratio of our GDP to US bank shareholders than any other OECD nation, the US has always refused to grant us any free trade agreement. New Zealand signed the first free trade agreement between an OECD nation and China in the early 2000s. That has delivered huge economic benefits- nothing like it has been offered by the US...Trump closed down the Asia Pacific trade deal that was continued without US involvement.
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So maybe NZ will jump on the Brics wagon. It makes sense.
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It will be a divisive process as a majority of NZs law and culture and political heritage is as a western imperial tribute state. There are growing Chinese links but the transition is unlikely to be as easy and smooth as the transition from British Empire to US hegemony was. NZ with its commodity based exports is best trading with countries with a need for those commodities and the ability to provide manufactured goods at a good price. This difficulty of transition from a US empire to Chinese dominance with some variations in character can probably be applied to many other countries like Australia, Canada, the EU, S.Korea and Japan. It is time of vulnerability and uncertainty for not just the US, but also its historical allies.