Thank you so much, Kit! My entire community is dedicated to things adjacent to this issue. You should subscribe. Trying to build a community of common-sense minded people who realize that unity is the way to retake power… not anymore radical postions or ‘go-no-contact’ rules.
In all fairness, I am looking through your list of fixes and I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but I am always open for a good, respectful discussion. I think that fixing the problem is more important than 'getting one over' on my opponents (and I’m not entirely sure you’re an opponent at all).
I wrote that 5-fixes piece to have people vote on it.... llooking for a list of things that would cost almost no money... but would restore some type of representation and accountability that matches what we were supposed to have without having to spend the money.
I had previously done a 25 government fix peace where I had N AI tool calculated the 25 changes that would help the most people in the biggest ways.And that was very difficult to write , because the entire time I was writing about things that cost so much money , that it's not really , really so it compelled me to write a piece about what can be fixed for free
I don't blame you on the 25 - Almost as soon as I started writing it , I realized that I was just describing things that may help the most people in the biggest ways but it was not productive in a way…. Because my premise was a little flood from the start… With this government , 25 changes of any kind would take 100 years … that's why indid the follow up.
Loved this. I guess so much of US politics now is $$$. Cap it for fairness so voters get a balanced voice. Get tech to get out of editing voices. I then reckon the US can claw back some of the deficit & regain tribalism.
My only question or comment is— I’ve had conversation before the second t term with republicans who scoff at the concept of the common good. I wonder if it’s even possible. I do hope and thank you for your promising argument. And yes, Kit, it will take more than voting- it will need actionable local every day efforts.
Is a lot more possible than you think… Shocked as the percentage of the Republicans that truly loath Trump… and we will get to see it coming up… This is a very important time for historical change and a reset of sorts… its a great time for people in both parties to demand accountability for the party they vote for… showing both political parties that citizens are More committed to a country than a party…. It would force the hand immediately… crossing the aisle is done by so many citizens everyday and its 110% required for politiciansand we allow annual government shutdows.. and pay them to not work.
The problem is in having a "Party" system, 2 Party is worse, because it is human nature to pick a side. Growing up when we played games sides were picked and you played to win. As grownups we pick sports teams to follow and root for. With a 2 Party system sides became easier for people wanting to profit whether in gaining Power, or buying that Power to manipulate Congress and the Presidency. Now add the Justice system to that manipulation. Who stands to win? Not us regular citizens because what money we can afford to contribute cannot match what these uber wealthy, like Musk, Thiel, etc., can throw at elections. Also it's easier to manipulate uneducated people when you can pay for lies using the News Organizations you bought.
We rid ourselves of the Party System, the antiquated method of Electoral College, go back to limiting what the wealthy people and their Corporations can contribute thus making it more equitable. Get rid of Lobbyists because if the elected official can't do his own research on a matter before Congress then he/she shouldn't be there. Limit maximum age to be in any government position and limits on number of years they can serve. This includes justices.
I think you're putting your finger on the incentive structure underneath almost everything I'm writing about.
We keep treating polarization as though Americans simply woke up one morning and decided to hate each other. But we built a political system that rewards teams, then poured extraordinary amounts of money into making sure those teams remain valuable.
I dont know if eliminating parties alone solves it… But boy , do I understand the reason someone would say that… so did George Washington. Human beings would formcoalitions again five minutes later and give them new names, if I had to bet. Either that or politicians would use words like conservative or liberal or invent new words to wink at people as to what values they have…but commit to chnage 0 of the Structural issues that allow most problems in the first place.
But like i said…point take … I want to use this platform to learn how we build a system where those coalitions have to compete for voters rather than simply terrify their own side into showing up.
That's why I'm increasingly interested in structural reforms: campaign-finance rules, lobbying reform, congressional stock-trading restrictions, competitive districts, election reform, term limits, and reducing the financial incentives surrounding political power.
Because I agree with your larger point: ordinary citizens shouldn't have to outbid billionaires and corporations to have meaningful representation in their own government.
And yes, we've been taken for a ride long enough. The uncomfortable part is admitting that changing who's driving the bus isn't enough. We may need to rebuild parts of the bus.
I am old enough to remember when John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, said to the American people, ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. He could not get elected dog catcher in the DSA-dominated Democrat Party that we are facing today, which I consider to be an enemy within.
I agree with everything you are saying above, with the possible exception of the fact that we can see what happens when money is no longer a valid currency in politics. We elect people who hate America, like the Michigan Senate nominee of the Democrat Party as of yesterday. These people want to rip the Constitution up. They want to defund the military. They want to defund the police. They want to defund the jails. They want to leave Americans vulnerable to domestic and foreign enemies.
This is not my America. We are more likely to go into a civil war than we are to come together at this point. I do not know what the solution to that is other than to get the rational people, who are, I think, 80 percent of the population, together and form a sensible center party that governs with common sense and in the spirit that you so wisely promote. We will either do that, or we will witness the end of the republic, starting on its 250th birthday, sadly.
I agree with more of this than you might expect... Well , maybe you would expect it , I don't know... but i particularly agree with your last point about getting the large number of Americans who don't live at the ideological poles back into the same political conversation... I wish there was a way to convince people that the majority is serious.... like more than double the side of people that are polarized...
You know I have serious disagreements with parts of the DSA agenda... Mainly that plan to dismantle the democracy , and they don't even deny this.... I also have serious disagreements with parts of the MAGA agenda... I thought that this country would at least learn that going.The extreme direction , either way is always trouble.
Disagreeing about what America should become isn't necessarily evidence that someone hates America... it sure doesn't bode well for how they feeli about democracy... Often they're working from radically different definitions of what protecting America means.
And that's where this becomes dangerous.
Each radical side increasingly believes the other isn't merely wrong... but illegitimate
.. That’s dangerous and fundamentally un-American. Once people convinced themselves of that, almost anything becomes defensible because you're no longer defeating a political opponent. You're saving the country from an enemy.
That's the trap.
Your JFK quote actually gets closer to what I think we've lost: citizenship as an obligation rather than politics as a consumer product designed to give us exactly what our tribe wants.
And I share your concern about ideological candidates winning primaries. Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan yesterday is certainly evidence that the progressive wing has real electoral strength. But I still die , think they could wouldn't a national election
Because if there's going to be a coalition of reasonable Americans capable of preserving this republic, it can't begin by requiring everyone to agree on who the internal enemy is.
It has to begin with something much harder:
You can be profoundly wrong about America and still be an American worth arguing with.
Regarding the DSA, all you have to do is read their platform and read their candidates' social media posts, especially the ones they have deleted, because that is the tell. They openly reach out to our enemies abroad and volunteer to work with them to bring down what they call the empire from what they call the belly of the beast. These people hate the United States of America. They are bound and determined to destroy it from within and leave us defenseless against our foreign enemies. I do not really have any problem anymore, at least, with the mainstream Democrats who talk about stuff like Medicare for all. We are probably going to end up with that one way or the other, frankly, but when you talk about abolishing the Senate, when you talk about abolishing the borders, when you talk about abolishing the military, when you talk about abolishing the police, when you talk about abolishing the prisons, I consider you to be a clear and present danger to the republic. I will do anything and everything necessary to fight that until my last dying breath.
Insightful. I am an Oklahoman. I lived through the Murrah bombing and witnessed the catastrophe response you reference. I’m a retired business owner and among my many titles I touted myself as a political consultant. I analyzed data and translated comma delimited files into hands on street data t
Now this is refreshing. Specifically the call for people to stop being lazy folks who think that yelling on X and voting is enough.
Thank you so much, Kit! My entire community is dedicated to things adjacent to this issue. You should subscribe. Trying to build a community of common-sense minded people who realize that unity is the way to retake power… not anymore radical postions or ‘go-no-contact’ rules.
In all fairness, I am looking through your list of fixes and I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but I am always open for a good, respectful discussion. I think that fixing the problem is more important than 'getting one over' on my opponents (and I’m not entirely sure you’re an opponent at all).
I wrote that 5-fixes piece to have people vote on it.... llooking for a list of things that would cost almost no money... but would restore some type of representation and accountability that matches what we were supposed to have without having to spend the money.
I had previously done a 25 government fix peace where I had N AI tool calculated the 25 changes that would help the most people in the biggest ways.And that was very difficult to write , because the entire time I was writing about things that cost so much money , that it's not really , really so it compelled me to write a piece about what can be fixed for free
I hadn't seen the 5 item list, I was talking about the 25. But I will check that one out too!!
I don't blame you on the 25 - Almost as soon as I started writing it , I realized that I was just describing things that may help the most people in the biggest ways but it was not productive in a way…. Because my premise was a little flood from the start… With this government , 25 changes of any kind would take 100 years … that's why indid the follow up.
https://uncomfortable.rxansmithmedia.com/p/you-dont-have-a-party-you-have-a
Loved this. I guess so much of US politics now is $$$. Cap it for fairness so voters get a balanced voice. Get tech to get out of editing voices. I then reckon the US can claw back some of the deficit & regain tribalism.
I think , could you nail on the head….
My only question or comment is— I’ve had conversation before the second t term with republicans who scoff at the concept of the common good. I wonder if it’s even possible. I do hope and thank you for your promising argument. And yes, Kit, it will take more than voting- it will need actionable local every day efforts.
Is a lot more possible than you think… Shocked as the percentage of the Republicans that truly loath Trump… and we will get to see it coming up… This is a very important time for historical change and a reset of sorts… its a great time for people in both parties to demand accountability for the party they vote for… showing both political parties that citizens are More committed to a country than a party…. It would force the hand immediately… crossing the aisle is done by so many citizens everyday and its 110% required for politiciansand we allow annual government shutdows.. and pay them to not work.
The problem is in having a "Party" system, 2 Party is worse, because it is human nature to pick a side. Growing up when we played games sides were picked and you played to win. As grownups we pick sports teams to follow and root for. With a 2 Party system sides became easier for people wanting to profit whether in gaining Power, or buying that Power to manipulate Congress and the Presidency. Now add the Justice system to that manipulation. Who stands to win? Not us regular citizens because what money we can afford to contribute cannot match what these uber wealthy, like Musk, Thiel, etc., can throw at elections. Also it's easier to manipulate uneducated people when you can pay for lies using the News Organizations you bought.
We rid ourselves of the Party System, the antiquated method of Electoral College, go back to limiting what the wealthy people and their Corporations can contribute thus making it more equitable. Get rid of Lobbyists because if the elected official can't do his own research on a matter before Congress then he/she shouldn't be there. Limit maximum age to be in any government position and limits on number of years they can serve. This includes justices.
Haven't we been taken for a ride long enough?
I think you're putting your finger on the incentive structure underneath almost everything I'm writing about.
We keep treating polarization as though Americans simply woke up one morning and decided to hate each other. But we built a political system that rewards teams, then poured extraordinary amounts of money into making sure those teams remain valuable.
I dont know if eliminating parties alone solves it… But boy , do I understand the reason someone would say that… so did George Washington. Human beings would formcoalitions again five minutes later and give them new names, if I had to bet. Either that or politicians would use words like conservative or liberal or invent new words to wink at people as to what values they have…but commit to chnage 0 of the Structural issues that allow most problems in the first place.
But like i said…point take … I want to use this platform to learn how we build a system where those coalitions have to compete for voters rather than simply terrify their own side into showing up.
That's why I'm increasingly interested in structural reforms: campaign-finance rules, lobbying reform, congressional stock-trading restrictions, competitive districts, election reform, term limits, and reducing the financial incentives surrounding political power.
Because I agree with your larger point: ordinary citizens shouldn't have to outbid billionaires and corporations to have meaningful representation in their own government.
And yes, we've been taken for a ride long enough. The uncomfortable part is admitting that changing who's driving the bus isn't enough. We may need to rebuild parts of the bus.
I am old enough to remember when John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, said to the American people, ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. He could not get elected dog catcher in the DSA-dominated Democrat Party that we are facing today, which I consider to be an enemy within.
I agree with everything you are saying above, with the possible exception of the fact that we can see what happens when money is no longer a valid currency in politics. We elect people who hate America, like the Michigan Senate nominee of the Democrat Party as of yesterday. These people want to rip the Constitution up. They want to defund the military. They want to defund the police. They want to defund the jails. They want to leave Americans vulnerable to domestic and foreign enemies.
This is not my America. We are more likely to go into a civil war than we are to come together at this point. I do not know what the solution to that is other than to get the rational people, who are, I think, 80 percent of the population, together and form a sensible center party that governs with common sense and in the spirit that you so wisely promote. We will either do that, or we will witness the end of the republic, starting on its 250th birthday, sadly.
I agree with more of this than you might expect... Well , maybe you would expect it , I don't know... but i particularly agree with your last point about getting the large number of Americans who don't live at the ideological poles back into the same political conversation... I wish there was a way to convince people that the majority is serious.... like more than double the side of people that are polarized...
You know I have serious disagreements with parts of the DSA agenda... Mainly that plan to dismantle the democracy , and they don't even deny this.... I also have serious disagreements with parts of the MAGA agenda... I thought that this country would at least learn that going.The extreme direction , either way is always trouble.
Disagreeing about what America should become isn't necessarily evidence that someone hates America... it sure doesn't bode well for how they feeli about democracy... Often they're working from radically different definitions of what protecting America means.
And that's where this becomes dangerous.
Each radical side increasingly believes the other isn't merely wrong... but illegitimate
.. That’s dangerous and fundamentally un-American. Once people convinced themselves of that, almost anything becomes defensible because you're no longer defeating a political opponent. You're saving the country from an enemy.
That's the trap.
Your JFK quote actually gets closer to what I think we've lost: citizenship as an obligation rather than politics as a consumer product designed to give us exactly what our tribe wants.
And I share your concern about ideological candidates winning primaries. Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan yesterday is certainly evidence that the progressive wing has real electoral strength. But I still die , think they could wouldn't a national election
Because if there's going to be a coalition of reasonable Americans capable of preserving this republic, it can't begin by requiring everyone to agree on who the internal enemy is.
It has to begin with something much harder:
You can be profoundly wrong about America and still be an American worth arguing with.
Regarding the DSA, all you have to do is read their platform and read their candidates' social media posts, especially the ones they have deleted, because that is the tell. They openly reach out to our enemies abroad and volunteer to work with them to bring down what they call the empire from what they call the belly of the beast. These people hate the United States of America. They are bound and determined to destroy it from within and leave us defenseless against our foreign enemies. I do not really have any problem anymore, at least, with the mainstream Democrats who talk about stuff like Medicare for all. We are probably going to end up with that one way or the other, frankly, but when you talk about abolishing the Senate, when you talk about abolishing the borders, when you talk about abolishing the military, when you talk about abolishing the police, when you talk about abolishing the prisons, I consider you to be a clear and present danger to the republic. I will do anything and everything necessary to fight that until my last dying breath.
Insightful. I am an Oklahoman. I lived through the Murrah bombing and witnessed the catastrophe response you reference. I’m a retired business owner and among my many titles I touted myself as a political consultant. I analyzed data and translated comma delimited files into hands on street data t
November will break us or make us