Posted on May 7, 2016
SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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I believe that the party system has our political "leaders" to involved in party interests to be able to see what is best for Americans.
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Responses: 14
COL Jon Thompson
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Until all Americans educate themselves and take their responsibilities as citizens seriously, nothing will really change. It is shameful when less than 50% of eligible Americans exercise the right and responsibility to vote. Many of those who do are not intelligently doing it. We know more about the Kardashians than we do about the issues facing our Nation.
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PO1 Tony Holland
PO1 Tony Holland
>1 y
Fortunately not all of us are fixated on the Kartrashians and their ilk. I personally serve as a poll worker whenever possible.
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Sgt Ammunition Technician
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The debate rules and ballot access virtually eliminate everyone but democrats and republicans. If that is fixed, everything else gets better
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A1C Jeff D.
A1C Jeff D.
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Well said, you beat me to the punch.
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CPT John Sheridan
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It's a complex issue, but I don't think that the parties are the actual issue. Looking around the world the only countries that don't have political parties are either monarchies under despotic rule or very small. Even a few of those, while they say they ban political parties, they have functional equivalents.

Political parties are alliances, ways to make common cause, to negotiate compromises, and maintain orderly governance. Dysfunction in our parties is merely a symptom, not a cause. To fix it, I think we need to get at the underlying causes. Where I think they are? Too numerous to address in a comment. But, here's a few ideas: require politicians to abide by the same laws and ethics that all other public employees must regarding gifts and conflict of interest; eliminate the structural advantages that the two parties have enshrined into law placing third parties at great disadvantage; disallow all fund raising by office holders during legislative sessions and such (they must actually go to work).
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SSG Daniel Deiler
SSG Daniel Deiler
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I highly disagree sir. Political parities have CREATED divisiveness in this nation. It has turned into a "us vs. them" mentality in that a person reacts emotionally based upon their inherited or learned conservatism/liberalism plain and simple.
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CPT John Sheridan
CPT John Sheridan
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SSG Daniel Deiler - I respect that point of view. Especially when you consider how the Democratic-Republican parties have created laws to lock out third parties. Anti-fusion laws, which prevent candidates from seeking the nomination of more than one party or parties from alligning and barriers to ballot access for third parties create a false linear binary system. Both parties in the US cooperate with each other to keep third parties from becoming viable. They also cooperate in the systems of Gerrymandering that essentially disenfranchise voters.

If we didn't have the legally protected oligopoly of two, both parties would have to be responsive to the electorate.
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SSgt Christopher Brose
SSgt Christopher Brose
>1 y
SSG Daniel Deiler Most of my family is liberal, I am conservative. How did I inherit or learn my conservatism?

CPT John Sheridan is absolutely right, parties by themselves are not the problem. Two particular parties have contributed heavily to the dysfunction, but it's hard to blame parties in general for problems if many parties can't even get a seat at the table.
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Is there a way to fix the current political party system?
LTC Chief Of Public Affairs And Protocol
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Get rid of them ALL!!!!!!
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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Good answer!
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CPT Jack Durish
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Edited >1 y ago
Absolutely. We the People can fix it any time we want to. However, it seems that we don't really want to. If we had an honest Fourth Estate that kept us apprised of what was going on, we might be more apt to do something. However, we've been lulled into acceptance through the constant drone of lies and other political correctness.
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SPC Andrew Griffin
SPC Andrew Griffin
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Well said! What do you mean by a Fourth Estate?
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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SPC Andrew Griffin
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Yes! 2 Chronicles 7:14King James Version (KJV)

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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There is never a bad time for scripture. Thank you for that.
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MSgt Aaron Brite
MSgt Aaron Brite
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So would this work for a democratic nation recognizing the legitimacy of ALL religions practiced by it's citizens? Or is the intent that the nation as a whole subject itself to one religion and thus is just another tool to ensure theocratic or near theocratic government?
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CPL Ricky Vasquez
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No.
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SSG Dennis Grossmann
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Set term limits for both houses. Maybe set up the SCOTUS as an elected position. With terms lasting 4-6 years.
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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I agree
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SSG Daniel Deiler
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Absolutely. Do away with party's altogether. All they do is cause division in our country due to all the big money involved. A candidate should NEVER be a career politician and a candidate should be able to run and administer his or her elected position based upon their constituents voices; NOT THOSE OF LOBBYISTS AND BIG MONEY.
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Maj John Bell
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Yes
1) No withholding of income tax. On tax day you go to the county courthouse and pay your taxes in $1 bills that you have to count out personally.
2) Voting takes place the next day.
3) The offices are actually filled by lottery, the voting is how many years the outgoing office holder should spend in prison at hard labor.
4) All laws and regulations have an expiration date. Whether or not they continue to be in effect after the expiration date is determined by the voters, not the knuckleheads.
5) If any law or regulation is to become permanent it must go through the same process as a Constitutional amendment.
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A1C Jeff D.
A1C Jeff D.
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6) Lawmakers are not exempt from any law.
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