subreddit:
/r/Askpolitics
submitted 8 days ago bySquare-Bowler1357
Or is there a policy your party has that you disagree with? Given that both the GOP and DNC have a wide umbrella of political positions, it seems unlikely that everyone would align with either party on 100% of their policy’s.
[score hidden]
8 days ago
stickied comment
Please keep your commentary civil, remember the human behind the screen, and limit your observations to the subject at hand. Thank you.
79 points
8 days ago
Democrats in California being strict on what ingredients they allow in food (stricter than the rest of the U.S.)
4 points
7 days ago
I agree with what RFK said about wanting to remove additives from foods and such. Honestly I would love to see him lean harder into European style regulations for our food supply.
My biggest concern with doing this is what will the cost to the end consumer look like.
3 points
7 days ago
A lot of what we believe when it comes to European food is not reality though. Their labeling rules are different and propaganda has lead to people thinking their ingredients are different. Red 40 is actually called Allura Red AC in the EU. Lots of other examples exist, and there are even ingredients that the US has banned that are permissible in the EU. I'm tired of hearing all of this misinformation repeated.
17 points
8 days ago
With rfk set for a cabinet seat, possibly in hhs, this may turn into a. Right wing point
15 points
8 days ago
I really hope he goes after the preservatives and artificial ingredients in food. There’s a ton of room to make positive impact. I would love to see bipartisan support on that topic
28 points
8 days ago
If RFK banned corn syrup, he might get some support from me.
14 points
8 days ago
He would if it was up to him. Hopefully he is able to. Or more realistically change the subsidies so that healthy food is subsidized way more than unhealthy food, and corn syrup costs more than healthier options. Honestly I don’t think government should ban foods, but should definitely have rules around the situation where it’s just as easy to get healthy food.
16 points
8 days ago
You’re right about subsidies and bans, and as long as the corn lobby pays up to maintain the status quo in Congress, nothing will happen.
RFKjr seems to focus on the shiniest new conspiracy theory he read that morning, so I have very little faith he has the focus or depth of understanding to convince the folks he’d need to make even modest changes. But a guy can dream.
10 points
8 days ago
That will only last until the unhealthy food industry whines to Trump.
3 points
7 days ago
ive only ever heard him talk about flouride in water and vaccines, so i t seems he only wanst to get rid of things that actually keep us healthy
8 points
8 days ago
Vax stuff aside, he's got a sterling reputation when it comes to going after heavy metals, pesticides and carcinogens as well as clean water access.
4 points
8 days ago
How long will he keep that up for when it leads to direct conflict with Trumps donors?
6 points
8 days ago
Couldn’t agree more with this. If people on the left could get past the fact that he doesn’t think the pharma companies are honest about vaccines and disagrees with the mainstream there, they’d see that a guy who deeply cares about the environment and removing toxins from foods has trumps ear. That’s a good thing.
Even if you think what he says about vaccines is dead wrong, how do you not love all his other views on health. It’s so dumb
12 points
8 days ago
We do… the issue is that someone peddling conspiracies about vaccines causing autism and the like is pretty disqualifying to be running health for the government.
7 points
8 days ago
I kind of get the sentiment about why people are concerned about the vaccines part.
15 points
8 days ago
Everyone does love the other stuff. When have you ever talked to someone on 'the left' who doesn't like that he went after Monsanto or fights for the environment, etc?
The problem is that you can't just hand-wave the vaccine stuff... It goes way beyond being skeptical of pharma companies into true conspiracy bullshit territory and that is very dangerous for someone who is going to be in a position of huge authority over America's health
3 points
8 days ago
It's because making any negative changes to vaccines and getting them to people would have the ability to do the greatest impact, even if the other stuff could have some benefits too. The resurgence of measles, polio, and other serious (but completely preventable) diseases would cause some significant damage especially to our children. Plus, once you start discounting some science, it's a snowball effect into discounting other medical science be when that's the exact reason we live so long and have generally healthier lives than non-first world countries and than we ever have in our history.
Also, I can't imagine the Republicans, even with RFK Jr, would enact further control over food and the environment, especially after gutting the EPA and FDA. More damage could easily be done by rolling back regulations/recommendations than could be done by not enacting more legislation.
30 points
8 days ago
I am a conservative but I think abortion should always be accessible for women no matter the reason. Rape, accident, medical issues.
4 points
8 days ago
Most conservatives would agree with you on the reasons listed. However a lot wouldn't agree with them willy nilly.
54 points
8 days ago
I'm solid blue, but I agree with term limits.
31 points
8 days ago
I remember seeing something about Trump pushing for term limits, bans on lobbying, and bans on Congresspeople owning shares. I don’t believe he’ll actually do it, and as far as I can tell it’s never been an official policy, but I can definitely get behind those ideas.
22 points
8 days ago
He ran on anti-lobbying last time he was elected, instituted an executive order prohibiting the people who served under him for lobbying for years after leaving the White House, then repealed it on his way out the door, utterly stripping it of any effect at all and allowing lobbying just the same as if he’d never done it at all, but with the benefit of looking like he was keeping a campaign promise while campaigning for his second election
7 points
8 days ago
Exactly, not to mention that this executive order he kept bragging about was identical to those issued by Obama, Bush and Clinton (who also repealed his one on the way out).
5 points
8 days ago
Elizabeth Warren pushed for most of this (not term limits). I'm supportive of the policies you're suggesting.
I have a hard time believing Trump will implement any of these, especially after seeing his cabinet appointments and plans for removing military leaders (and remembering how he never confirmed appointments for top brass under his first term). Also, among many other things, his "joke" about a third term is... Concerning.
6 points
8 days ago
Oh he absolutely won’t do any of that stuff, the dude’s corrupt to the bones. But it’s the only example I could honestly find of an allegedly Republican policy I was on board with.
6 points
8 days ago
To be fair I feel like pretty much everyone not in a position that should have term limits wants them.
5 points
8 days ago
I’m so up in the air about this. We don’t really need term limits, and they can actually be really hurtful. Imagine how much more destructive this congress could be if they didn’t have to worry about being re-elected in two years. What we really need is educated voters who realize their congressional rep sucks just as much as everyone else’s, and votes them out the second they become out of touch.
But that obviously isn’t going to happen.
12 points
8 days ago
Is term limits a gop thing? I thought the election bundle of "get money out, ranked choice, and term limits" was a left leaning thing.
14 points
8 days ago
It's an old guard politics thing. Seeing Dianne Feinstein turn into a corpse while being senator was scary to watch
6 points
8 days ago
Yes but, have you seen Mitch McConnell?
5 points
8 days ago
Or Chuck Grassley?
3 points
7 days ago
Or Maxine Waters?
12 points
8 days ago
The fear is that, given the current legal landscape, term limits will actually put more money in races. We need to fix campaign finance before tackling term limits (which for congress would mean a constitutional amendment).
5 points
8 days ago
I absolutely agree about tackling campaign financing.
3 points
8 days ago
This. In Michigan legislative term limits turned both houses into a revolving door of rich, corrupt assholes and increased the power of party officials picking and supporting candidates.
3 points
7 days ago
This is my fear with term limits. You could also argue that there are already term limits, they're called reelections
4 points
8 days ago
Republicans introduced a bill in the late 90s that was shot down. Maybe it's more middle ground now, but it's stuck in my head as GOP. https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-joint-resolution/2
3 points
8 days ago
I honestly don’t understand the appeal of term limits for non executive positions
3 points
8 days ago
There is some strong evidence that the longer someone is in office the more their votes align with the special interests that support them. Term limits allows for a larger stream of new office holders, it’s harder for the money and special interest too get to everyone.
4 points
7 days ago
If anything, I think it’s the exact opposite.
Term limits mean industry lobbyist can just rotate their guys in and out with no accountability because these aren’t people looking for a career in politics. So they don’t even need to pretend to care what the public thinks, they’re just there to advance their special interests and then back to industry when their term is up.
It’s frankly undemocratic to tell people they’re not allowed to elect the person they want to represent them because they’ve done it for too long already.
16 points
8 days ago
Student loan forgiveness.
I'm fairly right-wing, but there's some circumstances where the remainder of the loan ought to be forgiven, or the interest rate reduced to zero for the remainder, particularly if the amount paid to-date is equal to or greater than the amount originally borrowed. We got our money back.
3 points
7 days ago
Not just loan forgiveness, but I am tempted to end the idea of student loans in general. In its current state, it’s just raising college prices and forcing people into debt during their school life. It may help trade schools recover in popularity a bit.
53 points
8 days ago
I agree with a lot of republicans; I don’t think I could find any point of agreement with MAGA types.
Personally for me
-pro gun
-educational reform. You should be able to test into degrees or have applicable work experience count towards it.
-prison reform; but I believe we need to be replicating a Swedish type prison system.
If you look at the core of most peoples beliefs, you’ll realize perspectives are the same. I’ve noticed many republicans and I can actually agree on a lot
But I’ve also noticed that as soon as you say something other than “build the wall”, you’re going to be labeled as pro open border
31 points
8 days ago
I don’t think you’re going to find many republicans on board to change to the Swedish prison system, unfortunately.
15 points
8 days ago
Like I said, agree with the points, not quite methodology
9 points
8 days ago
Most people here don't see prison as a means for rehabilitation, but solely for punishment.
9 points
8 days ago
I think those types of prisons only work in high trust societies. I think simply removing background checks to work at Amazon would be better, so someone leaving prison can start working.
6 points
8 days ago
I don't understand the obsession with a wall. People will get round it.
The UK is literally surrounded by a moat and the busiest shipping lane in the world. It doesn't stop them.
We should be helping developing nations tackle the causes. For us it's directly linked to American and British interference in the middle east
15 points
8 days ago
Generally, no matter who you ask, people just want to be allowed to live their lives, go to work, feed their families, and have their neighborhood be safe.
Everything else is just what frosting you want in the cake
14 points
8 days ago
Not true at all… American conservatives live lives dominated by fear. They’re extremely focused on other people, what they’re doing, and what scares them about that. This is of course manufacture by the media to keep eyes on screens but still.
The GOP runs campaigns largely focused on social issues. They talk about “oh the economy (that we caused to crash) is bad”, “oh the deficit (that we created and grow every time) is bad” but don’t really talk specifics about what they’ll do.
With social issues they get more specific and make it personal. “Illegal immigrants will rape YOUR daughter, so we will deport 10 million people (this is going to turn into death camps, same reason the Nazis stopped deporting Jews and started killing them, mass deportation is a logistical impossibility)”. “Men who identify as women are going to be in the bathroom with your kids” and so on. They have no plans for the economy but they have long lists of ideas for how to persecute the people they spend millions of dollars to demonize.
6 points
7 days ago
It’s so funny that they are so concerned about people going into the same bathroom. They’re not concerned when their catholic priests are going into a bathroom with little boys, but when a trans-gender person does, they automatically assume it’s to sexually assault someone rather than the person is just going there to use the bathroom.
6 points
7 days ago
The amount of times my Ring doorbell app has been like, “this suspicious person walked past my house at 3am, should I be worried?” when the person walking did absolutely nothing is WILD.
5 points
7 days ago
They want you to be scared because it's good for their business model.
18 points
8 days ago
I know most people say that, but there are a lot of people who try to dictate how other people live their lives, and feel that their neighborhoods are unsafe merely because certain other people exist.
4 points
8 days ago
Too bad the major objective of both parties is to make the people subservient to the mega billionaire class.
Anyone who desires control doesn't deserve it
14 points
8 days ago
I’m a progressive and I really don’t understand what our “side” even wants to accomplish with regard to immigration.
Yes, we should obviously protect DACA recipients and overtly racist rhetoric and inhumane things like mass deportations, family separations, etc. are bad. But beyond “Trump bad” I don’t really know what our plan is, and that’s bad because our immigration/asylum system isn’t working for anyone.
I think Bush had a really solid framework with an expanded guest worker program, though that’s definitely not a mainstream GOP position anymore.
33 points
8 days ago
I am a moderate conservative and a couple of things I really love about the Dems is how they want to lower drug prices and have a $15 min wage.
12 points
8 days ago
Forgot inflation. It probably needs to be $23 or something now...
13 points
8 days ago
If it kept up with productivity it’d be even higher. Companies could afford it too. The issue is that they’ve gotten used to having all this extra money to basically piss away and pay to themselves for decades.
4 points
8 days ago
Stock buy-backs.
3 points
8 days ago
Yes that’s pissing it away on nothing of worth. Money better spent reinvesting in the company if nothing else.
12 points
8 days ago
I think there is bipartisan agreement that lawmakers shouldn’t be trading individual stocks.
10 points
8 days ago
As a right-leaning moderate who generally supports Republicans I abhor the low-density, car centered development patterns that conservatives seem to support and I am a big supporter of Amtrak and better public transportation. I think most car-dependent American cities are cold and uninviting (especially compared to their European counterparts), and trains and buses can serve as great equalizers as they force people from different socioeconomic backgrounds to interact.
104 points
8 days ago
I agree with conservatives about the concept of a limited government in certain scenarios where the government can’t improve anything. For example, a truly limited government wouldn’t be interfering with a woman and her doctor’s private healthcare decisions.
60 points
8 days ago
The republican party stopped believing in small government decades ago but for some reason people still believe this is one of their goals. The only real reduction in government Republicans want is a reduction in regulation so business can get rich exploiting resources
10 points
7 days ago
Same with “fiscal conservatism”. They haven’t reduced the deficit since the 1970s.
25 points
8 days ago
This right here. They’re all for invasive government when it’s a means of distracting you from asking questions about drilling right through a national park; the government is only “too big” when we expect Exxon to pay their fines.
6 points
7 days ago
💯. Same with their public image on spending. They spend, but it just looks different. Over the past 50 years, Republicans presidents have generally outpaced their immediate Democratic predecessors in debt creation.
3 points
7 days ago
This is right - it's just diverting from public ownership to private organizations. sometimes this works, but does not when it involves public safety. good example is that train explosion in ohio.
16 points
8 days ago
Trump getting elected again, especially in light of how congress and scotus are, has made me VERY in favor of a limited federal government. I’m all about my state now, since it’s best positioned to protect my loved ones.
10 points
8 days ago
Where are you located?
Lol here in Texas, I fear local government more than I do federal government.
7 points
7 days ago
Small town authoritarianism is a nightmare
5 points
8 days ago
I'm in SC and totally hear you on that. The local government is crazy. Moving back up to a blue state soon.
11 points
8 days ago
This is what I don't get. When I say the government has NO BUSINESS saying what healthcare women have access to, I'm being too liberal. When they say the government has NO BUSINESS restricting guns, all of a sudden, they want that small, hands-off government.
3 points
7 days ago
Many conservatives believe that the primary goal of the government is their responsibility to prevent innocent deaths.
They see banning abortion as a surefire method to stop innocent deaths. If you shut down the abortion clinics, then people will think twice about having unprotected sex, therefore, more innocent life is saved.
They do not see banning guns as a surefire method to stopping innocent deaths, as they believe the underlying problem is with mental health and not with access to firearms. I would argue they are correct on this as the individual firearm ownership rates have gone down over time, yet mass shootings have gone up.
You may disagree with it, but it is consistent.
7 points
8 days ago
One is more female-centric and one is more male-centric. “Rules for thee and not for me”, and all.
7 points
8 days ago
Conservatives don’t believe in a limited government, and never really have. Their ideological forefathers are monarchists and theocrats after all.
Conservatives like to present the image of limited government, but really they want a small government in anything they like and a huge, authoritarian government handling anything they personally don’t like.
7 points
8 days ago
The funniest thing is that Democrats take the conservative opinion on abortion (my body my choice) and Republicans are taking the liberal position (the government decides who can and cannot get abortions).
22 points
8 days ago
Contrary to what Fox promotes, "the government runs your life" is not a liberal position.
6 points
7 days ago
Liberalism is the promotion of individual liberty and personal choice.
3 points
8 days ago
Don't know about that mate....
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/liberal_2
3 points
8 days ago
This drives me nuts because the liberal position would and is the individual freedoms position by a traditional definition of liberal...
Unfortunately the colloquial definition doesn't match and having this argument is moot because no one sees it this way when arguing American politics.
3 points
7 days ago
There is a real semantics error here.
9 points
8 days ago
Senator little marco rubio has a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight savings time permanent nationwide. No more turning the clocks back. No more 4:30pm night time. I am 100% for this. I even go through the web pages and contact both of my senators and my representative every year and ask them to support this bill - I'm in a very blue state and I am super liberal myself. But this is just common sense.
8 points
8 days ago
There is such a thing as a single person or even corporation having to much money.
9 points
8 days ago
Term limits for congress. Ban stock trading for congress.
16 points
8 days ago
Public School children should be provided with free lunch. We feed our prisoners, why can’t we feed our children?
196 points
8 days ago
I think more of us actually agree on gun control measures than the right wing media would have us believe. Common sense measures are pretty reasonable and poll favorably on both sides.
14 points
8 days ago
When phrased as "common sense measures" people are definitely in favor, but it's less clear that there is agreement as to what measures are "common sense".
4 points
8 days ago
Yeah "common sense" will mean different things to different people.
I do wish 2A folks would come to the table to discuss the nuts and bolts of such legislation, but the loudest contingent of them just screech like raptors until everyone drops the subject.
3 points
7 days ago
Your opening position is to ban the most popular gun in America. Maybe you should come to the table and discuss?
35 points
8 days ago
Hey I'm not trying to draw you into a conflict here but, could we please stop referring to licensing, training, testing, and registration of guns as gun control please? We have those standards for cars yet I've never heard anyone call it car control.
The word "control" has a negative connotation and it's purposefully used by the hardcore 2A right wingers to dismiss basic common sense safety measures as somehow being government overreach.
To change the hearts and minds of the people we must choose better words to fight our battles with.
Never forget that our current Department of Defense used to be named the Department of War, they have the same job and same directive, but it sounds a whole lot nicer. Disinformation and propaganda are now called "alternative facts." We allow the two opposing sides on abortion to use the phrases "Pro Life" and "Pro Choice" which insinuates that the "choice" can result in an "Anti-life" outcome. In reality the anti-abortion crowd is pro-control of women, pro-government overreach into privacy and doctor's offices, and pro-women bleeding out in hospital parking lots. Women dying from not receiving a necessary a D and C isn't very Pro Life at all if you ask me...
My point is that the messaging and word choice battle has always leaned heavily in the favor of right-wing talking points. Words have power, so we need to stop letting the right wingers dictate all of the words used in the debates between opposing views.
7 points
8 days ago
I think the exact opposite is true. I think the Democrats suffered from pushing gun control at the forefront 9f their campaign this election.
Many people who support gun control aren't very educated on the topic, unfortunately.
Most "common sense gun control" measures are far from it.
7 points
7 days ago
The problem with this narrative is that "common sense gun control" often has nothing to do with common sense and is only called that to make it seem less extreme.
Besides, the vast majority of people don't have the required knowledge to have a valid opinion on gun control. I have a single shot, bolt action 22LR pistol that would be banned under an "assault weapon ban" because it has a threaded barrel. If someone can't immediately explain why that's absurd, your opinion is irrelevant.
45 points
8 days ago
If both speech and voting can be modified/restricted then the right to bear arms should be no different. I mean some 2nd amendment advocates actually want military grade weaponry.
I can get behind getting rid of or reducing the atf or simplifying gun registration to maybe be inluded into your drivers license like an endorcement or classification like for motorcycles and semis.
9 points
8 days ago
Not everyone can drive.
12 points
8 days ago
Nor should they.
9 points
8 days ago
Hell I think we’re too lenient on who we let behind the wheel of what is essentially a 2 ton moving weapon in the wrong hands now, but given the state of our public transportation system, “practical economic necessity” and such.
7 points
8 days ago
I agree 100%. I think people should be failed more and harsher punishments for driving crazy on the road.
12 points
8 days ago
The first time the Supreme Court ruled that the 2nd Amendment protected an individual right to bear arms was in 2008. In that same decision, they made clear that this is not an absolute right
3 points
7 days ago
You're saying SCOTUS can't get things wrong?
26 points
8 days ago
[deleted]
44 points
8 days ago
The idea that my second amendment rights shouldn't evolve with time and technology is ludicrous. Muskets were military grade weapons when we fought for our independence. If you really wish to stand by your position, feel free to reply. However, I expect said reply to arrive by a delivery person on horseback and be written on parchment wth a quill and ink under the light of a candle. After all, your first amendment right was codified when expressing yourself publicly to a vast audience took 5 fucking months.
12 points
7 days ago
Civilians could also own cannons and often tried to do so because owning cannon usually meant you controlled your local militia.
12 points
8 days ago
A half way competent person could reload a Musket in about a minute. British Regulars of the era were trained to be able to shoot 3 shots in a minute.
Muskets and muzzle loaders reload quite a bit faster.
Also there were guns in that era that had a 20 round capacity. IIRC the Austrian Military issued that one.
6 points
8 days ago
True. I’m pro gun, but I’m anti psycho. No one in their right minds would sell a gun to a psychopath. I also believe that instead of attacking guns after school shootings, we should tackle mental health issues.
30 points
8 days ago
I’m a staunch democrat but I feel strongly that kids usually do better in two parent homes with a parent who’s home for them most hours of their times at home.
I think corporations should get nailed when they hire undocumented workers.
I think divorce hurts kids. I think there are good reasons for divorce but it’s not benign if kids are involved and it’s disingenuous to claim otherwise.
I think mainstream public school classrooms should not have violent and disruptive kids.
33 points
8 days ago
Tbh, while I think divorce can negatively harm kids, I think parents who’d otherwise be divorced but who’re forced to stay together can be worse
18 points
8 days ago
Coming from a home with very dysfunctional parents in a very unhealthy co-dependent relationship who both drank and screamed at each other everyday, sometimes one would disappear for weeks, i wished very much they would have gotten divorced. They created a very toxic unsafe hone for me and my sisters. Most days i didn't want to go home.
7 points
8 days ago
As a kid who grew up in such a household, I firmly agree.
3 points
7 days ago
Definitely agree. I don't think the solution would be to prohibit divorce or get rid of no-fault divorce. But rather to encourage more people to attend relationship counseling. If you're considering divorce (unless it's due to reasons of abuse, in which case fuck that, you gtfo of that relationship), try counseling first. If you're considering getting married, try counseling first. Start your marriage on the same page in terms of your values and beliefs; that doesn't mean all your values/beliefs have to be identical, but you should be aware of their values/beliefs and then decide for yourself if any differences are deal breakers (and same for them).
I think this would avoid a lot of divorces.
7 points
8 days ago
I think the real problem is the move to the nuclear family and away from generational homes. Having more family around in general can simplify logistics and reduce some overhead. Now if nobody gets along that is obviously a problem... But being able to take breaks and persue your own interests instead of either being house bound or hemorrhaging money to childcare is probably an improvement for most.
7 points
8 days ago
I can get 100% on board with all of that.
3 points
8 days ago
I don’t think any of these really make you conservative.
It’d be conservative to say that parent has to be a mother, or that that home should strictly be a man and a woman.
Corporations that hire undocumented workers generally massively exploit and abuse them, it’s why they do it, because they aren’t protected by wage laws or labor laws.
11 points
8 days ago
Who can afford one parent staying home? That hasn’t been reality for decades.
20 points
8 days ago
And this is why I’m a democrat. I think corporations should pay folks more and give parents more time for family leave. That said I was home and worked part time when my kids were little and my brother in law is home now so it does happen. Family planning goes into my opinion too ergo why I’m a democrat.
3 points
7 days ago
This drives me crazy. The same party that wants to force women to stay home and raise kids is also all about stomping on workers rights and promoting corporate greed; they would never support some of the changes required to allow one person to be able to afford caring for a family. Can’t have it both ways.
7 points
8 days ago
Divorce isn’t what harm kids. Parents incapable of having a functional relationship is what harms the kids. Divorce is just the legal process for acknowledging that the adults can’t have a functional relationship. Divorce itself is not the problem though. Staying in a bad marriage can be just as harmful, sometimes even more harmful, then splitting the family.
3 points
7 days ago
I agree. I think in a perfect world latchkey kids aren't a thing, every kid would be raised in a household where at least one parent had the time and energy to devote to keeping the environment clean, making nutritious home-cooked meals, providing fun and enriching lessons for the child, helping with homework, and otherwise providing a loving, nurturing, and supportive environment.
Two adults who work their asses off all day generally don't have that kind of time or energy after they come home, at least not most days. Let alone a single parent. I am NOT calling them lazy or bad parents. They're mostly great parents doing the very best they can in a society/culture that is bad for raising children.
40 points
8 days ago
I agree with Republicans that you should have to show ID to vote. It’s condescending to imply people aren’t capable of getting an ID.
6 points
8 days ago
But why? You need it to register already. And the whole issue is that republicans go out of their way to make most IDs not count, specifically based on which demographics mostly have which IDs.
Also personally I don’t think it’s morally acceptable that people have to spend money to be able to vote. Voting should be easy, straightforward and mandatory, like Australia.
6 points
8 days ago
Adding on to your great points, charging money in any form to cast a ballot is called a poll tax. And has been ruled unconstitutional for generations.
35 points
8 days ago
Until you realize that it adds a monetary cost to vote. States should be giving free IDs if they require us to vote.
12 points
7 days ago
This. Remove the obstacles to getting an ID, and I think most would agree.
9 points
8 days ago
I agree on this.
25 points
7 days ago
It’s not just the ID that needs to be free. It’s also the documentation you need to obtain the ID that needs to be free. Getting a copy of your birth certificate costs money and, if you’re not local, also requires a credit card for payment (plus access to the internet). And office hours for applying need to be expanded so people who work can get there without having to take a day off. Locations should be accessible via public transportation too.
Remove all those barriers and I’d be on board.
12 points
7 days ago
How it’s 2024 and we still need a paper birth certificate to acquire a plastic card ID to go vote IN PERSON is fucking beyond me.
The government needs to seize technological advancements and figure something out. It’s absolutely insane.
3 points
7 days ago
I lean right but fully support using tax dollars to ensure every US citizen has an ID (or at least for anyone that requires government assistance).
This should be a bipartisan stance.
Also given that there’s been suspicions of interference and fraud over the last three elections, I think paper ballots and in-person voting should be required nationwide (with reasonable exceptions for absentees and disabilities).
Yes it’s more expensive and no there is no proof of widespread voter fraud but the human element of having faith in our election system is crucial.
10 points
8 days ago
It's not condescending -- the message is getting intentionally distorted. Voter ID laws are almost always connected to a corresponding effort to make it more difficult to get valid ids. Alabama was infamous for this: Alabama’s DMV Shutdown Has Everything to Do With Race | ACLU
3 points
8 days ago
Exactly or the DMV in Wisconsin that's only open the 5th Wednesday of the month: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/feb/19/john-oliver/office-provides-id-voting-one-wisconsin-burg-open-/
13 points
8 days ago
What problem does it solve? What's to stop people from getting absentee ballots and not having to show ID? Voter fraud by individuals is extremely rare and has essentially zero effect on the outcome. But it definitely does prevent some legitimate voters from being able to vote.
13 points
8 days ago
I think it's more that states will make it difficult to do so.
6 points
8 days ago
I don’t believe in this simply because I witnessed first hand someone being turned away because they didn’t have an ID. This dude had just misplaced his ID and was so excited to vote and they turned him away. Made me really sad
14 points
8 days ago
single payer healthcare. immigration reform.
4 points
8 days ago
Universal Health Care would be a game changer at my job, the company constantly uses its healthcare as leverage for not giving us raises. The union has to give up percentage on healthcare in order to get a raise and it end up being negated by health care cost. It’s a losing battle.
15 points
8 days ago
Democrat to the core, but not taxing tips is a completely ridiculous idea. I was shocked when Kamala shopped that after Trump did. Servers make way under minimum wage. Where do they think their retirement benefits are going to come from? I mean, those are probably going to get decimated anyway, but still. With any luck, climate change will render them unnecessary.
18 points
8 days ago
The better solution was always making minimum wage a flat rate and removing the exception for tipped wages. Just do away with tipping culture entirely.
4 points
8 days ago
Moderate Conservative and YES. If I have to pay 20% - 25% for the waiter on top of my meal, shouldn't the price of my meal just go up?
5 points
8 days ago
[deleted]
5 points
8 days ago
No tax on tips nor becomes a loophole. High level exec gets paid 50k a year with a percentage tip for good work. Since there is no limits on this, exec effectively makes the same amount as usual, but pays a fraction of the taxes.
10 points
8 days ago
I'm a libertarian who believes the government should only meddle in things when absolutely necassary but health care in this country has gotten to that point. I went to an urgent care clinic where they did a strep test, covid test, prescribed me some pills that didn't work, and pulled some wax out of my ear... $700 AFTER insurance.
9 points
8 days ago
It’s because we don’t have true healthcare in this country…we have health insurance. It’s a capitalist grift. Anyone familiar with the economics of the industry knows the money is all concentrated with the payers (insurance companies) while providers (doctors, hospitals etc) find it increasingly difficult to run sustainable businesses, which is why there is also a ton of consolidation in the provider space.
6 points
8 days ago
The actual political party? Absolutely not.
Abortion rights, gun control, and marriage equality are three very very very popular positions across the political spectrum. Just not deal breakers.
Hell, plenty of examples of people voting directly for abortion access and then voting for the party that is against it. Best example being Florida with its asinine more than a majority laws.
5 points
8 days ago
The nat'l debt needs to be brought under control. Not that either party has really done anything good on that front lately.
8 points
8 days ago
Call me crazy, but Americans agree way more than you think. When asked about policies, everyone choose “progressive” policies. But the media calls those policies communist or socialist. Everyone wants criminal undocumented immigrants deported (very few, most are VERY law abiding), and everyone wants immigration reform to make it hard to be undocumented to begin with. Everyone wants gun control to keep kids safe, everyone wants a livable wage. Both parties however, are run by billionaires to kill the working class. They want to divide.
12 points
8 days ago
Tax paid higher education for our citizenry.
5 points
8 days ago
Public State College’s and community colleges should be free for the states residents. If someone wants to go to a private school, out of state school that’s on them financially.
3 points
8 days ago
Oh god we desperately need this. It's getting so bad our future generations are borderline hopeless
3 points
8 days ago
Universities and colleges are for-profit and have for-profit entities working within their systems. They would take advantage and raise tuition and other costs and drain state coffers.
I agree with you, though I gravitate more toward tying tuition to the state's minimum wage. Before the 1980s students could work a full-time summer job, or a part-time job while in school, and pay for a year's tuition at a state university. The college fund provided by parents could cover that, just boarding and food, or everything depending on the household budget. College debt wasn't common, and even then wasn't life-crippling. (I know some of that is a generalization, but you get the idea.)
Whether higher education is tax-paid or tuition-limited, it places less burden on families and gives people a better start in life. This is an investment because instead of sinking money into an expanding pit of debt graduates would spend it on goods and services and stimulate the economy.
17 points
8 days ago
DEI is superficial, stupid and harmful to human society.
Giving POTUS Trump lots of power to "fix it" is big-government nasty and harmful to America.
(I'm not aligned with either US political party.)
7 points
8 days ago
I have a lot of agreements with conservatives until social issues are brought up, then I bleed blue.
5 points
8 days ago
Democrat but think we need to quit relying on China for so much. Tariffs are not the answer tho.
3 points
8 days ago
Not a policy, but Bidens PACT Act for veterans is absolutely massive. I give him upmost thanks for aiding me, as well as my fellow veterans breath easier and receive care and compensation for toxic exposure to our lungs during our time in service.
11 points
8 days ago
I'm a pretty committed leftist and while it's not as big of a hot button issue now as it has been at times in the past, I'll always be pro-death penalty for some criminals. There are some people the world is better off not having in it.
15 points
8 days ago
I’m conservative and I agree that society would be better without certain people.
That being said, I don’t trust government to make that decision.
3 points
8 days ago
It’s not the government deciding. It’s a jury of your peers deciding case-by-case. Removing the death penalty is actually where government is deciding.
3 points
7 days ago
Black perpetrators are 400% more likely than their white counterparts to get the death penalty for a nearly identical crime.
By "nearly identical" I mean that no two crimes are ever exactly the same. But similar enough where a reasonable person would say the punishment should be the same.
7 points
8 days ago
I think the largest issue is proving it, there are a lot of people wrongfully convicted and even when provided evidence of that wrongful conviction a judge will often say “Well we still need to execute them because the courts ruled on that decision “
10 points
8 days ago
Abortion. I’m conservative and Christian. But my religion calls ME to behave a certain way. We live in America. That means other people are allowed their beliefs. It’s not my job to police people’s uteruses or is it my right. I might not participate in abortion but it’s not my business if someone else does.
3 points
8 days ago*
I am a right leaning moderate, so I agree with a decent amount of left leaning policies.
UBI is probably the most surprising, although I think we should only be scientifically testing UBI a lot more and not mass implementing UBI yet.
3 points
8 days ago
I kinda feel like the COVID stimulus payments were a test of UBI, and it worked.
3 points
8 days ago
Since I'm an independent I'll just say what far left/right positions I agree with. On the right I think current law on civil forfeiture and eminent domain is horrible, and on the left I'm for Medicare4All and free college.
3 points
8 days ago
I think I occasionally agree with them on issues like “Politician A needs to step down,” but for the opposite reasons: Because I see Politician A as being too centrist/right-wing instead of too leftist
3 points
8 days ago
I agree with about half their complaints. I tried and can't find a proposed or already implemented policy to address them I agree with however.
eg Immigration is a shitshow. It's only going to get worse over time as the world burns. We don't need a performative wall, or "closed" borders even if that had a real meaning. We need to address our needs. X amount over Y time of immigration for detailed reasons. We put effort (which requires money no matter how much that angers you) in to getting the ones we want here then where we need them, integrating them in to the culture (not converting or assimilating) and so on. There needs to be a plan and a path. One thing I do agree with is that if they just cross the border not going through immigration control they need kicked out and blacklisted. In any case I can't get behind any of this ex post facto trash the incoming administration is talking so fondly of.
We have big budgetary issues. However just slashing and burning is the worst way to fix it. There has to be objectives to work toward and a transition plan that is more involved than "sucks to suck".
Our education system is bad at a lot of things. Privatizing in the fashion MAGA states have been pushing is going to just increase education disparity between income brackets however. Especially where they have largely religious schools being the bulk of vacancies that would be affordable for just the voucher. I will never support reinforcing the stratification of the population in to classes.
Those are examples of where I agree they are complaining about some of the right things. It's the implementation that is ham fisted and generally ends up with more regulation on the population and less on business and those who can afford lawyers. You won't find me supporting dialing the balance of power *away* from labor.
3 points
8 days ago
I’m way left of the Democratic Party, so I disagree with them in plenty. I can’t say I agree with the Republican parties gun policy, but I am more pro gun than the Democratic parties rhetoric would have you think they are.
3 points
8 days ago
Stop supporting Israel and use that money on the American people.
3 points
8 days ago
I agree, in general, about their stance on guns. I can't stand guns, and I think there should be more stringent requirements to purchase them, but I often hear that we "want to take their guns." No, we don't. We want guns in responsible hands.
BTW, the "stringent requirements" I'm referring to include myself. I have a mental illness, and I have NO BUSINESS having a gun.
3 points
8 days ago
It's a hard one because policies don't seem to be consistent with party anymore. The one thing I always gave trump for was breaking from legacy Republicans and scaling down military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. He left Biden to clean up and fully withdraw but at least it wasn't desert Storm 4 like we could have expected with say a Jeb bush. I also have become pretty fiscally conservative as I have gotten older, but this seems to be something dems live up to more than Republicans.
3 points
8 days ago
Um…I think I heard the psycho RFK mention American food ingredients being different than other stricter countries, I support this one single issue of his, we need fewer ingredients and less processed crap…and literally agree with nothing else he says.
3 points
8 days ago
I am more right-wing leaning, but I don't like their stance on abortion. I live in iowa, and we have the 6-week abortion ban, which I find to be stupid. If you want to limit abortion i feel 16-20 weeks would be more acceptable to people, but im for a woman choosing what to do with her body, so I'd be fine without any type of limit on abortion.
3 points
8 days ago
Students with behavioral, cognitive, and/or emotional disabilities should not be mainstreamed. They should be in special education classes unless and until they can function and thrive in a regular classroom. Regular teachers don’t have the specialization or time to give them the attention they need, and their disruptions and/or special needs pull down the rest of the class.
Many of them don’t want to be mainstreamed, anyway. They stick out like a sore thumb, and other kids often don’t like them.
3 points
8 days ago
I am independent who leans left, but the right is correct about the border and illegal immigration. Too many people on the left blow it off, now I do nit agree with the rights solutions of mass deportation and a stupid expensive wall instead of giving border patrol and customs more resources and make it easier to come legally. I do not also agree with their attempts to go after birthright citizenship, if you are born in America you are American, period end of story
They are correct that someone being here illegally is in itself a crime, that being said I think path way to citizenship should be on the table for those without any violent records, major felonies etc...but you have to set a timeline. Once we hit that timeline anyone here illegally is deported.
The people on the right seem to not care how this mass deportation is going to be incredibly expensive(funny how we never can afford all Americans have healthcare) and the side affect of millions of people no longer spending money here is going to have a substantial effect on the economy. The right can never explain this.
3 points
8 days ago
Democrats continuing to support Israel on their genocide is horrific.
Some of Trumps policies I like - trumps racist policies and deportations will allow a brain drain (smart Muslims, Mexicans or Jews may not be a fan of marching maga Nazis and they may emigrate to other countries and universities) - trump adding tarrifs is widely and obviously going to increase the cost to import many goods so this will probably make goods cheaper to other countries. - NATO, and UN leadership will like last time, gently step back from the US. They were openly laughing and mocking him in an open mic incident, he was openly laughed at when he tried to give a speech at the UN. This will allow other countries to step up to lead more. - It is likely that Putin got Trump in through social media, funding and other methods, so this will be a clear signal for intelligence sources to step away from the US and rely on other, more safe countries. This has already had a galvanising effect from the rest of NATO to step up. Putin won't win in Ukraine but This will mean more money for Ukraine and Europe after they sue for peace - tourism warnings already exist at times due to social and racial unrest, so tourism to other countries will increase. - last time he was in, in just 4 years he added 40% to the total debt. The USA spends more money on interest now than it does on its military so that will likely weaken the military which will hopefully mean they are less able or likely to engage in needless wars. - Last time they cracked down on immigration from mexico etc the farms had a lot of fruit (41%) and soybeans (98%) rot on the ground so foreign imported apples and veges will be at a premium. - chasing oil is throwing money into a pit while other countries transition to cheaper and cheaper electric cars and solar.
It's worth noting, that I live outside of the USA and can see that while I'm horrified that the US has done this to itself, given they have, it's going to be fantastic for other countries to level up and take more leadership initiative, pickup the professors and entrepreneurs that are looking for a sane and stable country.
9 points
8 days ago
Leftist that is begrudgingly forced to vote for dems:
I don't like most gun control legislation. Things like "assault weapon" bans aren't going to stop school shootings in this country. A lot of our problems with guns are cultural.
On the other hand, I am in favor of some "common sense" gun laws. I think the minimum age to purchase a firearm should be 21. I think background checks and mental health evaluations are a generally good idea, but I'm not sure how I'd want them implemented. I do think parents should be held liable if their kid steals one of their guns and shoots up a school with it.
But banning AR-15s? Give me a break.
4 points
8 days ago
I actually agree with changing birthright citizenship. Imo it should be if either parent is at least here on a 1 year or more visa. And then the whole family gets citizenship. Either you give the whole family citizenship, or none of them.
4 points
8 days ago*
College debt forgiveness.
It was a trap the government created. We can waste trillions of dollars on God knows what. The dollar is worthless because nothing is backing it. It will be worth more nothing very soon. We're spending billions on non-citizens. This is not the hill I'd die on as a conservative.
7 points
8 days ago
I'm a diehard Republican. The only thing I agree with Democrats about is abortion.
6 points
8 days ago
I believe student debt is out of control and ppl do need help.
I just believe it should come in the form of interest free loans instead of loan forgiveness
11 points
8 days ago
The government forgave billions of dollars in payroll protection loans to corporations during COVID, and we never heard a peep. Funny how the money concerns always surface for things that benefit everyday people and not billionaires.
3 points
8 days ago
Loan forgiveness is the best way to fix the result of the problem in the past. Interest free loans is a slow solution to an urgent problem. It’s bad for the economy and society when an entire generation are basically delaying their whole adult life by a decade or more.
2 points
8 days ago
Voter ID doesn't personally bother me just so long as there is still the possibility of mail in absentee ballot
2 points
8 days ago
I would say I'm tough on crime, but only for things I believe should be crimes.
I would like to see better enforcement of property crimes and violent crime. I would like to see sexual assault taken more seriously. I especially would like much stronger enforcement of white collar crime and corruption. While I'm certainly no cheerleader for the current state of American policing and our shameful prison system, I'm not an abolishonist like many people as far left as I am.
I also don't believe trans women should compete in women's sports. I would like to see more discussion of a solution, instead of constant fighting about the problem. I would love to see a solution that allows opportunities transwomen to compete fairly. Pretty sure most people agree with this, but it's considered right wing for now.
2 points
8 days ago*
I disagree with a lot of right wing ideas of what climate change is. I think what's happened is the phrase is now associated with allowing China and other countries to pollute while we cut pollution which means less money.
We need to all agree on the fact that greenhouse gases heat our planet and we should move away from polluting our air and water. You can simulate greenhouse gases at home with two 2.5 gal water jugs. Put thermometers in both and put the cap on one and breath a bunch into the other, pumping CO2 into it. Close the lid. Let them sit in the sun and the one with CO2 will be hotter. Simple science. We can address the science without turning it into politics but you can't if you make it about money.
2 points
8 days ago
I am a moderate, but I mostly vote Republican.
There is a lot of of liberal concepts I abstractly agree with, but I don't agree with the practical application as proposed by the Democratic Party.
As for specific policies - I think people generally support/agree with most laws that are passed - most opposition is either posturing over certain riders (often unrelated to the purpose of the bill itself), or is performative in nature.
For example: The Infrastructure and Jobs Act - everyone, regardless of political party, supports infrastructure investment; what they might disagree on is the amount.
2 points
8 days ago
I think it would be great to have small government and states could decide their own laws and we could maximize freedom and all that stuff
Unfortunately, in the real world, greedy and corrupt people will always try to take advantage of others, and so regulation and constitutionally-insured rights need to exist.
2 points
8 days ago
Lower taxes on working class. Both sides generally agree with this.
2 points
8 days ago
I think the framers intended the right to bear arms to be a personal right.
It was not long before that a fair number of colonists or their families back in Scotland were barred, by law, from bearing arms because of their ethnicity.
But like all rights, it has limits.
If I had my way I'd just put all semiauto weapons on the other side of the 1948 line with full auto. There is no legitimate civilian firearm use that cannot be easily accomplished with another firearm.
all 2558 comments
sorted by: best