oren @oren

America needs a new political party. Both of the current ones are bad. Republicans are way too reactionary, Democrats are pro-censorship, and both are getting more extreme. Neither appropriately represents an average person.

May 8, 2023, 3:32 PM
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Also, if Marjorie Taylor Greene can vote, I think the vast majority of 16-year-olds should be allowed to too. I personally believe that applying a general rule against all young people, regardless of maturity isn’t fair. There are many 16-year-olds with a better understanding of politics than some >80-year-olds.

teenagers don’t pay taxes they shouldnt vote

billionaires don’t pay taxes they shouldn’t vote

Why is not paying taxes such a problem? There is no organization that wastes money better than the federal government. Evading taxes in every way possible is actually a good way to steward your money.

I didn’t mention taxes, @dood said that people who don’t pay taxes shouldn’t be able to vote and I simply rebutted. 🤷‍♂️

Billionaires (who usually exploited workers to gain their wealth) benefit from the services that are paid for by the people. The government protects corporations that try to evade paying their fair share. And at every chance they get, these same corporations try to lower wages, decrease benefits, etc. without even considering how this affects employees.

There is also no organization that provides services to the poor/homeless/starving/workers than the government. Without the collection of people “We the people”, no billionaire could make money. They are selling/providing a service to “the people” and the people have the job of keeping their power in check.

What services does the government provide?

Roads, libraries, parks, fire department, police, satellites (GPS), defending the nation from other countries/threats, environmental protection, emergency medical services, courts, they pass laws that protect peoples' rights, Social Security payments help 51 million Americans, they feed 38 million starving people a year, etc. Republicans often try to ignore/pretend none of this stuff exists when talking about government.

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Not to mention the postal service, Medicare (which gives medical assistance to the elderly), copyright/patent laws to protect your ideas and inventions, public education for every child (PRETTY IMPORTANT!!), OSHA regulations and inspections protect America’s workforce by limiting exposure to toxic chemicals, The federal minimum wage law makes sure every covered worker gets paid a basic wage, The U.S. Weather Service provides storm and hurricane warnings.

Read more things (just the federal government does!) here:

https://www.sec.gov/spotlight/sec-employees/psrw50ways.pdf

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Most of this stuff benefits billionaires/corporations/the rich the most, actually.

If this was really true, than why do low-income people (who pay a higher tax rate than the rich) vote at lower rates (because of voter suppression, employers not giving them time off on voting day, lack of transportation, etc.) than billionaires.

A better way to think of this is: Teenagers are affected by almost all laws, and are expected to follow them, but have practically zero say in voting for them, while someone who is elderly, sick, and 6 months away from dying (who will not be around to see the laws take effect, and who will not be affected by them) can vote…

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/americas-richest-400-families-pay-a-lower-tax-rate-than-average-taxpayer.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/poorer-americans-have-much-lower-voting-rates-in-national-elections-than-the-nonpoor-a-study-finds.html#:~:text=The%20study%2C%20by%20a%20Columbia,above%20twice%20the%20poverty%20line.

Rich people have been working hard to make the poor, working-class, and young people (all who are typically more progressive) fear talking about politics by making it a taboo. By lowering engagement among these groups, voter turnout becomes low, as people feel less motivated to create actual change in their country, and the billionaires can do whatever they want.

Source/Study:

https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/young-voters-see-politics-as-taboo-deceitful/article_d64d1516-9577-5f9b-b977-14383743249e.html

Are you saying that Marjorie Taylor Greene shouldn’t be able to vote?

No, I’m saying that the vast majority of 16-year-olds (who are more aware about / understand politics/science/the world better and who are usually more mature) should.

also, they should put in term limits

for who? congresspeople?

yes, and presidents

Term limits don’t really solve problems, as a party/billionaire can just pay/bribe a new person to support the exact same ideas (ideas that don’t correspond to what the population actually wants). You need to solve the problem at its root, which is that politicians have too much freedom. Their job is to be the voice of the people... The government is supposed to represent “we the people” and in most cases, it isn’t doing that. Politicians shouldn’t be serving their own agendas, and the only way to stop that is to give the people who put them in office the same opportunity to take them out of office if/when they abuse their power.

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