Not really a question buuuuut....

@UndeadPrivateer: I think you may mean liberals, not Democrats. I'm a moderate Democrat very much cable of critical thinking.

@Brando: I speak of the politicians who run things, not the everyday citizens. Moderates seem to be in incredibly short supply these days, plenty lay claim to the title but I don't see many standing up for moderate causes and reaching across the aisle.

@UndeadPrivateer: Agreed but...one side is less destructive to the lives of the American people

@UndeadPrivateer: Oh, yes, that's true. I think we Dems were much more willing to before McConnell pulled his trick about Judge Garland. We can't forgive that especially with Gorsuch. And we can't forgive Republicans ignoring Trump. Garland/Trump -- really hardened our hearts.

@Fernie: At least the touchy-feely side cares more about the lives of real people, yes. That's the one redeeming factor to it. Though it cares relatively little about the [i]rights[/i] of those people and the actual [i]root causes[/i] behind some of the problems our nation faces, at least they're not basically telling people to just go die in a ditch somewhere so we don't have to pay for them.

@Brando: It's a bad place to be for both sides. If there's no cooperation then the divide between parties will only widen with time. Political polarization is a very bad thing.

Republicans actually need to start looking at hard fact and using the brain cells they've got rattling around in their skulls to put two and two together and actually start caring for the [i]American people as a whole[/i] rather than the people lining their pockets who aren't even all Americans.

And Democrats need to soften a bit on some of their grievances so we can actually move past this political quagmire. Not all of the grievances are entirely misplaced, most of them I think are pretty valid, but nonetheless you can't help run a government as a minority like that.

@UndeadPrivateer: On healthcare, for now, there is nothing to compromise on. McConnell is going for only Republican votes.

@Brando: Yep. Precisely what I'm talking about. It's not a problem restricted to one side or the other. It's both, and the Republicans are both in the majority and some of the most egregious offenders when it comes to blatant willful ignorance.

@UndeadPrivateer: I don't totally agree with that. Dems LOVE compromising, but Republicans have become rather radical on their positions i.e., climate change a hoax, no trade deals, no government supported healthcare, money is speech, etc.

@Brando: Democrats are much the same when it comes to gun control, use of military force, putting serious political pressure on foreign governments, etc. It does swing both ways, but like I said the Republicans are certainly the most egregious offenders.

@UndeadPrivateer: Not at all -- no democrat wants a ban. The NRA is holding Republicans hostage. And it's a mixed bag on war. I would actually be okay with agreeing with you, but there is a radical party here, and it happens to be Republicans. Progressives are becoming radical and may take over the Dems -- we will see.

@Brando: They don't want bans, no. They want useless regulations and restrictions that don't actually accomplish anything while ignoring the mental health and media perception problems at the heart of the violence issues we have in the US. [i]That's[/i] what I'm referring to with their stance on guns. I'm not a "don't take away ma guns!!" sort of person. Just that's a prime example of ignoring the actual problem in favor of putting a band-aid on it.

Also, war is not the only kind of military intervention. There are many sorts, which should honestly be far better utilized as our military after its redesign in the 80s, is plain and simply not designed for fighting a sustained war. It's [i]crazily[/i] expensive to use it that way. It's meant for rapid deployment and withdrawal, shock and awe tactics and surgical strikes where you're only paying for its active use in very short and concentrated bursts. A thing which everyone seems to have completely forgotten since Desert Storm.

We will see indeed, it does make me none too keen on staying in this country to watch it play out though.

@UndeadPrivateer: Getting rid of the gun show exception is a useless regulation? Okay. Bye.

@Brando: Sure, cherry pick from my argument and be a stunning example of the problem I'm talking about. 👍

@UndeadPrivateer: You painted all regulations as "useless." Your words, not mine. If you want to say some regulations then I would agree and I could compromise with a Republican. However, the official position of Republicans is not only no new regulation, but to undo most of them. If they wanted to give us the gun show loophole then we can talk. Again, you would find Dems very responsive. Republicans are again, radical on the subject.

@Brando: I didn't say anything like that. I said that they insist on regulations and restrictions that are useless, not that [i]all[/i] regulation is useless. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say being unwilling to compromise, as soon as someone even [i]vaguely[/i] questions the stance then suddenly it's "OH SO YOU THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE HANDING OUT GUNS ON THE STREET, HUH?"

@UndeadPrivateer: I think they want regulations that may not serve their intended purpose, but all of them are equally opposed.

@Brando: Precisely the problem. The regulations that don't serve their purpose are useless. That lawmaking time would be better spent on [i]actual[/i] problems, like the rapidly growing mental health crisis which is at the heart of so many murders and mass killings. Or hell, some actual gun control rather than on reducing magazine capacities and removing automatic fire and restricting all-black guns with pistol grips. None of those common restrictions serve any kind of significant purpose aside from pleasing people that want more gun control.

[i]Actual[/i] gun control is very different than that, which is something that the Republicans seem pretty opposed to oddly enough. For all their love for guns they seem bound and determined to get them into the hands of people who really shouldn't have them and villainize their own cause.

@Brando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVz2lHODQvs

@Brando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj4AcjyuV38

@Brando: I could also post quotes from NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, former NY governor Ed Koch and San Diego police chief William Landsdowne as well as a statement by former Attorney General Eric Holder calling for banning all guns. So yes, there are democrats calling for just that. I would also agree that there are some republicans who actually support this idiotic healthcare bill which will not work.

@UndeadPrivateer: I must respectfully disagree with you that the "touchy feely side cares more about the lives of real people". Neither side cares about the American people, all either side cares about is getting re-elected. Everyone thinks the republican plan helps the insurance companies but I would argue that the ACA plan helped them more. The republican plan removes the language forcing people to purchase insurance, the ACA requires purchasing insurance if (in the governments opinion) you can afford to do so, the insurance companies would benefit greatly from this mandate especially since there is no language limiting what the insurance companies can charge for said coverage. I use auto insurance as an example of what happens when there is a mandate, at one time auto insurance was cheap! Since it has become mandated in all states the cost has skyrocketed!!! I personally think on the healthcare issue both sides want to eventually come to an agreement on a single payer plan, I personally don't think this is a good idea but I also don't see any other way of providing healthcare for all citizens. Worst part is that this would put thousands of people out of work in the private sector, we never stop to think about the impact on the people on the lower levels of the insurance companies, sales people, secretaries even down to the janitorial services people. Once the government takes over healthcare completely and puts some of these insurance companies out of business they will all lose their jobs.