A Nation Divided

We have become a nation divided against itself in so many ways, and we have forgotten the adage the goes back, I believe, to the Revolution,
“United we stand, divided we fall.”

Divided on torture

Why are we even having this debate? Why are we even making the arguments about whether or not it provides useful information, whether or not it puts our military at risk?

It doesn’t freaking matter!

It’s against everything moral and ethical upon which this nation was founded more than 200 years ago. That’s what matters, and that should end the arguments before they even start.

Republican vs. Democrat

The two-party system used to be a valuable instrument of debate, and now it has become a weapon of ideology leading to stalemate and paralysis. Party ideologues are so rigidly married to their thinking that they can find no common ground that leads to action, and Congress has degenerated to a process of maneuvering to prevent the success of the opposition rather than the advancement of anything that can be useful for the nation.

Division of self-interest

The national electorate is united in the opinion that Congress has become utterly useless but is disastrously divided on what to do about it, divided by self-interest.

Overall opinion of Congress is massive disapproval, with 25% approval and 61% disapproval. However when it comes to “my guy” 53% think he/she is “doing a good job.”

The people responding to the poll overall said by a margin of 77% to 12% that new people should be elected to Congress, but 39% said they intended to re-elect their own.

The “other guys” are bad because they are getting federal money for other states and “my guy” is good because he’s getting federal money for my state. I’m not really that proud of my guy, but I want the money he brings home. The electorate is divided by self-interest.

When every state re-elects "my guy" out of self-interest, then the common interest of changing Congress is defeated. "Divided we fall."

Euphemisms

Enhanced interrogation is another way of saying torture.
Rigid ideology is another way of saying intolerance.
Self-interest is another way of saying greed.

Torture, intolerance, greed. Is that America?