I would argue that the senate filibuster

[boston bean]

is leading us into a fascist state.

People think the president has powers they just don’t have. Because dumb asses on both fringes want a strong man doing what they want to be done, now. They just don’t understand how our democracy works.

The filibuster creates this state, this frustration, and in the end leads us down a road, where some oblivious to how this all works, where they are looking to one man or woman (undoubtfully though a woman) to get us out of this mess. When it is not possible if you want a democracy.

If people could just stop for one fucking minute and understand what it is they are asking and doing.

People who believe idiotically one man can solve this, that is killing our democracy. Do people really want one person deciding all of this?

The answer is to elect more democrats across all sections and put the fascists to bed.

I don’t want Joe Biden doing what trump did. Is he perfect no. Is he perfection compared to trump, yes.

Yeah, I am sick of democrats eating each other alive. It must STOP. And I want people to start using their brains and understand what is at stake.

[spanone]

1. ...K&R...

[Casady1]

2. It is more like

leading us back to the Articles of Confederation with the assistance of the Supreme court. States are and in the future will be more powerful than the federal government and that is exactly why we dismantled that form of government.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. K&R

[JohnSJ]

4. Well said. Because of what happened in 2016, This is why we are where we are. There is only

one remedy for that, and scapegoating, finger-pointing blame game rhetoric, and whining is not it.

Getting out the vote, and voting Democratic in huge numbers in November is the only way

[localroger]

5. The filibuster, 2 senators per state regardless of size, electoral college, gerrymandering...

...and other non-democratic features of our republic which were necessary compromises to get the slave states to join the forming union and present enough strength to defeat the British, but which haunt our legacy now because it's very hard to get rid of them.

[gab13by13]

7. Exactly, you get it.

Every election in Pa. more Democrats vote than Republicans and every election Republicans gain state House seats.

Elections used to be about policy which helped Democrats, now Magats don't even have an agenda, have no policy and they said so at their convention. Members of one political party have the agenda of wiping out all Democrats and in doing so wiping out our democracy.

I asked my 89 year old Magat golfing budding if he was voting for the Muslim from New Jersey or voting for the Harley rider? (He used to ride a Harley) He replied, I can't vote for Fetterman. I asked why and he said, because he's a Democrat. Oz will take his SS and Medicare in a heart beat, but that is a discussion about policy.

[crud]

6. I think most folks don't know shit

about the government and how it works. Don't know what a congress or a senate is or what they do. Don't know what the supreme court does and so on. They only know they vote for President every 4 years. The opposition can say Biden is causing all these problems, he shoulda coulda woulda fixed all this shit, because that is all most Americans know about their government. Anything more complex? Like separations of powers, the establishment clause, filibuster, impeachment, congressional hearings, and so on sail miles above most people's heads, and they don't give a shit.

[boston bean]

8. I am going to agree.

[ForgedCrank]

21. This comment right here

covers the second biggest problem we have. It's almost unbelievable how many people don't know how their own government operates, or at least how it's supposed to operate.
I'm always just as shocked by the biggest problem we have, that so many people don't even care enough to go vote at all. 1 hour of your time every 2 years to complete the most important civic duty we have, and half the country can't be bothered to go. It just baffles me.

[secondwind]

9. K&R

[Firestorm49]

10. This is an opinion site. Not all share only one opinion, but our bottom line remains the same.

[boston bean]

12. Not true. Because if one is blaming Joe Biden

They might as well be helping a Republican.

Sorry if the truth hurts.

Our bottom lines are completely different. I ain’t helping a fucking Republican. I am going to vote for,the democrat no matter what to save ourselves. Whether they are doing exactly what I want or not. This is no time for navel gazing.

Ask me again when our democracy has been stabilized you might get a different answer.

[H2O Man]

11. Respectfully disagree.

You don't need to "argue." Just pointing out reality, as you have, works.

Recommended.

[Voltaire2]

13. Great. No EOs and no way to end the filibuster.

So nothing.

I agree that rule by decree is not good. But it is all we have right now. Mancinema have made it clear they won’t allow a rule change on the filibuster.

The only way forward, right now, is executive orders.

[Kaleva]

14. "Trump calls for end to filibuster, says Senate Republicans "look like fools""

"President Trump went after Senate Republicans in a series of tweets Saturday morning, calling for an end to the filibuster two days after the party's Obamacare repeal bill failed to attract a majority of senators.

Mr. Trump called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to end the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. The so-called "skinny repeal" bill that collapsed in the Senate early Friday morning was supported by just 49 Republican members.

The very outdated filibuster rule must go. Budget reconciliation is killing R's in Senate. Mitch M, go to 51 Votes NOW and WIN. IT'S TIME!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-calls-for-end-to-filibuster-says-senate-republicans-look-like-fools/

[Voltaire2]

16. Yes it would also empower a Republican Congress.

I’m willing to accept that risk.

[Kaleva]

17. We could have lost Obama Care

[Voltaire2]

19. Yup.

We will be losing just about everything if we continue with cautious inaction.

[Novara]

15. The Dems need to be harping on the message that ...

... Congress is essentially useless with the filibuster.

You wait and see: in the not-too distant future, Rs will try to assert that the Dems had the presidency, House, and Senate and couldn't get anything done so the Dems are useless. And that will sell to their idiotic voters. What it comes down to is the filibuster and two Dems standing in the way of getting anything done.

Most people also don't know that the filibuster can be modified, and doesn't need to be outright eliminated. McConnell did that when he changed the filibuster rules for confirming SCOTUS justices to a simple majority.

Manchin and Sinema keep crying about tradition, but there is nothing in the Constitution about a filibuster, and this version of it - only one senator has to SAY he objects - is fairly recent. If they want tradition, revert back to a talking filibuster. Make it mean something. Make it take some goddamn effort. Just sitting back with your feet on the desk and holding up all legislation by saying "I object" and not doing any damn work to really actually object is a travesty.

But they're not even open to minor changes.

We know we can't expect Rs to vote for any Dem legislation. It's down to Manchin and Sinema who are making Biden's presidency a failure. All those campaign promises he made? Can't be done with the filibuster. If Biden fails, it's down to Manchin and Sinema for holding up any meaningful legislation.

[Celerity]

18. Unfortunately I think you are correct

You wait and see: in the not-too distant future, Rs will try to assert that the Dems had the presidency, House, and Senate and couldn't get anything done so the Dems are useless.

And that will work (to a point) across the board, not just with QMAGAts. The average American voter is fairly ingorant of arcane (to them, not to us political junkies) Senate procedural moving pieces.

And that is the VOTERS, the 100 million far more for Midterms) or so non voters are even more ignorant. Hell, the vast, vast majority cannot even name the VPOTUS, the Speaker of the House, nor the Senate Majority leader. It's an engineered, dystopian, nightmarish form of custodial democracy.

[ForgedCrank]

20. Although I agree

with most everything you said, I have to pause and say that the filibuster rule keeps us 1 step further away from fascism, not closer. Eliminating it puts the person holding the Presidency even closer to on-demand power if a congressional majority is held.
As much as the filibuster threshold rule is a pain in the ass, it very importantly keeps GOP lawmakers in check and forces them to calm down their bills in order to gain enough broad support if they ever want to see them passed. And without it, anything we manage to pass right now can easily be smashed to bits a couple of years later.
Let's be frank about something, the mid-terms may not treat us well if things don't turn around real soon. There is a historical trend and generally predictable voting habits in play. It's a tough thought to process, but think for a minute what that will be like with no filibuster rule and God forbid, a GOP victory in 2024. It makes me cringe just thinking about it.
I'm not the gambling type. Somehow, we always end up getting screwed.

[Sympthsical]

22. Pressuring politicians to use all means and tools available to them

"Why are you being so mean to them?!"

I seriously did not think we'd see this kind of shit with women's basic human rights.

And yet here we are.

Like seriously. If now is not the time to start pulling some triggers, there will never be a time that's suitable or acceptable to people who are forever throwing themselves on the tracks to protect those in power.

Then it'll be, "Gee willickers, how did this country become so bad?"

(And I guess it's ok to "both sides" situations if it means protecting power. Weird that. So oddly situational).