Country under dire threat and Democrats and Republicans cannot work together?

[kentuck]

Is it really under a dire threat?

I think all the evidence points in that direction.

Yet, the partisanship is used like a weapon on each side. They are unable to come to grips with the threat that we are under.

To quote the poet, Bob Dylan, "You'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone..."

George Washington was right when he warned us about political parties.

Nero only had one fiddle.

[Walleye]

1. How are we supposed to work with people who have such an irrational hatred for us?

[NewHendoLib]

2. There are no republicans. Just a maga cult

[PufPuf23]

34. A growing boatload of billionaires playing maga like a fiddle

while re-arranging deck chairs pending a crash of human civilization into an iceberg.

[Mike 03]

3. I don't know what it will take, though

We had a situation in October where the White House pleaded with congress to apportion more funds for FEMA--for literal life-threatening emergencies which could and did arise--and the Speaker of the House refused to do it.

We all witnessed the obscene COVID debacle, where Trump pitted red states against blue states, tried to deprive blue state governors of needed ventilators and aid.

Now Trump is threatening not to send money or fire fighting forces to blue states out west that face wildfire catastrophes. No doubt, the GOP will go along with most whatever he wants.

If they cannot even cooperate to save our lives, I'm not sure I see much hope. I don't believe it's an exaggeration of any kind to say that under Trump, our lives are not worth very much, even if you live in a red state where red state governors refuse free money to provide free lunches to hungry kids, nor free government funds to keep rural hospitals open. And they do this for no other conceivable reason than to hurt people, including the people who (stupidly) voted to put them in political office.

[kentuck]

5. I think any solutions must come from the Senate.

The House is a lost cause at this time, it appears.

There may be a shred of hope left in the Senate that is willing to face reality.

We do not know but we must try.

Otherwise, it is going to be a very, very difficult time for us all.

[gab13by13]

4. The headline sounds like

A right wing talking point to me.

Why should Democrats work with Magats to destroy our democracy?

Democrats need to be fighting Magats not cooperating.

[kentuck]

7. Sorry that it sound that way to you.

It was not meant to be that.

United we stand and divided we will fall. It is as simple as that.

[Think. Again.]

9. You do understand the rightwing is the threat, right?

[kentuck]

14. Yes, I understand that.

But I hold out hope that there may be a half-dozen Republicans in the Senate that would join Democrats to protect our Constitution. Perhaps I am too naive for believing in such a possibility?

[Think. Again.]

21. I believe your hope is a false hope.

[kentuck]

23. You are probably right.

Does that mean we should not try?

[Think. Again.]

29. I believe we should be focusing on...

...protecting ourselves and ridding the U.S. of the domestic terrorists in elected office.

[JHB]

33. We can try endlessly, but without reciprocation, it's an exercise in futility

It's not up to us to work with Republicans, because that's been a feature of Democratic tactics, usually to our detriment.

It's the Republicans who need to move on this issue. Without any of them being on board, there is nothing to work with.

So, once again, I must ask: Which Republicans have you asked this of? What was their reaction? Because the ball is in their court. "We must try" is just hot air without support from their side.

[Irish_Dem]

6. The PutinGOP is waging war against the Dems and the US.

They have indicated that Dems are their sworn enemies.

I seriously doubt they would think of working with the enemies they despise
and would kill in their beds if they could.

[Think. Again.]

8. You're asking the threat itself to work with Dems to mitigate the threat?

[kentuck]

10. No. No one is asking every Republican to work with every Democrat to save our Constitution.

We are only asking that a majority have the courage to speak up and to act in the interests of the people of this country. It does not take 54 Republicans. A half-dozen would suffice. I suppose even that is too much to ask for at this time?

[Think. Again.]

19. We should probably get over the false idea...

...that any republican is interested in doing what is good for the U.S.

[soandso]

31. Check this out, OP

Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, who has been outspoken against billionaire Elon Musk's political influence and America's wealth disparities, took to social media to highlight a shared stance with the technology executive—reducing Pentagon funding.

Musk has specifically called out the department's fighter jets, writing on X, formerly Twitter, last week: "Some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35," and later added: "Manned fighter jets are outdated in the age of drones and only put pilots' lives at risk."

In late-November, Musk indicated he was interested in investigating DOD funding when he reposted on X, his social media platform, a CNN interview of Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, suggesting that the defense budget could be area of bipartisan collaboration. Musk simply wrote "Cool!" to Khanna's post that the House Armed Services Committee will work with DOGE on "cutting waste, fraud, and abuse," pertaining to the defense budget.

On Sunday afternoon, Sanders wrote on X: "Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It's lost track of billions. Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change."

https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-finds-new-common-ground-elon-musk-1993820

That right there is really important and, maybe, something will finally be done about it. remember Cynthia McKinney confronting Rumsfeld over the Pentagon "losing" two TRILLION dollars and claiming not to know what happened to it? Well, that has continued to happened and many trillions are mysteriously "missing", with no one being held accountable.

[JHB]

11. Don't ask that question here, go to some Republican board and ask it there.

We've repeatedly held out a hand and then pulled back a stump. They are the ones who need to bend a little and work with us.

[kentuck]

12. Your sentiments are certainly understandable.

But we must try. We cannot surrender to the divisive forces.

[Think. Again.]

20. I agree, we can not surrender to...

...the divisive forces of the republican party, we must remove them.

[JHB]

22. So which Republican board did you try asking them to work with us?

[gab13by13]

13. The Republican Party is a terrorist organization

That is doing the bidding of Putin.

We must fight them tooth and nail.

[kentuck]

15. I do not disagree.

My hope is that they are not yet unanimous.

[gab13by13]

16. I'm sure Susan Collin's has concerns.

Maybe the 20 who voted to confirm Merrick Garland, is that what you mean? No thanks.

[kentuck]

17. Then, you had better start buying ammo...

...if that is our only solution?

[gab13by13]

18. I have plenty of guns and ammo.

[kentuck]

24. Better to be safe than sorry.

I need a few more shells for my .12 gauge.

[DavidDvorkin]

25. The phone call is coming from inside the house.

[Gore1FL]

26. There is one party who has thew position to oppose anything the other party proposes.

The problem isn't with party politics. The problem is that one side has no governing philosophy other than to oppose the other side.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

32. MAGA governing philosophy is based on cruelty.

"Hurt as many people as much as possible as quickly as possible." And this includes the people who voted for Orange Julius to "own the libs."

[Joinfortmill]

27. Let us not be like the "good Germans". F*ck these people! Resist!

[NoMoreRepugs]

28. Taking the Neville Chamberlain approach isn't the way to go IMO.

Stop baking the fucking cookies. When they've told you many times they want to destroy the Dems in so many words - why not believe them?

[Blue Full Moon]

30. The republicans do not compromise

Haven't since Newt Gringich. They pride themselves on it.