United States Biden administration policies and actions - megathread

Megadeath

Well-known member
It was never meant to be state in its purpose and is being done for purely partisan reasons.
Being done purely for partisan reasons doesn't inherently make something crazy, and the fact that the social and political situation has somewhat evolved in the hundreds of years since the nation's establishment suggests that reappraisal of decisions made back then is hardly crazy either. You may as well say that America was meant to have slaves at the moment of founding, and getting rid of them was a pretty partisan issue too. That doesn't make abolishing slavery crazy though.

I'll stick my neck out and say DC was never meant to be a state, it isn't part of a neighboring state on purpose.
It wasn't back then, but so what?

See, to me it sounds like the big complaint is "This will empower the democrat party!" but if that's the result of better enfranchisement and representation, well them's the breaks.

D.C. is basically a federation of the federal government.They directly control it and for all their complaining they do have representatives In the form of the president himself and D.C.'s mayor who also has direct communication with the man.
Every state/city has that same "representation" but all the others have more. Maybe the US should just get rid of the Senate and Congress and just elect a president only and he can appoint whoever he wants?
 

Hlaalu Agent

Nerevar going to let you down
Founder
The problem is that Washington DC already has representation. It is the centre of the US Government, has the Pentagon, all the civil servants, hordes of lobbyists, all those foreign embassies, The White House and so on.

And then you have to remember many of the people who work there commute, so they are already represented. So since they already have representation, this is a clear attempt to double dip under the guise of "fairness".
 

Abhishekm

Well-known member
but if that's the result of better enfranchisement and representation, well them's the breaks.
You know? You've kinda got a point. Free Illinois! Excise Chicago! Free Michigan! Excise Detroit! Break California! Metro areas over five million are now their own states! No Legislation without REPRESENTATION!

No Cities, No Suburbs, No Metro at all! Bring back the City States because the Rural States can't stand them!
 

Zachowon

The Army Life for me! The POG life for me!
Founder
Wait, we going Judge Dredd and Mega Cities basically being thier own states?
 

Megadeath

Well-known member
The problem is that Washington DC already has representation. It is the centre of the US Government, has the Pentagon, all the civil servants, hordes of lobbyists, all those foreign embassies, The White House and so on.

And then you have to remember many of the people who work there commute, so they are already represented. So since they already have representation, this is a clear attempt to double dip under the guise of "fairness".
Huh? That's just... Stupid. Living near various centres of government power isn't representation. They don't get to decide who works there, you know? People who commute also won't get a second vote, anymore than anyone else who works and lives in different states.

You know? You've kinda got a point. Free Illinois! Excise Chicago! Free Michigan! Excise Detroit! Break California! Metro areas over five million are now their own states! No Legislation without REPRESENTATION!

No Cities, No Suburbs, No Metro at all! Bring back the City States because the Rural States can't stand them!
I'm sure that's supposed to be either sarcastic or a gotcha, but I don't get it. I'm not necessarily for that idea, but I'm not fundamentally opposed at least at first glance. Wouldn't that be generally helpful with the political divide between urban and rural population? Personally I think American (And other countries) ought to do away with the upper house they have, and move to something more like the old house of lords. A section of government less beholden to the current mood of the mob is a sensible check.
 

Abhishekm

Well-known member
I'm sure that's supposed to be either sarcastic or a gotcha, but I don't get it.
Nah, just find the idea neat. Plus if you go that route why be half asked about it. Precedent and all that. Heh, what could it hurt. Kinda boring otherwise.

A section of government less beholden to the current mood of the mob is a sensible check.
Heh, now you sound like a imperialist. Mobs fine as long as its your mob. Problem comes when different mobs hold power over each other, especially ones with different interests. Representation better fits having an equal say over what you and your do or how you live more than it does in having an equally tiny but still somehow overbearing say in what everyone else does.
 
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Hlaalu Agent

Nerevar going to let you down
Founder
Huh? That's just... Stupid. Living near various centres of government power isn't representation. They don't get to decide who works there, you know? People who commute also won't get a second vote, anymore than anyone else who works and lives in different states.

No it isn't stupid, and if you need to resort to name calling, that just means I have made an effective point. And on the first, no they don't, but having those people there still means they have influence on them, and by its nature means the city can influence the rest of the country. And my point is that many of the people in DC already get a vote anyways, or have other means of being represented even if it is virtual.

And I am pretty sure DC is not a state for a very good reason, but I'll defer to the US poster to explain it better. Anyways, regardless this is just an attempt to stack the legislature in favour of the democrats and not for any real reason of actually representing the people. If they voted Republican, there would be no push.
 

Megadeath

Well-known member
Nah, just find the idea neat. Plus if you go that route why be half asked about it. Precedent and all that. Heh, what could it hurt. Kinda boring otherwise.
Eh, I suppose another advantage is that if there's a large enough profusion of representatives you might get a situation where distinct cliques can form around different issues inside the parties, rather than >90% of both parties toeing their official line. Anything that subverts the stupid two party system is good in my books.
 

Hlaalu Agent

Nerevar going to let you down
Founder
Eh, I suppose another advantage is that if there's a large enough profusion of representatives you might get a situation where distinct cliques can form around different issues inside the parties, rather than >90% of both parties toeing their official line. Anything that subverts the stupid two party system is good in my books.

You aren't going to get that without some major political reform. The two parties just have everything locked down, and as I said this is just going to help the Democrats and if they get Puerto Rico too they can then lock down control of the government. And now you just have one party rule, which is worse than being stuck with Tweedledee and Tweedledum... we have a marginal improvement up here, since we offer Zoidberg in addition to the choice of the two.
 

Abhishekm

Well-known member
Eh, I suppose another advantage is that if there's a large enough profusion of representatives you might get a situation where distinct cliques can form around different issues inside the parties, rather than >90% of both parties toeing their official line. Anything that subverts the stupid two party system is good in my books.
Eh, more of a local governance kinda view myself. Let's be honest here for states like New York, Governors are more like Second Mayors of their Capital Cities with ownership over some farmland than they are anything else.
 

Abhishekm

Well-known member
If representation is truly a concern, then I have an alternative to simply making DC a state - rezone the residential areas to be suburbs, and give them to the state they are in depending on what side of the river they are on.
Eh, then you piss of the two states whose local populace now have to deal with a bucket load of people voting in their elections now. That and you kinda screw the city out of its 'Totally not a State' State Income Taxes.

So Maryland and Virginia get bucket loads of Federal job sponges voting without a care in the world about their new states economy of prospects AND you get a Capital City without the City. Its the New York New Jersey issue but without even the pretence of it being Wall Street money instead of Tax dollars.
 
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Megadeath

Well-known member
No it isn't stupid, and if you need to resort to name calling, that just means I have made an effective point. And on the first, no they don't, but having those people there still means they have influence on them, and by its nature means the city can influence the rest of the country. And my point is that many of the people in DC already get a vote anyways, or have other means of being represented even if it is virtual.

And I am pretty sure DC is not a state for a very good reason, but I'll defer to the US poster to explain it better. Anyways, regardless this is just an attempt to stack the legislature in favour of the democrats and not for any real reason of actually representing the people. If they voted Republican, there would be no push.
Eh, it wasn't name calling. I didn't say you're stupid, I don't think you are. I think what you said there was though. The ability to informally express your political opinion to some guy you bump into in the street who may be someome important is not comparable in any way to actual representation.

I'm also not arguing that it isn't being done for partisan reasons, but plenty of good things have been done for partisan reasons. And I mean, it favours the Democrat party now but it's hardly guaranteed to remain so forever.

You aren't going to get that without some major political reform. The two parties just have everything locked down, and as I said this is just going to help the Democrats and if they get Puerto Rico too they can then lock down control of the government. And now you just have one party rule, which is worse than being stuck with Tweedledee and Tweedledum... we have a marginal improvement up here, since we offer Zoidberg in addition to the choice of the two.
Oh yeah, it's pipe dreaming but still.
 

f1onagher

Well-known member
It wasn't back then, but so what?

See, to me it sounds like the big complaint is "This will empower the democrat party!" but if that's the result of better enfranchisement and representation, well them's the breaks.
If the true worry was about the enfranchisement of DC's population then they could always force Maryland to take the city back. For some reason that's never brought up as an option.
 

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