What are your political priorities?

By political priorities I mean what specific issues you primarily value and prioritize over others. This doesnt necessarily mean every position that you hold, just the ones that are the most important to you.

Mine would be

1. Renewable Energy (which includes Nuclear as a transitionary source)
2. Protecting the Environment from Various Pollutants
3. International Trade and Cooperation (this includes the preservation of the EU)
4. Preserving democracy
5. Infrastructure

These are of course local. Democratic Backsliding is a serious threat here in europe with the autocratization found in both Hungary and Poland. Infrastructure is likewise really important, as Sweden is merely around average in EU, and falling behind its nordic neighbours in most areas of infrastructure.

1) Preserve Democracy (I can't believe this has to be written, but here we are)

2) Inequality - Ideally this would involve a moderate restructuring of the economy, but I'm flexible

3) Healthcare - Our system is truly disgusting at this point, and it's only getting worse. The economic and sociological costs of maintaining it are staggering.

4) Infrastructure - We've put this off for too long, and it needs to be addressed.

5) Global Warming - This might be near the top of the list if I expected much of anything to be done about it, but I don't. We'll end up dealing with the repercussions more than anything, I think.

@Maroxad: I would argue that point 4 includes 1-3. Yet I will list them as separate myself.

Preserving democracy
Environmental protection

1. Preserving democracy (@mattbbpl said, can't believe we have to say that...) both home, and abroad, because authoritarianism and right-wing extremism is growing in many first-world countries.

2. Addressing wealth inequality, specifically by limiting corporate influence and making sure they pay their share.

3. Infrastructure. I'm not just saying this because it's a current affair, I do believe it needs addressing. I'd like to see high-speed rail across the country, highways free of potholes, and bridges repaired or rebuilt. Even if they have to tear down the Golden Gate and put something better in, I don't care just get it done.

4. Energy. Promote nuclear and hydro power for the next few decades while we research and build up our way into renewable sources. Make the US oil- and coal-free by 2060 (obviously there will still be cars that need gas but other than that, no oil).

5. Education. It sucks in this country. It's a joke. Not to mention the presence of anti-intellectualism; people look down on me in my profession because I have a degree *shrug* I guess they assume I look down on them because they don't?

6. Healthcare. Free and for everyone. C'mon let's get this over with, it's a joke a country as prosperous as the US and with so many professionals and services can't provide free healthcare.

7. No avoidable wars for 30 years. C'mon US, you can do it! No Iraq's, no Afghanistan's....just stay the hell out and try diplomacy.

8. And, last but not least, get politicians working again. Bridge the divide. Eliminate money in politics and lobbying. Institute term limits for congress and senate.

While race inequality is an issue, I think it's actually over-addressed at the moment so it's not on my list. Besides, I think it's more of a wealth and education inequality than race.

4 is strongly correlated with 1-3 but not mutually exclusive. CHina is an autocratic nation, yet its strides to renewable energy have been phenomenal. And they are looking to corner a energy market in the near future.

Spot on synopsis. Can't think of anything to add.

True, but I doubt western countries will still be democracies if they fail in 1-3.

@mrbojangles25: We actually agree on quite a bit.

1. Eliminate Critical Theory from the government, all businesses, public education and colleges entirely. Ideologies are to be separated.

2. Preserving the American Constitutional Republic because authoritarianism and left-wing extremism is growing in many first-world countries.

3. Bring production back to America. We don't even make our own f**king vitamin C. We're at a severe disadvantage when the hot war with China starts.

4. Infrastructure. Goes hand in hand with production. Agreement with MrBojangles... high-speed rail across the country, highways free of potholes, and bridges repaired or rebuilt.

5. Energy. Agreement with MrBojangles... Promote nuclear and hydro power for the next few decades while we research and build up our way into renewable sources.

6. Education. Agreement with MrBojangles. Education in America is a joke. There also needs to be a refocus on trade jobs over attending universities to assist with #'s 3 and 4.

7. Get politicians working for the people again. Agreement with MrBojangles. Bridge the divide. Eliminate money in politics and lobbying. Institute term limits for congress and senate.

pwning the liberalz.

'merica, muh right?

@Telekill: joking right? It’s the radical right attacking the constitution.

1. Protecting Democracy from the radical right

2. Environmental protection

3. Infrastructure

4. Universal Health Care

5. Reigning in China

6. Restoring America’s standing in the world

@thenation: You're aware of the Overton Window right? It's essentially a circular (though many don't see it as such) political spectrum and guess what... the far right and the far left... they eventually meet. Both sides are insane. Both sides are responsible. Both sides must be stopped.

So no. Not joking. The left has become authoritarian.

Again not joking. America is a constitutional republic.

@Telekill: Opposite day? It's the right ignoring the Constitution. In fact, the part of the Constitution they support is the bastardization of the Second Amendment.

1. Freedom of speech/expression (can't believe this even needs debate in 2021)

2. Education

3. Climate change. I want politicians with actual plans, not platitudes. Something like a road map below:

Coal -> Natural gas -> Nuclear -> wind/hydro/solar

4. Economic recovery

5. Equality of opportunity

@LJS9502_basic: You've been severely misinformed.

@Telekill: So you are joking.

@Telekill: Where do you see the Overton window described as a circle where the left and right meet? Are you referring to horseshoe theory?

@thenation: I appreciate you deciding to be an incredible example of what's wrong with modern politics and how divided we are.

@Telekill: I’m what’s wrong with politics because I think you are joking? 🤨 You’re the one calling almost half the country authoritarian.

@thenation: The hypocrisy is strong with you.

@Telekill: 🤨 Yeah, you’re just messing around.

FYI, I said the radical right, you said the left. You called the entire left authoritarian, I just criticized the far right not the right as a whole. 😉

1. At this point, I am not going to vote for someone who is going to go on the news, Twitter, or any other social media and cry into his/her binkie about how unfair everything is whenever things don't go the way they want. Trump was a complete disgrace for lots of reasons, but this was the most glaring to me. So no Trumps (anyone in Donald's family), no Lauren Boebert (sp?), no Marjory Taylor Greene, no Matt Gaetz, no Gym Jordan, no Rand Paul, no Ted Cruz. These are all horrible people with horrible ideas, I know, but I would disqualify them even if that were not the case on the basis that the leader of the free world can't be a whiny bitch.

2. I would prefer to not vote for someone who tells me that all of my troubles are the fault of people I have never met, be they immigrants, foreigners, or billionaires. Assuming I have an alternative that doesn't fall into group 1, then I won't vote for people who fall into group 2. No populists, please.

3. We absolutely have to invest in technology to improve green infrastructure. We are more than 10 years late as it is.

4. We need to create more med schools and increase capacity of existing schools. We do not have enough doctors, and that is driving healthcare costs up. We also need to revisit patent laws for products where research is publicly funded, like medicine. Then we should work to eliminate the insurance middle man.

5. Defense spending is too damned high. There is no reason to outspend the rest of the world combined. We have wealthy allies in NATO, and we shouldn't plan on being in a war that they don't want to participate in.

6. We do not allow enough working class immigrants to come into the United States. We should eliminate quotas. Issue work permits to anyone who has a job and require them to reapply annually. Eliminate the legitimate reasons for illegal immigration.

7. We need to change the way that we issue student loans. Create tuition caps on loans, require an interview with prospective students to make sure that their eyes are wide open as to how much money they will be making out of school and what their monthly loan payment will be. Deny loans to people who are going to be hopelessly unable to repay them. And then forgive some debt and allow people with existing loans to discharge them through bankruptcy if they need to.

@thenation: I think the left need to start calling out the far left then because it seems the general left is just falling in line with the insane ideology of the far left. Those of us that are conservative will call out the racist morons on the right. The left doesn't do so for those on the left. That's why I called out the entire left; there's virtually no difference.

The conservatives made a racist moron their presidential candidate and fall over themselves to defend him, while the left went with the most moderate candidate they had available.

Speaking as an American

1. Getting education back on track on a fundamental level. It is infuriating to hear people talk about eliminating student debt when it's our basic K-12 that needs focus. Look at the HS graduation rate in places like California and the Deep South and see what I mean. Also need to eliminate ideologically driven curriculums and reinstate the mandatory 4 years of American civics, law, and history so people will actually know about the country before they go trying to fix it.

2. Bring an actual end to the drug war. Not decriminalizing certain things, or using executive pardons on small time offenders, but straight up eliminating certain laws. Don't get me wrong, users are losers, like the arcade machines said, but that is the problem of you and your family. It's not "society's fault" you're a dreg.

3. Border control. There is no compassion in just letting people in. Coyotes literally throwing kids across the border, then packing them like sardines in holding facilities is not an act of empathy. It's certainly not fair to potential immigrants who have proven their caliber and are forced to wait longer simply because they didn't live close enough to the Rio Grande and didn't brake the law.

4. Assessment of national military. America is in way over it's head with this one. Our military industrial complex is basically one big jobs program. Some of the biggest business contracts ever created have come from our defense contractors in recent times. It's kind of scary, if you replaced the market incentive with central planning, it's almost exactly how the Soviet Union ran it's military.

Plenty more, including some fantasy scenarios like reigning in the debt and making Social Security a choice, but enough for now.

@PurpleMan5000: Trump wasn't racist until he became president and the Dems decided to use that as their shear tactic.

This is the crucial difference. The fringe on the left is posting on twitter and yelling in the streets. The fringe on the right has been elected to lead the country.

Republicans assume that the Democratic party has been taken over by the fringe shitposters because their party actually has, and it's unfathomable to them that it isn't the case for the other major party as well.

1. Fair Democratic processing. If you're a citizen, you should be given easy and free access to vote and never dropped from eligibility so long as you can be confirmed alive. Gerrymandering and Land being given priority over people need to eat shit. Direct representation needs to improve and positions that can't be voted out by any means need to be dialed back at least a bit.

2. Safe and healthy treatment of all. The country needs to get back on track to allow everyone health and individual security. Healthcare should be easily accessed and free. Laws should be struck down and dismantled when they're oppressing people based on race, class, or sexual orientation. Communities shouldn't be judged or live in fear when they're just being themselves and trying to mind their own business. Systematic discrimination need to be regularly evaluated and undone.

3. Education is failing to adapt to the modern age. In huge chunks of the country critical thinking is being discouraged to ensure individuals remain ignorant or informed by only one source. We need to massively improve the education structure's functions to allow better management of adulthood and the multitude of ever expanding irritations that come with it.

4. Fix income and taxation. Wealth inequality is a massive crippling presence in a world that's already about to hit a major job crisis the further we get into automation (self-driving vehicles, accounting bots, self-operating factories, etc). The top 1% are poised to become the first trillionaires ever while the bottom 50% are actually worth a negative amount because of debt. This is causing horrible social mobility and stability issues that will only get worse. Dramatically increase the minimum wage (even 15.00 is kind of a joke in 2021), lay the foundations for UBI, and tax the shit out of wealth and income over 10 million in value.

5. Infrastructure is way behind. Our internet policies are a joke compared to many nations and many areas still don't have access to modern, affordable options. Dismantle regional monopolies. A comprehensive plan needs to be put in place for both road reconstruction and power grid modernization.

6. Tear apart the military complex. Our military budget is beyond psychotic and at the very least should not be growing year over year when we already spend more than any nation by far. Break apart the financial structure that's been encouraging war and fighting, stop worshipping the military like they're transcendent individuals, and redistribute the billions we spend into much more worthwhile things like everything else on my list for example.

7. Global warming is real and needs immediate course correction. Fusion is surprisingly close based on recent reports but in the meantime we need to upscale nuclear and renewables.

8. No fake tan.

@Telekill: Hard to take you seriously, more so since the right never calls out their own and blindly supports the GOP. And Trump has been called a racist for decades, he was even sued over it.

The democrats don't define who is and isn't racist.

@mattbbpl: From my perspective, there's a small handful of Republicans that still make sense. The Dems are all in bed with far left policy and ideology revolving around Critical Theory. The rest of the Do-Nothing Rhino Republicans are worthless trash. Nothing more.

The fact that you think Trump was a fringe extremist highlights that you're actually far left politically. He was bombastic, crass and often didn't choose his words well, but he wasn't what CNN and MSNBC opinion pieces made him out to be.

Trump is not a fringe extremist. He's the sort of racist moron that makes up the bulk of the republican party. The handful of worthless moderate rinos are the fringe.

It's weird, I feel like I have a different political view than most on here, but I agree with everything said so far. I'm not sure where that puts me on the political spectrum and don't really care. Out of everything said, healthcare would be my biggest concern. I know it doesn't work like this, but I wish the Gov't would take charge of healthcare and not allow individual states do it. Disability determination is a joke. The system is set to either let the person die before being approved or give up trying and end up worse than they were when they just needed help, from the taxes they already paid in. Also there's a waiting period on health insurance, if you even manage to get approved. Makes no sense. That's just one thing about healthcare and there's many others. Bugs me how much is spent on military that could be used in better ways, in my opinion. No other country spends anywhere close to that on military.

You do realize what you’re saying is worse, right?

@PurpleMan5000: Trump is a fringe extremist. Him spying on enemies, gassing peaceful protesters, trying to overthrow an election….

Nope. The problem in my country is coming from the right.

No, being on the fringe would indicate that he doesn't have the support of the party as a whole with all of that stuff. The house and senate just voted on whether there should be an inquiry on the events of January 6. 35 out of 211 House republicans voted in favor and 6 out of 50 republican senators voted in favor. People who disagree with trying to overflow the election are at the extreme fringe of the party.

@LJS9502_basic: What country are you in?

USA

1. Put an end to Politics

@LJS9502_basic: Then you're horribly misinformed.

@thenation: @LJS9502_basic: Our impasse is actually quite simple to figure out. Are you for or against Critical Theory?

The right tried to overthrow the government. Seems you're misinformed. Turn off Fox.

@LJS9502_basic: That wasn't an attempt to overthrow. Turn off CNN and MSNBC.

BTW... are you for or against critical theory?

It most certainly was. Congress was in session counting state certified election results and they tried to stop. I don't need anyone to tell me what happened. I watched it happen. I also don't watch either of those channels so you're straw-mans are ridiculous.

@LJS9502_basic: This isn't a "gotcha" attempt. Are you for or against critical theory?

@LJS9502_basic: Who under the age of 60 watches tv anymore?

When did he gas peaceful protestors?

Number one is is now the preservation of our democracy as it seems that the eventual march toward authoritarianism with the GOP is nigh. It's scary and I never thought I'd have to say it. 35% of our country now belong to a cult, engage in conspiracy theories, and would love to ditch democracy.

After that, income inequality, health care reform, tax reform, and of course, renewable energy and combatting climate change. The obvious important ones that would normally come first.

@appariti0n: You know what I’m talking about. You will just deny it.

Trump didn't order Layfette Square to be cleared out. That was debunked last week.

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