Do you trust politicians? Why or why not?
Politicians are trusted to be politicians. Yes, that is a circular statement. Some have a great deal of conviction and it can be seen in their pursuit of their aims, their speeches, both in triumph and failure, and their reliable vote on a set of issues, so long as they do not detour to far from their goal.At the moment, the Democrats are in full anti-Trump mode. It is a stand, but it is thoughtless. Even a fool, is occasionally right. Being the party of No is not in their long term interests. The Republicans, are not sure how tight to hug Trump or push back against him.So who do you trust and why? The last politician who held me in thrall was Robert Kennedy, yes it has been awhile. His disdain for organized crime, especially when combined with the unions, was well documented. His loyalty to his friends, regardless as to political cost, was also known. His hard edge was evident. If you want to know why him, find on Youtube, his speech on the night Martin Luther King died, when Kennedy was in Indianapolis. News took longer to get somewhere, and his audience was unaware of the event. Have heard good rhetoric from Reagan, good feeling words from Clinton, high flown ideals from Obama, but none come close to this speech for me. It was off the cuff, from his heart. When a politician is willing to be that open, they can be trusted.Cannot think of a current one in the U.S. who fits that mold. Which is not to say one will not emerge, just that am not aware of them. To reach out, from their heart, to try to connect, and not just gain a vote, takes a core of beliefs. Find a politician who has them, and see what your trust in them gets you. It might not work out, but if the words match the deeds, it is worth the attempt to reach out and see what can happen.
Why is social capital important to democracy?
The textbook I am reading, Politcal Sociology, provided a roundabout explanation that I don't understand. My teacher is asking "Why does social capital matter in democratic politics?" but from what I am reading I don't understand why. The book states that social capital means a weaker government but it doesn't explain why. It says that people with traditions have weaker government. But on a previous page it states that social relations built trust and confidence. It's hard to summarize it because I don't think I'm reading it correctly and I certainly don't understand it. If anyone understands this, please help!
Why is it so hard to trust people?
Because people are always working towards their own interests in some way, and you can never know the true person inside someone.
When you think about politicians, is there anyone out there that you trust completely? Or at least 80 per cent of the time?
There are quite a few and they distinguish themselves when fundamental principles and values are on the line. The founding fathers and the documents they authored illustrate this quite well. And, when these constitutional issues come under legal challenges the supreme court becomes the final authority.So, the choice of who sits on the Supreme Court is paramount in my mind. The Senate judiciary committee has the task of vetting a nominee, so these engagements tell a lot about the mind and concerns of the senator questioning the candidate.Eight years of Obama have really drawn bold lines with regard to political ideology and the testing of impartiality in our justice and intelligence agencies. You look at so many things that only fantastic lies and corruption influenced virtually everything; the IRS, Benghazi, race relations/policing, Holder - Lynch at justice, massive cover ups that go on to this day, the spying on campaigns, incredible lies to hustle Obamacare.So, there is an enormous amount of investigation that needs to be undertaken to return some level of legitimacy to our government. And, I don't say this as some vindictive hater of the Democrats (although they are sickenly rotten since it is more than obvious they have nothing in common with the Constitution of this nation; for them it's the ends justify the means.Right now, the people that are speaking out forcibly and intelligently to the people that tried and are still trying to circumvent a duly elected president are people I believe can be trusted. The facts and truth of these matters are about 70% exposed so only congressional /justice interference /cover up can derail the process. People like Nunez, Jordan, Cruz, Trump, Bolton, Sarah Sanders, Pence, there are numerous individuals but these people are at the forefront.Trump offends people every day; some are justifiable and most take his words and insert their own prejudices. I have stopped caring much about Trump's awkwardly approach to communication, but instead look at the results. If you're trying to build a beautiful home, do you care more about the end results or the sloppily dressed and ugly truck your contractor drives. The media bias is so extreme, they appear to be the back up candidates for the Democrat Party.
Do you believe that the Democrat and Republican parties in your state offer clear policy alternatives?
Do you believe that the Democrat and Republican parties in your state offer clear policy alternatives to the voters? Should candidates be limited in the amoung of money they can spend on their campaigns? We had an example of this in the presidential election -- what do you think of Obama's actions and McCane's actions regarding campaign financing?