Hamilton Political Debate

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Batgirl III
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Batgirl III »

badpenny wrote:The only optimism for me is that Maine introduced rank-choice voting state wide. That makes me very happy. If more states followed, we could actually have viable third parties. Up until Maine voted it in, only small municipalities like San Francisco had it. But at the state level, I see a glimmer of hope it will catch on.
I'd like to see the Reapportionment Act of 1929 (2 U.S.C. § 2a) repealed. For those of you not hip to the Roaring Twenties legislative scene —and why not? All the cool kids are doing it! — this was the law established a permanent method for apportioning a constant 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives according to each census.

This means that, given the U.S.'s present population of roughly 320 million, each Representative is roughly speaking on behalf of 735,000 people. That's an insane ratio... 735,000:1!

To put this into a historical perspective, when the Constitution was originally written the Framers explicitly wrote that "[t]he number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand[.]" Which means our current ratio is almost 25x greater than the Framers intended!

To put it in a contemporary perspective, the House of Commons in the UK seats 650 MPs. That amounts to roughly 93,000 people per representative, because the population of the UK is roughly 60 million. The House of Commons of Canada in... wait for it... Canada seats 338 MPs. With a population of roughly 35 million, that amounts to about 100,000 people per MP.

• Dramatically reducing the power of all current representatives.
• Weakening incumbency rates but strengthening the seniority system.
• Expanding opportunities for centrists but maybe also radicals, giving third-parties and regional parties a chance to exist.
• Substantially decreasing the number of Congressional staff.

Each one has its own pros and cons. But I say it'd be worth it if only for the reduction of Congressional staff. Right now, staff sizes are justified because the average district population is so high; the total number of personal staff for House members is 6,000 alone. These people live in Washington year round and are the primary targets of lobbyists, not the Representatives themselves. Also, they're usually the root source of countless ethics scandals. So all in all, it's very much a matter of accountability.

Now, a complete repeal of the Apportionment Act and a return to the 30,000:1 ratio would result in a House of Representatives numbering north of 10,000 seats. While I would find that to be fantastic — because I'm a minarchist kook — it's probably not pragmatic. But doubling or tripling the number of Representatives would still go a long way to fixing some of our issues.
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Thorpocalypse
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Thorpocalypse »

Interesting, BGIII. I learned something today. Dammit...

On the issue at hand, I find myself torn. I think the cast said what a lot of us are feeling, but I also feel like that really wasn't the time. But it does feel like a "reap what you sow" from the way Trump ran his campaign. Which was brilliant, by the way. If he can pull off that type of bamboozle and hornswaggle with the world leaders moving forward, he might make this work. 8-)

And really, all this division within the country needs to stop. We need to focus our efforts on the real enemy here...

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Batgirl III
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Batgirl III »

They're not even a real country anyway! Blame Canada!
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Arkrite
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Arkrite »

I'd be terrified if I thought you had any idea where Canada was ;~)
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Batgirl III
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Batgirl III »

Arkrite wrote:I'd be terrified if I thought you had any idea where Canada was ;~)
You do realize I grew up ten miles due north of it, eh? And I spent a not significant part of my adult life standing watches on the Canadian-American border...

I know some of the secrets you harbor, O Canada. I know full well that my mind would snap like a dried maple candy t'were I to learn any more of your true horrors. For just the little I do know has driven me beyond the brink of insanity in the eyes of my fellow countrymen.

I try to warn them.

I scream the Unspeakable Words from the rooftops — Poutine! BeaverTail! Nanamiro! Ketchup Chips!

But they see only my broken body, they cannot see the screaming mind behind my glassy eyes.

They put me in here. This sanctuary. This... asylum. But there can be no succor. No shelter from the northern storm. I contribute to try to warn them. The muzzle me, so the Unspeakable Words cannot leave my mouth.

They gave me a pencil. Once.

But they have taken it. For I used it to write the Forbidden Names. The Names of Those Who Walk As We Do... But are Not As We Are.

William the Shatterer... master and commander of a infinite legion of red-hued warriors.
Dwayne the Rock... bringer of smackdown.
Groaning Matt ... who brings to life the yellow homunculi, a mockery of American family life.
The Drake... total knowledge of this one eludes me. He seems to be some sort of sonic enchanter. Likely draconic in nature.
Thomas of Cong... who has seduced generations with the Devil's Lettuce.

I KNOW YOUR SECRETS CANADA!

I have looked upon the Icing Rule and I have known fear.
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Arkrite
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Arkrite »

Batgirl III wrote:
Arkrite wrote:I'd be terrified if I thought you had any idea where Canada was ;~)
You do realize I grew up ten miles due north of it, eh?
You're Russian? ;~)
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by jcjec »

Batgirl III wrote:But they have taken it. For I used it to write the Forbidden Names. The Names of Those Who Walk As We Do... But are Not As We Are.

William the Shatterer... master and commander of a infinite legion of red-hued warriors.
Dwayne the Rock... bringer of smackdown.
Groaning Matt ... who brings to life the yellow homunculi, a mockery of American family life.
The Drake... total knowledge of this one eludes me. He seems to be some sort of sonic enchanter. Likely draconic in nature.
Thomas of Cong... who has seduced generations with the Devil's Lettuce.
You neglected to mention the greatest of all the evil ones.... The Bieber! The seducer of children! He who must be returned to the wilds of the North from which he came. :mrgreen:
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Ken
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Ken »

Arkrite wrote:
Batgirl III wrote:
Arkrite wrote:I'd be terrified if I thought you had any idea where Canada was ;~)
You do realize I grew up ten miles due north of it, eh?
You're Russian? ;~)
No, she's from eastern Michigan.
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Arkrite
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Arkrite »

Michigan is ten miles due north of Canada?
...
Michigan is weird.
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Ken
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Ken »

Arkrite wrote:Michigan is ten miles due north of Canada?
...
Michigan is weird.
It's as much Ontario's fault. And it's not all of Michigan, just any part of Michigan that is as far or further east than, roughly, Detroit.

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Jabroniville
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Jabroniville »

Thorpocalypse wrote:Interesting, BGIII. I learned something today. Dammit...

On the issue at hand, I find myself torn. I think the cast said what a lot of us are feeling, but I also feel like that really wasn't the time. But it does feel like a "reap what you sow" from the way Trump ran his campaign. Which was brilliant, by the way. If he can pull off that type of bamboozle and hornswaggle with the world leaders moving forward, he might make this work. 8-)

And really, all this division within the country needs to stop. We need to focus our efforts on the real enemy here...

Image

I'm watching you, Jab...and so is Riley Curry...

http://giphy.com/gifs/riley-curry-im-wa ... HokQWVwZMs
WHA-HA-HAAAAAATTTTTT? But WE haven't done anything wrong... I mean, it's not like our plan all along was to have HILLARY CLINTON and DONALD TRUMP be the only two people apparently qualified enough to lead your nation. It couldn't have been a Canadian conspiracy, put there by the Maple Leaf Ninja Clan in order to weaken out Southern neighbors, and thus enable our takeover of your coastal States, so we can have that sweet, sweet, unfrozen beachfront property.

I mean, we'd NEVER do THAT...
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Arkrite
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Arkrite »

Darn... I was really hoping I could get a Due South reference out of this...
Jabroniville
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Jabroniville »

That show RULED.
Spectrum
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Spectrum »

Sorry, back to normal happy shiny Spectrum :)

I forgot, I present as a while cis gendered male. I'm not allowed to have an opinion in the new liberal cultural regime.
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Re: Hamilton Political Debate

Post by Spectrum »

Approaching this more calmly..

What is your 'win' condition? What makes things 'right'?
What will other people have to do (give up) in order to get you there?
How will you make them change?

If the price for me is too high, if I feel that I can never do enough to make it right, then why even try?
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
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