American democracy has ground to a halt.

[Annatar]

Although I am opposed to corporate money in politics this idea out there that getting it out of politics would de-polarise things is completely wrong. Corporate money often goes to moderate and centrist candidates. If donations only came from small time donors, only conviction politicians who were not centrists would get elected and politics would polarise far more. Normal partisans are not going to give money to centrists, only corporations will, in fact  I would argue big money has prevented American politics from polarising at a faster rate.

Now I think polarisation is occurring because unlike the 1950’s the population is far more heterogenous in its world views, and different voting groups have radically different world views, a fact that inevitable leads to polarisation. Elites are not responsible for polarisation, when you have for example one group that is traditionalist and believes in traditional gender roles and family organisation and another who is totally opposed to that worldview and wants to get rid of the old family structures you are going to get polarisation, it’s not a question of whether some people are good or evil it’s just that with very different worldviews you get polarised politics.
Another example would be if some voters believe in god and are highly religious and that is the foundation of their life and their moral guide and another group think believing in god is like believing in the tooth fairy and don’t recognise religion as a valid reason for someone to think something is immoral behaviour you are going to get intense polarisation.

Just on corporate money, I want to get to rid of it because it stops the people from choosing their politicians properly, I think polarisation is a good thing as it allows for a real clash of ideas and corporate money advantages candidates who just want power and not those that have strong ideological convictions. I want to see debates between Old Testament believers and militant atheists on the floor of congress.