the politics of homogeneity - why we fail

I thought this was a beautiful illustration of why our congress doesn't reach across the aisle to achieve compromise. We've gone from a primarily moderate House to a wholly partisan one. It harkens me back to the "Why We Fight" documentary about why our politicians have evolved completely to reside in the back pocket of the military-industrial complex (these companies make sure they have investment in all the states.) What results, without tacit, real differences in dealing with all-powerful lobbyist groups, is that Congress instead reflects the increasingly partisan social agendas common to the community which they represent. It's the worst of all worlds - no compromise on social agendas that divide the country but lots of compromise to appease our corporate masters. No wonder people are angry - they just haven't been able to internalize what it is they're really angry about.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/bigsort/archive/2008/09/30/30-years-and-three-reasons-congress-imploded.aspx