U.S.: Republicrats: Join the One Party!

[smack]

Since I've been able to vote I've often found one thing on the larger level (State, National): The preponderance of a single party. Here is my overly simple parallel:

Imagine that there was a group of heterosexuals that hated gay people (not too difficult to imagine). Their purpose as an organization was to make sure that gays were marginalized, used, negleted, and kept as second-class-'citizens'. The public message would not be so bold. It would be along the lines of "Protecting the rights of straight people" and "Guardians of the Right, before God".......or somesuch nonsense.

There are two groups within this organization, if you look closely: Men, and Women. Yes, men, and women who hate gays. This is just like the Republicans and Democrats in the USA. Two parties who hate: The poor, The rest of the world, Anything-that-challenges-the-status-quo (which their trust fund hubbies rely on). Two parties who hate anything (ambiguously and thus dangerously fascistly) un-AMERICAN, who hate the prospects of sharing, who don't bet on initiatives for peace that don't have initiatives-for-my-bank-account built right in.

Indeed, we have two parties who are batting for the same team. In essence, we have a single party, which I dub: "The Conservative Party", which isn't conservative at all of course (see Iraq, see N. Korea, see the privitazation of government functions across the boards......see the tarrif/Nafta/Cafta situation......see the numerous examples of NAIVE neo-conservativism (which again has nothing to do with conservativism)).

Each year the two 'sides' line up to do 'battle', which amount to no more than in-fighting over paystubs, pushings-in-line for the who's on first of priveledge: inherited wealth and power, no-less.

Yet the US system is apparently subtle enough to dupe most of US into towing the line for our various cronies. Let me be the first to suggest that there is some stability in such perpetual naiivete. yet........................

So, what do you think, Americans and others alike? Are US politics as fake as I suggest? Can there BE politics in wealth?

[Kanaric]

Idk if your description fits everything 100% but I do agree that politics in this country is completely idiotic. Both parties are more interested in finding push button issues getting elected than finding anything real.

IMO though its the public to blame for that, thats all people will pay attention to. Since when does stating facts matter? Nobody cares about those.

I think it IS ironic too that republicans call themselves the conservative party as well. The only way they are conservative is really on issues that have to do with religion.... with democrats though you dont really know what they believe in. They have no core objectives that are known other than to get elected.

[Atheist Peace]

I agree smack, the Democrats and Republicans aren't much different and, in my opinion, they are all just in it for money, power and prestige. All of US politics bothers me severely, the two parties bicker over things just to get power and then the masses of the country just follow along and join in. I feel there is very very little integrity left in American politics, it is all just like a silly game. And besides, the politicians on each side do not actually believe in what they say. For example: I saw a bunch of quotes from the Kosovo (or whatever, i was just a kid!) conflict while Clinton was president, and the talking points of each side seem completely reversed, they don't sincerely give a **** about anyone or anything, besides power and money. Hopefully, someday, integrity can be restored.

edit: And you can't forget about the media, they play a crucial role. Their job is to pretend to ask tough questions but then when every politician evades it with (not so) clever talking points, they just let it go by and pretend it was answered, or with the especially childish anchors - a line similar to "Well, its certainly an interesting debate, one which we will follow here at (insert crappy news channel)." And there's tons more...but not much point in going on, we all know how bad they are.

[smack]

Well, if the 'intelligencia' agrees on this point, we/they have a serious problem. Historically, when the educated of a culture stop believing the mutual fantasy, there is an eventual collapse. So, either the 'two sides' will start to do better at perpetuating the myth of 'politics' (which, as we've said, is no more than a recurring drama to fight over who inherits what power), or we will actually see a revolution.

As I see it, there cannot be revolution in a country with so much wealth, even if the disparities between rich and poor continue to increase: we have ever-better propoganda machines such that there is a balance there. However, with Katrina recently, and the prospects of more major fumblings in the first string of bureacracy, there is the potential for a collapse in some sector (transportation is our weakest point, btw). If we have a major failing, will the republocrats manage to align accross-the-aisle so that there is hereditary power transfer, or will some third party be able to climb at that point? Time will tell, and we live on a precipice of logistics such that time WILL tell soon enough. Wealth--> no chance of politics. Trouble--> some chance, if the parties are as naive as they seem. However, it IS frustrating to try to make change in these somewhat stable times, and that is why I moan about this now. Those in power (both parties) give a wink and a nod to their peers whilst the poor die in the streets. That is not likely to change and it maketh me sad.

[Garbarsardar]

Now, I don't know if that will make you feel any better, but the rest of the world is quickly catching up. My experience from three countries, namely Greece, the U.K. and Taiwan is very similar to your opening statement. The minute differences between the central-left or centeral-right ruling parties, could never justify their ideological manifests. In Greece the Socialist party took the hardest anti-syndicates measures, in the U.K. labour is laying off more PS than Margaret would dare to dream, and in Taiwan the left wing is more conservative in social policy then the dictatirship they previously had...

[Nihil]

Yep, I have to agree with everybody in the thread - something is inherently wrong in our western political status quo. The way I see it, there is a fundamental flaw in democracy as we see it now, and it is this: that the entire system is founded upon giving just enough prosperity to just enough people to ensure a kind of jaded apathy and lack of interest in politics or any major issues. This in turn gives a free hand to those who wield power. I don't mean to suggest that there is some kind of controlling conspiracy behind it all, however; rather do I see this dynamic as a natural equilibrium that develops out of the system as it is now.

Can there BE politics in wealth?

This is the crux of the problem. We have created a society where we distribute the bare minimum of wealth to ensure the complicity of the majority that is necessary in democracy. Everybody else can go to hell, and politicians can do as they please as long as this precious life's blood of "just enough and no more" gets to the majority.

Well, if the 'intelligencia' agrees on this point, we/they have a serious problem. Historically, when the educated of a culture stop believing the mutual fantasy, there is an eventual collapse. So, either the 'two sides' will start to do better at perpetuating the myth of 'politics' (which, as we've said, is no more than a recurring drama to fight over who inherits what power), or we will actually see a revolution.

Not sure that I agree with you here. In a democracy, the intelligentsia or anybody else are fairly irrelevant as long as the middle classes are kept contented and apathetic. The flimsy myth of politics, shallow pantomime that it is, is enough to satisfy the conscience of the majority that somebody is indeed in charge, and that everything is in good hands, because people in general have no real concern beyond their own affairs, and as a result they don't look closely enough at the myth to see it for what it is. That's just human nature. The job of politicians is to sell a product, and that product is the illusion that somebody capable is in charge, with the accompanying feeling of reassurance and an easy conscience.

As I see it, there cannot be revolution in a country with so much wealth, even if the disparities between rich and poor continue to increase: we have ever-better propoganda machines such that there is a balance there. However, with Katrina recently, and the prospects of more major fumblings in the first string of bureacracy, there is the potential for a collapse in some sector (transportation is our weakest point, btw). If we have a major failing, will the republocrats manage to align accross-the-aisle so that there is hereditary power transfer, or will some third party be able to climb at that point? Time will tell, and we live on a precipice of logistics such that time WILL tell soon enough. Wealth--> no chance of politics. Trouble--> some chance, if the parties are as naive as they seem. However, it IS frustrating to try to make change in these somewhat stable times, and that is why I moan about this now. Those in power (both parties) give a wink and a nod to their peers whilst the poor die in the streets. That is not likely to change and it maketh me sad.

We have the sytem that is inevitable at this time, and this can't change until some external force disturbs the equilibrium. Something like, the rise of China jeopardizing Western economic properity, or the burgeoning oil hassles doing likewise. The bummer is, when the faeces does hit the fan, instead of seeing an end to the crappy politics we endure now and the blossoming of a happy new time of flowers and bunnies, we are probably in for an end to the crappy politics we see now and the rise of reactionary extremism and the un-subtle politics of desperation.

[Tom Paine]

I have to make a point. smack, you think that the fact that the intelligentsia catcing on will cause a revolution? i have to disagree. it causes apathy and disillusionment, apathy because we are made to feel we can't do anything... about anything, and disillusionment because, well, the illusions of power and difference are gone.

[Profler]

The minute differences between the central-left or centeral-right ruling parties, could never justify their ideological manifests. In Greece the Socialist party took the hardest anti-syndicates measures, in the U.K. labour is laying off more PS than Margaret would dare to dream

The UK is certainly going that way fast, a significant number of MPs in our third party have already declared that they intend to maintain a 'flexible' policy base - combined with the increasing preponderence of fighting for the handfull of votes needed in marginal seats, I suspect that this may indicate that British politics is going to continue declining for some time.