by Len Hart, The Existentialist CowboyWhy is the GOP where it is? Simply --GOP fascists turned out!! Why are the Democrats where they are? Don't ask a Democrat! You are likely to get a denial that he/she is a Democrat --rather, a 'progressive'! Don't bother asking what a 'progressive' is. But if you want to know the truth, here goes: a 'progressive' is a Democrat who does not want or dare to admit that he/she is a Democrat! This deplorable situation has resulted because a critical mass of 'Dems' committed what in politics is the unpardonable sin: they allowed the opposition [GOP] to define them! That's why Clinton found it necessary to 'triangulate' a center. Definition of a center in politics: something that is neither here nor there nor sharp but blurry in the middle!
Bottom line: 'progressive' does not mean a thing and will not result in a net gain of votes! The word owes is very existence to the fact that 'liberals' let the GOP get away with branding the word 'liberal'. Liberal is a perfectly good word! It means FREE! Again --LIBERAL means free! Anyone who runs away from 'freedom' deserves to lose an election and until progressives regain the courage of their convictions, they will continue to get 'ass whuppins' at the hands of ruthless and well-financed right wing nuts!
Things can change but only if Democrats regain their party by turning out. The PRIMARIES are more important than the general election. Sadly --the process itself is designed to REDUCE your choices to only two. I don't like it --but that's the way it is! Whining about it on FB will not change a thing. It's a SOP; someone threw us a BONE!
If you want to change America, so-called 'progressives' must --first --take back the Democratic party. But NO ONE is going to tolerate a long lecture on the kinds of reforms that are necessary AFTER the primaries are over!
[Condorcet] He divided the decision process into three stages. In the first stage, one “discusses the principles that will serve as the basis for decision in a general issue; one examines the various aspects of this issue and the consequences of different ways to make the decision.” At this stage, the opinions are personal, and no attempts are made to form a majority. After this follows a second discussion in which “the question is clarified, opinions approach and combine with each other to a small number of more general opinions.” In this way the decision is reduced to a choice between a manageable set of alternatives. The third stage consists of the actual choice between these alternatives. --Decision Theory: A Brief Introduction, Condorcet, [1793], pp. 342-343)Condorcet's distinction between the "first and second discussion" seems to me to be analagous to the U.S. primary process. In the first case, Democrats (for example) choose between other Democratic hopefuls. Invariably --enough to skew the validity of the primary as a barometer of public opinion --decisions will turn upon which candidate is perceived to have a better chance of winning in the general election.
Seen on FB: "ALL PARTIES SUCK" Well, that's an excuse to sit out the primaries! If you don't like the DEMS, then organize to take them back. That requires that you get involved. Taking back a party begins in the neighborhoods. It is done precinct by precinct. Sorry --there are no magic wands. There is NO INSTANT GRATIFICATION! That's the way it is. That's the system we inherited.
The French waged a real revolution shortly after 'we' separated from England. I can tell you this --no one was sitting at home pissing and moaning about "...oh golly gee...all the parties are the same...oh woe is me..." They MANNED THE BARRICADES.
21 comments:
Amen, brother
Rob said...
Amen, brother
Thanks --with this article, I managed to alienate both parties! LOL Screw 'em! If I were a radio or TV station, I would charge for POLITICAL announcements of EITHER party!
"There is NO INSTANT GRATIFICATION!"
Therein lay the big problem with people. And like you say, until we take back the Democratic party, we have no say...because as far as I can see there is only one party in this country at the present time: the party of corruption.
benmerc
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Since the Democratic Party is almost as corrupt and corporatized as the Republican Party, it will be a long and near impossible effort.
If we can clearly identify the problems it would be easier to gain momentum in addressing them.
We need a mass movement in the direction of Constitutional solutions for the following causes: Money is not free speech. Corporations are not persons. And finally, federal public elections need to be funded by the public. We fund football stadiums. Is that our priority?
We can call it the "Constitutional Freedom and Democracy" movement.
I think many who call themselves conservatives would embrace it.
Just found your blog, i have it bookmarked to read.
looking forward to seeing more as time goes by.
I'm a dumbed down american. I don't know what the f#ck is going on. I watch Fux news or Rachel Maddow. Or listen to jimbo or alex jones . Everythings screwed up. I'm barely surviving and have some cancer or other health issue. I want to retire somewhere warm and eat oranges and avocadoes and corn tortillas. If I read anything for over 15 minutes my neurons start shutting down. Yes, I did drugs in the 60's and 70's and enjoy vodka.
BUT I VOTE.
Any suggestions?
lasvaras53 said...
I'm a dumbed down american...I want to retire somewhere warm and eat oranges and avocadoes and corn tortillas.
I understand the health issues. I used to look like Charles Atlas. But a 'little' cancer on my neck put a stop to that. But --I got it taken care of NO THANKS TO THE FUCKING GOP!! As for retiring, a large part of mine would have already been SEIZED and given to the big BANKSTERS to play the stock market with! Why not BLACKJACK or Roulette? As EVERY gop Prez since WWII is left in the dust by ANY DEM re: GDP growth, we must only conclude that the GOP would lose money with a BLACKJACK system. Also --the GOP office holders I knew in Houston were too fucking stupid to play a black jack system. Besides--LOOTING YOUR S.S. MONIES is a sure thing! They have figured out a way to make THEFT pay!
As for 'voting' --the GOP has hedged their bet there, as well. Remember Florida? They have learned that stealing an election is easy when you have your stooge ---SCALIA --on the high court.
I believe in free speech! But I do NOT believe the GOP has a right to DEFRAUD the world while LOOTING a nation, your retirement monies or the natural resources of sovereign nations.
The GOP is NOT a political party; it's a crime syndicate. The leadership should be investigated, rounded up jailed for NUMEROUS and ENDEMIC violation of RICO statutes.
With all due respect, Jonathan Turley wisely noted, "Anyone who believes there are two parties in Washington DC is a fool."
I have no delusions of any actual division between the parties other than their 'talking points', which, are scripted entirely.
Certain people are put in certain places to give the appearance of opposition when in fact no opposition exists.
Keep up the good work.
Amerikagulag
Anonymous said...
I have no delusions of any actual division between the parties other than their 'talking points', which, are scripted entirely.
It's often said that there are no differences between the parties but that is simplistic. There are very real differences between the parties not the least of which is that EVERY Democrat AT LEAST since WWII has presided over greater job and GDP growth than any GOPP. There are less significant differences but real nonetheless. My beef is that the GOP, of late, dictates the agenda because it is OWNED by the ruling elite and, as a result, GOP policies are designed to enrich this elite. As long as the money drives campaigns, the differences between the parties will continue to blur and/or diminish. At present, DEMS get monies from the same people who financed the GOP simply because this elite has the money and no one else does. Dems cannot afford to be truly independent.
It is not merely a hedged-bet for corporate 'sponsors', it is a self-fulfilling prophecy, an echo chamber in which REAL PEOPLE are simply drowned out.
There are real reforms that could change things but --again --the corporations would oppose them. We are screwed short of a REAL revolution and, by that, I mean a revolution that would mandate mass bustups of the entrenched powers whose ONLY constituency is a ruling elite of just one percent which is in cahoots if not identical with the the nation's corporate power brokers.
Well, to my way of thinking there will be no changes in the nation until the system as it is today is torn down.
Personally I will never ever vote for D/R again.
After the presidential candidates got their nod in the primaries before the '08 election, their FIRST order of business was to go to AIPAC and grovel and worship. Instead of thanking the American people, they chose to thank those e that put them there.
2% of the population calling the shots for the other 98% is not my idea of a representative government. APIAC should be registered ad a foreign agent.
As far as being controlled by the ruling elite, that's a sure bet and it goes back the to the Rothschilds - who own the biggest nanks, BP Shell, Chevron, Goldman and a host of persons connected with the Federal Reserve.
Both 'parties' are controlled by them.
Amerikagulag
Anonymous said...
Personally I will never ever vote for D/R again.
In the GENERAL, you don't have a viable third choice. NOT voting concedes the nation to the GOP. That is NOT an option.
I have written time and time and time again that if what 'progressives' ( a word which seems to have been adopted; no one asked me) wish to have a real revolution they MUST TAKE BACK the Democratic party, the party of Roosevelt and REAL PROGRESSIVES.
Even Hitler did not start from scratch; he and his goons got involved and took over an existing party, rebuilt it in their image, organized at the local level and eventually became a force to be reckoned with. Read Shirer's 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'. Read any history of ANY revolution.
Revolutions are not waged NOR won by sitting on one's ass watching CNN and bitching about things.
It's a bit more complicated in America. The PRIMARY SYSTEM is expensive and absurd, design to winnow the field. It favors big money; if you don't have MONEY and RICH BACKERS you won't survive the first rounds. This HAS not to change but will change ONLY if 1) people get active 2) AGITATE 3) VOTE!
If people are not getting the candidates they like, they have no complaint if they have NOT worked to takeover the Democrats at the LOCAL LEVEL.
All politics are local! In the big media age, Americans have forgotten that.
Oh, I never said i wouldn't vote! I'll just vote for ANYTHING that's not D or R. That includes communist, nazi, skinhead, whacko or any other party registered on the ballot. I'm not interested in a "viable" third party. I'm interested in candidates who speak from their hearts and have the genuine interest of the people at heart. And, by the way, you just gave it away with that word "viable" because it is an intentional manipulation of the voting system that no alternative parties be able to gain a foothold in this one party system. So by admitting that they're not viable, you've admitted to the controlled nature of elections.
Rahm Emanuel just became mayor of Chicago after violating the residency rule. He hasn't lived in Chicago for almost 3 years. However the Illinois Supreme Court said he could remain on the ballot. Completely against the residency rule. CLEARLY a manipulation of the election. But that is to be expected. It was a done deal from the gitgo. Both the D and the R candidates are vetted by AIPAC. NO ONE gets on the national ballot unless they're cleared by AIPAC.
Len, I love your stuff and I love your site. You're a valuable asset in the information war. But when it comes to voting in the US national elections, unless the citizens wake up to the fact that they're being duped by the 2-headed hydra, nothing will change.
The Bolsheveks did much the same thing with the Baltic States - the citizens were given a ballot. On it, there was one choice. You voted to be absorbed into the Soviet Union or you didn't vote.
Surprise! 96% voted to be absorbed into the Soviet Union. The other 4%...well, only the Stalinists know for sure.
I have no delusions about change. Change will come from 'the people'. It's us against them, Len. And they don't give a dam about us.
Dear citizen: It's just one BIG party is Washington DC. And YOU are not invited.
Amerikagulag
Anonymous said...
Len, I love your stuff and I love your site. You're a valuable asset in the information war. But when it comes to voting in the US national elections, unless the citizens wake up to the fact that they're being duped by the 2-headed hydra, nothing will change
I am NOT talking about the national elections except to say that by the time it gets to that point, the ruling elite has already won. And they THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Either candidate will preserve their privileged positions.
I appreciate the kind words but you are talking about GENERAL ELECTIONS. I am talking about TAKING BACK a party that already exists. Do you think Hitler invented the Nazi party? No --he did not! But neither was he sitting at home --swilling a lager --while listening to 'primary' returns on the radio!
I would suggest you read up on how the primaries winnow the viable candidates that are available to you. Simply, you claim options, choices, privileges, luxuries that you don't have, perhaps NEVER had!
Do you think Hitler invented the Nazi party that you said you would vote for before voting either Dem/GOP? Clue--he did NOT! Frankly --if you are not willing to get involved in local conventions, you might as well stay home, swill a beer and watch the returns! But don't bother! Because millions think as you do, the end result has all been worked out on K-Stret! One of two candidates will win having been financed by the SAME BIG money that bankrolls BOTH major candidates but always LESS money to the Dem!
Whether a DEM or GOP wins the W.H. the ruling elite is guaranteed 1) they they will remain the ruling elite; 2) the U.S. will remain embroiled in oil and resource interventions around the world 3) so-called 'progressives' will piss and moan about the situation! That's ALL they will do! They will NOT get off the sofa long enough to do anything or accept any responsibility.
Secondly, you have not understood my position! You seem content to concede your soul to a ruling elite that 1) finances BOTH major parties but only 'hedges' its bets by dabbling in Democratic primaries 2) bow to the machine by staying at home and watching the returns! They are, in fact, a SOAP OPERA which I think should be called FOREGONE CONCLUSIONS!
I have exhorted people to TAKE BACK the only existing party machine available to them! But you missed my point! Too bad!
Go ahead --vote NAZI if you can find one on the ballot in a general election! Vote for the OZ party ---if you can find the WIZARD on the ballot of the general election. Vote for the GREEN CHEESE for everyone party!
If you sit by the river long enough you will see the body of your enemy float by.
This is just another, albeit more elegant, way of saying that if you give your opponent enough rope, in all probability, he will hang himself.
Like many others, I've been bitterly disappointed by the performance of the Obama administration thus far. I wanted a lot more a lot faster. What we've gotten seems largely a dismal failure and an affront to those of us who voted for the change that was promised.
However, there is another possibility, remote as it may seem, to be considered.
With their gains from the midterms, the radical right is now making an all-out effort to virtually eliminate the democratic party. As pitiful as the dems may be, things will get a lot worse, a lot quicker, without them. With no viable third party in the picture we would be confronted with an unadulterated, single party kleptocracy. We're not very far from it now.
What happens if the far right succeeds in their current assault? Can you say complete deregulation, unfettered laissez faire capitalism, goodbye social security, unemployment insurance, public education, and any and all public programs put in place to promote the general welfare?
Will you enjoy living in a third world country? Will you welcome the return of child labor http://tinyurl.com/4wxnvsu, the elimination of the minimum wage http://tinyurl.com/3yfdgeb, the reinstatement of segregation http://tinyurl.com/4kv7th8, the repeal of all laws governing the treatment of workers and safety in the workplace?
How will you feel about the complete revocation of all environmental protection http://tinyurl.com/4nlo9x3 and the removal of all restrictions on the exploitation of any and all forms of fossil fuels http://americaswatchtower.com/2011/02/26/house-republicans-to-put-pressure-on-the-obama-regime-to-reinstate-offshore-drilling/ and nuclear energy http://tinyurl.com/4o9xtb7? This is just a brief, partial and spontaneous summary of what would likely be in store should the neofascist right come to full power in 2012. Maybe this is the catastrophic event being predicted for that year.
Now here's the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Is there even a remote possibility that Obama may be sitting by the river? Is he giving the right all the rope it needs? Has he been thinking ten moves ahead all this time, waiting for the opportunity to deliver checkmate?
Will things get so bad, thanks very obviously to the extreme right, between now and 012 that even the puppets who voted for them last November, even the loyal, registered republicans and the democrats who decided not to vote in protest, will recognize the real enemy and turn upon them en masse in the next election?
Ignorant, malicious, arrogant and fanatically ideological people tend to become over-confident if they can be led to believe they have an overwhelming advantage. Are they being lured into committing mass political suicide?
Overall, those at the far right extreme tend to be dumber than a box of rocks. They seem to be under the impression that the vast majority of the public is similarly afflicted. Whether or not this is the case, there is a point beyond which people simply can't be pushed. We've seen the beginning of the push-back already in Wisconsin and other states where the move is on to deliver the coup de grace to the working class.
Is it utterly impossible to conceive that Obama is working toward completely turning the tables? Could we see the republicans become so marginalised in 2012 that they might be effectively eliminated from at least several election cycles? Could we possibly see all the change we were promised and a whole lot more in a second term for Obama?
I'm certainly not counting on it, but it is something to think about.
Re: Richard William Posner
Indeed! Your fears WILL BE realized because so-called progressive Democrats will NOT get off their asses and involve themselves in the primaries. They will NOT involve themselves in the process by which a candidate is chosen. So --WHY do they expect that any candidate in the GENERAL ELECTION will be responsive to the lazy asses that decided to sit it all out? WHY do people expect the general election to reflect their views AT ALL when, in fact, they have done abso-fuckin-lutely NOTHING for a period four fucking years???
So, I guess I can take your response to mean that you don't see any chance that Obama is attempting to lead the neofascist right to self-destruct by giving them enough rope to hang themselves. Frankly, I don't think so either. I was simply offering a wildly optimistic scenario to see what others might think.
Unless and until the electoral college is done away with, we won't see viable multiple parties. Until we get a party in power that will enact serious monetary reform, we will be stuck with our money-as-debt economy. Unless we get rid of our debt-based currency and restore government issued, debt-free money, it will be business as usual. Business as usual will and is leading america down the road to third world status and it won't be long.
Richard William Posner said...
Unless and until the electoral college is done away with, we won't see viable multiple parties.
And that will never happen in America. If a 'Fairness Doctrine' were restored, the financial limitations that winnow out innumerable qualified candidates might be overcome. Until that happens, politics exists SO THAT the rich may 'buy' politicians. It's an auction. If all that were done, a larger field could be selected in a single national election decided with a Borda Count, 'range' or 'preference voting' system et al
There are too many ifs in the world today.
Dennis Kuchinich, working with the American Monetary Institute (http://www.monetary.org/) has been attempting to introduce real monetary reform legislation. The Green Party has adopted that legislation as a plank in their platform.
IF that legislation could be passed, if the Greens could become viable, it would result in a complete transformation of our economy and our ostensible government. It would take a couple of years to fully develop but it would happen.
But, unless such a movement can come up with a source of funding competitive with that which the established order enjoys, the chance of such events actually transpiring is non-existent.
If, if, if...but, but but...
It becomes more certain every day that the age-old cycle of empire and bloody revolution will simply be repeated yet again. There could be a significant difference this time however; for the first time in history, it may actually go global.
Richard William Posner said...
There are too many ifs in the world today.
Having a university BG in Philosophy to include several semesters of logic, role of logic/empirical analysis, symbolic logic, philosophical analysis, logical positivism et al, I don't have a problem with 'if-then' statements.
I've also done a bit of computer programming --Java, C, etc. It's all 'if/then'.
The problem is not 'IF/THEN'; the problem is that some 50 percent of the population can be proven to be goddamned liars!
We either unite to defeat them at the polls OR we resign ourselves to slavery. Sadly --another IF/THEN proposition rears its ugly head: IF the American people continue to refuse to wake the FUCK UP, THEN we are all, in fact, slaves!
Frankly, I am losing patience with a people that will NOT understand that they have been --to use an advdertising term --POSITIONED! There is NO OTHER CHOICE short of violent revolution but to get involved. Frankly, I have grown sick and weary of talking to stumps and counting angels on the head of a pin!
IF "Progressives" (if that is the term they choose to describe themselves) choose to sit on their asses in anticipation of a 'savior' in the general election, they might as well line up for the soup kitches now as later! Should that come to pass, I would hope that they will be grateful to get the soup!
Positioned. That's very appropriate.
Unfortunately, most people won't get involved. They won't change until staying the same is worse than changing. In this instance that will probably be too late.
Short of violent revolution? What else is new? That's where we're headed and I don't see much chance of avoiding it.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
President John F. Kennedy
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