College of Political Knowledge

Subject:  Political Theory/Elections/Government

Paper #38

I have been saying for awhile now that the political system in the US is slowing strangling itself….and the voter is to blame…..the system could not strangle itself without the assistance of the people….but it is NOT their fault completely…..it is that of the politicians, special interests and a cult of corruption in Washington…..so yes…the system is slowly decaying…….Patrick Martin of wsws.org has made some amazing observations……

The 2010 US election campaign, now mercifully concluding, marks a further descent by the American two-party system into political imbecility. None of the major issues confronting the American people—the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, two wars, spreading poverty, hunger and homelessness, the plague of foreclosures, mounting attacks on democratic rights, the worst environmental catastrophe in US history—were seriously discussed. Most were not discussed at all.

Instead, the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties engaged in a war of mutual mudslinging, inanities, diversions and outright lying on a scale without precedent even in the dismal history of American elections. More than $4 billion was spent by the two parties and various corporate-backed groups created for the purpose of smearing one set of candidates on behalf of the other.

A major function of the advertising barrage is to confuse the viewing audience and make coherent reflection about political issues virtually impossible. Neither party wishes to actually communicate with the voters on a rational level. Instead, their spin doctors and admen seek to stun the audience with emotionally loaded attacks on opposing candidates, while the actual agenda of the ad sponsors is concealed.

The populist posturing of both parties has become stale and unbelievable. Obama pretends that his administration has been the scourge of Wall Street, when it has overseen the handover of trillions from the Treasury to rescue the banks. The Republicans in their turn thunder against the bank bailout, although it was devised by the outgoing Bush administration and ratified by the congressional Republican leadership.

The absence of any substantive discussion of issues like war and the ongoing attacks on democratic rights is a demonstration of the degraded and false character of the officially sanctioned political process. Neither party will submit to the popular will when it comes to decisions on any critical questions.  (Thanx Patrick…..for the great synopsis of the mid-terms)

I have been attacked on many levels because I say that there is NO need to vote…that the whole activity is rigged in favor of the players and that we, as voters, have virtually NO say in what is important….we are told what is important and we blindly follow one party or the other without forcing any debate or clarification on the crap we are told…..this is why I gave up trying to have a substantial exchange of ideas on political discussion forums because people take everything personally….few could think outside their little sphere of political thought…..and when that happens there is NO relative exchange of ideas….just rants and insults and accusations….kinda like the political campaigns…..

So yes….In my opinion the system is decaying or a better analogy would be decomposing because of the stench coming off of it….it is a sad day when voting one must hold their nose before casting the vote…..or when our choices are between bad and worse……we will see just how serious the American people are about changing the way Washington does business…..personally, I do not think they know what they want….but they want it right now…..no time to wait!