Tag: Political Parties

The Facade of American Democracy

As the election draws closer…..I am seeing the typical BS once again popping that ugly head up above the crowd…..the process of demonizing the candidates.

I personally do not care which one of the fake individuals you are pulling for in this election….everyone including the media is doing their level best to turn the candidates into some sort of sociopath or racist or whatever term you would like…….

This is nothing new….it is what it is….an American tradition…..we have been doing this since the days of Jefferson and little has changed over the years…..I read an excellent piece in Counter Punch……

With the rigged Democratic presidential nomination behind us, the US election reality show continues. The mass media is creating sensations around what has become a national embarrassment with this contest of the lesser of the two crazies. On the one hand we have Donald Trump, depicted as a quintessential narcissist and on the other, Hillary Clinton who is often portrayed as a sociopath. Hype is created by putting these labels on the candidates, pitting one personality disorder against the other.

This is a corporate sponsored election charade doing business as usual and distracting people from the real power behind the veil. In The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profits and Power, filmmaker and law professor Joel Bakan (2004) examined the consistent character attributes of corporations and concludes that if they were a human, they are a textbook example of a psychopath.

Source: Pathology, Incorporated: the Facade of American Democracy

Like the title states…..the Facade of American Democracy…..Democracy……….just a title that we throw around like it was beads at Mardi Gras….

Why Political Parties Are Unnecessary

As far back as the 1970’s I was preaching this exact thing….political parties are unnecessary…..basically because the American voter will vote for what is best for the individual and not the country…..party matters not…that is why we had voters like the Reagan Democrats….

Boy did I catch Hell from all sides…..my theory was too radical to be American I was told by one individual….and yet here we are….

You know the euphemism, “Follow the Party Line.” Mind what you say. Watch how you act. Do what’s expected.

Watching the major party conventions this summer made we wonder, more than ever, why anyone would follow a political party line—either party.

Comparisons of “Trumpism” to circumstances in 1930’s Germany and Italy aren’t exaggerations. Neither is Robert Nelson’s attribution of a Karl Marx saying: “History repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.”

Source: Why Political Parties Are Unnecessary – LA Progressive

To this day I still hold the opinion that political parties are a waste of time and energy….

We could say that most Americans are independents….but I dislike that term…..why?

Independent would mean that they were open to an alternative….that is a falsehood….at best these voters are “undecided”….. (there will be a post the takes on this issue a little later)

Do You Know Your Political DNA?

As I teach classes here and there I am always asking my young students where do they stand politically…..many have no idea….they know Repub, Dem and independent….beyond that they have NO idea that there are many other options….

So I decided when I teach a course I gove them these quizzes as homework and ask that they print out their results and we will discuss them in class….

Source: The Definitive Political Orientation Test | PlayBuzz

Source: Political Spectrum Quiz – Your Political Label

Source: The Political Compass

I know that everyone has an opinion and a party that they think represents their ideals……usually these ideas are formed by the news media they choose to fixate upon…..

But if my readers would like a better idea of their political orientation then maybe it would be fun to try these quizzes for themselves…..

Just a thought.

Is It Time From A Change?

This election, the 2016 election, has brought up many questions….one being…… are the two parties really representing the people of this nation?

And what about all those “independents”?  This is a con job…there are very few independents most can accurately be called centrist….but independent is a lie!  (More to come before the election on this faux issue)

With all the battles going on within the two parties could it be time for a new party to arise from the ashes of 2016?  Especially with the Democratic Party….there is deep division within the ranks….

Despite a decisive victory Tuesday providing further confirmation of her likely nomination, in many respects Hillary Clinton emerges from the New York primary more damaged, her party more divided, than she entered it. What came to be called The Battle of New York has served only to further expose what millions of people in the […]

Source: The (un)Democratic Primary: Why We Need a New Party of the 99% – The Unz Review

With this premise I agree….as a matter of fact I have been saying this since 2010 when the Dems imploded and allowed the GOP to gain control where they should not have control….

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I was thinking that in 1912 TR established the Bull Moose Party and the platform is one that could be useful today……

Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive Party in 1912  gave Americans “A New Nationalism” and their platform was as follows….

In the social sphere the platform called for

  • A National Health Service to include all existing government medical agencies.
  • Social insurance,  to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled.
  • Limited injunctions in strikes.
  • Farm relief.
  • Worker’s compensation for work-related injuries.
  • An inheritance tax.
  • A Constitutional amendment to allow a Federal income tax.

The political reforms proposed included

  • Women’s suffrage.
  • Direct election of Senators.
  • Primary elections  for state and federal nominations.

The platform also urged states to adopt measures for “direct democracy”, including:

  • The recall election (citizens may remove an elected official before the end of his term).
  • The referendum (citizens may decide on a law by popular vote).
  • The initiative (citizens may propose a law by petition and enact it by popular vote).
  • Judicial recall (when a court declares a law unconstitutional, the citizens may override that ruling by popular vote).

Some parts we have settled….others are still not used or employed….we could do better…..

However, the main theme of the platform was an attack on the domination of politics by business interests, which allegedly controlled both established parties. The platform asserted that

To destroy this invisible Government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.

To that end, the platform called for

  • Strict limits and disclosure requirements on political campaign contributions.
  • Registration of lobbyists.
  • Recording and publication of Congressional committee proceedings.

Teddy was shrewd….he was ahead of his time…….sadly we have few that are that shrewd these days…..we have cowards and reformers that best propose reactionary crap as policy.

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I even proposed a new Bull Moose Party here on IST back in 2010…….

The 2010 mid term elections have shown that the American people are ready for some change in the way that governing is done by our representatives…unfortunately we have little choice on who d…

Source: How About A New “Bull Moose Party”? #2 – In Saner Thought

I still believe that the US is primed for a new party….a Bull Moose Party…..a party that is truly of the people and not of Wall Street….Sander supporters must become a Tea Party of the Left. Bernie, run 3rd-Party….and A Bull Moose Party would be a good place to start this thing.

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The political revolution has begun….do you have the ‘nads to continue to the end?

Can you hear me NOW!?

Opinions?

Moderates In The Weeds

The day after the State of the Union speech……have you had enough?……….it was, as I anticipated, a yawn…..a petty bunch of pathetic individuals trying to bully the opposition….that needs to be the last SOTU if that is what it has come down to…….but as long as I am posting on politics let’s go crazy….shall we?

Personally I think the state of the union speech is worthless and a waste of time……all presidents promise and seldom deliver….why bother?

Since everyone will be focusing on some random speech…..I think I will have a hodge podge day…..I usually try to have a theme of the day and post relevant pieces to that theme…..but from time to time I like to break character and do something whimsical…..a hodge-podge day.

Awhile back a study said that many Americans were centrists…..then there was one that said that we were becoming more liberal….and now it is something about moderates….or some such……

If one follows politics then one would think that the ‘new’ Right, the radical Right, was the coming storm….that we would be in for many years of gridlock, fake scandals, meetings, and less congressional work than ever……but you know that is only in the media, at least as far as my experience goes …..I have found many on the Right are actually well versed in the politics of the day……some of the older GOP members are talking with more than half their brain….people like Steele, Shultz, Sullivan….I mean they still cling to some of the out-dated crap but for the most part they see what the party needs to do to win national elections.

I have also found that while I know many Tea Party advocates I still see them as reasonably well educated in their party…..when dealing with them one on one they speak coherently and to the point and even some have ideas……while I do not think they will work to get our country back on track….,.at least there is ideas and just mindless rambling on subjects long dead……

I bring this up because I read a piece written by David Brooks and I find him dead on…at least in my opinion……check it out for yourself…..

You wouldn’t know it to listen to Republican politicians, but there’s a new eminently reasonable brand of conservatism brewing, based on the principle of “skeptical reform,” writes David Brooks at the New York Times. Current Republicans have defined themselves as anti-government, leaving them “no governing agenda for people facing concrete needs.” This new breed of thinkers instead focuses on remedying specific social ills—even if that means using government as a tool. “Government is not the only solution, but it is not the only problem.” These thinkers acknowledge “that the world is too complicated to be centrally planned,” and hence strive to harness markets—instead of dictating them like ObamaCare. But unlike today’s often too-fervent Republicans, they’re skeptical of their own solutions as well, so they aim for gradual, mindful reform. Brooks thinks this school will catch on, because “the Republican style of recent years has produced a vacuum where concrete proposals should be.” When Republicans need policies of their own, they’ll “find there is no other game in town.” For examples of these kinds of policies, see the full column.

The only problem I foresee is that of desire…….does the Party truly desire a national win or will they succumb to the mind numbing crap of the rabid Right?

What Happened To Immigration?

Now that the most worthless among us, the Congress, is out on paid vacation…..I would like to cover some of the things that may be important in 2014, the issues that is……this week I will focus on the headlines that may appear after the next Congress comes back in January…..

Today’s posts is on a subject that I think may play a major roll in the mid term elections…..Immigration.

At the beginning of 2013 I thought that the major issue, or at least one of them, would be immigration.  It seemed to me then that both parties had a vested interest in some sort of immigration reform….the GOP because their support in the Latino community sucked, the only way to describe it……and the Dems because they were also looking to sure up their base for the coming elections in 2016.

Boy was I mistaken!  It seemed that things were progressing very well and then that moron Ted Cruz started running his lying mouth and Rubio hid behind the skirts of the GOP and slowly but slowly immigration was replaced by the shutdown and later the Obamacare debacle……all of which sucked the air out of the sails of immigration reform.

Republican have indicated they won’t take up immigration reform this year, dimming hopes that Congress will address the issue before the Senate-passed bill dies at the end of the legislative session in early 2015.

But what of immigration?

(Newser) – Republicans in Congress might still be smarting over the fallout from the shutdown, but the New York Times reports that another potential “schism” for the party is right around the corner—immigration reform. Conservatives vow to block any legislation from passing the House, while John Boehner and others support the idea of getting at least piecemeal measures through. Things might come to a head next week when a wide range of groups—from the US Chamber of Commerce to FWD.us, the group set up by Mark Zuckerberg and tech leaders—descends on Capitol Hill to pressure GOP lawmakers to get something done.

That doesn’t look likely anytime soon, however. Fewer than 20 legislative days are left this year, Politico notes, and next year is dicey because it’s an election year. Further complicating things is that some Democrats are not agitating for a vote because they see political benefit in the issue, reports Bloomberg. As the leader of ImmigrationWorks USA puts it, “There are some Democrats who would rather get it done, and others who would rather have the issue” linger. “Either way they win.” (The Senate passed its reform bill in June, with a 13-year pathway to citizenship for current immigrants a central part of it.)

What GOP leadership is obscuring is that the calendar is even less kind to taking on a complex issue like immigration reform in 2014. The deadline to keep the government funded or face another shutdown is Jan. 15. Then in February or March, Congress will have to raise the debt limit again or risk default. These budget battles could be bruising for the GOP. Then comes primary season in May, when Republicans will be polishing their conservative credentials for GOP voters, who resent any form of “amnesty” for people in the U.S. illegally. On Jan. 4, 2015, the new Congress begins and the bipartisan Senate bill becomes defunct.

Is that the sound of a can rolling down some bureaucratic road?

Of course it is!  That is what the part time douches do…….sad part is that it is the voters fault…they voted these half wits into office.

The rise of far right parties across Europe is a chilling echo of the 1930s | John Palmer | Comment is free | The Guardian

It appears that the rise of hate groups is not limited to the US where we have seen a 100 fold increase in such organizations……

These far right parties are increasing worldwide….how long will be before they get a firm footing in America?

 

The rise of far right parties across Europe is a chilling echo of the 1930s | John Palmer | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Getting Whiggy With It!

College of Political Knowledge

Subject:  Political Parties

First, it is Veteran’s Day….may I say  Job well done!  To everyone else…..do NOT allow the government to forget these brave souls…they deserve more than we can ever give them……

Clever title if you know anything about Hip Hop……..

Time for another one of the Professor’s history lesson……let’s get busy!

Have you heard of the Whig Party?  Think back to your days of having to take American Government or Civics………The Whigs, an 18th century political party that gave the US two presidents, Harrison and Taylor….both of whom died in office….(now we could take a break here and come up with a conspiracy or two……NAH!)…….

The party was eventually killed by the question of slavery in the expansion west……there were deep fissures within the party over whether to allow or outlaw the practice…..(we could run a parallel here with the division withing the GOP/Tea Party……) 1856 was the last election that the Whigs were a viable political party…..although their beliefs have hung around for decades…..

Speaking of hanging around for decades….there is a modern Whig Party…a resurrection if you will……the modern party was resurrected by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and is a very pragmatic party with beliefs as such…….

  • Fiscal responsibility – “The Modern Whig philosophy is to empower the states with the resources to handle their unique affairs.”
  • Energy independence – “Reduce dependence on foreign oil by developing practical sources of alternative energy. This will have the simultaneous effect of changing the national security dynamic.”
  • Education/Scientific advancement – “Increased public and private emphasis on fields such as space, oceanic, medical and nanotechnology. Also, providing common-sense solutions to enhance our educational system from pre-school to university-level studies.”
  • States’ rights – “Each state can determine its course of action based on local values and unique needs.”
  • Social progression – “Government should refrain from legislating morality.”
  • Veterans’ affairs – “Vigilant advocacy relating to the medical, financial, and overall well-being of our military families and veterans.”

"Modern Whig Party Owl" logo

Somewhere in this post I bet you are thinking…where is the Prof.  going with this history lesson……glad to oblige an answer…….

(AP) – Voters in Philadelphia have elected a Whig to public office for what the victor believes may be the first time in nearly 160 years. Robert “Heshy” Bucholz, a member of the Modern Whig party, campaigned door-to-door and won 36 votes to his Democratic opponent’s 24 on Tuesday to become an election judge in the city’s Rhawnhurst section. Election judges, who serve four-year terms, receive about $100 annually and are responsible for overseeing equipment and procedures at the polls.

Philadelphia’s last Whig mayor was elected in 1854. It’s hard to verify whether Whigs won any lower offices after that. Previously an independent, Bucholz said he joined the Whigs three years ago because their fiscally conservative but socially liberal views represented a “middle path” between Democrats and Republicans. The government shutdown “pretty much told us we can’t trust either party and the system is broken,” he said. Of course, he probably trusts one Republican: His wife, Dinah, a registered Republican was also elected Tuesday, as an election inspector.

Is this the resurrection of a good third party…..not one of the crap parties that spring up from time to time……..if interested please check into their site and decide if they fit your beliefs better than the two major parties….my bet is…YES THEY DO!

2012 Election “Others” #2

There is more than the big two candidates in this upcoming election….I have already offered up the Libertarians and the second in this series will be……

Constitution Party:

Former Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode (Running mate: attorney Jim Clymer)

Labeled “Mr. Independent” by his home newspaper in Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, former six-term Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode has demonstrated a willingness to change parties when his principles did not comport with his party. Goode was elected to the Virginia state Senate as a Democrat, and served his first two congressional terms as a Democrat. But he became a political independent in the year 2000, and was reelected twice as an independent before switching to the Republican Party. Goode may have a major impact on the November race, as the former Virginia congressman is currently polling between five and nine percent in Virginia. Virginia is a key swing state in the presidential race, and support for Goode could tilt the outcome of the state in the race more than any other third-party candidate.

Goode left Congress after narrowly losing a reelection bid in the 2008 Democratic landslide for Obama. In his last term in Congress (2007-2008), this magazine’s “Freedom Index” congressional scorecard rated him at 72 percent. Now running for president, he has already qualified for the ballot in at least 17 states in November (but will probably qualify for twice that number).

Fiscal Agenda: As a congressman, Goode reliably voted to cut foreign aid and other wasteful spending. He even voted against his own party’s appropriations bills on some occasions.

Goode promises to introduce a balanced budget immediately by cutting spending. “Nearly every department and agency will face significant cuts and some will face elimination,” Goode says on his campaign website. Goode plans to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and No Child Left Behind, and to cut the Department of Education and foreign aid. He would pursue a full audit of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Foreign Policy: Goode favors a strong military that is substantially disengaged from unnecessary foreign wars, which is a change from his earlier vote in favor of the Iraq War (roll call 455, 2002). He now says, “I do not believe we should be involved in wars that have not been declared by Congress as specifically provided in the U.S. Constitution, so we must come home from Afghanistan. And I don’t think we can afford — nor is it strategically necessary — to have military bases all over the world. We owe too much money to underwrite the stationing of so many troops all around the world. Finally, I am against placing our armed forces under United Nations command.”

Goode strongly opposes multilateral free-trade agreements as job killers, voting against CAFTA — the Central American Free Trade Agreement — (roll call 443, 2005) and calling for the end of NAFTA and the WTO. In such calls, he could be contrasted with the libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul, who supports genuine free trade but opposes the trade regimes as centralizing forces and threats to national sovereignty rather than as job-killers. Goode makes no claim to support free trade as an objective good.

Civil Liberties: As a congressman, Goode voted to allow warrantless searches (roll call 502, 2006) and for virtual civil immunity for telecommunications firms that provide private subscriber information to intelligence services (roll call 437, 2008). He also voted for military tribunals for terrorist suspects (roll call 491, 2006), tribunals that flatly contradict the Sixth Amendment requirement for a jury trial for all criminal suspects.

Goode says he has learned from his years in the private sector, noting in his acceptance speech at the April 21 Constitution Party national convention that one of the most important votes he made a mistake about was his vote in favor of the Patriot Act (roll call 398, 2001) and its reauthorization (roll call 414, 2005). “I made some mistakes in the House on votes,” Goode said in his acceptance speech, “and one in particular — several but one in particular: I voted for the Patriot Act. And most in this room are very much opposed to that measure. I want to say that my association with the Constitution Party over the last three plus years has given me a better perspective of analyzing legislation from a constitutional viewpoint. And I want to say that I made a mistake in voting for this measure.”
But in his very next words, Goode demonstrated that his improved view of civil liberties had yet to be brought up to the level of actual constitutional understanding. He would only seek to repeal the Patriot Act “as it applies to U.S. citizens in this country and to legal permanent residents. I do not favor, though this may not comport with all federal court decisions, extending constitutional rights to persons from foreign countries or those illegally in the United States.” Of course, the Constitution does not limit rights to U.S. citizens, nor can it. Rights are inalienable gifts from God. Moreover, the Bill of Rights makes no distinctions between citizens and immigrants — legal or illegal. The Sixth Amendment demands that a trial by jury is a right in “all criminal prosecutions.” It allows no exceptions.

Goode is, however, a solid supporter of the Second Amendment (A+ rating from Gun Owners of America). And Goode says he favors repealing provisions of the NDAA that allow the president to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens without trial.

Social Issues: On social issues, Goode has a solid conservative record. He is pro-life on abortion and supports traditional marriage. “I’ve always supported the proposition that marriage should be between one man and one woman,” he said in his April 21 acceptance speech for the Constitution Party presidential nomination.

Goode’s social focus is on immigration, making his campaign slogan “citizenship matters” a strong contrast to the establishment candidates Obama and Romney, as well as Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

Goode has called for a repeal of that portion of the 14th Amendment that courts have interpreted to mean that children of illegal immigrants born in the United States are entitled to automatic U.S. citizenship. Goode has called for a moratorium on even legal immigration (with few exceptions) until the immigration issue can be solved, a contrast with all the other candidates for president.

There you have a synopsis of the Constitution Party……as provided by The New American…..this one is not my cup of tea but if you need an alternative to the “Big 2″….then maybe a consideration of this party could be in order…..