Hate is the Fuel of American Politics

[Mac1958]

I could not agree more.
I don't believe there is any way of fixing this system by "choosing" between Democrat OR Republican when we vote.
70% of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2020.
If half of those congressional votes had gone to 3rd party candidates, our two-party duopoly would be facing a challenge today unlike any other it has ever seen.

You would imagine that it would tell us something that Congress' approval ratings are around 20%, while about 90% of incumbents in Congress are re-elected.

I guess we're not paying attention.

 

[22lcidw]

I could not agree more.
I don't believe there is any way of fixing this system by "choosing" between Democrat OR Republican when we vote.
70% of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2020.
If half of those congressional votes had gone to 3rd party candidates, our two-party duopoly would be facing a challenge today unlike any other it has ever seen.

Progs get more value for the buck than Repubs ever get. When Repub voters tried to get a more representative government the Repub establishment and the Progs and the voters of Progs were not very nice as I remember. The Tea Party really was of people who were of the peasant level. Even with flaws. It was coopted and infected. So today we see a few GOP Senators in Ukraine representing their own interests like brothers and sisters with the prog Senators.

 

[georgephillip]

No. The enemy is the oligarchy.

The mantra of all oligarchs: "What is Good for Me is Right."

Death by Oligarchy

"Oligarchs, because they live insulated lives surrounded by obsequious courtiers that cater to their bottomless narcissism and hedonism, wield power based on fantasy.

"They propagate ruling ideologies, such as neoliberalism and the intellectually and morally bankrupt writings of Ayn Rand, which are not economically rational but justify their privilege.

"Their mantra, first uttered by a notorious serial killer and enthusiastically embraced by Rand, is: 'What Is Good for Me Is Right'

"All our institutions—the press, the courts, legislative bodies, the executive branch and academia—have been perverted to serve the oligarch’s narrow, selfish interests while an oppressed citizenry, struggling to survive, is seething with mounting rage and frustration.

"The corporate coup orchestrated by the ruling oligarchs over the past few decades gave us Donald Trump.

"If this coup is not reversed, far worse will follow."

 

[Devils_Advocate]

I have written it a few times that I will never vote for either big party again…

I rather vote my conscious and vote Green or Libertarian than waste my vote on the Establishment that never does anything for the common person…

 

[gipper]

I've read accounts that claim US consumers could pay two or three times as much for some items should the dollar lose its reserve currency status.

Michael Hudson has written extensively on this subject:

America shoots its own dollar empire in economic attack on Russia | MR Online

"During the half-century since the United States went off gold in 1971, the world’s central banks have operated on the dollar standard, holding their international monetary reserves in the form of U.S. Treasury securities, U.S. bank deposits and U.S. stocks and bonds.

"The resulting Treasury-bill standard has enabled America to finance its foreign military spending and support its deindustrialization-driven chronic trade deficits by creating dollar IOUs that other countries accept.

"U.S. balance-of-payments deficits end up in the central banks of payments-surplus countries as their reserves, while Global South debtors need dollars to pay their bondholders and conduct their foreign trade.

"This monetary privilege–dollar seigniorage–has enabled U.S. diplomacy to impose neoliberal policies on the rest of the world, without having to use much military force of its own except to grab Middle Eastern oil."

"seign·ior·age
/ˈsānyərij/

"noun

1. profit made by a government by issuing currency, especially the difference between the face value of coins and their production costs."
   

It would be most ironic should the dollar lose reserve status, if it’s caused by this ginned up war in a nation of zero national interest to the US. It would prove our ruling class is prepared to destroy the nation economically for the benefit the oligarchs of the MIC. It’s beyond crazy.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

The author spent decades of his life acquiring knowledge about the Christian right and the glue that holds it together:

"The glue holding this Christianized fascism together is not prayer, although we will get a lot of that, but war.

Listen to this Article: "Jesus, Endless War, and the Rise of American Fascism"

"War is the raison d'être of all systems of totalitarianism.

"War justifies a constant search for internal enemies.

"It is used to revoke basic civil liberties and impose censorship.

"War demonizes those in the Middle East, Russia, or China, who are blamed for the economic and social debacles that inevitably get worse.

"War diverts the rage engendered by a dysfunctional state towards immigrants, people of color, feminists, liberals, artists, anyone who does not identify as a heterosexual, the press, antifa, Jews, Muslims, Russians, or Asians."

Somebody finally recognizes the Jesus Nazi authoritarian problem but will never acknowledge the Marxist authoritarian problem.

How fitting and partisan.

 

[TNHarley]

FLUSH the duopoly next November.

It wont happen but a man can dream, right?

 

[LordBrownTrout]

The mantra of all oligarchs: "What is Good for Me is Right."

Death by Oligarchy

"Oligarchs, because they live insulated lives surrounded by obsequious courtiers that cater to their bottomless narcissism and hedonism, wield power based on fantasy.

"They propagate ruling ideologies, such as neoliberalism and the intellectually and morally bankrupt writings of Ayn Rand, which are not economically rational but justify their privilege.

"Their mantra, first uttered by a notorious serial killer and enthusiastically embraced by Rand, is: 'What Is Good for Me Is Right'

"All our institutions—the press, the courts, legislative bodies, the executive branch and academia—have been perverted to serve the oligarch’s narrow, selfish interests while an oppressed citizenry, struggling to survive, is seething with mounting rage and frustration.

"The corporate coup orchestrated by the ruling oligarchs over the past few decades gave us Donald Trump.

"If this coup is not reversed, far worse will follow."

Here you go:

That Sinking Feeling - Kunstler

What will avail in the face of these treacheries and hardships? Oppose. Refuse. Resist. This is getting personal….

kunstler.com

 

[gipper]

Here you go:

That Sinking Feeling - Kunstler

What will avail in the face of these treacheries and hardships? Oppose. Refuse. Resist. This is getting personal….

kunstler.com

This pretty much explains it.

You might ask yourself: Why is it “important” that we spend thirty, forty, fifty billion dollars pounding sand down the rat hole that is post-Maidan Ukraine, grift central for the sketchy nexus of US politicians and their sponsors in the warcraft industry? Answer: Aside from one final magnificent payday, they are producing a grand opera of distraction to direct the American public’s attention from the sinking of our own ship-of-state in the waters of Babylon.

That giant wad of money, you understand, goes mainly to the likes of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Textron, Boeing, et cetera, and a substantial portion re-circulates through the K-Street laundromat into the congressional campaign finance wishing well, while billions more get creamed off by Mr. Zelenskyy & Co. — providing self-reinforcing incentives to, how shall we say, blow more shit up on the global landscape.

 

[georgephillip]

Perhaps we are headed towards a plutocracy.

Maybe we are already there?

No, I'm seeking an honest government that abides by the constitution. Not the dishonest, corrupt, immoral sewage dump that we have now.

Can we ever expect to obtain an honest government by choosing between Republicans OR Democrats? What would you be thinking/feeling if a majority of incumbents in the US Congress who were running for reelection were FLUSHED from DC in a single news cycle?

 

[georgephillip]

GUYS WAKE THE FXCK UP,,,,This talk about Roe vs Wade is just an ELECTION TRICK to animate the LEFT for the election.
Last time, the Shadow gov used George Floyd and Antifa / BLM riots to raise hell against Trump and that didn't work, so they had to use fake ass mail in ballots to steal the election.
Wake me up when the shooting starts because until then, political discussion is just mental masturbation and means nothing.

Your people?

Too much winning?

 

[gipper]

Maybe we are already there?

Can we ever expect to obtain an honest government by choosing between Republicans OR Democrats? What would you be thinking/feeling if a majority of incumbents in the US Congress who were running for reelection were FLUSHED from DC in a single news cycle?

I believe the only way our government can be controlled is the people must rise up in unison to oppose it. Problem is there is no movement currently existing promoting this action. If there were, government and media would co-opt it or kill it by any means at it’s disposal.

 

[georgephillip]

Before the start of the Civil War Politicians carried guns into session.

The level of hating each other then led to a brutal War...........If we lived in a time of muskets and bayonettes..........we would already be at War here.

If I'm remembering correctly, we just had a day where more Americans died from gun violence in this country than the bloodiest one day loss of our invasion/occupation of Iraq; some of our streets/cities are already war zones if you hadn't noticed.

 

[eagle1462010]

If I'm remembering correctly, we just had a day where more Americans died from gun violence in this country than the bloodiest one day loss of our invasion/occupation of Iraq; some of our streets/cities are already war zones if you hadn't noticed.

330 million shit happens. Chicago its just a normal night.

Derp

 

[georgephillip]

You would imagine that it would tell us something that Congress' approval ratings are around 20%, while about 90% of incumbents in Congress are re-elected.

I guess we're not paying attention.

Imho, bipartisan gerrymandering partially explains the discrepancy you point out. I also suspect our attention is focused too much on "choosing" between candidates representing one of the two major political parties.

The Internet makes it possible (not necessarily desirable) to change that flight plan.

If tens of millions of US voters ever decide to select their Representatives and Senators from 3rd party candidates already appearing on their ballots, the owners of this world will suddenly remember why they fear Democracy.

 

[candycorn]

Not sure it is hate.

I am certain that mis-characterization of your opponent's position is the life blood of American politics. It used to be "pick out the bad points" of your opponent's position and crow about them until the cows come home. Now? It is essentially occupy an alternate universe and make up anything you want about your opponent's, make up anything you want about your own position....because your voters will believe you.

This is why mis/disinformation is such an issue.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Can we ever expect to obtain an honest government by choosing between Republicans OR Democrats?

No.

 

[Lakhota]

I'm pretty sure this is not a novel claim to many of you:

"Hate is the fuel of American politics.
No one votes for who they want.
They vote against those they hate."

Chris Hedges, the author of my link, contends this is a bipartisan policy:

"The ruling class in both parties told lies about NAFTA, trade deals, 'reforming' welfare, abolishing financial regulations, austerity, the Iraq war, and neoliberalism that did far more damage to the American public than any lie told by Trump.

"The reptilian slime oozes out of every pore of these politicians, from Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to Biden, who backed the 1976 Hyde Amendment banning federal funding of abortions and in 1982 voted to support a constitutional amendment that would allow states to overturn Roe v Wade.

"Their hypocrisy is not lost on the public, even with their armies of consultants, pollsters, courtiers in the press, public relations teams and advertising agencies.

"Marjorie Taylor Greene is clueless and unhinged.

"She claims Hillary Clinton was involved in a child mutilation and a pedophilia ring and several high-profile school shootings were staged.

"But weaponized, like Trump, she is a political cruise missile aimed straight at the heart of the discredited centers of traditional power."

Listen to this Article: "Jesus, Endless War, and the Rise of American Fascism"

Here's one possible antidote to bipartisan hatred: stop "choosing" Republican OR Democrat in the voting booth.

What would you be thinking/feeling if you woke the morning after midterms to discover a majority (50%-90%) of incumbents in the US Congress running for another term, were FLUSHED from DC in a single news cycle?

Whether such a Radical solution is desirable or not, the Internet makes it possible.

I'm looking at my ballot right now for an upcoming local election.
There are established third party candidates available for the choosing in almost every contest.
Greens, Libertarians, AIP, Peace and Freedom
A space for a write-in candidate is also provided.

Next November 8th remind the Rich why they fear Democracy.

 

[georgephillip]

Progs get more value for the buck than Repubs ever get. When Repub voters tried to get a more representative government the Repub establishment and the Progs and the voters of Progs were not very nice as I remember. The Tea Party really was of people who were of the peasant level. Even with flaws. It was coopted and infected.

Perhaps progressive Democrats and Tea Party conservatives should recognize their respective corporate oligarchs will never permit a more representative government? If millions of "radical" Dems and Repubs collectively decide to pick their respective House and Senate advocates from Green, Libertarian, or AIP candidates, the current two-party duopoly will not survive very long. Flushing the DC toilet three times between now and November 2028 would Change Everything (for better or worse).

 

[georgephillip]

I have written it a few times that I will never vote for either big party again…

I rather vote my conscious and vote Green or Libertarian than waste my vote on the Establishment that never does anything for the common person…

If the Internet makes it possible to convince millions of US voters to experiment at least once with the same practice, would that be a good thing?

What changes if a significant percentage of US House and Senate incumbents are FLUSHED from DC in one news cycle?