| 4500+ Great Links | Why the Two-Party Political System Does Not Work |
| Copyright © 2006,2009 by Zack Smith. All rights reserved. The two-party political system that we have in the USA is defective. It doesn't work. Reason 1It is really one party, controlled by the same corporations, that is playing "good cop, bad cop". One side encourages unlimited selfishness, the other gullible generosity. One side is mindlessly warlike, the other mindlessly pacifist. They strive to differentiate themselves from each other, especially on fringe issues, while each side serves the corporate masters. It is those corporations that are really running the show, uncritically and efficiently. While each party strives to appear dignified and serious, it is roughly true that:
Reason 2The two parties act together to keep third parties out of the system except at the local level. Thus both Republicans and Democrats in Congress OK'd the introduction of electronic voting machines, whose purpose is to rig elections.Reason 3The rise of punditry on both conservative and liberal sides means people are making money off of
Reason 4The emphasis on "fair and balanced" journalism, which university journalism professors stress is so important, has meant that the only issues that are covered are ones that "both sides" approve of, i.e. the "balance" struck is between "right" and "left", and the "fairness" is fairness to them, not anyone else.The implication is that no other viewpoint exists. Yet the two-party system is not genuinely two independent parties in the first place, so truly the balance is essentially between two types of loyalist, at best, and the fairness is that of one loyalist against another. If you are not loyal to America's elites and their corporations, you are not allowed to take part.
To give you an example, I called up an NPR,
which is partly taxpayer-funded,
station asking why they had not covered
the probable rigging of 2004 elections.
They said they couldn't do so because it would not be
a balanced show i.e. Republicans benefitted
from the rigging so they would not take part.
If NPR were to host such a show, which was unlikely
they said, it would be a one-sided discussion
involving the victims of fraudulent elections
accusing the perpetrators and/or
beneficiaries. In response to my assertion
that the media have a duty
to investigate wrongdoing, the producer
simply ignored what I said.
Reason 5Notice the mind-numbing mantra of both liberal and conservative establishment propagandists:
They say, "You must be either liberal or conservative."
Oh, really? Why believe that is true? It's a false choice. Choose neither. Liberal politicians and the liberal establishment are as useless and dishonest as conservative politicians and their organizations, because there are both merely faithful lackeys of the big business, almost always acting against your interests. In most countries there are many more political choices because they have proportional representation, which ensures that even small parties get seats in government. Reason 6The bogus differentiation between two parties has led to two different cultures, both freakish in their own way. Two separate cadres of culture-creators who find employment serving each mindset and demographic. For instance, there is liberal media that is inquisitive, frantic, sympathetic, and insistent that everyone is a victim. And there are conservative media are blaming, unsympathetic, morally self-righteous, and insistent that punishment cures all. Neither cadre of culture-creators wants to encourage self-criticism or critical thinking, because these defeat the mindless tribalism each espouses and profits from.Links
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