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Does the US Need a Third Political Party?
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The short and sweet answer to this question is yes, yes and yes. For the past 5-6 years the United States has experienced something that no one ever thought could happen. That being political gridlock and with gridlock its means that nothing will happen. No decisions will be made and if they are, in all likelihood they’ll be half measures. The United States is unique in that for a democracy we only have two political parties. In any other democratic country there are 3-5 political parties such that people can truly pick and choose who they want in office. The other major difference is that in other countries if the prevailing political party isn’t doing the job, they are voted out of office even before their term is up. In the US we are stuck with political leaders who even if they aren’t doing the job; well we’re stuck with them for up to 6 years (Senate). It gives new meaning to the term “lame duck” and quite frankly we have too many lame ducks in government.
In the interest of full disclosure, I used to be a Democrat. I was a Democrat because I believed that the Democratic Party was the party of the people. I’m now more Independent that ever and the reason is I don’t believe the Democrats are any better than the GOP. Plus I’m old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and how then President Kennedy led us out of that disaster. Quite frankly, the only politician I think highly of these days is Bernie Sanders because at least he tells it like it is. The prevailing politicians in Washington, DC seem perfectly content to allow the government to run on autopilot with no leadership whatsoever.
Want proof? The upcoming Budget Bill that was just approved by the House and senate will now go to President Obama for approval. This budget was devised by Senator Patty Murray (Democrat) and Rep, Paul Ryan (Republican). This bill contains no provision whatsoever for any extension of UI. Yet Democrats in both houses approved it and no one even raised a red flag concerning this issue. On December 28th millions of Americans were dropped from the UI rolls regardless of where they were in terms of UI benefits. In other words many Americans had 20 weeks to go before they exhausted their benefits and were dropped prematurely. And we wonder how the Unemployment Rate dropped from 7.0 to 6.7 percent with only 74,000 jobs created? Mathematically that is impossible. The only way it can happen is if millions aren’t being counted as unemployed. Well guess what? When you drop off Unemployment you’re considered to be “employed” even if you aren’t. If you really want a true measure of the employment situation in the United States then look at the Department of Labor’s U6 rate. This shows the true picture as it takes into account the total number of long term unemployed. That number rest at 12.7 million and yet no one pays attention to this. Everyone is perfectly content to look at the official rate and say “see, things aren’t so bad the unemployment rate is going down” or they’ll look at the JOLTS Job Report and say “see, we have 4 million vacant jobs, those unemployed people don’t want to work.” It doesn’t exactly help when we have 12.7 million long term unemployed.
So what does Obama do? He tries to push through an extension via a bill that was voted down this past week. The issue? The Senate requires a majority of 60 votes and the final number came in at 55. Since when is 55 not a majority? The fact is that despite all the rhetoric regarding his record of job creation, the jobs that have been created are low level, minimum wage and menial at best. The American people expect more from their leaders but sadly won’t get it with this crowd in DC. The fact is that the folks in DC live in an insulated, glass bubble and don’t live in the real world. When they go home to talk to constituents, who do they talk to? Campaign contributors, not the average Joe. The average Joe has no voice with these people unless they wish to spend their lives writing letters.
In Ancient Rome there was a two party system: the Patricians and the Plebes. The Patricians represented the “high net worth” folks and the Plebes represented everyone else. This system did not work and required a Caesar to break the deadlock. Problem was that Caesar had absolute power and that always corrupts absolutely.
Originally posted: Does the US Need a Third Political Party?
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Why yes, we do. We need more corrupt shitbag politicians and their bottom feeder lobbyists in Washington, by all means.
If two leachfuck parties are good, three can only be mo' betta.
edit: Midgets too, we need more midgets and bearded women. If you're gonna do it, go big.
edit II: can we get some moron to shoot out of a cannon?
51% making the rules is a bad system. 95% in agreement for law passage would be more rational, and would result in less laws (=good)
UI extensions? really? having a third party so they can vote for a mandatory social insurance program extension is your thesis here? no wonder you like mr sanders.
per your conclusion, it seems that you believe you can simply vote for someone who will then magically create jobs. please clarify, noting what the jobs would be doing, and how you think the 51% majority would best extract those resources from the remaining 49% (the disagreeable "terrorists").
i'm especially interested in the available options for opting out, as i'm sure prisons and guns will be critical to your scheme.
(to be sure, i generally appreciate your ZH contributions, but this was really weak)
I think "Does the US Need a Third Political Party?" Is the wrong question to ask. A third party would merely let a party with less support than 50% get elected.
The US needs a different electoral system than a first past the vote system. That way multiple parties could have a chance at getting elected.
At the moment the US citizens are stuck with two right wing kleptocratic parties. The lobbies have more influence than the people.
Are any Zerohedgers going to CPAC 6-7 March? If so, maybe we could get together and put faces to posters.
Breaking: Former member of the armed guerilla group November 17th threatens to take action!
http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2014/01/breaking-former-member-of-arm...
"Does the US Need a Third Political Party?"
No, the US needs a second political party before a third would be possible.
You mean a 2ND political party, don't you?
Oops, ya beat me to it.
Pivotfarm- JFK in todays terms, would have made a staunch Conservative in terms of his beliefs 50 years ago -just as President Reagan evolved from a democrat to a Conservative Republican in the 70's. I see your point about the third party -but we don't have time for that now. One or two more elections controlled by the dems and we are looking at 1984 becoming a reality. Now much of the Republican party has betrayed us as well. I'm surprised it took you that long to figure out that the current democratic party is a cess pool of Keynesians, statists and communists and professional politicians i.e. Hillary, Sharpton, Zero and his minions- it's just awful how these people are in control of the world's power and bank account!
Where do you think all the communists went after the fall of the wall in 1989? They just threw gasoline on the fire that was called affirmative action and all the social engineering that LBJ initiated in Detroit. Now look at Detroit end product! That's right they came here to infiltrate America starting simply with political correctness and then esstablishing ZeroCare and that is just the beginning. Their goal was and is to breakdown process of America's promise of individual freedoms and dreams.
As Reagan would say, "Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them!"
At the next election we need to vote out the RINOs and vote in true Conservatives/Republicans before we become the EU Part II!
The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html#Fop1j6df3pYvBEbH.99 Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html#Fop1j6df3pYvBEbH.99 Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html#Fop1j6df3pYvBEbH.99 The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html#Fop1j6df3pYvBEbH.99 It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ronaldreag147698.html#QqhzdvlGuVCoH48C.99
The autor still thinks it is possible to vote our way out of this mess.
How quaint.
Run along, child.
What we need…
Yes, but DC has clogged up the pipes with ...
but who installs/runs it and who turns the tap?
Thats the political conundrum; belling the cat or washing away the shit pile.
there is a third option:
compost it and transform it into rich soil
of course, that would require cleansing it from all the pharmaceuticals.
I'm afraid we are all going to have to roll up our sleaves and install it ourselves...
"we are all going to have to roll up our sleaves"
Exactly! More political parties would be great--but only if they represented true alternatives and not just more faces of the same party of leeches that run the place now.
We will only get that if we stop being sheeple (and stop calling others sheeple) and take on the job of true citizenship. Politics is the problem but political action leads to the solution.
If we are not committed to action, we get the leaders we deserve. Figuring out what that action constitutes is not easy but it certainly begins with solidarity.
lol, If only the USA were a nation of WB7s.
Ghengis Khan apparently genitored 15% of the current Mongol nation.
WB7 how many women have you fertilised in the US?
We need a massive army of crazy, humouristic, dedicated, mad, busy bees to Re-pollonise that nation.
Politics is much like reality TV, no matter what system you participate in. Take American Idol (developed by Brits, oh the irony). Judges (parties) choose from a selection of talent THEY have narrowed down to select members that will sing for the prize! We get to vote on the winner. Sound familiar?
The winners proceed to record songs written by their "mentors" and woe be to the winner that doesn't sing their songs.
This has been the entertanment portion of your slavery contract. The Treasury department would like to thank you- now get back to work- that interest isn't going anywhere and we keep paying you less and less through inflation. Luckily, you're too poor and stupid to realize what slavery is or money for that matter.
"When you drop off Unemployment you’re considered to be “employed” even if you aren’t."
Got a source for that, genius?
Where does ZeroHedge find these people?
well. you're no longer considered/counted as "unemployed" ..... and a lot of them are ,sure as shit, still looking for work.
Wrong again. If you're looking for work, you're considered in the labor force and unemployed.
The proper question should be, dose the US need a second political party?
There already is a third party emerging from the graveyard that is the Progressive (socialist, statist) OLD GOP.
They are the tea party people: Cruz, Lee, Rand and Ron Paul etc. The Tea Party has been demonized and vulgarized (teabaggers) by those who fear it and love the status quo.
This new group actually BELIEVES in putting gov't under the restraints of the Constitution. Add a generous splash of Libertarian. The Founders were true Libertarians: minimum gov't intrustion, maximum personal freedom tempered by maximum personal RESPONSIBLITY-something sorely lacking in todays society.
Time to get rid of the old bulls in BOTH parties who have been in office an obscene 20-30 going on 40 years. They are the ones responsible for the horrid state this country is in.
Thank you.
Sorry I don't think the Tea Party is the answer. It was started by the Koch brothers.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-zuesse/final-proof-the-tea-party_b_41...
We do need a third party, but as soon as it becomes a threat the other 2 parties (who work for the same people) send in agent provocateurs to discredit by any means. It’s too late in the current control mechanisms. The Tea party had a chance; but all the pro bailout republicans got involved trying to control and protect the gravy train for both democrats and republicans.
We're still talking about politics?
Does anyone still take that barbaric crap seriously?
edit: what's the alternative, pal? politics is like armies. either you have your own, or you have someone's else
Until people stop looking to the government to fix the problems of the country it will not matter how many political parties we have in this country. It is government regulation and policies brought to you by your elected officials that we have arrived where we are. As a child I remember setting up a lemonade stand, and would make a few dollars. Children that try and do this today will be ticketed unless they have the proper permits.
a correction to this historic claim: "In Ancient Rome there was a two party system: the Patricians and the Plebes"
actually, the period shortly before Caesar's dictatorship was dominated by two main "ideologies" (supported by several factions): the Populares and the Optimates. there were patricians and plebeians on both sides
as a side remark: if in the US had "Populares", they would propose to extend US citizenship to several faithful allied nations (imagine a US party advocating the extension of citizenship to Mexicans, Japanese, Britons, etc.). so careful about comparing ancient politics to today's
further, the Roman electoral system elected every year several magistrates. even if you discount the lesser ranks, it elected two heads of state, which were often the product of political alliances between several factions against several others
---------
anyway, yes, the US political system is exceptional. yet politics in America have, imho, changed in the last two decades. the most interesting fact for me is that for all purposes the practice (that was valid for 200 years) of having serious, sweeping constitutional amendment proposals as part of politics has discontinued
and this makes today's US exceptional even compared to the US of 50, 100 and 150 years ago. when was the last serious amendment done?
1913
an exceptional pithy remark, wish I was able to do them. yet I refuse to see 1913 as "the end of US politics". take Prohibition. women's orgs were powerful enough to push for it, and other political forces were powerful enough to repeal it. lots of political involvement in play. lots of common citizens being active in politics
true. but this was largely a "social" issue (or at least branded as such) which in America always brings the fangs out of otherwise politically ignorant citizens. and don't forget, it just caused those old bootleggers (Kennedy, Bronfman, et al) to retrench, get "legit" and dig their heels in even further.
pithy perhaps, but the 16th was the last gamechanging amendment to radically alter geo-politics-economics. all subsequent ones were either simply rearranging the deck chairs or hiding the rabbit. and then, just like that, there is no more serious discussion about the amendment process AT ALL.
funny how that works...
The US problem is New Deal Activism after Woodrow Wilson. It is the Federal/State Problem. The US system was based on States' Rights with Citizens having priority claims on their State representatives. The Civil War, Reconstruction and the development of Federal Government centralising power is what usurped the US Constitution.
A Federal Supreme Court that made itself an Unelected Government has been joined by an Unelected Federal Reserve and an Unelected Shadow Supreme Court in FISA.
The only place these powers blend is with the President who is now an Emperor of a global Empire backed by Barons who control Banks and Corporations and an Aristocracy that wield political power behind the curtain.
The US Constitution went away from a Confederation towards a Unitary State and the two parties were easily captured by the Aristocracy that rules as Oligarchy. The USA is no different from Putin's Russia
to quote our former secretary of state: "at this point, what difference does it make?"
to quote our former secretary of state: "at this point, what difference does it make?"
I don't care if there are a hundred new parties--I'm still not voting...
Yes, we need a new Party.
Call it the Tea Party, Freedom Party, as you wish.
BUT...please, please, PLEASE stop with the idiotic "they're [Democrats and Republicans] the same" crapola!
Marxists have taken over the Democrats' Party.
(Sometimes they act like International Socialists, sometimes like National Socialists...whatevah!)
Yet, like Lenin, Stalin and Mao, they need their Useful Idiots for legitimacy and some support.
The RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) are only too glad to assume this role.
That does not make the RINOs any more equivalent to the Democrats than Useful Idiots are "the same as" Lenin/Stalin/Mao!
Moral equivalency - AKA "politically correct tolerance" - has a way of rotting the brain, as such lazy thinking reveals.
Marxists have not taken over the US political system, its the financial oligarchical ARISTOCRATS who have taken over Congress now bending crony knee to them.
As an American you should at least know past and contemporary history. Words have a meaning.
The Marxists LOST to the Capitalists only to discover that MArx's initial thesis about capitalism going monopoly or oligarchy APEXED was its natural tendancy; AS CURRENT REAGANOMICS AND NWO hubris has amply proven.
Now the ex-Marxists are part of same global matrix. As this corrupt interlocked financialista system starts to rock under its own crazy momentum heading for the wall, igniting in its wake deep populist tremors that could explode anytime, justifiably causing extreme angst in the ruling class in Eurozone as in Japan.
It could lead exactly to the same uncontrollable spiral we saw a hundred years ago. We are in still waters BEFORE the Oligarchical Aristocracies start going for each other's throats JUST LIKE IN 1914 TYPE ARMAGEDDON, in order to avoid slipping off the depressionary cliff ahead of them as this dystopian game of financial musical chairs will start creating a lot of losers down the road.
History rhymes; And, its always power that drives the Monarchs crazy from moar moar moar paranoia; like the latter day sons of Macbeth.
To come back to the thesis of a third party. It has to be a party that respects the Constitution and the democratic process as MAN KNOWS NOTHING BETTER TODAY.
If its a false nose for the current NEOCONS then its just Rinse n Repeat down the road to militarist MIC/NSA run fascist despotism. (Caesar stays the Iconistic reference for the West in that domain.)
The current Tea Party does not fill the bill IMO for reasons expressed here on a previous thread :
...Yes but its part of the Oligarchy matrix. They do it for reasons of global divide n rule. Its a planned thing by STATE to help crony big private enterprise; like big oil and big commodities.
Just like Obammy says : NSA is the most effficient agency in the world. I'll never shut it down.
Tea totalers have no poltical platform and they end up like Sarah Palin; running with the herd when the buck reaches them.
False noses of status quo. Sorry! As individuals even the best get sucked into the vortex.
To fight the Oligarchy you need a political party with a realistic platform. Its a dodo dream the libertarian one; no sense of cohesion and solidarity to coalesce the majority. Every man for himself is not a political platform, never has never will be....
We've traded one Octupus for another...wielding a "Great Strangulation." The power to print money is the power to destroy. Strap a watch on and clock yourself in. I think we've finally gutted the heart and soul of America.
never say "die".
BUT...please, please, PLEASE stop with the idiotic "they're [Democrats and Republicans] the same" crapola!
Not a chance. Their rhetoric is different, but they both do the same things.
Where would Obamacare have been without the convenient change of heart of Republican John Roberts?
Politics is a play for suckers.
"When they go home to talk to constituents, who do they talk to? Campaign contributors, not the average Joe. "
In the home districts where candidates are chosen it is the special interests that choose and "back" those who run for office...those are the so-called "campaign contributors", which also should be called "buyers of elections".
Voters do NOT select those who are put forward for office. It wouldn't matter how many or how few or how many parties, the candidates do the bidding of those who pay their way into office via voting-district selection, and electronic voting (especially in cities) insures TPTB candidates will be "elected".
The most extraordinary passage in the memo requires that the Israeli spooks “destroy upon recognition” any communication provided by the NSA “that is either to or from an official of the US government.” It goes on to spell out that this includes “officials of the Executive Branch (including the White House, Cabinet Departments, and independent agencies); the US House of Representatives and Senate (members and staff); and the US Federal Court System (including, but not limited to, the Supreme Court).”
The stunning implication of this passage is that NSA spying targets not only ordinary American citizens, but also Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and the White House itself. One could hardly ask for a more naked exposure of a police state.
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/09/13/surv-s13.html
Does the US Need a Third Political Party?
We already have one.....and it's firmly in charge as we speak. Most of the peaple you see on TV from both sides are in it.
Deleted. MFLTucson below said the same thing first.
What's the point? They're all controlled by the same puppet masters.
The GOP establishment creamed their pants so fast over the Tea Party that the original movement was gone in the blink of an eye.
Marco Rubio, Tea Party!
Sarah Palin, Tea Party!
Paul Ryan, Tea Party!
Herman Cain, Tea Party!
Give me money bitchez!
>>point
nailed it. political parties are part of the problem. why can't individuals stand on their own merits? political parties simply corrupt the process.
"I believe we are headed now into a breakup of the nation into smaller units, but this time there will be no reconstituting the original USA as in 1865." — James Howard Kunstler
Yes, we are, and I fully expect it to happen before the decade is out. States Rights is a resurgent phenomenon, after all (drug legalization, Obamacare nullification, etc.), and as the abysmal failure of our vaunted experiment in federative government sinks in, the American people are going to experience the same sense of futility as their Soviet counterparts. "We pretend to work, and they pretent to pay us" was the running joke back then. How long, then, before something like it — "We pretend to rule, and they pretend to let us"? — so infuses the public consciousness that the American people collectively Just Say No and walk away?
It's over, after all, and surely, at some level, you know it.
Repeat after me: "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." — Emma Goldman