Joyce L. Arnold: Liberal, lesbian, Independent, equality activist, writer.
What this series has been about, in a broad, diverse and occasionally rambling sort of way: I think two parties = too few choices. I think the Two Party Front for the Oligarchy, the Duopoly, the Corporate Parties, whatever you want to call the Republican and Democratic parties, answer to the same Elites. I think the two parties represent different ideologies, but end up serving the same 1%. They need their differences to make the system work, to play us against each other, to keep the game going, to keep turning corporate chosen Wannabe’s into corporate approved Electeds. I think we need serious, systemic challenges and changes, which will require ef-forts from the Inside but also from the Outside – “third,” different, new, evolving “parties.” And movements, of the genuine grassroots variety.
I think if we keep doing things the same way, waiting until after the next election, keep accepting the choices handed to us from above, keep giving passes to whoever is failing to fulfill promises at any given moment in the perpetual election cycle, we’ll keep getting the same kind of Electeds.
I think there are no easy or quick answers.
I think the Occupy movement is one of the most hopeful things to happen in a long time. I don’t know if it will ultimately be successful, though I think it has a chance, over the long-haul. And I think the people doing the work are to be highly commended.
I think there are lots of people with helpful thoughts and ideas about all of this, but generally speaking, they have a hell of a time being heard and taken seriously. Occupiers are among them. Below are a few others who I read regularly. And by the way, reading posts and comments here at TM, I love hearing from others who think outside that damn Two Party Box. We don’t have to agree, arrive at the same place, arrive at the same place at the same time, or see eye to eye on much of anything, to have some thoughtful conversations.
The term ‘pain of independence’ is what psychologists say people experience when they refuse to conform to peer pressure. …
We realize that we aren’t going to die of embarrassment or ridicule if we don’t go along with the crowd. …
The left blogosphere might want to think about that for awhile. If it thinks that nothing it does makes a difference to the powers that be, maybe it should try dissenting and allow the pain of independence work its magic. DON’T say you’re going to vote for the bastards even if they treat you like shit. And then mean it. They’re counting on you to go along with the crowd in order to alleviate that pain and fear. Peer pressure only works if you let it. …
People aren’t going to like you. … They’ll tell you that you will bring Armageddon down on everyone’s head if you let the Republicans win. …
They need you more than you need them. … If you refuse (their efforts), you monkeywrench their entire peer pressure apparatus and then they have to start paying attention to you and addressing your demands. …
…Think of it this way, dissenting is the best way to preserve our democracy.
Decisions, Decisions
Poor Wall Street. They have such a hard choice this election year.
Should they vote for the candidate they own who occasionally makes tsk-tsk noises about them in speeches and only delivers 99% of what they want, but who makes them feel like they’ve done something morally daring, even hip, by voting for a black dude, or should they put their weight behind the candidate they own who loudly proclaims their greatness in speeches and will be even more obliging in policy, but who may wear goofy underdrawers?
I can’t bear to write about SantorumRomneyGingrichPaulObama
Are any of them advocating criminal penalties for banksters guilty of accounting control fraud? No?
2013 will be ugly. If Obama wins he will stop pandering to progressives and liberals. Since he never has to be reelected again, he will be even worse than he was 2009-2011. If you want anything from Obama, anything, get it before the election, do not believe promises, do not accept promises, accept cash only. If Romney or Gingrich wins, well, it’s not going to be any better.
We make choices about the kind of choices we have.
( Photo via ThinkProgress
Not Dumb Enough poster via OWS News )
I’ve written for a long time about what Pres. Obama might do if he gets a 2nd term, starting with entitlement “reforms.” Ian, someone I know a bit, is correct. As I’ve already declared, I will not be supporting anyone for president this year. But unlike the conventional wisdom people do have a choice; as I told someone asking me this very question recently, the outsiders just don’t have a chance of winning against the corporate candidates. That, however, doesn’t make your vote outside the big 2 parties any less important.
People are getting there, especially new generations coming in to vote. But there are many who still whine that if you don’t vote Democrat YOU are electing Mitt Romney or whomever. These people never take into consideration that it’s Obama who is providing a paltry choice, as much as Romney.
Did you see HuffPost’s front page this morning? It links to George Will’s column Republicans need more than rhetoric on defense.
Political behavior is shifting, however slowly. The big two parties are waning. Those brave enough to vote outside them are making that happen. I hear from them every day. GOOD FOR ALL OF YOU.
I think, Taylor, that what you’ve written has been very helpful in a “how to analyze what’s happening without letting two party partisan politics dictate observations and conclusions.” That’s a rather awkward way of saying that I think you provide fair and thoughful analysis
Every once in a while, George Will gathers up the remains of his mind and writes something compelling. That is one of those columns. He’s right – there’s no reason to increase spending on defense. Where I think he errs is that there’s a pretty compelling case that we should cut spending, at least to where we’re spending roughly what other countries do (as a portion of GDP) on defense. Doing that would save enough to close the deficit, and if we didn’t mind the deficit that money could fund a lot of useful things.
On 2013, I agree with Ian Welsh. I wonder if Obama will even give us those liberal SCOTUS justices so many people seem to be counting on getting. I think they’ll be corporatists first, because that’s what Obama’s enablers want. Even if they have a more enlightened view of other social matters, they won’t let it affect their views when it affects the people who really matter. Which is to say, the people who aren’t really people except in the minds of the SCOTUS and Mitt Romney.
All I know is if you want things to keep going as they have been, then vote for it. If you want to have some influence on politics, progressives need to show that their votes can’t be taken for granted. No group whose support can be taken for granted is going to get what it wants in today’s America. The TEA Party taught us that. It’s about time we listened.
“It’s about time we listened.” Oh yes, and passed time.