These are familiar words related to political power in the U.S.: incumbency (and its power); partisanship (party over policy); and though perhaps a bit less familiar, corporate dominated systems (the Corporate Duopoly / Legacy Parties; or as I still think makes sense, the Two Party Front for the Oligarchy). I came across two reports that [...]
Tag Archives | electoral politics
The ‘People’s House’ When ‘Corporations Are People’
It isn’t fair to focus on the House of Representatives, since the SCOTUS decision on Citizens United, popularized as “corporations are people,” is just as evident in the Senate and the White House. But that whole “People’s House” description of the House of Representatives makes it an excellent example of how the meaning of “people” [...]
Chris Hedges on ‘Debt Peonage’: That 1% – 99% Chasm Didn’t Disappear With the Corporate State Suppression of Occupy
“Stop beating the dead horse,” I was chastised when I kept paying attention to the Occupy movement beyond that sliver of attention deemed newsworthy. The movement evolved, still continues in various projects. I’ve never stopped paying attention. And for good, or really bad, reasons: the inequalities it helped reveal remain. Chris Hedges has also continued [...]
What People Are Saying About How You Should Vote: ‘The Predictable Consequence of Lesser Evilism’
This is the second in an occasional series between now and November 6. I’m not choosing these based on whether I agree or not, but because each represents an idea or way of thinking that I see fairly often, and because they have the potential, or at least that’s my hope, for breathing some life [...]
Obama: ‘You Can’t Change Washington From the Inside’
Along with a lot of other people, I keep saying we need to work from the outside. I do think efforts from the inside can be helpful, but outside ideas, pressure, and actions, efforts that include evolving creativity, organizing, cooperating, along with patience and persistence, are essential. From Buzzfeed: Nearly four years after he was [...]
Stoller on ‘The Fake Election’
This could easily have been included in my earlier post, Now Playing Charlotte: The ‘Uber-Contrived Reality Show’, or for that matter, in any number of posts. But it really deserves a place of its own. Do go and read the whole thing. Matt Stoller at Naked Capitalism: The Fake Election: 10 Arguments The Republicans Aren’t [...]
‘Two Parties That Give Americans the Illusion of Choice’
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. Unless we get beyond the range of Romney/Ryan vs. Obama/Biden media “news” coverage, we’ll likely miss a lot of very interesting conversations. These are conversations about the kind of stuff the Duopoly prefers we not hear, and for the most part, if relying on mainstream [...]
The ‘Alternative Party Debate’ 2012: See the Video
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. In the Comments to my Guess Which Presidential Candidate Will Speak at Hempfest, and Which at Paul Festival? post last week, TPAZ asked if I knew of any “second-tier presidential debate” plans. It was a very good question for which I didn’t have an answer, [...]
Guess Which Presidential Candidate Will Speak at Hempfest, and Which at Paul Festival?
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. You already know the answers to the question in the headline, right? We’ll have no problem knowing where Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney are, most any day, between now and November 6. If, however, you might be interested in knowing where Green Party presidential candidate [...]
Lesser Evildom Rules!: Romney/Ryan Or Obama/Biden
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. Announcing the Ryan pick for a weekend news cycle meant the Romney/Ryan campaign got the Sunday morning political-analysis-as-duopoly-entertainment attention, in which the same predictable points are made, about the same predictable process by which We the Electorate are expected to choose between the predictable oligarchy [...]
It’s Been 20 Years Since a Woman Moderated a Presidential Debate, and Three Young Women Call for a Change
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. I’ll admit that I consider the Presidential and Vice Presidential “debates” as almost completely useless in adding anything of substance. Scripted bits of campaign marketing, along with some prepared “zingers,” are about all there is to it. But even so, and even though I’d love [...]
The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award and the Many Deserving Winners
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. The idea is far from original, but the ever-growing piles of the debris of dumb decisions are getting more difficult to avoid, with frequent contributions from Electeds and Wannabe’s, made me think about The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate. For those for whom that reference [...]
‘America’s False-Memory Syndrome’ and the ‘Poisonous Character’ of the 2012 Presidential Campaign
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. I’ll acknowledge from the top that one reason I appreciate Andrew O’Hehir’s post, ”Total Recall” and America’s false-memory syndrome is because he’s saying things very similar to what I frequently write about, because I think it’s fundamental to any chance for needed changes. The existing [...]
Bernie Sanders: ‘Responding to Citizens United and the Rise of Super PACs’
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. Yesterday, on NPR’s Weekend Edition, Sunday, Andrea Seabrook reminded listeners that this time last year, the “debt ceiling” battle was in full swing, which eventually saw the appointment of the bipartisan “Super Committee,” a “come up with a solution — or else” idea. The consequences [...]
Revolution In The Fringes: Not Really All That Radical
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer. How far Right do we have to be pushed / lead – or attempts made with that goal in mind – before being dismissively, derisively labeled “fringe” when we don’t follow? Personally, I’m in support of fringy-ness. No doubt in part that’s because quite a [...]
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