Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Continuum

I was explaining the difference between communism and capitalism to the woman I carpool on the way home on Friday. She specifically asked for me to "break it down into a couple of sentences" for her so that she could understand. She also prides herself as being an "independent".

But lets take hard look at that thought. Here in the old USA he have an odd view of how politics works. Most of us don't even know the basis or platforms of the major parties, voting for the "man" rather than the party. The most prized voter label is that of "independent".

That moment was when I started to realize the almost frightening ignorance of those who vote this way and the way that the heads of the major parties have so thoroughly corrupted the system. Because when you can focus the attention of the populace on an insipid beauty contest, you won't have to come up with any plans to accomplish what is needed.

You see, when you vote for "the man rather than the party", you are not really voting for a man, you are voting for a fable. This allows the party bosses and the money machines to work in their smoke-filled rooms and construct the candidates that they can work with and set them up in a series of phony "Primaries" that are more akin to American Gladiator than to a rational political process.

Think this is wrong....tell me then how a Illinois State representative who gave a pretty dang good speech at a convention four years ago can be catapulted into the presidency?

The party bosses have never let go of the political process. They have blended the control they had in the back rooms of the nineteenth century with the slick and subtle control of a Madison Avenue ad campaign.

So just maybe, we had better start looking at the parties and their platforms instead of the front men that want us to watch. Because in the real world, an obsession with pretty front men has led us off a cliff, maybe we had better start looking at the organization that they front for and their plans

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That one is easy.

Capitalism is when the government gives you a break. Mortgage interest deduction, student loan deduction and business expense deductions to name a few.

Socialism is when the government gives your neighbor a break. Maybe a govt bailout of some industry or unemployment checks.

Communism is when the government gives a break to the poor, hungry and cold.

Mayberry said...

Well, when all the party platforms suck, then what? I've never voted straight ticket, always on voting records.....

Stephanie in AR said...

Tried to explain similiar idea to the sil before the elections about Obama & the Chicago political machine & past workings. Hmmmph been less of a headache if it had been for the 5 yo. Did you get your point across?