Does anyone ever question the two party system here and realize freedom is not represented by only two sides?

Question

All the talk! It's either left or right, liberal or conservative, democrat or republican. People shoot their mouths off with the party line rhetoric. Does anyone believe that these labels are made up to focus people's attention? Go deep.

Answer 1

Yes! I agree with you! All the debates and chaos are designed to keep us distracted! While public's busily debating this or that, these two parties are laughing at us! They've achieved exactly what they've set out to do... keep the power amongst themselves! It's really infuriating that the general public doesn't see this; that they fall for this crap! Each party, (of the two!), puts forward their views on passionate subject matter that gets everyone, (on each side), riled up and blinded by fury!

Answer 2

Could anyone of you please explain the difference between plain vanilla and French vanilla? I'm French, never heard of something like that? For us in France, your system with two big parties seems really odd, here, even for the extreme left, we must have at least 3 parties: Ligue communiste révolutionnaire Parti communiste and the third one, I can't recall. Ar our last elections, we thought a big party of the center (recently named Parti Démocrate by François Bayrou) has made enough votes in the first tour to have consistent weight on the second, but Sarkozy (you know, our little nervous president, recently divorced?) put so much pressure on the politicians that poor Bayrou is almost alone in his partie now. Oh yes, we have many parties, but in the end, what's the difference ? big party at the right side of the check (UMP with Sarkozy) and the left is represented by the parti socialist who is no longer socialist and very much divided now... What's in for the Frenchies? You have to work more and get paid less, when you have the chance to have a job. I, personnally have two masters and no hope to find a job anytime soon. France is no more a paradise than any other "rich" countries, it's always paradise for a happy few.

Answer 3

As another poster has already pointed out, the Founding Fathers warned Americans explicitly against permitting only 2 political parties to attain power for an extended period of time. Since such a state has effectively been in place for too long, it has resulted in what amounts to being two faces of the same coin : career politicians who have formed an Old Boy's Network, primarily in political power for thier own edification and gratification, with a secondary nod for those who paid their way into office and a tertiary afterthought for those citizens who elected them into office.

The labels have long been in place - although I believe that the party names have literally switched places on the ideological spectrum. (I understand that the Republicans of Lincoln's day stood on the kinds of issues that today's Democrats nominally stand for.)

At this point, the best thing Americans could do to shake up the corridors of power would be to vote out every one who is making a career of politics - no Democrats or Republicans need re-enter office tyvm, especially in the next two decades or so. The final thing that has to happen is that every one who is eligible to vote, *has* to vote, with thier conscious and intellect, on whatever that person's personal principles are. Not enough have voted for long enough to have any real entitlement to complain. It is loathesome to have the eligibility to vote, only not to do so because " it won't make a difference ". What fails to register is that the failure of so many to vote magnifies the effective voting power of the party loyalists who can and will vote regularly, feeding the destructive cycle of retention of 2 primary political parties in power who have become little more than mirror images of each other.

If we *really* want to shake things up, appoint citizens to office by sheer random lottery and watch the fur fly...

Answer 4

Seriously...do you honestly believe that the libs and cons on this system could function with another alternative? That would require research and thought. Its just much easier to blindly follow one and villify the other. Throw in a third party, and you are asking them to walk and chew gum at the same time! As it is, they believe that a third party is responsible for allowing GWB to steal the election....so while your intent is good...you're on the wrong forum if you want intelligent discussion.

Answer 5

Yes. I look at all candidates. There are more then 2 parties, but the others don't get as much attention. Libertarian is looking mighty nice to me now. Though if Giuliani runs, I'm voting for him.

Answer 6

Everyone uses labels to define things. Democrat and Republican are labels to define what that particular person or candidate stand for, generally.

Answer 7

ironically, our forefathers never wanted a two party system. but that was an impossible concept to implement, as we know that right off the bat there were those for and against the ratification of the constitution.

party loyalty is what's destroying us. i will always have values, they may be similar to a particular point of view, but they will always be my views, and not someone else's.

Answer 8

What two party system. It is a ONE PARTY system with two labels. They are basically the same things.

Answer 9

Intelligent discussion must be attempted anywhere and everywhere! I am interested in what the masses believe and I like sparked thought. It is very rare for me to find any forum that can keep up with my radical views. Welcome to earth, a planet that needs help.

Answer 10

yes, we are still stuck in the black/white right/wrong logic mentality.. but at this time the left fits my beliefs best.. if another party comes along that suits me better I will switch to that party.