4 ms·

> We are ruled by idiots at all levels. Yet we keep on voting for them. We are the problem,they are just opportunistic b_st_rds. Things will change when every

by camus2 13y ago

> We are ruled by idiots at all levels. Yet we keep on voting for them. We are the problem,they are just opportunistic b_st_rds. Things will change when everybody acknowledge the fact that we are reponsible for this.

eevilspock 13y ago
We can only vote for who gets on the ballot. Who gets on the ballot is determined very undemocratically by who has the most money behind him/her. This is so far from one-person-one-vote when 20% have 95% of the financial wealth[1]. Money then skews the final result when millions, tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising (propaganda) can destroy the candidate that money doesn't like. [1] In America. http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
- at-fates-hands 13y ago
  True. But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform, they could certainly make a run themselves. I hate to use Jesse Ventura as an example, but he really was a true independent candidate, with a solid platform and didn't act like a politician. What he said resonated with the people of Minnesota who were sick of the politicians, sick of the promises and infighting. He did a lot of good when he was in office and fulfilled his campaign promises. A lot of people look at the light rail in Minnesota as a huge success, but it was Ventura who believed in the project from the beginning and actually got additional funding to keep it going when both Democrats and Republicans were trying to kill the project.
  - ta43434 13y ago
    But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform, they could certainly make a run themselves. Not really. For example, the League of Women Voters used to run the US persidential debate. They've stopped, because the Democrats and Republicans demanded such unfair terms that it would have been a farce. So now the Democrats and Republicans together control the debates. http://people.howstuffworks.com/debate4.htm http://people.howstuffworks.com/debate4.htm
  - dragonwriter 13y ago
    > But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform Yeah, but, see, the Libertarian Party and the Socialist Party (and those aren't even the most divergent among the non-major parties) aren't going to unite around a common policy platform. In fact, each of them is closer to policy commonality with one of the major parties than they are too each other.

by camus2 13y ago

eevilspock 13y ago

We can only vote for who gets on the ballot. Who gets on the ballot is determined very undemocratically by who has the most money behind him/her. This is so far from one-person-one-vote when 20% have 95% of the financial wealth[1]. Money then skews the final result when millions, tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising (propaganda) can destroy the candidate that money doesn't like. [1] In America. http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html

at-fates-hands 13y ago
True. But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform, they could certainly make a run themselves. I hate to use Jesse Ventura as an example, but he really was a true independent candidate, with a solid platform and didn't act like a politician. What he said resonated with the people of Minnesota who were sick of the politicians, sick of the promises and infighting. He did a lot of good when he was in office and fulfilled his campaign promises. A lot of people look at the light rail in Minnesota as a huge success, but it was Ventura who believed in the project from the beginning and actually got additional funding to keep it going when both Democrats and Republicans were trying to kill the project.
- ta43434 13y ago
  But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform, they could certainly make a run themselves. Not really. For example, the League of Women Voters used to run the US persidential debate. They've stopped, because the Democrats and Republicans demanded such unfair terms that it would have been a farce. So now the Democrats and Republicans together control the debates. http://people.howstuffworks.com/debate4.htm http://people.howstuffworks.com/debate4.htm
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > But if all the splinter third party candidates got their act together and mobilized themselves and developed a solid platform Yeah, but, see, the Libertarian Party and the Socialist Party (and those aren't even the most divergent among the non-major parties) aren't going to unite around a common policy platform. In fact, each of them is closer to policy commonality with one of the major parties than they are too each other.