But I guess I'm being unfair. The Republican Party does have some goals; slash taxes as our national debt exponentially expands, return $300 to each citizen (aren't you all excited?), increase the military industrial complex, completely denigrate and destroy the environment (because, guess what, global warming doesn't exist until it becomes profitable for the oil industry and big business, or until plants won't grow and acid rain eats away at our skin ... okay, that's a bit overdramatic), and, my personal favorite - promote freedom (who's freedom?). Unfortunately for us, these are not long term agendas. They are not sustainable models.
Such fanfare serves as a successful campaign for power strategy because they apply to society's short term mentality. I get $300 today - awesome! This is a much simpler concept than figuring out how much I - directly or indirectly - will lose based on the overall fiscal plan. A platform that says we don't all have to switch to low flush toilettes (a particular pet peeve of right wing journalist Ann Coulter), use less (of anything), stop using plastic bags (thank you to the stores who have started to charge for these and offer reusable bags for a small fee), or in any other way change our everyday lives is an easy one to get behind. The long term plan which call for us to alter out lives NOW, is much harder to sell. Basically, in order to "win", the Republican Party has chosen the path of least resistance, or of the "easy sell".
The real platform of the far right wing (which has now taken over the GOP) is quite simple. It is twofold; discredit the democratic party and (beginning with Nixon in the 1970's and carried through to today) to take over the main stage of the media arena under the banner of equity. At any cost. When you don't have to make hard sells, have the illusion of morality behind you, don't adhere to the standards to which you hold others, don't feel obligated to use accurate facts, and have the monied interests of America behind you, it's not all that hard to gain power.
But I fall pray to the same culture of complaint that has allowed the right wing take over. Griping can only ever scratch the surface - touch on the superficial. It supports the current state of politics - again, takes the path of least resistance. The war of rhetoric will never achieve positive change. So we must dig. Real change comes not from maneuvering within the system (though knowledge of the system is important), but from breaking free of it - standing outside the box (not to be cliched) and looking beyond. You may get an advantage on the chess board, but you're still stuck on one ideological plane.
Don't get trapped in the epic fight between Republicans and Democrats (which is really more of a slaughter). This battle shouldn't even exist. If you have only two sides you're bound to get a fight. There will always be victim and victimizer. It seems to have slipped the American people's minds that we do not, constitutionally speaking, have a two party system. George Washington, in his farewell address even warned of the dangers of falling pray to a two party system.
Media has not only fallen short in the accurate reporting department (especially those elements taken over by right wingers), but it has propagated the two party system. Most explicitly this is apparent in the televised presidential debates where only the Republican and Democrats nominees have the floor.
So let's start looking past the hoopla, past the campaign. Candidates, parties, how about running not to win, but to change this country in the right direction.
1 comment:
I think that if you look beyond the media, it is the actual design of our democracy that creates a two party system. If our system used a proportional representation system, we would likely see more third party candidates.
While I don't agree with even half of the political direction you're coming from, you are a talented and persuasive writer. Keep it up.
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