Keep Them Kids Out of Politics, They Are All Liberals Anyway’s
December 29, 2011
Keep Them Kids Out of Politics, They Are All Liberals Anyway’s
I guess the whole thing about young people not getting into politics is not really caused by the lack of interest after all. Rather because they are trying to keep us out! Yet another example on how American democracy is hypocritical: “Let’s bring democracy to the middle east, but let’s only do it at home when its beneficial”. Ideologically something is not quite right here
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theadventuresofredkid 
You know I’ve heard a lot of people saying things about how the Republican party has such a tradition of doing this sort of thing, but I can’t help but wonder if the Democrats wouldn’t do something similar if there were a similar and in any way excusable tactic that would benefit them. I haven’t been liking the tone of the Democratic party emails I’ve been getting lately and I’m starting to get pretty disillusioned with them. What do you think? Is this a Republican thing or just a two-party-system thing?
That’s a good question. Actually do not believe this is an issue unique just to the Republican party or the Democrats for that matter. This type of political bending of rules does and historically has happened across the board. Not Just in an American context but also in system with many different parties like the one where I am originally from (Denmark). The issue is that once one side starts playing so called dirty the games and get’s away with it the other side begins the same conduct in order to keep up. Corruption is sort of a ripple effect if it happens in one place people will do it in other places to get by. We see that in certain places corruption is therefore no longer considered corruption it is just the way the “game” functions. People work within the framework they are given, which is why it is important to change the framework of the game before you change the players. Its not a problem that is unique to the Republican party, (all though they seem to be very good at it), it is a problem that creates a downwards spiral once started. So I think it is very possible that the democrats could pull trick in the same category. Whether or not they have or will that is up to reporters to keep check on. Questionable strategies to win elections are not caused by the two-party system they been since the beginning of politics. But what I do believe is that the two-party system does enhance such behavior. Once you only have one enemy (in the political sense) all energy becomes focused on beating that opponent take whatever it has to take. multiparty system is in my personal opinion better because it fosters more debate. There is not the same sense of beating the opposite party at all costs because there is simply so many variations of opinions which makes it hard to “otherrize” the opposite side.
Ah, someone with an outside perspective, lovely! I’ll be blogging about the problems with the two-party system shortly; it’s actually the first thing I’ve singled out for my serious on political problems in the U.S..
I think a lot of our problems could be solved by instituting proportional representation instead of the current first-past-the-post system. Currently in the U.S., everybody only gets one vote, so Americans view a vote for a third-party candidate as a “wasted vote” because it’s a vote that isn’t going to the candidate from the two major parties who you consider less evil. That means that a vote for a third-party candidate is almost like a vote for the two-party candidate you find most evil, and that’s why third parties never have and possibly never will gain a footing in the U.S. unless we start using proportional representation.
Problem being, the current system is in the interest of both the Democrats and the Republicans…so how on Earth are we going to convince the government to change it?
It is interesting because one of the first things I studied when I started studying in New York was the fundamental difficulties with the two party system and American Politics. It is a problem no doubt about it and I can honestly say that I do not yet have formulated my own solution. But what I identified is that there is a fundamental problem with the way elections are carried out. Like you said a vote for a third party candidate might as well be a vote blown into thin air. In the U.S there is a winner takes it all system in place. The best example is when presidents are elected. A candidate can have less personal votes and still win the election because that candidate won in more districts (states) like we saw with the Bush v. Gore election. And this same problem occurs at all other types of elections. So if you are a third party candidate being elected becomes very very difficult. I agree proportional representation is the way forward. But initiating this sort of change will require enormous mobilization and some fundamental changes in the constitution as well. its gonna be difficult n o doubt about it. I am looking forward to reading your articles 🙂