TRUE or FALSE? regarding today's politics.

"Liberal" versus "Conservative," "Right" versus "Left," and "Party X" versus "Party Y" are truly irrelevant when push comes to shove in America today.

The only real struggle is between the wealthy elite and the rest of us. Politics is show business and the place where the predetermined outcome is sold to us.

from what I can see...

"Politics is the shadow cast on society by big business." John Dewey

it is.

Ideology matter, or at least SHOULD matter.

It should matter, of course of course. But it doesn't make any difference, I bet, if you look at where power lies. While we minions are fighting for a little more regulation of this institution or that industry, trillions of dollars change hands, most directed away from us and toward those who already own the most. We scream at the tv, register to vote, or go protest, but in the end, we more or less end up with the same results: No single payer, corporations running politics, environment under siege, bank bonuses off the charts. While we fuss and fight. While we think we're making a difference. The water's boiling and we frogs still think it's cool. :banghead:

americans in to iconoclasts.

Suddenly no one cares and the politicians freak out.

Their bullshit stops working.

Alas, I can dream.

fewer people voting - which if I may point out, is one of the GOP's time-honored tactics every election - because people don't feel like their voice matters just makes it easier for the elite to do what they want. Their BS doesn't stop working, it works exactly as they want it to.

This is one of the main reasons I fight the meme of "they're all the same" so stridently. I want people to pay better attention and be more informed and active, not give up because there's no choice. This meme is straight out of the right's playbook, and it saddens me to see so many fall for it here and elsewhere. I do agree that there's too much corporate corruption in American politics on both sides, but the problem is NOT the government or the parties as so many like to complain, but the fucking corporations who are buying people to pull strings.

who vote like right-wing rapublicans and constantly sell out workers and the environment and peace. No, the problem is the people who call them on it.


Blame the victim much?

I think the problem is that Democrats sometimes vote like right-wingers because they too are beholden to the same corporations who sponsor the right, AND that any third party politician who gets to a national level would face the exact same problem.

I'm not blaming the victim (us) at all, other than to say we need to be more active participants in our society and in politics. Yes, I know that many here at DU are, but most of Americans are not and it saddens me.

getting theirs.

when that's not the case, watch out.

He hated anyone who won office just because they won. That's the opinion of some people who pretend they are on the left these days. It's too simplistic for my tastes.

Grandpappy was a racist old coot, for the record. Women shouldn't vote (or drive--and he never let his wife learn to drive), African Americans shouldn't be educated or allowed to vote (or much of anything else), and all rich people were out to get all poor people. Never vote for anyone in office. Kind of like Ron Paul with a New Orleans Irish Channel-tinged-with-German accent.

I grew up on that stuff. Never found it filling.

when we allowed the (s)election of someone who was the worse of two evils. We're still paying the price for such foolishness. I don't blame Nader or those who voted third party, but I do say that this attitude is part of why it happened. Instead of fixing the problem, we focused on the symptom. We need to change election finance law now or even third party winners will succumb to the exact same stupid corruption.

with the majorities we've had and the WH, did the ones who could have delivered change ever want it in the first place?

Things are never as simple as all that. Speaking for my self, there are days when I want to get out and change the world
in my own image, and other days when I just want to be left alone. I grew up with politics. My Grandad was a IWW organizer
on one side & a German Socialist who fled Hitler on the other. My Dad was a CIO labor organizer. Politics was always there
& arguments got kind of loud sometimes, particularly when my racist uncle who worked for Union Oil was around. I spent time with SNCC & SDS saving the world (it's the Family Heritage said Mom). For my whole life I've seen the struggle change
every day (this vs. that, ying vs. yang, red vs. blue). If there were only one struggle, or one cause, things would get damn boring, wouldn't they?

"Party X" vs. "Party Y" is irrelevent. However, I think left vs. right is still a meaningful distinction. The right stands up for the wealthy elite. The left stands up for the rest of us. And yes, the left is pretty much dead. It must be revived.

really I think that applies mostly inside the DC beltway. I think something happens in Washington, elected officials become insular and wrapped up in the power.

I think our political system could work on a local level--except people only vote in national elections. Kind of a vicious cycle there. :(

And, the politicians reassure us that their pile of dogshit doesn't smell as bad as the other politician's pile of dogshit.

("This is comprehensive reform!")

Smell like dogshit!
("This will help every American family!")

Ugggg! Taste like dogshit!
("This is chocolate candy!")