undefined

points

[-]

Two things can be true at once, the entire system is corrupt and the current administration is much more corrupt than any prior administration.

by pstuart7 hours ago|

parent|

[-]

The current administration is in a class of its own regarding corruption -- it is the principle driver of everything they do. The nazi stuff is just bonus for them.

by wilg6 hours ago|

prev|

[-]

It is in fact true that the Trump administration is corrupt on a significantly different level than any prior administration. It is harmful to paper over this.

by pstuart7 hours ago|

prev|

[-]

At the turn of the century (yikes!) Clinton reconfigured the DNC to serve the corporations rather than labor. I left the party after that but am compelled to vote blue as the least worst option. Partisan politics allows capture of the government by creating a duopoly of power.

Washington warned us of this threat.

by FazJaxton7 hours ago|

parent|

[-]

You are correct, but it's largely our first-past-the-post voting system that forces only TWO political parties on us. Voting reform is necessary to help make other parties/candidates electable.

by thrance6 hours ago|

parent|

[-]

You can change the details of the numbers game that is played every 4 years, but that won't solve the structural issues. I live in France, in any given election we have between 10 and 15 candidates from as many parties. Yet, we're still ruled by corporate interests.

The media makes sure to qualify any candidate threatening the interests of capital as a "dangerous extremist", while "pro-business" candidates receive the lion share of donations for their campaigns. And there are many other guardrails in place to ensure nothing impedes the slow erosion of our infrastructure and public services under the strains of austerity in profit of the few.

by pstuart5 hours ago|

parent|

[-]

I get your point. In the US at least there's less of a paradox of choice.

The key problem is that most people don't want to pay attention to any of it because it's either depressing or just not within there range of interests. Add to that the fact that most people vote based on their emotions and those are stupid simple to manipulate on the Right: anger at immigrants and "others" works all the time.

Democracy is the least worst option, but FFS, it would be nice if the electorate were actually properly informed when they vote.

Edit: I kind of contradicted myself on the "choice" thing, but this is effectively like herding cats.

by pstuart7 hours ago|

parent|

prev|

[-]

You too are correct, it was a "get it out there" comment.

My armchair assessment of the the electoral trap we're in:

  * first-past-the-post voting
  * dark money (money is not speech, it is power)
  * campaign finance reform (current model is legalized bribery)
  * eliminate the electoral college (popular vote for president)