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Permalink Reply by Dustin Martin on August 1, 2011 at 10:19pm

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Permalink Reply by Mike the Infidel on August 3, 2011 at 10:41am

It's actually quite simple.  Due to the far right-turn that the GOP has taken to secure the house, they have conceded the White House in a normal election process.  They have alienated so much of the voting population that it is impossible to win an honest election.  The Tea Baggers have not lied about wanting "smaller" government.  The smaller the size of government, the more influence they have.  By opting for this 12-member Super Congress, they have assured passage for their future cuts to entitlements by taking the democratic Senate majority out of the equation. (I could be wrong on this point, but to my understanding, once the committee has decided on it's cuts, the senate will HAVE to have an up or down vote, no filibuster allowed.)

 

Again, they realized that the only way they can win the White House is by crippling government to the point where another depression is lying in wait.  I wouldn't underestimate them.  Look how they screwed up the economy during 8 years of Bush and then, after only 2 years, convinced the American public that they were the best to clean up "Obama's" mess.  Everyone talks about tyranny of the majority, but I never took a political science course in college that EVER talked about the tyranny of the minority.  By winning state assemblies they have been able to redraw the voting district lines, which cuts the impact democratic votes will have.  Just look at Wisconsin-after passing the voter I.D. law, they have now started shutting down DMV offices in democratic districts, while concurrently expanding the DMV office hours of operation in the republican districts.  America, you get what you pay/vote for.  

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on August 3, 2011 at 6:45pm

You bring up another point: the GOP is getting laws passed in many states designed to allow less participation at the polls.  You know who they are keeping out.

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Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on August 4, 2011 at 6:54pm

The tea party's influence at the state level is a scary phenomenon.  I live in Wisconsin and our slash-and-cut, pro-business, anti-public sector governor, Scott Walker is a testament to the power of 'small government' ideology.  I think that many tea partiers got mobilized and voted in numbers larger than the general public... voter turn-out wasn't that great, but the people that turned out voted GOP all the way, across the ticket...local, state, and federal.  Wisconsin is going through a process of recall elections so it'll be interesting to see if anything changes the other direction here.

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on August 3, 2011 at 2:14pm

I believe that banks and MNC's are becoming more powerful than nations. They have certainly deluded Christians in this country that voting for an oligarchy is somehow in their best interests (a mind-trip if ever there was one). With that in mind, the two (well, the only two that matter anyway) political parties are heading down a strange and ultimately unsustainable path. The GOP has become the party of Christian Libertarians, a very strange philosophy indeed (abdicate all social responsibility to God and/or powerful, god-like people - I guess they just love being told what to do and think by a charismatic personality!). The left is slowly waking up and realizing that socialism isn't a dirty word after all. And then there are Independents who are basically clueless and hold no convictions (Obama seems to be on the left end of this party - "I guess we should be moving to the left??"). Eventually, actual policies have to be created, and those policies will be completely unacceptable to one (or both!) of each side of the political spectrum. Either we are headed for another civil war, or some other form of self-destruction, or... well I am not at all sure, it doesn't seem like there are really any positive outcomes here. Maybe we will reach equilibrium when our country has lost so much power on the world stage that it hardly even matters anymore whether we are right-leaning or left-leaning. This actually seems the most likely outcome to me.

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on August 3, 2011 at 6:46pm

Not very optimistic, are you? :-)))

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on August 4, 2011 at 12:14am

Hah, I guess not. The only good alternative were if some great charismatic President with majorities in both the House and the Senate were gifted with the complete collapse of the banks and had a golden opportunity to slash their power, either by partly nationalizing them or by making tough new laws designed to help the American people as a prerequisite to bailout money... OOPS! I guess we missed that boat!

 

One thing I am optimistic about is that I think every society of necessity edges slowly towards the left as they gain experience and learn how the world works, i.e. acknowledges the reality of science, the non-reality of religion, and the need to balance social welfare with the welfare of (rich) individuals. Given enough time, the nut-bags on the right in this country will simply be outnumbered and will no longer be able to dictate the direction of the country. I think we have already begun to see this sea-change in the increasing radicalization/marginalization of Christianity. The right grows ever more desperate as their power wanes, so if we can get there fast enough where we are still a (powerful) country, we will only have to worry about them as our own brand of taliban/religious extremists.

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Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on August 4, 2011 at 7:01pm

I think you are right about the alliance of Christian Libertarians with the right wing of the GOP.  Where are all the moderates hiding?  Where is the balanced thinking we need from both sides?  It is upsetting to think that our Nation just continues to be so polarized.  The so-called Independents are the ones we should truly worry about...they are the true 'wild card' in this high stakes game. 

 

I'm concerned about our status in the world, also, and how confidence in our government's ability to 'get things done' has eroded to stalemate after stalemate.  And if I hear that phrase "kicking it down the road" one more time, I'm going to scream...but it's true.  Temporary measures....half measures....new committees to review the old committees' recommendations....etc etc.

 

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Permalink Reply by bobh on August 3, 2011 at 8:42pm

Sadly, your political analysis is right on target. Looks like we can say goodbye to the New Deal and the social programs of the 1960`s. Its the G.O.P`s desire to do away with them and there are too few defenders.We have a very weak president and the Democrats have abandoned much of their previous concern for the working class.

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on August 3, 2011 at 9:47pm

I didn't know about that panel. You're right, it will be devastating to all but the super rich. Idiots volunteering for oligarchs, well put.

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Permalink Reply by Will Faithless Sophia on August 4, 2011 at 12:32pm

Yup.

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