To continue on with Spencer's post from a few days ago, I ran onto this clip from a lecture given by Noam Chomsky in which he speaks about how America's two party system is a farce.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
America is not a Democracy continued...
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7 comments:
I've heard Noam speak on a number of occasions. I'm always interested in what he has to say because he seems to speak out against things that most of us either don't know enough about to form an educated opinion on, or against things that most of us don't have enough guts to discuss.
I agree with him here. We tend to think that the people control the nation and that's not true. Now, if an individual is OK with that, then that's fine. I don't foster any disrespect the constitution based on this truth because I'm OK with it too. I just think it's important for citizens to know the difference between a democracy and USA's form of government. There is a difference between what we're taught in school and how it really is.
I suppose I'm OK with our current system because I don't trust my neighbors, let alone myself, to make rational choices for the rest of us. If we were to live in a perfect democracy, we'd be voting every Tuesday night on technical issues none of us understand.
But if we were to believe that our representatives were any more experts on foreign trade and domestic health care than the rest of us, we'd be fooling ourselves.
Maybe the reason we trust our representatives to act as our proxies and make good choices is because that's what we were taught in school. That's part of Noam's message: that the Elite want to protect their minority interests from the interests of the majority (the rest of us) and they do so beginning in grade 1.
So, following Noam's suggestions, we can either be content with the current system, or we can endevor to add to it and change it, which is what the 10 Amendments began, what the Civil Rights movement embodied, and what Obama will continue to uphold as HOPE and CHANGE!
It sounds like you are more familiar with Noam than I am. I've read a little bit about him but not a lot. He has some interesting ideas about government. I can't say they are crazy or ridiculous because I don't know enough about it to form an educated opinion yet (like you said). But I think that more often than not, people form knee-jerk opinions about those kinds of things because they touch on sensitive subject matter, but instead of trying to find out more information, they just discount everything as rubbish in order to stay within their comfort zone.
It's funny how paradigm shifts are only justified or necessary when it's someone else shifting to your paradigm, not the other way around. (Not you specifically Chris, just an example)
Chris,
You ended your post by expressing your hope that Obama would continue to uphold HOPE and CHANGE.
Exactly what kind of unique transformational change is Obama going to bring about? No one can answer this. Not even Obama himself, except to speak in platitudes (like politicians do.....you see - this is not "change").
He promised to be above the whole race issue - that he would lead us to a new day in politics where beyond the racial divide... and the ironic thing is that he's played the race card more than anyone else in this campaign.... if anyone questions ANYTHING about his policies, it must be because they're racist. If you don't vote for Obama and his wonderful "change", then obviously you're a cretin who doesn't know that black people are just as smart as white people. HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS HISTORIC MOMENT TO ELECT THE FIRST BLACK POTUS?
Now that's getting caught up into the emotion and not voting on issues and principles, values and beliefs.
If this were truly a "race-free" election, then the topic that he was black would NEVER BE MENTIONED!
I heard that now that McCain is ahead in the polls that Obama is frustrated and wants to abandon the platform of "change" becuase it's obviously not working now.
Wow, that's not typical Washington politics. THAT'S TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE!!!
That's just what you and andy were talking about in another post... politicians saying what gets people's emotions involved and so many people are so sick of Iraq and George Bush that the word change is like heaven to them.
It's always dangerous to vote against someone or something instead of for someone. Some people are so sick of George Bush that they will take ANYBODY.... who they don't think is one of his cronies.
I can tell you right now, Obama's "CHANGE" is not anything like his supporters think and hope it is. He just proved that by choosing Biden who is a 36 year old vetern of old-style Washington politics (yes, just like McCain).
ok I'm done.
Spence,
I remember you mentioned some of these things at the reunion regarding playing the race card. I don't know what's going on up there in the Washington/Oregon area, but I have yet to hear anything like that around here. Not once have I heard someone encourage someone else to "be a part of history" by voting "black". I'm not saying it's not happening, but perhaps only in certain areas.
And I hope you're not getting Obama's reactions to political happenings from Limbaugh or Hannity or other partisan personalities. Because, again, I've never heard any of that rhetoric.
As far as "change" is concerned, it's like I said at the reunion. Both parties are beholden to their special interests, so by and large, you need to find what is important to you, see which candidate would most likely help that cause and vote for that person.
No individual President is going to walk into office and turn water into wine. There's too many other people holding strings and too many special interests with too much to lose for that to ever happen.
The "change" that I refer to when looking at Obama is for example, getting out of Iraq sooner rather than later. Also, someone who believes more in individual equality more than McCain does. For me, it's the little things.
I guess the most obvious "change" would simply be the party in office.
Biden is a strategic choice (aren't they all?) to balance Obama's inexperience with his experience. I think that's all it came down to.
I was being sarcastic with my closing words of Obama's HOPE and CHANGE, because that's all it takes to provoke a heated discussion with you guys. It's kind of funny. HOPE......CHANGE.... MUFASSA!
Yesterday I was in Star Merc buying something and after I handed over my money, I thought "I HOPE I get the right CHANGE back..." And then I got in the car and the first thing I heard was the news talking about Obama.
I experienced actual change through Obama. You can't argue with that.
That's pretty funny, ha ha ha!
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