patrick.net

I think you are right that both sides are driven by fears that are deliberately stoked by crony capitalists.

But the realization doesn't catch on because it's just not as exciting as hate for "the other team".

So the crony capitalists continue to win, and democracy, free markets, and basic social safety nets all suffer.

I think you're correct.

On that "TED" video about liberals and conservatives, the speaker also talks about how tribalism is fun: that's why college and professional sports are so popular (and profitable). Go team go!

Maybe it's just more fun for liberals and conservatives to constantly "root for the home team" against the "other", rather than going after the Crony Capitalists.

Democrats and Republicans remain in power because the election system we use effectively prevents third party challenges. Switching to instant run offs and proportional voting would cause a rapid decline in both Republican and Democrat ranks.

Could you define instant runoffs and proportional voting better?

And how would that help a third party?

Instant Runoff Elections
http://archive.fairvote.org/index.php?page=178

How IRE or alternative voting works and decreases the two party oligopoly.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/3Y3jE3B8HsE

How proportional voting works
http://www.youtube.com/embed/NSUKMa1cYHk

My proposal:
1. Eliminate the senate.
2. Use proportional voting for the House, eliminating Congressional districts.
3. Use instant runoff for the presidency.

Dan8267 says

1. Eliminate the senate.

The rural Red subsidy states would never go for it. The bitch about government spending, except their ag subs which are funded by Blue Coast State money.

How many "small" farmers get ag subsidies though? Do they just go to big agribusiness corps?

I really don't know the facts on this.

And to be fair to the rural red states: a lot of the Federal money is for basic infrastructure (read: roads) so that all of those crops can make their way to the blue states. ;-)

One Nation under God
has turned into
One Nation under the influence
of one drug

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V., it satellite links
our United States of unconciousness
Apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive
the methadone metronome pumping out
a 150 channels 24 hours a day
you can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching

T.V. is the reason why less than ten percent of our
Nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central America
means Kansas
Socialism means unamerican
and Apartheid is a new headache remedy

absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us
It shapes our minds the most
maybe the mother of our Nation
should remind us
that we're sitting to close to. . .

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is
the stomping ground for political candidates
Where bears in the woods
are chased by Grecian Formula'd
bald eagles

T.V. is mechanized politic's
remote control over the masses
co-sponsered by environmentally safe gases
watch for the PBS special

It's the perpetuation of the two party system
where image takes precedence over wisdom
Where sound bite politics are served to
the fastfood culture

Where straight teeth in your mouth
are more important than the words
that come out of it
Race baiting is the way to get selected
Willie Horton or
Will he not get elected on . . .

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is it the reflector or the director?
Does it imitate us or do we imitate it
Because a child watches 1500 murders before he's
twelve years old and we wonder how we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than abhor the horror

T.V. is the place where
armchair generals and quarterbacks can
experience first hand
the excitement of video warfare
as the theme song is sung in the background

Sugar sweet sitcoms
that leave us with a bad actor taste while
pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars
You saw the video
You heard the soundtrack
Well now go buy the soft drink
Well, the only cola that I support
would be a union C.O.L.A. (Cost of Living Allowance)
On Television.

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

Back again, "New and Improved",
we return to our irregularly programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy breasted
beer and car commericals

CNN ESPN ABC TNT but mostly B.S.
Where oxymoronic language like
"virtually spotless" "fresh frozen"
"light yet filling" and "military intelligence"
have become standard

T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn"
"crude oil" on a beach to "mousse"
"Civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own Army
is now called "friendly fire"

T.V. is the place where the pursuit
of happiness has become the pursuit of trivia
Where toothpaste and cars have become sex objects
Where imagination is sucked out of children
by a cathode ray nipple
T.V. is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
On Television . . .

-from Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury, 1992

A F'ing classic, Vicente.

So many new oxymoronic and misleading terms created since then.

"I can't watch this." --Weird Al Yankovik (to the tune of M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This", talking about television)

wthrfrk80 says

How many "small" farmers get ag subsidies though? Do they just go to big agribusiness corps?

Not much I'm sure. I believe that 90% of ag subs go to large corps, but my memory might be mistaken. It wouldn't shock me though.

wthrfrk80 says

How many "small" farmers get ag subsidies though? Do they just go to big agribusiness corps?

Not much I'm sure. I heard that 90% of ag subs go to large corps, but might be mistaken.

Vicente says

Television, the drug of the Nation

Nice post Vicente.

My first thought when I read the OP was "what about TV?"

If you want to stoke real fear, just say that the "other side" is going to take a way TV.

thunderlips11 says

13   Tue, 20 Mar 2012 at 12:30 pm   Quote   Like   Dislike   Permalink   Share
wthrfrk80 says

How many "small" farmers get ag subsidies though? Do they just go to big agribusiness corps?

Not much I'm sure. I heard that 90% of ag subs go to large corps, but might be mistaken.

"small and family" are the the words attached to "farmer" used to justify ag subsidies. Most of subsidies go for major crops corn,soybeans, wheat, cotton etc. You can be a small and family farmer and receive these subsidies, if you grow or have grown these crops. The problem is what constitutes todays "small or family " farm would shock most people, many of these currently have assets and gross receipts in the millions. Agriculture in the midwest ,where I am familiar wjth it, is big business. It isnt ma and Pa with a few chickens and hogs It is a family corporation with giant tractors and combines growing one or two crops on thousands of acres. It is a little known fact that the agriculture industry is in a boom time, farmers are getting rich due to high commodity prices particularly corn, thus this is the perfect time to get rid of the crop support programs. I am in favor of the various conservation programs which have definitely helped the damaged environment in heavily farmed areas.

thunderlips11 says

Dan8267 says

1. Eliminate the senate.

The rural Red subsidy states would never go for it. The bitch about government spending, except their ag subs which are funded by Blue Coast State money.

Homo Economicus. A Legendary Creature, like Bigfoot, claimed to exist by Pseudoscientists.

Solution: Hold election day the same day as an all NASCAR marathon.

Dan8267 says

Solution: Hold election day the same day as an all NASCAR marathon.

Hahaha

Perhaps there is something to be said about IRV. It gave us Mayor Jean Quan of Oakland, who appears to be equally despised by the far right and far left. Not sure the middle exactly like her, though.