No, Jane, I can't Spare a Square...and You Shouldn't be in the Men's Room

[SagebrushSage]

*deleting old posts*

[SagebrushSage]

*deleting old posts*

[Brother D]

I'm not sure British politics are any better, man. You'll get fucked in the socio-economic ass wherever you go. I don't think anywhere is perfect. VIVA DUDETOPIA!

[RandoRock]

We should all just throw in and buy an island.

[Brother D]

Fuckin' A, I got $4 almost 5.

[SagebrushSage]

*deleting old posts*

[Jianblade]

I own about $15 at the moment.  That makes an even $20.  We now have enough to buy a house in Detroit.  Wish I was joking.

Fuck, make it $30 and we can have a mansion!

[jgiffin]

God, it's all fucked, isn't it?  In my own fool optimism, I try to pick a side to support.

100% with you there, man. And we're cool.

It is, indeed, all fucked. I tried to pick sides for a long time. Finally realized the two-party system IS the problem. Most of their disagreements are manufactured to hide the fact both parties are taking advantage of the citizenry at large.

[SagebrushSage]

*deleting old posts*

[RandoRock]

The problem with the current system is it's set up to only support one extreme or the other so good ideas get lost to both sides. You can't be pro gay marriage and second amendment rights while still trying to say you belong to one side or the other because of how different each side takes those two things. Imagine what we could accomplish if we kicked out two party politics and actually focused on the issues instead of what side we're on.

[Brother D]

Like taking the best bits out of everything and making the best system possible that best benefits everyone
 It's like Lenin said.

[jgiffin]

The problem with the current system is it's set up to only support one extreme or the other so good ideas get lost to both sides. You can't be pro gay marriage and second amendment rights while still trying to say you belong to one side or the other because of how different each side takes those two things. Imagine what we could accomplish if we kicked out two party politics and actually focused on the issues instead of what side we're on.

The two-party system is organized to elevate interest groups over principles. Let me show you what I mean. The two examples you gave (gay marriage and gun rights) are easily reconcilable by a single principle - limited government. It's none of the government's damn business who you kiss or whether you own a gun. But limited, constitutional, governance does not benefit either party: it only benefits individuals. So, one party attacks personal liberties on one side, while the other attacks personal liberties on the other side.  Both sides' partisans are happy because they get to inflict their control fetish on others. But they object when that same tactic is used against them. This just calcifies the extremes, which was really the goal all along. It's pretty genius if you can overlook how completely evil it is.

By the way, this is also why Barry's nominee for the supreme court (Merrick Garland) is lauded as a "consensus" pick by democrats and republicans (even if they refuse to vote on him for other reasons).  The unifying principle in his decisions is to side with the government against the citizen. The left and right both like him because he reflexively fellates government while kicking private citizens in the shins. Fuck him and fuck them.

[RandoRock]

Exactly! It's all about control and the illusion of the greater good. A population that is divided is a population that is easy to control; the media, government, politicians, and paraquats of the world keep these imaginary lines drawn so people feel obligated to pick a side. We are distracted by the idea that one side has to be right and the other wrong. Instead of it being just common sense or what works for everyone it has to be one extreme or the other, people are so willing to throw logic and reason out the window just to keep up this idea of party loyalty. Some how we turned Democracy into a team sport where instead of being active participants in the process we are no more than just fans rooting for our side to win.

[StAugustineDude]

I think we just need to become an anarcho syndicalist commune and take it in turns to act as sort of an executive officer for the week.   But all the decision of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting. By a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more  .... BE Quiet!


Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[Brother D]

I thought we were an autonomous collective....