The Cycle of Duopoly
Human beings are a habitual creature. We love habits. We form them and then it becomes amazingly difficult to break them. The most arduous thing about a habit is the initial steps of making a habit an actual habit.
For whatever reason, here in America, we cannot break our habit of voting for the duopoly. We are worse than those who get the gym membership on January 1st and then by January 8th the gym is cleared out.
*If there are newer favorability numbers, let us know*.
Both parties are abysmal, with barely 40% favorability. The 2016 election saw the two most despised candidates in American political history slug it out, with the loser being the American public.
Decade after decade, the American public and the world have suffered tremendously due to the greed, malice, and outright psychopathic policies of these two parties. And yet, people keep voting for them.
The Princeton study showed that the American people have no real say in their government-- that the wishes of those at the bottom have no real mechanism to actually see it become a reality. This is definitely true, but I wonder if it is the ultimate picture though.
Under both Democrats and Republicans, things have gotten worse. Any Democrat or Republican who talks about being different will not be different. Pundits and elites will blame the voters while voters will throw it back into the system and the politicians. Here is the thing: If you keep voting for Democrats and Republicans, things will just continue to get worse.
One would hope that through all the decades of misery, people would see that the very reason things are getting worse is because of the very people that they themselves elect. One would hope that people would realize that if they just stopped voting for Democrats and Republicans, things could actually get better.
Often you hear how the government is corrupt, how our politicians don't care for us but yet in the end people will march themselves into the voting booth and then vote for those very same people. Our government is corrupt because people continue to put in the corrupt people. Our government is bought because people continue to put in people who want to be bought. Every Democrat and every Republican will sell you out, so why vote for them?
The Green Party in 2016 was in 45 states with 3 write-ins, while the Libertarians were in all 50. While the 3rd party votes improved, it wasn't anything substantial or threatening to the duopoly. Our system is broken, that is true, but people continue to vote in the very people who continue to keep it broken.
If people would vote, vote for something actually different, Green or Libertarian or something else, things would change. Or rather, that could be the catalyst for change. Perhaps even if a Green or Libertarian won the election, perhaps the government is too corrupt to actually change anything for the better. But then, that would be a clear sign--the only change we can afford as people would be a toppling of the system.
Some here have talked about a mass movement of people, either working outside the system or working to utterly dismantle the system. A movement of people to potentially institute direct democracy. In a direct democracy, people need not only be engaged but also hopefully have the knowledge of the issue. In a system like that, the power and ultimately the burden falls solely upon people. What I'm ultimately getting at is that yes, the American political system is utterly broken and its politicians craven and monstrous, but those people have to be voted in by the people. If the people stopped voting for them, things would change. Or maybe not--regardless, the duopoly isn't the answer. Can we break our habit?
Comments
habit-forming duopoly
Our duopoly is as much more addictive and dangerous than heroin, as heroin itself is compared with decaffeinated coffee deliberately brewed too weak.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
It's closer to a monopoly than to a duopoly, but
but I've broken the habit.
If you want want you've been getting, doing what you've been doing is probably your best bet. If you want something different try doing something different. No one who lives in a solid blue or solid red state needs to fret about the potential consequences of their vote. It will not matter. So, use your vote to say you want something else.
I am not over the moon about Greens, but, since 2012, I've voted for them whenever they've been anywhere on the ballot and written in the rest. IOW, I've beeb using my vote to say that I want something left of Democrats. Inasmuch as I live in a solidly blue state, that is, IMO, the best use I can make of my vote.
If you live in a purple state, your decision is more difficult than mine. I think I would do the same thing in a purple state, though, as I do now. I recoil when thinking about voting for the more of the same.
But, who or what is recording your vote and counting all the votes? The most push back I've ever gotten on this board was after I posted (accidentally, btw) that we should be working within our respective states on a clean vote, cleanly counted. Go figure.
" hopefully have the knowledge of the issue"
That part is delusional. People will reel off baseball statistics and/or tell you every detail of some rock star's life, but don't even know the name of their Congressman.
How many know how many Congressmen there are? Or how many Senators each state has? Or have the foggiest idea of economics? Or can find Syria on a map? Over half can't find North America on a globe!
Direct Democracy is a dream.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Good essay SD, glad to see you talking about this very
important issue.
Of course, everyone knows that only 37% of the voting eligible public voted in 2014, 99% for the two establishment political parties. I suspect it might be even lower in 2018. No one wants to talk about that, the blame is placed on the apathetic public, not the political system. That wouldn't happen in a business, not a successful one. Systems that don't work are adjusted, redesigned, or thrown out and replaced.
The narrative is completely controlled by the monopoly corporate media. Check out almost every article or show about anything politically and it's the republican party vs the democratic party. Like health care, it's all the duopoly making the decisions for all of us. That's how we're trained and how the system and the oligarchy prevents pushback to their system that keeps them in power.
Cocktail party in 1968, "hey nice to meet ya, are you republican or democrat".
It's funny isn't it? Some of us believe we need to stop participating in this bullshit political system and force a change, while others believe that those not participating in this system are the problem. The theory goes that if only more people voted, it would work better. It's like, if 70% of the public voted in 2014, 99% for the duopoly, we could make progress.
If only people voted the right way.
The theory goes that if more people were active politically, and knowledge of the system and such, then this faux democracy could succeed. The problem is that it's overwhelmingly those most active politically that vote for the duopoly. Ever watched a political convention, with their hats and signs and tears and what the fuck I give up.
I don't know. I don't see it happening any time soon. It's a shame because there couldn't be a better time. At least til now, I'm sure there will be even better times ahead that we'll let pass.
It's funny isn't it? Some of
I guess at what point can we look at people not as the sole agent of blame, but as a responsible agent?
"If only people voted the right way." If we had a direct democracy, all the power and all the burden would be on the people. If people voted to make their lives worse, then that is that. We could hope that folks would hopefully vote to improve their own lives, but I don't know.
I guess my point here is yes, as I said, our system is horrendously broken. It is broken by 2 bought-and-paid for parties who care more about capital than human life. But then also, well, people vote these parties in, over and over again.
I mean it is one thing to increase voter turnout, to go from 50% of electorate to say 75% in the 2016 election. But that is different to what I'm hoping for at least. Increasing turnout just to funnel them back into the duopoly doesn't change anything, just increases the tally. But you are also right Al, those that are more politically involved are well those who are so invested into the blue/red haze. They firmly and adamantly believe that if only X won everything would be better.
Perhaps I differ, but the inaction of not participating doesn't show a point. Rather, it gets spun. Turnout is low? Well, voter apathy. Boom, done, throw it on CNN. Instead of 20,000 folks voting only 5,000 do. Some may be concerned of the sudden drop, but those in power only care who got the 50.01% they needed to win. Hell, even if 3 people voted, those in power will only care who got the 2 votes.
Ultimately, here is I guess a concern that I mentioned in another post here.
Currently we have:
1) A broken political system that does not work for its people, a duopoly that is a danger to the very world we live in. People are tired of the two parties but yet continue to damn themselves by voting in the people destroying their lives. The people who sit out, who perhaps have various values they feel strongly about, don't vote for them in some form or another (3rd party somehow).
2) What I would like to see would be those who don't vote and those who hold their nose to vote to actually vote their real values. Vote them. Don't hold your nose and vote for garbage, vote what you want to vote for. Just do it. But in the end that seems simply impossible for people to do.
3) Some, such as yourself Al, have called for mass people's movements, outside the system. Perhaps even hoping to move to direct democracy (correct me if I'm wrong). As mentioned before, all the power and ultimate burden of said power falls upon a people. That requires a much more interested and vested populace dedicated to the action. I guess in my dismay here, is that this would be a large, massive leap. Thing is, we can't even get people to vote their own real values that they say they have.
In the end, I'm not telling people to vote the right way. Hell, if somehow Gary Johnson won, I would yes be surprised and well also feeling the potential brunt for the next 4 years but actually I'd be nodding my head somewhat. I wouldn't vote for him, in fact I didn't, but somehow that would mean the duopoly was beaten this time. It would have shown people taking a different path (not one I would want). I'm not saying what is the right way, but I can point out the wrong way.
I actually did say that the lower voter turnout was "spun"
as apathy, so it doesn't seem we differ on that. I've suggested direct democracy relative to national referendums like we have at the state level. Relative to voting for politicians in this national system, go for it. I'll be over there.
As for telling people to vote the right way, I wasn't directing that at you. But, suggesting that if only more people voted for third party instead of the duopoly is basically that.
@Big Al I guess my "voting the
I guess my "voting the right way" isn't meant as condemnation, but confusion. Time and time again we hear so many who say they hate the Dems/Reps, but they still go into the voting booths to hold their nose and pull the lever. It's confusion, it's frustration, it's at the end of the day somewhat maddening ha. Your vote is a voice, your voice, a reflection of what you want for a society. So why vote for someone who doesn't reflect you, who doesn't reflect what you want. Those politicians don't know that well James here really had to hold his nose for me or Janice here really hates my foreign policy I'll have to keep that in mind, nope just another +1 in their tally sheet. Just go and vote your values, what you truly want for society. If no one on the ballot represents that, then don't vote. If more people voted what they said their values are, perhaps we could truly see what our country is actually like.
Also, wasn't expecting many posts at this hour at night. Somewhat late here in the Midwest, but I always forget where the Al is.
Trouble is, The Powers That Be consider that a dangerous idea
Members of the German elites, for example, fall all over themselves expressing dismay whenever the 15 or 20 percent of people who tend to agree with right-wing populist notions actually vote for said right-wing populists.
The duopoly has us so well trained
though that many end up voting for someone just to "keep the other loon out" and along we go. My Hillary voting friends fall right into that, they could NOT vote their conscience as they were terrified of that orange Cheeto. I did try explaining but at the end of the day, who am I to judge them for that fear?
And since our system is so corrupt, if we don't vote at all won't they just install someone anyway? I know I'm guilty of that feeling.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
Things that we can count on...
No matter how low the stock market goes, it will come back. That is where the 1% have their money.
No matter who you vote for or even if you vote, a Democrat or Republican will win the White House. So why not vote however the hell you please?
The Princeton study wasn't a surprise, but it still rankles. Representative democracy my ass. Sheep. People are fucking sheep.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
sheep
So that's where we got Max Baucus from!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Great picture at the top of your essay.
https://caucus99percent.com/content/facebook-c99-and-housekeeping-request
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
@dkmich Thanks. I think the first
Thanks. I think the first time I saw it was here on C99 actually. It was the front image for an essay that Al did, but that was a while ago. Recently saw it in another essay here (in the comments) and gave me the inspiration to write this one.
Did you read the link
I left you in my comment? No pressure, just want to make sure folks know.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
@dkmich Huh OK. I often don't
Huh OK. I often don't use images in essays but well thought what the hell for this one. Often just find the URL and do the image uploader thing here. Don't often save the photos and upload, but if it makes it easier I can try and remember.
I truly do not know how to accomplish
voting for my values.
I get limited opportunity to vote 3rd party, and it is typically a Libertarian. Write in candidates tend to be so far right that even Republicans don't want them on the ballot.
I am at the point where I have a ballot with 30 races, and I cast 2 votes, leave the rest blank.
My betters know what's best for me, doncha know?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I’d like a vote for helping both Israelis & Palestinians equally
but that is never on the menu, is it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/this-palestinian-villag...
It's not apathy
It is disgust. People have been made to feel powerless and our system reinforces the reality of that. I have always been afraid not to vote for fear that I would lose my vote. If you miss enough elections, you are purged from the voter rolls.
Well, I have come to the realization is that the brutal truth is that my vote not only does not matter, but may not even be counted. So why go to the trouble to vote at all?
The American people have been pushed into a corner by a corrupt system. I cannot blame the people because we have been lied to for so long that there is no way to actually know the truth. This is why people drop out. But does dropping out solve the problem? Perhaps not participating nor enabling the current corrupt system is one way, but does that change the system? NO!
So IMHO, voting or not voting is irrelevant as to whether or not we change the system. The change has to come from outside the system because the system itself is broken. We see deep rumblings of discontent for the system among the people. The question becomes how can we harness that energy into something more positive?
And yes, I have posed only questions and not answers in this comment.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
The MSM is not doing its jobs either.
If they were, they would be exposing both these parties (Ds&Rs) as Servants of the Corporations, the Rich and the Oligarchs. Instead the teevee drones on about how either party wants to fix things for the Merican people but the other party won't let them.
And sadly 90% of people only watch the evening news and think they are high information voters. Ha.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
How politicians see you
Yeah, he's an anarchist but I do like the tone...
What would it take? They DON'T care...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auf1rehiA-4 width:300 height:300]
"Democracy is technique and the ability of power not to be understood as oppressor. Capitalism is the boss and democracy is its spokesperson." Peace - FN
I would vote Pirate Party if I could
Too bad they didn't pan out in Iceland.