Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The 2-Party System Thanks You For Playing Their Rigged Game Under Their Rigged Rules








The 2-Party System Thanks You For Playing Their Game Under Their Rules.

How The Democratic And Republican Parties Conspire To Keep Each Other In Power... 
And What We Can Do About It.

By Frankly Speaking

(10/09/2016: Updated From The 2012 Election Cycle.... The more things change, the worse they get.)

I read comments like this all the time: "I don’t like Hillary (or Trump) and I really like Jill Stein or Gary Johnson and I would vote for them except….”

And then the other shoe drops and one of the following excuses pops up:.. He doesn’t have a chance:.. I’d be throwing my vote away:.. If I don’t vote for Hillary or Trump then it’s just a vote for the other candidate who is so bad and who would ruin the country:.. This is the most important election of my lifetime and the result could decide the course of this country for a generation:.. This election will decide the makeup of the Supreme Court for decades... And on and on and on….

So they either stay at home on election day or hold their breath and vote for the candidate whom they believe will do the least harm.

For a century or more these two Cartels, sorry... these two Parties, have colluded with each other and have struck a Faustian deal with corporate and monied interests that ensures that they will share power for decades to come. Despite their differences and mutual animosity, they have become used to  conducting business with each other and are comfortable with the false paradigm of  "Left vs Right" that they have established. They would rather deal with the "Devil they know” than someone they don't know with fresh ideas. They are terrified that The People will realize that there are other ways to address the issues and that there are other people who can get the job done as well as, or better than, they have. They understand that as long as they are seen as the only serious players in town they will each have their opportunities to exercise power and run the nation. So they fix the game in such a way as to ensure that it is virtually impossible for an alternative people based Grass Roots campaign to mount a serious challenge to the status quo.



There are at least six ways that they collude with each other in order to maintain power and keep alternative candidates from making a difference:

1) They spend a lot of time, energy and money to convince voters that they are the only 2 viable options and that the choice is between their definition of “Liberal” and “Conservative” philosophies:

This is a false choice. It’s not just Liberal vs. Conservative or Left vs. Right. It’s simply not that simple. Even within those paradigms there are innumerable different ideas on how to attack and solve each issue. Most people I know have developed a philosophy that is more sophisticated and complex, some subtle shade of grey. For instance the statement I hear often is “I’m a social liberal and an economic conservative” or vice versa. The Democratic and Republican Parties do not have a monopoly on viable Liberal or Conservative ideas or solutions but they work very hard to convince you that they do. They want you to think that they are the only game in town and that their recycled ideas and rhetoric are somehow bold and courageous and constitute a “new approach“.

2) They demonize each other and attach Earth-shattering importance to every election:

It goes something like this. "We know our guy (A) isn't perfect, but look how scary the other guy (B) is. If you vote for anyone but A, you're actually voting for B, and he will ruin the country."

Every election in my lifetime has been framed by at least one of the two parties as the "most important election of this generation" (until the next one comes around) and as either: a) a "turning point" that will determine the future of the country and bring positive change and return our nation to it's former glory... or b) as "staying the course/passing the torch” and  keeping this country great.

Then when someone actually has the nerve to exercise their constitutional right to stage an alternative campaign for president and ends up getting any significant support (i.e. Ralph Nader 2000), they blame that candidate and their supporters for handing the election to the opposition. It’s been 16 years and people, Democrats and Republicans alike, still bring up Nader as a reason not to vote for anyone but the candidates approved by the establishment. The fact is that I have a Constitutional Duty to vote my conscience and if a candidate can't convince me to vote for them based on their positions on the issues, that's THEIR fault, not mine.

The parties even conspire with each other, through their surrogates and the media, to go so far as to tell the public that if they’re not going to vote for A or B, they might just as well stay at home on election day because their vote will be meaningless. How’s that for Democracy? Isn’t that just a not-so-subtle form of voter suppression? When the public is bombarded with the message that unless a candidate is running on a major party ticket they can't win, is it any wonder that 90 million eligible voters are fed up and won’t even bother to vote in 2016?

3) They set impossibly high standards on a State to State basis and make it incredibly expensive for an Independent, 3rd party or Grass Roots National Campaign to get on ballots:

The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are practically guaranteed spots on the ballots in every state. On the other hand alternative candidates  have to spend huge amounts of time, money and effort just to get on the ballots and they are unable to get their message out to the public until very late in the game.

Each state has it’s own qualification standards. There are literally 50 sets of rules, deadlines and criteria  that alternative candidates have to meet to qualify in all 50 states. A campaign has to navigate a virtual labyrinth involving paying fees, and collecting enough valid signatures under the right circumstances in the right areas in the right time frame just to get their name on the ballot. Each state’s qualifying process was formed by legislatures run by Democrats and Republicans and is designed  to discourage outside and independent participation in our democratic process.

Even if alternative candidates qualify to be included on a state's ballot, the major parties will still try to exclude them. One example is Pennsylvania where, in 2012, Democratic and Republican presidential candidates only had to gather 2,000 signatures while alternative candidates needed 20,000. Gary Johnson's campaign reached that threshold and the Pennsylvania Republican Party subsequently announced that they would sue to keep him off the ballot. They also challenged the Constitution Party's 2012 candidate, Virgil Goode and kept him off the ballot, not because of voter signature validity but because of money. His campaign submitted 35,0000 signatures. The Constitution Party withdrew his name because Pennsylvania's election laws, written by Democrats and Republicans, required them to cover the legal costs if they lost the challenge, a sum which could have exceeded $100,000, and they simply don't have that kind of money.

This system serves to distract and delay independent and 3rd party campaigns. The Democratic and Republican candidates are able to actively promote themselves and their policies for months, sometimes years, to the public. Meanwhile the convoluted qualification process has alternative candidates jumping through dozens of different hoops just to get their name on the ballot. If they do succeed in getting on the ballot, they are lucky if they have more than a few months to introduce their candidate and ideas to the public.

This is also designed to restrict and delay their ability to do any serious fund raising. Potential donors are reluctant to donate money to a campaign that they can’t even be sure will be on all the ballots. This is one reason we have a system of private campaign funding and why the Democrats and Republicans oppose any meaningful campaign finance reform and measures that would limit or eliminate those funds. They are afraid of a system of publicly funded campaigns because the current system favors the powers that be and reform would serve to even the playing field and give others a fighting chance.

All this serves to give established candidates a huge, and unfair, head start and advantage in the election.

4) They marginalize Alternative Candidates and exclude them from the conversation:

Democrats and Republicans are loathe to allow an outsider to challenge them in a public forum and force them to talk about real issues.

The standard for being included in the presidential debates is set so high that only one alternative candidate, Ross Perot in 1992, has been allowed to participate. However… surprise-surprise… he wasn’t really an outsider (and certainly not a grass roots candidate), but  a billionaire who largely funded his own campaign.

Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are the alternative candidates with best chance to be included in the debates. But don't hold your breath. Last time I checked they were polling somewhere around 5%-8% nationally. Except for Perot, the Billionaire who used his own fortune to propel himself into the national spotlight, that’s higher than any alternative candidate in recent memory. According to the rules of participation for the Presidential Debates, in order to qualify to participate in the debates, a candidate has to receive at least 15% support in 3 consecutive national polls, and these polls either omit 3rd party candidates from the choices or word the questions in such a way as to discourage someone picking an alternative candidate. Even if Stein or Johnson achieve those numbers they may not be allowed to participate. Who writes those rules and makes the final decisions? The Commission On Presidential Debates, a non-profit controlled by, you guessed it, the Democratic and Republican parties, and they will bend over backwards to prevent anyone else from gaining any legitimacy by sharing such a public stage with their guys.

Imagine if Johnson and/or Stein were included in the debates. The moderator would be obliged to ask questions about the issues that they are running on. The Clinton and Trump campaigns would not be able to control the conversation and the candidates would not be able to just stick to their talking points. They would be in the uncomfortable position of actually defending and explaining their positions and policies instead of just attacking each other. They would have to seriously answer questions they do not want to address: questions about Climate Change, the War On Drugs, the bloated Military, the Perpetual Wars, the obscene role of money in our politics, the inflated influence of the banks and corporations in our Government etc. They would risk upsetting their corporate benefactors on Wall Street, the Military Industrial Complex, Big Pharma etc.

5) Corporate control of MSM and the campaign finance system.

     a) The parties are funded by secret, virtually unlimited corporate and 1% money.

We all know about the 2010 Citizens United case and how that decision opened the floodgates and injected hundreds of millions of dollars of "dark" money into the campaigns. This causes candidates to become beholden to wealthy corporations and individuals and essentially shuts out the vast majority of The People from having any influence on candidates and policies. It also discourages t ordinary citizens from running. And if they want to mount a serious challenge they have to beg for money from these elitist entities who are not going to finance a candidate who has policies that they oppose. That's the definition of oligarchy: A small group of people and corporations having control of a country, organization or institution. 


     b) These same corporations control the Media:

The mainstream media in this country is 90% owned by 6 huge corporations and those companies have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and promoting the two-party system. I challenge anyone to cite a major MSM reporter that has independent ideas and is willing to confront or contradict the corporate/party line, the policy spinners or the candidates.

Think about the mainstream media and their reporters for a minute. Almost all of them are considered either “liberal“ or “conservative“. But think a little harder. Are they really what they claim to be, or are they just essentially water carriers for one of the two major parties? How often do you hear a conservative “journalist” contradicting the Republican Party line, or a liberal “journalist” contradicting the Democratic Party line? It happens very rarely. Why is this? Is it because, by some weird statistical anomaly, all these reporters agree almost 100% with these parties? Or is it because unless they play ball, they risk losing their jobs and will not be granted access, fed stories or given exclusives, which they then faithfully regurgitate and present as facts without serious challenge, investigation or question. The media is also pressured to refuse significant coverage and access to alternative candidates, except to portray them as curiosities or eccentric people pursuing a hopeless cause and tilting at windmills.

The internet is now a place where people can get unfiltered information. I believe it has the potential to be a great equalizer and tool for true Democracy. But guess what? The Democrats and Republicans are working together and are desperately trying to figure out how to reign it in and control it through bills such as SOPA and CISPA. Who says bi-partisanship is dead? Well, when something threatens their stranglehold on power in this country, bi-partisanship is alive and well and as strong as ever.

6) If all else fails... they cheat.

Corruption, fraud, collusion and voter suppression was rampant in the 2016 Democratic primaries. When Bernie Sanders ran this year he was, by far, the more popular candidate. He went against conventional wisdom and ran raising money solely from individual donors. The Democratic Party did not allow independents to vote in many primaries, purged the voter rolls of progressive voters, threw out Sanders votes and generally rigged the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. Election Justice USA conducted a study that detailed hard evidence of election fraud and targeted voter suppression throughout the course of the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries,concluded that without voter fraud, Sanders would have won in a landslide.
This is just business as usual for these corrupt political cartels.

"Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss.”

The Democratic and Republican parties are heavily invested in maintaining their power and the status quo. They are very satisfied with a system that does not hold them accountable for their destructive policies, a system that always seems to favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor, the working and middle classes, the young, minorities, the weak and the disenfranchised. They are too indebted to corporate and monied interests to offer any real changes that would really rock the boat, even up the playing field and tip the balance of power to The People, which is where it really belongs.They know that as long as they take care of their benefactors, they will have cushy high paying jobs waiting for them when they retire or are voted out of office. They literally have no incentive to make any significant meaningful political changes. In fact they are jeopardizing their family's financial future if they do try to reform the system.

The new candidates that the Democrats and Republicans roll out every election year are not the intellectual next generation with fresh and innovative or courageous ideas that they always portray themselves to be. They are just different faces repackaging the same old tired, failed policies that are designed to maintain their grip on power and cater to the rich, the powerful and corporate interests at the expense of The People.

Voters react to this 2-Party "game" in various ways. Many are obviously partisan and are happy to vote for whomever their party offers up. Others just play the game. If they're lucky they like one of the candidates or else they cast their vote for the 2-Party candidate that is less repugnant to them. Millions of others have been disenfranchised and are so disgusted that they have refused to play the game and no longer participate in the electoral process. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party consider both these reaction to be checks in the win column. Their philosophy is either play the game by their rules and vote for them or sit on the sidelines. Others, like myself, have made the decision to vote for alternative candidates whenever we can.

If Not Here, Where? If Not Now, When? If Not You Or Me, Whom?

There is some good news. People are leaving the Democratic and Republican parties in droves. This is a healthy sign that more people are getting fed up with business as usual and the divisiveness that both parties promote and profit from. It also means that people are more likely to take a closer look at alternative candidates and vote for them.

It takes time to change a paradigm, especially one that is as corrupt and entrenched as this one is, one that has such powerful interests behind it. I know that the system will not change this year but  this is the perfect time to start the ball rolling. Grass Roots movements have a tendency, over time, to grow and gain momentum. As people see more and more of their family, neighbors and friends taking action and voting their conscience maybe they will begin to realize that it is not futile to use your vote to help affect real change.

If we are serious about ending the seemingly inexorable march towards corporate and theological control of our nation then we have to act as a United People. It has to start somewhere and at some time. I believe that now is the time to begin the process of real change and to take actions that will eventually place the power back with The People, where it belongs. The only way to do that under the current rigged system is for The People to say "enough is enough" and vote in overwhelming numbers for alternative candidates in defiance of the Democratic and Republican parties and their benefactors.

Until The People show the Democratic and Republican parties that they will be held accountable for their policies and will not be allowed to continue to maintain their monopoly on power in our government, they have no incentive to make significant meaningful changes.

You Do Have A Choice.

I'd rather vote for something and not get it than vote for something I don't want and get it." - Eugene Debs.

Contrary to what Democrats and Republicans will say to you, ad nauseum, you actually do have a choice this year. There are two 3rd Party Presidential Candidates that will appear on most states’ ballots. One  Progressive ( Jill Stein -Green Party) and one Libertarian (Gary Johnson - Libertarian). There are also hundreds of alternative candidates around the country running for Congress, the Senate and state and local offices.


I'm voting for Jill Stein for President. Where I live, the only alternative candidates for local offices are Libertarians so I will cast write in votes and vote on local issues. Our local ballot also includes an up or down vote on sitting judges. I always vote to fire every single one of them. My take is that two years is already too much time for any human to have that kind of absolute power over people's lives.

The good news is that you don’t have to vote out of fear. You can vote from a position of strength and  courage. If you are disgusted and sick of business as usual in our government and you are tired of the stranglehold that these two antiquated and power-hungry parties and their corporate overlords have on our country, join me in voting for an alternative presidential candidate and vote for other alternative candidates on your ballot when that choice is available to you.

I would argue that it is your Constitutional, Moral and Democratic Duty to cast your vote for a candidate you agree with rather than sitting on the sidelines or voting against someone you fear. Remember, “Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.” And to quote Eugene Debs,

It’s time to begin the process of rewriting the rules and balancing the scales to reflect the Will Of The People.

Do the right thing. Do the Patriotic thing, Don’t give in to fear. Don’t be bullied or intimidated at the ballot box. Vote for the candidate that you think has the best ideas and will do the best job of guiding your country for the next 4 years.





10 comments:

  1. Thank you for the compelling refutation to the so-called "spoiler" or "lesser of two evils" argument. I'd also add that President Obama is the more effective of the two evils because he is getting away with so much that no Republican president could do without major Democratic opposition.
    His betrayal on medical marijuana (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/obamas-war-on-pot-20120216) is so characteristic of his lack of leadership in so many areas, including civil and human rights.
    Please view the following in connection with the "spoiler" argument: http://www.voterocky.org/spoiler_or_moral_alternative and http://www.voterocky.org/need_for_third_party_and_dismantles_spoiler_issue .
    I urge your readers to take note of my many years of work against the disastrous "war on drugs", for which I received the Drug Policy Alliance's Richard Dennis Drugpeace Award. I killed the DARE program when I was Mayor of SLC and worked hard to obtain a presidential pardon for a young man sentenced to 15 1/2 years in a federal penitentiary for his first drug offense. Among my speeches and writings on drug policy over the course of many years are the following:

    http://www.voterocky.org/the_war_on_drugs
    http://www.voterocky.org/industrial_hemp
    http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/voterocky/pages/30/attachments/original/98-11.12.05.DPAspeech.pdf?1327606916
    http://www.voterocky.org/a_new_approach_to_substance_abuse
    http://www.voterocky.org/criminal_justice_policy_foundation_clemency_press_conference
    http://www.voterocky.org/just_say_no_to_dare_the_enterprise
    http://www.voterocky.org/replace_dare_with_drug_programs_that_really_work
    http://www.voterocky.org/we_are_all_casualties
    Thank you for your work here! Best, Rocky Anderson

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  2. Thanks for the great editorial. You hit the nail on the head. The two party system should have been demolished years ago. They send kids to jail for possession of infinitesimal amounts of weed while the bankers on Wall Street shatter our economy sending the middle-class to poverty row, and they do nothing. Could it be that the corporate controlled duopoly cares only about money? These people, the Republicans and Democrats get us into senseless wars, despoil the environment, run-up huge deficits and then have the audacity to call third party candidates spoilers. Rocky Anderson is my candidate, and I am fortunate enough to live in a state where I can vote for him. I will vote for him although friends continually tell me I will be responsible if Romney is elected. EXCUSE ME. The Democrats have had free advertising for three and one half years for Barack Obama. They have already spent a quarter of a billion dollars on advertising. If the Democrats don't win on election day it could have something to do with a healthcare law written by the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, or NDAA, or undeclared wars via drones, or the anti-protest dissent legislation or, continuation of Bush's human rights violations or, many other reasons. Vote the issues, not the candidates ... unless the candidate is Rocky Anderson. ¿

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  3. My vote is sacred, even when our electoral system is corrupted. I will vote for the candidate and policies that promote a livable planet, an economy that serves the people, and a sound democracy.

    I will vote for Rocky Anderson because has spoken out and provided intelligent leadership and worthy analysis on every crucial issue: assertive action on climate change; ending illegal war; civil liberties; government accountability via impeachment of Bush and Cheney; torture; war profiteering; drone warfare; protections for whistle-blowers; human trafficking; tax fairness; medicare for all; financial reform; ALL of the progressive and constitutional issues that Obama and the Democratic leadership have thrown under the bus.

    Under Rocky's leadership as Mayor of Salt Lake City, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 31%, and he wrote an executive order forbidding discrimination in hiring on account of race or sexual preference. Not only that, but benefits were also extended to unmarried partners and family. My delusional gay colleagues have given Obama huge donations for simply tweeting that his views about marriage equality are "evolving." Another four years of Obama and the corrupt two party system? I'm standing with Rocky.

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  4. Unfortunately, if you are female, or love someone who is, you point about this being "the turning point," couldn't be more true. We found that out in 2010 when lies about "jobs" brunch their priority swept Republicans to power and they spent a huge amount of political capital in restricting women's rights to medical care--battles we won a 50 yrs ago! No, I am sorry, though I stand with Jill Stein on the environment and the war, I am voting for Obama because I live in a swing state and the stakes ARE high here. We almost got ourselves one of those trans-vaginal ultrasound laws that Republicans use to punish women who want abortions.

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  5. Whenever someone tells me "a vote for Rocky is a vote for Romney" I reply "Well, a vote for Obama is a vote for Bush." The only spoilers are apathetic fear based voting for a candidate you don't like, or not voting at all. Let's take Florida 2000, and the Nader Blame Game. I used to play it myself, back when I had the audacity to hope Obama wasn't as bad as Bush. But the real numbers belie the spoiler myth. In 2000 in Florida, 2.9 million people voted for Bush and 2.9 million voted for Gore, and they were well within 1000 votes of each other no matter which final number you agree with. It is true that 90,000 people voted for Ralph Nader, but Pat Buchannon, and several other conservative candidates also garnered well over the 1,000 vote margin each, and nobody criticizes them for running... 2.5 million voters didn't vote. Which is the bigger spoiler, the 90,000 people who voted for their candidate of choice, and who may or may not have voted for Gore, or not voted at all if they didn't have a choice, or the 2,500,000 people that couldn't be bothered to show up to the polls, or who were unable to because of transportation problems, polling location issues or whatever. If Gore had just sent 10 buses to bring folks to the polls he would have won handily. If his message had resonated, and he showed progressive voters he had more to offer than his lockbox, then he might have done better, but the truth is Gore lost the election himself. Even if he had won, there is little evidence that he would have been particularly effective, remember he hamstrung any real progressive action by partnering with chickenhawk Leiberman...
    The situation we are in was caused by the Democrats and Republicans working together. Bill Clinton signed NAFTA into law, and helped to kill Glass Steagall, which is the law that would have prevented much of the current banking collapse. Clinton called it out of touch. The Dems and Republicans have been in collusion for decades. It is like watching a wrestling match, where we have 2 guys that seem to be slugging it out in the battle royal, but are really dancing a carefully orchestrated pas de deux.
    Voting for Bubonic Plague, because Hanta Virus is worse ignores the fact that there is a rat infestation in DC. That is why I am supporting Rocky Anderson. Far from the spoiler, he's here to clean up DC, and repel the rats. Until we fix our vermin problem, we will never be able to work on fixing the damage they've done.

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  6. Thank you for excellent reasons for voting third party in lieu of the duopoly. I was frustrated beyond words at the options presented for the 2012 presidential election. The whole Republican race for the presidential nomination was such a farce. I grew weary of issues based on religious beliefs being the focus of the debates. The last time I read the first amendment of our Constitution it expresses in easy to read language that there shall be no establishment of religion. Romney is such a poor choice for President. While I was so enamored of Obama when he was elected in 2008 his sell out of the American people actually sickens me to the point that I cannot vote for him. The idea that a "Progressive" President would sign Section 1021 of the NDAA into law is beyond belief, yet this is exactly what he did. He took away our Constitutional right to habeas corpus and makes Americans subject to arrest without charge and to be detained indefinitely without trial. He says he would not use the power, yet when a court ordered injunction nullified this power, Obama quickly got the Justice Department fighting the injunction. What does that tell you? Ordering the death of an American without trial and then continuing to authorize drones to attack countries we are NOT at war with and killing and maiming hundreds of innocent civilians including children is totally disgusting. No, I cannot and will not vote for Obama. I was ready to sit out the election until I found Rocky Anderson online. This man has the experience, the record, and the heart to lead this country back to a nation we can be proud of. He is centered and truly cares about the best interests of Americans that live on Main Street not Wall Street. He has integrity and is honest and forth right. He is truly a good man. Rocky Anderson and the Justice Party is our catalyst for positive change in our country. I will be writing in Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson as my choice for President of the United States on my California ballot. If you haven't checked him out, please go to his website at http://www.voterocky.org and click on the Solutions tab to fully grasp what this man stands for.

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  7. I have been a supporter of Rocky Anderson ever since he announced his candidacy for President of the United States. He is focusing on the big issues that the ruling parties either ignore or fully support. Rocky stands against the endless warfare state and the Bush/Obama administration's unrelenting efforts to destroy our civil liberties. Rocky has placed as a top issue in his campaign the goal of doing away with the two-tier system of justice in our country that allows bank fraudsters, war criminals, and persons torturing prisoners in their custody to escape prosecution while millions of non-violent drug offenders languish in prison.

    Rocky Anderson is a champion of the basic democratic values that used to be the standards by which we held our leaders accountable. Rocky Anderson wants to restore democracy, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to the citizens of our country. The Democratic and Republican parties now have a "win at any cost" system which means that will sell out any value and any voting group in order to keep their jobs in Washington.

    Rocky Anderson is not for sale. Rocky will not sell out the environment for short-term political gain as President Obama has repeatedly done and Mitt Romney would do if he is elected. If the people of our nation join together and elect Rocky Anderson President, Rocky will vigorously act to institute programs to drastically lower man-made greenhouse gases. He has already carried out a successful greenhouse gas reduction program when he served two-terms as mayor of Salt lake City, Utah while gaining the reputation as American's Greenest mayor. Rocky has the brains, the temperament, and the experience to do a great job as President of our counry.

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  8. Well said!

    I want to underscore, "You do have a choice." Choice is a function of freedom, and we are a free people. Myriad alternatives grow with and because of freedom. In a truly free society, our political landscape should be as rich with choices as our retail outlets and grocery stores, a marketplace of ideas. Instead we have to seek information if we want to be truly informed.

    Freedom is not just something that is bestowed upon you; it is a state of mind as well. It requires thought and effort. We have imprisoned ourselves within a narrow frame dictated to us by the corporate-controlled two-party system and the only thing stopping us from breaking out at this point is ourselves. We're letting them scare the s__t out of us.

    We elect them; they waste our tax dollars giving special favors to each other and their corporate pals; let Wall Street predators run the economy into the ground; generally make our lives worse (with every passing administration) "protecting us" in wars they mostly manufacture, shredding our civil liberties along the way. Then we re-elect them. How stupid is that?

    The longer we fail to vote third party, the longer and harder it will be to return government to serving "we the people." (By that, I mean the living-breathing-dying kind of people, as did the framers of the Constitution.) When you look back at recent administrations and the legislation that has passed, or the Constitutionally-challenged executive orders unleashing the restraints on power, the Democrats and Republicans share the blame equally.

    If you love this country, you can do two things: Stay afraid, vote "D" or "R", and get more of the same; or get over your fear, vote your ideals, and become part of the solution.

    As a former Democratic voter, when you step beyond the fear (which really is nothing more than two-party propaganda) and actually vote for the candidate who best suits your ideals, a unique sense of freedom engulfs you. It is the point where you begin to unshackle yourself from a dysfunctional state; it frees your mind to the possibilities of what a nation of truly free thinking people might accomplish. It's a great feeling--do it!

    Voting isn't enough, though. Third parties need your volunteer hours and financial support just to survive, to keep trying to fight the battle. They need you to help build up the party and register as a member. Third parties need you to be agents for change.

    I'm a Justice Party volunteer trying to elect Rocky Anderson. VoteRocky.org



    ReplyDelete
  9. Well said!

    I want to underscore, "You do have a choice." Choice is a function of freedom, and we are a free people. Myriad alternatives grow with and because of freedom. In a truly free society, our political landscape should be as rich with choices as our retail outlets and grocery stores, a marketplace of ideas. Instead we have to seek information if we want to be truly informed.

    Freedom is not just something that is bestowed upon you; it is a state of mind as well. It requires thought and effort. We have imprisoned ourselves within a narrow frame dictated to us by the corporate-controlled two-party system and the only thing stopping us from breaking out at this point is ourselves. We're letting them scare the s__t out of us.

    We elect them; they waste our tax dollars giving special favors to each other and their corporate pals; let Wall Street predators run the economy into the ground; generally make our lives worse (with every passing administration) "protecting us" in wars they mostly manufacture, shredding our civil liberties along the way. Then we re-elect them. How stupid is that?

    The longer we fail to vote third party, the longer and harder it will be to return government to serving "we the people." (By that, I mean the living-breathing-dying kind of people, as did the framers of the Constitution.) When you look back at recent administrations and the legislation that has passed, or the Constitutionally-challenged executive orders unleashing the restraints on power, the Democrats and Republicans share the blame equally.

    If you love this country, you can do two things: Stay afraid, vote "D" or "R", and get more of the same; or get over your fear, vote your ideals, and become part of the solution.

    As a former Democratic voter, when you step beyond the fear (which really is nothing more than two-party propaganda) and actually vote for the candidate who best suits your ideals, a unique sense of freedom engulfs you. It is the point where you begin to unshackle yourself from a dysfunctional state; it frees your mind to the possibilities of what a nation of truly free thinking people might accomplish. It's a great feeling--do it!

    Voting isn't enough, though. Third parties need your volunteer hours and financial support just to survive, to keep trying to fight the battle. They need you to help build up the party and register as a member. Third parties need you to be agents for change.

    I'm a Justice Party volunteer trying to elect Rocky Anderson. VoteRocky.org

    ReplyDelete