Here's the deal.......when was the last time you had a bonafide effort and response to third party candidates in any community or ethnic group in the USA? Seriously, who or what party did you support/vote for in the last 25 years.
I say this not to be mean spirited, but because the few people of 3rd party that really want decent change didn't get into office by acting as if they are above it all regarding being in America and dealing with the deplorable state of the political system. People voted for Obama for sentimental reasons, and/or because they actually believed his platform (without the usual research that the vast majority of Americans don't do before they vote). They voted for him because he was the only alternative to a Shrub surrogate (shades of Slick Willy). Pissing on them and calling them chumps more than once becomes just plain ornery rather than tough love. Non-voting and such for an American citizen is just as stupid as willfully ignorant partisanship.
In other words, hope springs eternal. Keep the faith, baby!
I appreciate you brother and I welcome your thoughts.
I voted 3rd party in the last election .. knowing there was no way in hell my candidate was going to win. "Winning" wasn't the point. I won when I voted my conscience.
The reason 3rd parties aren't effective in America is because we've been trained to accept "the lessor of two evils." Everybody claims to want alternatives, but few have the willingness to fight for those alternatives. When dealing with Americans, everything must be easy .. and the plutocrats who control us know that very well.
Take a look at the state of American politics closely and you'd have a hard time pointing fingers at those who choose not to vote. Choosing not to vote is a valid option my friend .. especially given the state of American elections .. which are privately-owned.
America is a plutocracy brother. Our leaders are chosen. 9 times out of 10 all you have to do is see which candidate got the most money to determine who won. Then look to see where that money came from to determine which master they serve. That mindfuck about Obama and his massive donations from "the people" was bullshit. He got about 2% more in small donations than George Bush did in 2004. His money came from Wall Street.
You weren't here on this board during the election, but I raised the question of where his money was coming from before he was even nominated. I raised the question of his sincerity, courage, and leadership before he was nominated. While dumb-ass republicans were shouting stupid shit about Wright, ACORN, and "muslim", there were serious questions about Obama that democrats never asked. The music was sounding too good to interrupt it with with serious questions.
Was McCain any better choice? .. NOPE
Hillary? .. NOPE
So the argument to vote "mainstream" is take your pick among these failed candidates who are all controlled by the same interests.
Take your pick .. you're still in Afghanistan .. you're still in Iraq.
Take your pick .. you're still going to give away trillions of dollars to the banking industry and WALL STREET while the rest of the nation suffers through a jobless "recovery."
Take your pick and America is still hostage to the military/industrial complex.
Take your pick and America is still the greatest prison nation humans have ever seen .. and rising .. and still hostage to the crime and prison INDUSTRY .. and even the black one ain't going to do shit about the PROVEN racial injustice in the crime INDUSTRY.
No brother .. I don't engage in the minduck of the two-party system. I don't vote every election or for every office .. and I don't vote for centrists ever. If all that's on the menu is garbage, I'll pass. I devote my vote, time, money, and energy to issues and causes, not candidates unless they support the issues and causes I believe in.
Obama fails .. because he's a pussy .. and the republicans come rushing back all fired up to destroy what's left of America. Haven't we seen this movie before .. oh yeah, with Bill Clinton, who went into the White House with just about the same majority in Congress that Obama has .. then lost Congress and republicans immediately took out a contract on America.
We are an invented people, easily controlled and manipulated. Obama is just the frontman for the plutocracy. He makes good speeches and he and his family look good .. but "change" he ain't.
As long as Americans continue to play into the two-party quagmire, nothing changes. No matter how sane .. OBVIOUSLY sane .. like rethinking the business of war after the debacle of Iraq, or healthcare for all Americans like the rest of the industrialized planet has .. nothing changes.
Hope changed nothing about the criminally racist conditions our parents existed in .. doing the work changed it.
I feel real good about not only votiing 3rd party, but doing the work to build it.
