The Two-Party System: Two sides of the same coin

Really nice read. That's the problem when you give people with monumental egos access to a cash stream that they CONTROL just like they've always done. I think it's alot like going over to the dark side of the force! But to quote Bender "Yeah, we're boned!". It's like whenver someone talks about a "third party" candidate on the Idiot Box or on the InteWebamahJiggy the next thing you hear is only crickets chirping and you see the old tumbleweed role by! Vote your concious and have another beer cause it's going to be a long 21st Century. I think if we could get it together we'd realize that all we have to do to tame the Beast is quit our jobs and starve it into submission.

reply to post by airspoon


Both Political parties serve the same PURPOSE, however, they SERVE two separate and distinct economic sides .... Democrats serve the POOR by enslaving them to SOCIAL PROGRAMS that keep them down ... not lift them up and out of the poverty they are stuck in ..... and Republicans serve the RICH by keeping their hands outstretched for more Corporate Welfare ... keeping them enslaved to the GOVERNMENT via CORPORATE SOCIALISM.

The 1928 US Army Training Manual was very clear about what the differences were between a Republican form of Government and a Democracy. Here is what it said (you can't find these manuals anymore, they were all supposed to be destroyed via Presidential directive back then, but a few survived):

A Democracy is defined as:

Democracy: A government of the masses.
Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of "direct" expression.

Results in mobocracy.

Attitude toward property is communistic — negating property rights.

Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether it be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.

Results in demagogism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.

A Republic is defined as:

Republic:
Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them.

Attitude toward property is respect for laws and individual rights, and a sensible economic procedure.

Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences.
A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.

Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy.
Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.
Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.

________________________________________

Though I'm sure you know you're preaching to the choir... still a great thread, man.

Here's a brilliant quote that also helps to sum up our political/media charade:

"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate."

- Noam Chomsky

Essentially we are given a limited false choice in our mainstream political paradigm... but WITHIN that limited paradigm the "rebels" are touted as underdogs who subvert the system and false radical promises are made... this allows most of the citizenry to blow off steam via these "underdogs" and false promises and therefore reinforces the limited spectrum by neutralizing REAL radical change. Even if there ARE real rebels in our government... their own actions are neutralized by a majority body of status quo.

Excellent thread. Thanks.

What I find terrifying is that so many people still believe the lie... it is so obvious with a minimal degree of discernment that both parties come into power and essentially pursue the exact same agenda. It's like good cop, bad cop, only in this case it's good President, bad President. Bush definitely became the bad President, so Obama was paraded in front of the world - his mixed race was a trump card to persuade millions of good people that his election would be a really symbolic victory towards the unity of mankind irrespective of race, creed, colour, etc. His promises of acting in the interests of the people, of righting corruption, etc, were all carefully managed - to give the people the impression they would get what they desperately wanted through electing him. So, the good President got the job, and now, after his betrayal of the American people becomse blatantly obvious, he becomes the 'bad President', and the Reps are now playing the 'good guy' card.

I just can't believe how blind and foolish people are to keep believing in this sadistic and criminal game. What has to happen for people to WAKE UP, I wonder?

Sure, there would be obstacles to be overcome, but if the majority of the people woke up to this insanity - everything is possible.

reply to post by NoHierarchy


If you would have read some of the comments, you'd see that I'm not preaching to the quire, unfortunately.

--airspoon

nice threat....i always wondered about the US political system and why the "greatest defender of democracy in the world" only has 2 parties in congress.

You see where i live (indonesia) in elections we have more then 50 parties...out of those 50 around 10 parties make it into the congress, and this is a pattern all around the world in democracies.

Surely, the US with a population of more then 200 million should have a lot of different voices and opinions?

in many countries and democracies you got additional parties with a minimum 5% share of the populations vote:

Greens
Leftists (tending towards communisms)
Labors
Rights/ nationalists (tending towards fascists)
Liberals
Religious parties
and so on.....

reply to post by airspoon


To some extent I agree with you. There is a difference in the degree and manner of control even though they are converging rapidly.

Daaaaaamn Airspoon you are busting out the meanest threads recently! My new favourite poster keep keeping it real.

And to wcitizen above I couldn't have said it any better, BANG on.

What has to happen for the people to wake up???

OK..... wow....... where do I start, red? white? blue? we need to restart.

I am just your average 25 year old from New Zealand and I can see it as plain as day, this divide and conquer tactic, this rabbit out the hat trick. Roll with me I am slightly intoxicated and I apologise in advance I will post again tomorrow.

Airspoon has hit the nail on the head and we all know it. There have been threads and discussions here before on the same topic but this particular thread has the best flow.

Here in NZ we have a similar system, red vs blue (national vs labour) either or the system wins it's the same score. It is disgusting and completely unacceptable how we all go along with this illusion of democracy.

When you break it down it makes sense, the people in power were always going to come up with a way to keep the power and this rat race like matrix is what has transpired.

The Internet has been blasting the grim logic and brutal realities of this corrupted system like never before in history. Newspapers and network news are easily controlled but not the Net. It has become a beast unto itself and this is why we are able to communicate so freely right now. The Chinese can't check out Tianamen Square... North Korea don't even realise how far gone their roboticism? is. Can you imagine a world like Nth Korea? I can, and I bet the PTB have been for a long time.

A revolution is brewing unlike any before. There will always be comparisons drawn but what is happening right now is a whole nutha level.

We are in the middle of a psychological, class and information war that is so hardcore most people are too afraid to even comprehend its existence.

The enquiring minds on ATS are unfortunately a minority.

Don't lose hope my brothers and sisters. Even when there is nothing else there is always hope.

The good people of the world are awakening from their slumber like never before. Power in numbers is our only effective weapon against the military/intelligence juggernaut that has been created.

Continue to do your part, whatever it may be, just let it be POSITIVE.

None of us know exactly what is coming but we have to try to counter the attempted totalitarianism that is taking place. If we don't try, we will never know. I believe in choice and that destiny is what you make it.

To quote Immortal Technique "We are all part of the hypocrisy at times" but even still let us grow and learn together here on ATS. If there ever was a place where like minds could meet and come up with some answers, it's here.

Peace out all of you uniquely beautiful, freedom loving, human beings

Until 2moro.... let the good minds roll

[edit on 3/9/10 by vehemes terra eternus]

reply to post by airspoon


Excellent post S&F's for you. The illusion of opposition drives me insane, I just for the life of me do not understand how people keep falling for it. I would have thought that by now we would have had a 3rd party due to all the crap these two have done to this country. If ever now is the time to make it happen.

Republicans and Democrats= Two corporate parties: one pro-life, one pro-choice.

That is the only difference between them.

I'm sorry I don't have time now to go through and read all the responses posted to your wonderful thread. I am in a hurry, and just want to share my personal experiences.

I was a big supporter and believer in the Obama "change" thing, as I felt Bush was an utter failure and a sociopath.

I fell for it hook, line, and sinker (heavy emphasis on sinker)...

I went out and campaigned for him door to door believing that the time had finally come that we could shuck these bonds of idiocracy... I believed.

Since he has been elected, I watched him move very quickly back to the same old status quo. The health care reform I wanted turned out to be a give-away to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies... The withdrawal of troops from unnecessary wars? Yeah, keep dreaming... The promise to make the wealthy pay not more, but just their fair share??? Yeah, that's now disappearing as well...

What have I learned??? You are absolutely right. They are all the same (with few exceptions). If I could vote for Dennis Kuscinich and Ron Paul, I would, as they are the only 2 people in all of congress that seem to speak the truth. Note: forgive my spelling, Dennis... lol

It's all rigged... It's all a big game to placate the masses for a while so "they" can buy themselves more time to figure out their next move on a chess board that the masses are playing checkers on. I'm done with it all.

I don't believe in hell, but I hope they all burn there.

reply to post by wonkamaniac


Thank you for sharing your story. Do you want to know how I knew Obama was full of BS? He was simply making too many promises and what he was saying was sounding too good. He was being protrayed as the perfect candidate (to most Americans). Also, the neo-cons seemed to be rooting for him. Actually, that and Hillary. When both Hillary and Obama ducked out for a minute, then Hillary dropped out of the race, I smelled a rat.

What really blew the whistle for me though, was when Cheney came out in full support of McCain, about one week before election day. Up until that time, both Bush and Cheney had been ultra quiet. Then, all of the sudden and with one week until election day, Cheney was broadcast on all major networks as endorsing McCain, which pretty much sealed the deal. They knew that if Bush and Cheney (particularly Cheney) publicly endorsed McCain, it would be bad news for McCain.

When I saw this happen, I knew that someone was pulling the strings behind the curtain and Obama had already won the election, even before we were allowed to vote. If someone was calling the shots, then obviously Obama wasn't going to be able to push forward with that change that he was promising.

You see, as nutty as this sounds, it was decided that Obama would become President by some shady people in a backroom somewhere filled with cigar smoke and caviar.

I was trying to tell all of my friends who were being suckered but just like everyone else, they too were being tricked and yet I'm supposedly the crazy one. I predicted even before Obama was "voted" into office that he would win the election and that he follow through with the same policies and break all of the promises he was making. Unfortunately, I'm not one to say "I told you so".

However, low and behold, the vast majority of Americans will be fooled again, not only this election year, but also in 2012 and then after. Americans are ignorant and that's just the name of the game. It's frusterating but what can you do other than putting your face in your hands and brace for whatever comes down the line?

Crazy enough, there are still many people who truly believe that Obama is our savior and has come through on all of his promises because they honsetly can no longer tell reality from anything else. They are so far gone, it's lmost like they are walking zombies, foaming at the mouth.

Anyway, I'm glad that you at least saw the truth. The really sad thing is, even if people do wake up or at least stop trusting politicians, it wouldn't really matter as our votes most likely don't matter. With the new electronic voting machines, it matters not which evil you vote for, as whomever TBTP wants in office, is going to get into office. To be quite frank, the electronic voting machines don't matter much either because our liberties have been dismantled to a point that the government could just institute martial law and impose their will on us, while there is nothing much we could do to prevent it. We have handed our fight over to the enemy.



--airspoon

reply to post by airspoon


Yeah, I'll be honest... I was suckered by a freaking huckster... Should have seen it coming, but noooo... I was too stubborn, and thought that things may really "change".
I tend to think of myself as more intelligent than the general masses, and that was my reason for going door-to-door campaigning for this man.
What I didn't see was the men "behind the curtain"...
I have to say, that this is an exciting time for mankind. Not as I thought a couple of years ago, but exciting nonetheless...
The internet has brought many like-minded people together where we can share ideas, philosophies, and can cut through the corporate BS we are given on a daily basis. I don't think "they" intended for this to happen, and now they are panicking...
In short... I think "they" are losing the information war.
We are in for some hard times ahead... There is no doubt about that. The disillusioned are awakening. "They" thought that we would be happy with a minority president. "They" thought that this would calm the masses for a while...
As much as I am happy that this happened, I am also disappointed. I expected much more, and instead got more of the same crap.
We are not calm... We are pissed off. And they need to take notice.

I agree, I came up with analogy a while back that I will share with you:



Voting is like being inside a plane, you can choose to sit on the left, you can sit on the right, you may even decide to sit in the middle, but you will always get to where you were going, because at the end of the day, you're just a passenger and not the pilot.


All the best, kiwifoot

What is sad is that just about everyone here on ATS knows this, and can deal with it as the truth.

"Out there", however, things are different. There are some who know this, but cannot deal with it, so revert to the paradigm they know to be false, in order to find comfort in their scripted fallacy.

Then there are those who are just no capable of the concept. Mom and dad were democrat, so they are.

Politics is pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. The environment is inconcievable, for it is a total lie meant to siphon money and power.

The Union of George Washington died, nearly before he did. What we have now is a joke.

reply to post by wonkamaniac



The real joke is that even if you put Ron Paul in office, he will only do what he is told to do, or he will die for his obstinacy.

It has nothing to do with the parties. It isn't like they all get together when they turn off the CSPAN camera's and collude on how to bend us over. Instead, the party leadership hands them their marching orders, which they follow so they can keep their jobs. They are employee's of their parties. As they move up, they are given more insight, just like a corporation.

Obama...i am willing to be that his CIA past got him his current job. I am also willing to bet that his "green" political chops played a role, as he is easier to guide and control, having seen less of the big picture.

The perfect man to pull off the "final act" of whatever it is they seem to have planned. He is ignorant of the plan (he isn't that deep in the onion), and he is "CIA discreet". Those two qualities would have kept JFK alive.

Jeez, so much gas-bagism. Both parties are garbage., tripe, POS! Politicians are human trash. Scum.

We need statesmen (and women) who will go to Washington, serve a term or two, and then go home. No more career pols, no more retirement benefits after serving only 1 term.

Maximum 3 terms in the House and 2 terms in the Senate?

Thoughts?

Originally posted by nagabonar
You see where i live (indonesia) in elections we have more then 50 parties...out of those 50 around 10 parties make it into the congress, and this is a pattern all around the world in democracies.

Surely, the US with a population of more then 200 million should have a lot of different voices and opinions?

in many countries and democracies you got additional parties with a minimum 5% share of the populations vote:

Greens
Leftists (tending towards communisms)
Labors
Rights/ nationalists (tending towards fascists)
Liberals
Religious parties
and so on.....

Mr. nagabonar, that's quite simple to answer-- the United States of America is the home of Hollywood, where collectivism and willful ignorance is evangelized and fashionable by celebrities and politicians. One just need look at Brad Pitt's recent comments about the death penalty and BP, Eva Longoria's comments that states should not have their own rights, and Rosie O'Donnell who wants the government to steal other people's property and her reasoning was an appeal to personal disdain for Rush Limbaugh-- not one mention that there's this particular document called the Constitution that prohibits crimes.

These people, fueled with politicism, unfortunately, have a very large platform to speak from. If their fans are as ignorant as they are, then they will do as their role-models do, and this creates a giant void in the country's ability to reason or articulate what's not politically correct and/or enslaved to commercialism.

Another example that comes to mind is Dave Chappelle, and a host of other political comedians, such as George Carlin and Bill Maher, add to this void; I love Dave Chappelle as a comedian but his political world-view is rather frightening. He says he does not vote, but when he does, he doesn't do it based on past policies or history of the candidate, he does it based on first impressions and 'content of character', as for George Carlin, he never voted [either], apparently, but his disdain for rights have created a cult following who imitate his philosophy, and the same goes for Bill Maher whom is also not very receptive to Republicanism and rights.

These are merely improvised examples [not meant to be expansive, nor am I singling them out], but it's a reflection as to why there are only two popular parties that eat up the majority of voters and citizens': pop culture collectivism.

starred and flagged, nice presentation airspoon,

Here is some more ammo (typed in from a book I have)

"The great political issue of our times is not liberalism vs conservatism, or capitalism versus socialism, but Statism - the believe that government is inherently superior to its citizenry, that progress consists of extending the realm of compulsion, that vesting arbitrary power in government officials will make the people happy -- eventually." James Bovard, Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State and the Demise of the Citizen (St Martins Press, 1999)

I say trash the (2) party system, political lobbying, corporate donations and the electoral college. The whole political system is corrupt. Anyone thinking otherwise is living in a cave. We need to elect people without any party affiliations. Candidates should be given equal amount of funds to run their campaigns. Any political advertisement should be reviewed by a panel of unbiased watch-dog consumers for honest facts before being televised. People who run for office should have a single or married income of no more than 100K year to be eligible to run as a candidate. This would insure the majority of Americans our being served by someone who truly understands the average citizen. The rich and powerful have too many ties to corporate America and secret societies. I would also test the candidates on American Government, History and World Issues before allowing them to run for office, so we can eliminate the morons and clueless candidates. Vote for me, i'll remove the two party system in my first 100 days! ...Never trust a politician.

(Avatar disabled by management)

THE NEW WORLD ORDER IS THE REVOLUTION WE CANT STOP.

Reason No. 1 why we cant win.
The sheeple worship money and the elite,especially in the USA. There is a natural urge to want to surrender to something or someone,Freud called it the death wish. It is our true spiritual nature but used by the elite to get people to surrender to them.

Reason No. 2 why we cant win.

Ordinary people simply cant go into politics.

Politics is the Domain of the warrior person. The warrior person is someone who lives from the point of view of the Third Chakra, the Chakra of Power. Otherwise known as the solar plexus. (They have the stomach for the fight)
They enjoy fighting with other people. It feeds their energy. They are the Alpha People.

The ordinary person is a Second Chakra person. They do not like to confront people and especially Third Chakra people. If an ordinary person goes into politics it will constantly stress them out, so they dont.

2B
It takes a high IQ (140)with good verbal abilities, to be a good politician. Only a few people have that. GB + 0 with an IQ of 125 were mediocre puppets.

Reason No. 3
Ninety percent of the people in politics are corrupted by the time they get there. So even if a decent person got to position of power they would be surrounded by so many corrupt persons that they couldnt do much if they tried.

Reason No. 4
Fear makes cowards of us all.
People dont want to risk losing their comforts. Change is dangerous.

Reason No. 5
Divide and Conquer
They Elite have deliberately divided the nation with an invasion of immigrants. These have a different IQ,Different Culture,Different Language,Different Race,Different Economic level,Different Religion,Different Levels of Violence. They come from countries with such oppressive governments and economies that even a deteriorating america is so much better than what they had.
These people have two goals,to achieve the American Dream of becoming rich and to increase their numbers so they are a majority in control.They are a Fifth column for the status quo.

5B
Then there are the divisions of POLITICS IS PERSONALITY.
Republican people are predator personalities.
Libertarian people are independent personalities.
Democrat people are Altruistic personalities.
Each individual sees the political issues through their personality not through logic. Thus there cant be any agreement.

5C
Divide by:Race,Sex,Religion,Sexual Orientation,Culture,Nationality,Age,
Wealth,Health,Patriotism,etc.

Reason No. 6
The elite control the mainstream media.
They portray the rich and the government, as the ones who create jobs,and the ones who protect us.

Reason No. 7 (mentioned by other poster)
The elite are psychopaths capable of eliminating their opposition by violence. The Kennedy assassination.

Reason No. 8
The people are low IQ and getting lower are simply not capable of
comprehending these ideas , even the simple idea of class war.
Warren Buffet-"There is a class war and my class is winning."

Reason No. 9 (mention by other poster)
Religion is the opiate of the masses and keeps them distracted.

Reason No. 10
There is no common Ideology. In fact the people will turn upon themselves in anarchy. It is now even impossible to define victory.

Reason No. 11
The police state with 2.2 million in prison 75 percent for drugs,gambling or prostitution. CIA,FBI,NSA,Military INdustrial Complex. Anyone can be framed for drug charges at any time,tortured,and disappeared.

Reason No. 12
Corruption in Government from the bottom to the top.

Reason No. 13
Secret Societies for the elite,skull and bones,billderbergers,trilateral commission,etc allow the elite to coordinate their schemes so they think
and act as one.

Reason No. 14
People are Spiritually Asleep. Thus people identify themselves with their
thoughts. If you challenge their thoughts they will take it as a personal
attack on their Ego and will violently confront you. We are not our thoughts.
We are consciousness.

Reason No. 15
Stockholm syndrome. Which is when someone begins to identify with their
oppressor due to stress and fear. It is a literal breakdown of the mind.

Reason No. 16
The military will support the elite as long as they are getting what they
want, which is an almost endless military budget and the right to wage
war almost anywhere they want.

Reason No. 17
The use of gradualism and incrementalism to manipulate the sheeple.

Reason No. 18
Bread and circuses.

Reason No. 19
Disarming the sheeple. The 2nd amendment has to a large extent been eviscerated. Almost no one is allowed to carry a loaded concealed weapon,or even a loaded open weapon, while the cops are armed like soldiers and the criminals are in armed gangs.

Reason No. 20
Technology will allow the elite to track every person of interest in the country. ID chips,paperless money and computers will allow them to know where you are at all times. Brain scans may allow them to know what you are thinking. Genetic testing may allow them to know whether you have undesirable traits.

Reason No. 21
The elite can control vital resources because they are centralized. Water,electricity,natural gas,gasoline and phone lines can all be controlled from a central location easily. Food distribution can also be controlled since almost everyone depends on imported food.

No. 22
Time is on the side of the Elite. By doing nothing
differnent than what they are already doing they are
winning. The NWO is the Revolution.


Reason No. 23
The people are tired. Working two or three jobs and both parents
working just to jet by.

Reason No. 24
People are being poisoned. Mercury,Fluoride,Aluminum and 1000s of chemicals in the food,

Reason No. 25
People escape through legal and illegal drugs.

Reason No. 26
Confusion because of so many different things happening at the same time.
Reason No. 27
The cycle of warfare. This creates the Military Industrial Complex which
the elite use to impoverish the sheeple through taxation and mind control.
Reason No. 28
We still have an abundance of freedom and wealth. In fact we are the freest and wealthiest people on the planet.

[edit on 4-9-2010 by RRokkyy]