NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello, some of you might recognize me I post around on occasion.
Sometimes in the RP forums sometimes out in General.

I dont start threads often--most issues are covered.

I was thinking the other day about politics(Politics in the United States), go figure.
Let me set the stage:

I am a father of four, two boys and two girls.
I am Christian, a Born again, Baptist-strict on scripture.
I am , I suppose a Conservative/Liberatarian, if that makes any sense.


Now I was sitting back at work driving and thinking about the disgusting state our political system is in, and how the two Parties--it really is only two right now.
Are no real choice--they both cater to their own brand of special interests they both are loaded with corruption, liars, backbitters and shytti human beings in general.

They all talk a good game--excpet we have all heard it before.
And ultimately we know they are not going to do anything worth while.

Now, I was thinking we need a new party--I should start a new party--YEAH!!

What should my platform be?
Shit!
There is the partisian root--the platform...
How do I fix this?
What kind of party really has a platform for the people?
Communism--hardly.
Socialism--laughable.
Facism--phffff

What, Democracy? Yeah-it would seem so--but still, once I list my platform I am choosing a side--therefore I am ostricizing at least some portion of the population from my new Party.

What if the parties platform didnt have a moral agenda? Didnt have a direct economic agenda? Religious Agenda?

What if it had only a Socio-Political agenda--That's right a Political Party with a real Political agenda. It sounded crazy but it just might work.

What is that Agenda?
The ultmate deconstruction of the two party system by returning power to ordinary citizens instead of career politicians who have spent their lives gearing up to move up higher and higher in the Political stratosphere to suit their own personal agenda--instead of serving the people who elected them to do so.

What about the issues? Well you see where the Party stands on the key issue--Politics being the real key issue.

The Party will comprise canidates based on themselves--Progressive pro-choice Runners--Conservative Gun toters--Religious Right--Communist Left and everything between--their commonality? They will be ordinary citizens willing to sacrifice themsleves for the will of the people--They will not be Politicians--they will be Public Servants.

UNited to take the system back.

Of course like all fledgling parties it would have to be a grass roots movement--local government--and then working up--but that is the Only way that real citizens can ever get resolution on the issues that concern them. If they kick as many of the ass-draggers out of office and deconstruct the monolith of the Political Machine which has been designed to eliminate access for ordinary people.Which wasnever intended to be the case.

The Political Liberal leftist makes me sick.--So in turn does the same guy who just happens to be preaching from the opposite side of the spectrum.

But the guy in the store who talks to me--and really debates the issues--not for points but from passion and from the reality of being a Working Man--a real person--a citizen.

Anyway--please offer some suggestions--do think I am out of my mind?
Or would you consider voting for a canidate who was part of party like this?

I'd be all for it. When it comes to the state of our political system, agreed!

You have the support of someone who:

is not a father and hates kids.
is an agnostic.
is a liberal/libertarian.

There was an NS General party sorta like this, the populist party. I think the only problem you're going to run into is the question of how exactly you're going to prevent corruption. Even you try to listen to the "common people", how will you work that into the government? Would you be deconstructing the congressional system into a direct democracy, or merely trying to follow the polls? Your idea is good, but I don't exactly know how it would work.

I'd be all for it, but I'd fear the end result would just more political parties.

I'm also a conservative/ libertarian. :D

This sort of thinking is exactly what keeps the system working as well as it does. The real problem is just how powerful the US central government (assuming that's what you're talking about) has become. Power corrupts. You can't change that.

There was an NS General party sorta like this, the populist party. I think the only problem you're going to run into is the question of how exactly you're going to prevent corruption. Even you try to listen to the "common people", how will you work that into the government? Would you be deconstructing the congressional system into a direct democracy, or merely trying to follow the polls? Your idea is good, but I don't exactly know how it would work.
OK, I dont mean deconstructing the governmental system--the Political pArty system in the US. The two party dominate system

Once you have truly cut the legs from Republican/Democrat Robberbarons and open a system to ordinary people--you are on your way to a ...well I dont know. But I would like to find out.

As far as corruption--transparency--Publically announcing in your district how you voted on an issue in say the House.

What were the issues on each Bill--

Make public how the other members vote--

Do not allow anyone to run in your party who:

Owns there own business--yes thats right, they must be a working Citizen.

No Lawyers--love you guys but there are too many Lawyers in politics now.

The party itself would obligate Part members to sign a contract agreeing to term limitations.--If it isnt enforcable by law--it is the first public promise they would be making and breaking--so the public would immediately know--this guys word isnt worth a shit.

Simply put--accountability--and the Party would make public all information available to it on each canidate. And would immediately make public the name of that Public Servant who might be attempting to hide something.

But then those are my ideas--I will take suggestions---I am just honestly fed up with the lack of choice in America--because honest people cant compete--The primary function of the Party would be to Warchest ordinary people who wanted to run for local offices to get the ball rolling.

This sort of thinking is exactly what keeps the system working as well as it does. The real problem is just how powerful the US central government (assuming that's what you're talking about) has become. Power corrupts. You can't change that.
Your solution then?

I think what you would really relate to is Utilitarianism - do what creates the most happiness for the most amount of people. The concept is a few centuries old, theorized by John Stewart Mill. You'd probably dig it, a lot of it is what modern democracy is supposed to be based on. I've always thought that a Utilitarian party would do a lot of good.

I'm sure you'll be a success, just like the Federalists or the Know-Nothings. :)

I think you make a lot of good points, but I couldn't in good conscience join a party that neglected to push a pro-liberty line. (You're pushing a populist/democratic line, as someone before me mentioned.) Your coalition is too broad. It might work, I don't know. Your party proposal could make a great think tank, whistle-blower or lobbying group. I respect your passion and your ideas, though. Please don't take what I'm saying as an insult.

You're most definitely not out of your mind! Your criticisms are completely reasonable. My only real complaints are that 1) I think taking a stance on specific issues is important to the success of any political party (and the Whig Party's failure to do so on the economy and slavery resulted in its dying out) and 2) your base would be nonexistent or too broad because it'd only be united on really one issue.

OK, I dont mean deconstructing the governmental system--the Political pArty system in the US. The two party dominate system

Once you have truly cut the legs from Republican/Democrat Robberbarons and open a system to ordinary people--you are on your way to a ...well I dont know. But I would like to find out.

As far as corruption--transparency--Publically announcing in your district how you voted on an issue in say the House.

What were the issues on each Bill--

Make public how the other members vote--

Do not allow anyone to run in your party who:

Owns there own business--yes thats right, they must be a working Citizen.

No Lawyers--love you guys but there are too many Lawyers in politics now.

The party itself would obligate Part members to sign a contract agreeing to term limitations.--If it isnt enforcable by law--it is the first public promise they would be making and breaking--so the public would immediately know--this guys word isnt worth a shit.

Simply put--accountability--and the Party would make public all information available to it on each canidate. And would immediately make public the name of that Public Servant who might be attempting to hide something.

But then those are my ideas--I will take suggestions---I am just honestly fed up with the lack of choice in America--because honest people cant compete--The primary function of the Party would be to Warchest ordinary people who wanted to run for local offices to get the ball rolling.

I like your ideas, but I also see some problems with them:

1. If someone has to work at an actual job, how will they have time to actually pay attention to the issues or listen to the public?
2.How do you make law without lawyers? Wouldn't that just result in poorly written and thus easily exploitable laws?
3. While I like the accountability ideas, they could lead to a sort of witch hunt mentality. Privacy has its value.

Personally I'm at the opposite side of the political theory spectrum: I think that the reason all this mismanagement exists is because the election system is merely a popularity contest. I'm in favor of technocracy myself.

As much as i enjoy the overall concept of your idea; the large problem of giving common people power is that once they have it they cease to be common people. Most often they become something worse than politicians, they become beuracrats.

Unti l you can pull in the large Corperations and organizations that the democrats and reblicans pull in your gonna get schooled because the average voter old gun-nuts prefer to have someone not of politics but some one they relate to, believes there religion(christian votes got bush((the lesser of the 2 evils))or has the best commericia.l its a fantastic idea that will ultimately fail unless you can get the greater age group(middle age now) to vote for you and right now they dont really go for lesser parties its the younger generations that will probly elect in later years the more obscure parties

OK, to address some of this--I thought about it at work.

First, I do have a Platform.

Deconstructing the two Party System.

Returning the concpet of Public Service to the Political arena.

Returing transparency and Debate to the Political arena.

These three things are fundamental issues most Americans can agree on.

Now for being a working stiff--They of course leave thier employment--to go to their new Job.

Again--I have stated they will agree to term limits--if they break that agreement it is then public knowledge that the Person has broken their first promise to the voters and the one completely under thier sole control--I will not attempt to make a career out of Public Service in a single position.

Because the my concept will fail if --the people elected do not learn and move up the political ladder--they will progress based on the success in their individual districts and zones.

I realize this is idealistic--and maybe that is what I am.

I do like Utilitarian concpets--but that is not my thinking.

I want the masses to have voice--and be able to exercise their will--Happiness is not relavent.

Once the enough Local governments fall under the "Party" influence it becomes easier to achieve the goals.

Now I have no delusions about what happens to all things exposed to power.

The premise is to attack--"Power" where ever it is.

We dont want Politicians to have "power" we want them to be able to "serve".

OUr current leaders have lost site of that.

The "Party" will educate citizens in Government workings--and provide support.

The "party" would aid in campaigns.

I am talking me an Anti-Abortion gun-toting Christian running on the same ticket as a Left Wing Vegan Atheist.
Because ultimately we do both want the same thing--A government "For the People, By the People, and Of the People".

We wantto remove the stumbling blocks that have been placed by Politicians and Beuracrats(s/p?)

someone mentioned age--I am thirty, I work with Dems I am a Repub(Liberatarian, Ocnservative--whatever fecking label I am supposed to wear) and they all would vote for a Party whose main agenda was to cut the throats of the Old Gaurd and start fresh withthe people--even if the people were screwing up.

I have individual Ideas and they would be MY side platform--just each "Party" member would have their personality with them

The principal point is solidarity of the citizenry over the Red/Blue Party Lines that have served to produce fake divides on society bringing us to a state of politicial polarization unseen.