U.S.A. U.S.A. We're an Oligarchy, A-OK

[icehorse]

This is a couple of years old, but I'm sure things haven't gotten any better:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/...ate-clinton-speech-this-is-what-i-experienced

The summary is, we voters don't get the policies we want... sigh.

 

[Revoltingest]

This is a couple of years old, but I'm sure things haven't gotten any better:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/...ate-clinton-speech-this-is-what-i-experienced

The summary is, we voters don't get the policies we want... sigh.

It's because we (excluding me) vote for people who do what they've always done.
Insanity, the old saying goes, is doing the same thing over & over again, & expecting a different result each time.
Another old cliche.....
Voting for the lesser of 2 evils is still a vote for evil.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

It's because we (excluding me) vote for people who do what they've always done.
Insanity, the old saying goes, is doing the same thing over & over again, & expecting a different result each time.
Another old cliche.....
Voting for the lesser of 2 evils is still a vote for evil.

Most voters are uninformed. But one could obviously point to media consolidation as a cause for irrational voting patterns. Still, there are many other factors at work that corrupt the political process. Just to name a few: gerrymandering, utilization of super delegates, lax campaign finance law et al.

 

[Revoltingest]

Most voters are uninformed. But one could obviously point to media consolidation as a cause for irrational voting patterns. Still, there are many other factors at work that corrupt the political process. Just to name a few: gerrymandering, utilization of super delegates, lax campaign finance law et al.

I don't buy media consolidation being a problem.
If anything, we've much better coverage than we had when I started voting,
& the networks were few & relatively censored. Add to this having the
internet, so I can read many differrent sources....lib, con & other.
If voters don't take advantage of this, then this is their fault.

Just look at the Dems......old status quo crony capitalism Hillary is the leader.
More of the same old same old is exactly what the majority wants.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

I don't buy media consolidation being a problem.
If anything, we've much better coverage than we had when I started voting,
& the networks were few & relatively censored. Add to this having the
internet, so I can read many differrent sources....lib, con & other.
If voters don't take advantage of this, then this is their fault.

Just look at the Dems......old status quo crony capitalism Hillary is the leader.
More of the same old same old is exactly what the majority wants.

What I love about libertarians is that they seem completely unconcerned with imbalances of power. It's as if they think if something exists, it is legitimized and is therefore not a problem. I suspect if they were born in ancient Egypt as a surf, they'd accept the pharaoh's power as legitimate and earned...but only if the pharaoh considered himself a private company.

 

[Revoltingest]

What I love about libertarians.....

We like being loved.
Too often it's something else.

....is that they seem completely unconcerned with imbalances of power.

Au contraire, bruderhertz!
For us, it's very much about the balance of power.
(We prefer that more of it lie with the individual, & less with government.)

It's as if they think if something exists, it is legitimized and is therefore not a problem. I suspect if they were born in ancient Egypt as a surf, they'd accept the pharaoh's power as legitimate and earned...but only if the pharaoh considered himself a private company.

What a strange analogy.

 

[Demonslayer]

Insanity, the old saying goes, is doing the same thing over & over again, & expecting a different result each time.

I prefer the other definition of insanity, which is "dancing around naked in the town square, chanting loud commands to your loyal squirrel army while franticly waving around two medium size bunches of asparagus."

You don't hear that one as much, but it holds true.

 

[Revoltingest]

I prefer the other definition of insanity, which is "dancing around naked in the town square, chanting loud commands to your loyal squirrel army while franticly waving around two medium size bunches of asparagus."

You don't hear that one as much, but it holds true.

If the squirrel army obeys though......

 

[Demonslayer]

If the squirrel army obeys though......

Retreat! Retreat!

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Au contraire, bruderhertz!
For us, it's very much about the balance of power.
(We prefer that more of it lie with the individual, & less with government.)

I think here is where our views part ways. I don't really distinguish much between the public and private sectors simply because when there is a power vacuum, the vacuum becomes inevitably filled by someone or some entity. Private power can be just as dangerous and oppressive as government power.

 

[Sunstone]

Private power can be just as dangerous and oppressive as government power.

Yes, and most attacks on "socialism", etc. are little more than attempts to get people to look the other way when it comes to the threat of private power.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think here is where our views part ways. I don't really distinguish much between the public and private sectors simply because when there is a power vacuum, the vacuum becomes inevitably filled by someone or some entity. Private power can be just as dangerous and oppressive as government power.

I notice that tis governments which wage war. If privateers are hired, their role is smaller, & still with permission of government.
Look at the debate over drafting women. Companies cannot do anything approaching such a deadly abridgment of civil liberty.
I can refuse to do business with a particular company whose policies I find unfair. Can't avoid the fed without emigrating.

I'd wield the accusation of false equivalency, but that old thing reeks.
And it would be particularly inappropriate to use on a sammich (ie, you).

 

[icehorse]

(We prefer that more of it lie with the individual, & less with government.)

I'm a fan of phasing in taxpayer control of the federal budget - or at least a big chunk of it. On your tax return, you would fill in your distribution numbers, e.g. 2% defense, 5% infrastructure, 5% education, 3% NASA, and so on. You could put automatic regulators in the system to slow wild swings in collective reprioritizations.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm a fan of phasing in taxpayer control of the federal budget - or at least a big chunk of it. On your tax return, you would fill in your distribution numbers, e.g. 2% defense, 5% infrastructure, 5% education, 3% NASA, and so on. You could put automatic regulators in the system to slow wild swings in collective reprioritizations.

And people say we libertarians are dreamers!

 

[icehorse]

And people say we libertarians are dreamers!

And how would libertarians assess that proposal?

 

[Revoltingest]

And how would libertarians assess that proposal?

I can't speak for others, but I don't know.
It has some merit.
It poses managerial problems.
It might or might not turn out as people want.

 

[icehorse]

I can't speak for others, but I don't know.
It has some merit.
It poses managerial problems.
It might or might not turn out as people want.

Is it in the spirit of libertarianism?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

*plutocratic oligarchy

If the squirrel army obeys though......

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...attacks-8-people-california-article-1.2454989
They're terrorists, too: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ifying-and-hilarious-map-of-squirrel-attacks/

 

[Revoltingest]

Is it in the spirit of libertarianism?

I'm still thinking about it.
It seems so.....an idea with merit.

 

[Revoltingest]

*plutocratic oligarchy

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...attacks-8-people-california-article-1.2454989
They're terrorists, too: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ifying-and-hilarious-map-of-squirrel-attacks/

In Revoltistanian, "squirrel" means....
Evil destructive terrorizing tree rat.....but not the good kind of rat.