I was recently spanked and I deserved it, I can sometimes forget my manners. Politics and religion brings out the very worst in even the best of us and I am far from the best as I recently proved. Though I apologized to the person I offended, I have been thinking about my terribleness since then and mentally kicking myself. I admit I am opinionated, highly opinionated if truth were told, but it has only been recently that I have found myself also being partisan or at least more partisan than is my wont when it comes to party politics.
Maybe it is time I clear the air. Not to defend myself but to put things on the table, allow things to be known about what I really think. In fact how I have always thought.
In 1975, when I turned 18 I registered to vote. I registered as an Independent. I have always considered myself a Progressive rather than a Democrat or a Liberal; I am certainly not a Socialist. There are many things within the Democratic platform over the years I have vehemently disagreed with and spoken out against. There are clearly things over the past few years especially within the Republican platform I have taken issue with, spoken out against sometimes insultingly so. With this in mind I thought I would kick myself a few times and go searching for why I am such an azzhat these days, what has caused me to become such stickler, you know so partisan in my views that I offend my friends with my intensity.
One thing I considered is I have changed, I know this is true. I have gotten older, but I feared I had truly changed and was incapable of hearing or seeing beyond my own personal views and considerations. The other thing I considered is our political environment and parties had changed so much there was no room for debate or civility any longer. I feared my ability to be respectful and loving was falling by the wayside when certain issues that squeezed my heart caused my humor and normal pragmatism to take a very quick walk to the darkside.
So, with that in mind I thought I would do a bit of research. Look at the parties, their platforms and the changes to them since 1900. What happened? What were the key hiccups? Where did they trade, what did they trade and ultimately who did they sell their souls to? Ultimately I can tell you what I believe and why I believe it, I can tell you what I want and why. I do not care what party offers it to me; I will pull the lever for the person who best represents my values. We are stuck with exactly what our Founding Fathers warned us against, a two party system that represents nothing and nobody but a small number of very wealthy corporations and their leaders. That at least is what I believe.
All of us, we align with a Party that somewhat, sorta, maybe kinda represents some of our ideals. Not all of our ideals mind you, just some of them. Whether these are the Social Ideals or the Economic Ideals, doesn’t really matter they are just the ones we think are the important Ideals. We identify the Party that says they will fix what we believe is broken –
- Republican Party
- Tea Party
- Green Party
- Democratic Party
- Socialist Party
- Libertarian Party
Once we identify with them we simply pin them with our hopes, align our ideals with them. In some cases we stop looking at the problems, we stop listening to what the candidates are saying or looking at the voting records of those elected to office under those party banners. Those are our guys and gals and by damned they can do no wrong! No matter what they do, no matter what crime they commit, no matter what moral lines they cross we will pull the lever and put them in office again and again. Hell, in some cases we will lionize them, make them national heroes (Ted Kennedy).
We have affectively created an oligarchy. We have affectively handed over the people’s power and failed in our duty to future generations.
Over the next few weeks in between beating the tar out of all those running for public office as they open mouth and insert foot, I am going to run a new series as a result of my research into the changes in both parties since 1900. The intent is to look at the official Platforms of the Parties, as well as, keynote speeches of the Presidents during this time. I hope you will join me on my journey.
I won’t promise not to offend in the future. I suspect I will, though I will try to keep in mind there are those I care for on the all sides of political spectrum. My vehemence, my passion comes only from my great love of nation and my great fear for our future. Feel free to spank me, when I go too far.
QBG_Tilted Tiara 
You Go Girl! Hell Yea! Just thought id add my 2 cents about what your doing – the rest of it I;ll leave to you guys to debate – very interested to see what you cone up with… 🙂
Hugs
Lizzie
I can’t spank anyone with footwear taste that good. 😉
You have no idea!
I think part of the problem is also that there is such a wide range of problems now, and such a short reaction time to anything said, that many can just spew a soundbite without delbing into substance.
And with the fragmentation of a multitude of niche news and websites, even the crazies (on both sides) who used to be marginalized are now forces to be reckoned with.
Shame on us all.
Shame indeed. But the real problem is there is no marginalization. What use to the the to far out there, is not the core. That I think is what is frightening, for all of us.
“We are stuck with exactly what our Founding Fathers warned us against, a two party system that represents nothing and nobody but a small number of very wealthy corporations and their leaders. That at least is what I believe.” – powerful statement. I think that everyone needs to read this….and I also don’t think you need to apologize.
Oh, I needed to apologize. I never apologize for what is written here. But what I said wasn’t written here, but elsewhere. It was wrong of me to allow my passion to run over.
After the civil war, I want to stake my claim somewhere close to home…if it still exists.
Ugh.
Red.
Do you want to be on the top or the bottom of the ticket my friend? Get those skeletons polished, we can start our own party and just get them to dancing!
I think they should be our party mascot. Our slogan can be:
“Life experience beats political training.”
Can we dress them up in high heels and little pink hats?
With marabou boas.
I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with Valentine. I’ve felt the same way about the existing parties and what’s become of our system for a very long time. As far as I’m concerned, the parties, as they operate today, are no better than street gangs…
Street gangs I think gives them to much credit. School yard bullies is a more apt description I think. We shall see. I have already started reading, it is really quite interesting stuff.
Funny thing — I’ve been working on a post on a similar subject!
Do you want my button? It is so easy to be an asshat these days isn’t it?
I have found a couple of sites that provide great insight into the platforms of all the parties through the years. Great reading, it is what gave me the idea of tracking them, along with significant legislation since 1900.
Val you know what they say about Politics and Religion!… While Im no politician.. There is Much needed to be said to put the world of both to rights.. Never Change who you are..
(hugs) Sue xx
Not going to change, but I like researching and I do need to get a handle on my sensitivity button. The last thing I want to do is send people I care for running. So why not combine something I love (research) with something I need (better sensitivity button) and come out with maybe something we all need, better understanding.
Val
Better Understanding is needed all around the world Val. xox
~~~Val,
hell, if I thought about offending people, I’d never write a word!
Be authentic. Be raw. This is your VOICE. This is your POWER.
I love the quote by Annie Lamotte. She said something like this…, .”I write as if everybody else is dead…Otherwise I’d worry about offending the entire universe…
Xxx
It isn’t I think not being an authentic, but rather trying to gain a better understanding of where we as a nation have gone so wrong. This way my voice also has something besides just senseless ideology behind it.
Perhaps if we all spent the time to understand where we come from, the history behind our evolution in more than just sound bites, our platforms wouldn’t be near as wobbly. That is what I want, solid ground.
XXX
you are amazing and inspiring, Val. Xxxx
& oh-so- SMART
Aw, thanks. Don’t know though we shall see.
XX
Well-said, love. I’m frustrated as heck by both the main parties. My beliefs are those of a Libertarian-Objectivist, and for many years, the Republicans (Reagan, in particular) represented these beliefs the best. And for years I’ve shrugged off the right-wing’s take on abortion, based on the reasoning (correct, I believe) that the Casey and Roe decisions were unassailable.
So I voted based on economic liberties, and a pragmatic belief that women’s rights and social liberties were, and would be, constitutionally protected.
At first I sort of liked the Tea Party. They opposed government waste, and to that, I said, “Wahoo!”
But you know who’s taken control of the Tea Party, or at least is trying to? The extreme right wing. And now they’re trying to destroy Roe and Casey . . . and they’re doing less and less to protect economic liberties.
And I’m mad. I’m mad at the whole system. I’m mad that Romney made a calculated decision to appeal to the “base” by snagging Ryan. And I’m mad that I can’t decide, or find someone that represents my beliefs. I’m mad at the Democrats too. I don’t want to list all the reasons I’m mad at them at the risk of sounding boorish.
I’m just mad. Giggle.
I am mad also, mad at both. Mad at them all. Have been for years but knew also for years that Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and Roe were not unassailable. Have watched for years as they were slowly but surely pecked away at all of them. Have listened to the states rights demagoguery, the fear mongering and since 9/11 the true erosion of all I thought we stood for be trampled.
In 2008 I determined I would protect what was left of Civil Liberties and Social Justice. Try to start putting to right what had gone so terribly wrong. 2010 saw us take even worse steps backwards. Now, we are faced with true crises in Civil and Social Justice and Civil and Social Rights.
Honestly, I don’t know what the right answer is El. I do know we can’t afford to turn back the hands of time. We have world economies destroyed, we sit back and watch on both sides of the aisle. We have poverty run rampant, children starving, education systems failing, infrastructure failing, wars running for 10+ years, the largest incarceration rate in the world; the list goes on. Both parties are to blame, equally to blame.
If I had my way I would throw them all out and start over. But at least I can explore history and try to find where it is we went so terribly wrong.
They say we are destined to repeat history where we don’t learn from it.