Forum Post: How come we don't have a people's party in America???
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 13, 2011, 7:22 a.m. EST by abmebratu
(349)
from Washington, DC
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I'm tired of voting. It seems votes brings no meaningful change in America anymore. Thanks to the influence of big business and the financial sector, our two major parties have been turned into factions of the "business party". As a result voting just brings more or less the same policies with different faces. I am tired of the narrow spectrum of Democrat vs Republican. I think we should widen the spectrum a little bit more. How come we don't have a real left party in this country?? We are the only developed western nation no to have a real left.
how about NO parties (required)? The main reason politicians need political parties is to get elected - it's expensive and difficult to get one's message out there. Political parties already have the structure. So if we create an election system that is free and open, parties would be marginalized and optional.
http://www.JeffBlock2012.com
Parties are bad for democracy. A party imposes a set of beliefs and values across all its members, even if the members do not agree with all of the "platform". Why can't individual people just vote for other individual people? If we must have a representative democracy, then I want to be represented by an individual I can talk to, not a "party" that I barely have any say in. We don't need parties. If anything they should be abolished.
Hey, I know, I agree with your notion, but let's be realistic. Don't let the perfect be an impediment on the good. When you struggle in the real world you must make some tough choices. What you say is all good and true, but unless Capitalism and the current power structure collapses completely, there is no way you can abolish the party system. Until that point we need to work realistically to weaken capital's choke hold on politics and free up some more space for more people's movement. Create a launching pad for the real revolution, if you will. Now, again, I agree with you, if there is a world wide revolution and the powers that be fall from the sky, then by all means, we should have no parties and perhaps no nation states as we know them today, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon. So let's be realistic.
Agreed. Still it is nice to start out with 'the ideal' and then trace that back to steps that can be taken. So perhaps a people's party with only a simple platform supporting democracy (e.g. support for democracy by encouraging and ensuring everyone's right to vote, working against the political influence of corporations, organizations, etc., working to limit the influence of wealth over elections and legislation, etc.), would do. Other "platform" decisions should be up to the individual who is running.
What about a National television boycott the week of Thanksgiving? You could cut off political campaigning, hurt corporations, and help the environment all at once. This would send a message as to who's really in control and who really drives the market at the end of the day. You have the power to get this off the ground, consider it.
Yes, I agree with you. Boycotts are a good place to start. They should be part of the OWS tool box. I am eager to see this issue further developed by the movement.
Thanks, a few others had a high level of interest. I may just be the idea man on this, I've never gotten anything of the ground before. I think this could be meaningful on so many levels. By turning off the tv you turn off a major part the politicians and corporatins voice. I thought by spreading the idea maybe somebody good at implementation would then take over, but I'm always willing to help.