RIGGED IN THE USA

 I posted this piece (below: "A Fraud...") almost seven years ago.  It remains highly relevant today.  This situation is exactly why Presidential Debates in election years are rigged to the hilt.  Blame the Republicrats, otherwise known as the Mega Corporation Party.  It has two branches:  the RINOs & the DINOs.  😀

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"A Fraud...Upon the American People"

I remember well the days when the League of Women Voters, a totally nonpartisan group, was in charge of moderating Presidential Debates in this country.  That was in the 1970's and 1980's.  At the end of the League's stint, the Repubs & Dems rejected about 80 proposed questioners for the debate...as well as numerous tough questions.  Later, the Republicrats came up with a nontransparent contract sanitizing the debate, saying who should be in the audience, and determining the exact questions that would be allowed.  The League resigned with this statement:  "A fraud is being perpetrated upon the American People.".

That's how we wound up with a private corporation run by the Dems & Repubs, the Commission on Presidential Debates, being in charge of the debates.  The word "Commission" makes it sound as though it's some sort of public, representative, all-encompassing entity.  It isn't...not by a long shot.  This private company (funded by corporations & foundations) determines who is allowed to debate, who will moderate the event, what questions will be allowed, and who is allowed in the audience.  This is rigging to the Nth degree.

At least the top three "Third Parties" should be allowed to participate in the upcoming debates...regardless of any percentage in polls.  Why not?  Isn't that democracy in action?  If the Republicrats claim that there isn't enough time for that amount of participation, that's pure hogwash.  Look at how many candidates were in the Primary Debates.  Four, five, or even six candidates wouldn't hinder anything in the major Presidential Debates.  Quite the opposite:  such a scenario would enhance the choices for the electorate.  The fact is:  without being in those debates, a candidate has little to no chance to garner votes.  That's how the Republicrat monopoly eliminates its competition.

[See the first featured segment on today's broadcast of Democracy Now, Thursday, August 18, 2016.  Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, and others have something important to say.]

A private corporation should not be allowed to have complete control over those debates.  That's not democracy...that's Soft Fascism.

Okay, you're all excited about politics.  In this Rigged System I can't imagine why, but good for you.  Now, why not insist that Oligarchical control be relinquished, and instead, genuine participatory democracy be instituted?  Why not?  Habit?  Break out of the box.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Reject Two-Party Politics in the USA

If ever there was a year to do it, this is the year.  Consider the following points.

1.  In Modern times, both the Repubs and the Dems each have individually held the majority power more than once.  Campaign rhetoric came to nothing in almost all such cases.  BOTH Parties have led us to where we are today.

2.  Except for a few Hot-Button social issues, the two major Parties pretty much agree on significant issues.  For example, they both believe in institutionalized deficit spending.  Repubs sometimes claim otherwise, but they've never stopped it.  Our National Debt grows every single year...and the principle on the foreign portion of that debt never will be repaid.  Another example--- they both believe in an aggressive foreign policy...and using (not just carrying) a Big Stick.  Another example--- they both believe in economically favoring Wall Street Banks over Main Street citizens.  Anyone who doesn't see that is not paying attention.  Another example--- they both believe in Crony Capitalism.  Big Money in politics has resulted in Mega Corporate Welfare that far outstrips welfare for common people.  There are many more examples, but because of time constraints, I need to keep this relatively short.

3.  Both major Parties almost always distract voters from crucial issues and get them to squabble over issues that may be somewhat important, but are not so crucial that they'll result in the downfall of the country if not addressed in a particular manner.  For example--- gun control.  Whether or not Joe or Jane Doaks can pack a pistol while going into Starbucks is not crucial to the survival of this country.  On the other hand, the elimination of Crony Capitalism is crucial to the survival of this country.  Another example--- Whether or not Joe and Dan...or Nancy and Jane...can legally marry is not crucial to the survival of this country.  On the other hand, the elimination of the aggressive, belligerent use of the military (while violating the Constitution) is crucial to the survival of this country.  It's way past time that our Fed Gov't stops acting as though it is the World Police.  We have no such authority.  According to a worldwide Gallup Poll, 80% of the people in the world believe that the greatest threat to global peace is the Fed Gov't of the USA.  [The Corporate Media here managed to suppress that bit of info.]

4.  There is no provision in the Constitution that restricts us to only two political Parties.  The Repubs and Dems have become dominant primarily by rigging the System.  For example, harsh ballot-access laws are written by...guess who?...Repubs & Dems.  It's almost impossible for a Third Party to get on the ballot in all fifty States in a national election.  Another example--- the Propaganda against Third Party candidates is both rampant and gross.
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On a related but different note... if we want to be a truly democratic society, it would be wise to legally alter our "winner-takes-all" electoral system.  Many, many developed countries have a system (or something similar) in which a Party winning a percentage of the vote gets that amount of representation in the Gov't.  [Even a coalition government is not a political sin, nor is it a bad idea... despite Propaganda to the contrary.]  The way it is now, we really have only one major Party--- the Republicrats, or some say, the Demopublicans... and that's the only Party in elected office.  It's a genuine political monopoly.

People say Third Parties don't have a chance in hell.  That's the Propaganda.  As long as voters believe that, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If they no longer accept it as inevitable, then the door is wide open... all things become possible.  So, who promotes the no-chance-in-hell idea?... the Republicrats (Demopublicans), of course!  They, especially those at the highest levels, want to keep their monopoly.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well