Post by Cohaagen on Nov 4, 2008 6:52:16 GMT -5
American politics is the most ridiculous spectacle on the planet. A never-ending nightmare of partisan trench-warfare. At least it serves as a practical object lesson of the dangers of party politics, and why it should be outlawed and replaced by independent, publicly-funded candidates. Likewise, professional lobbying should be banned and think tanks severely limited.
I despair of the way US bloggers, media outlets, etc. infect the rest of the Anglosphere with this fucking crap. It is base, artificial, fallacious and without any connection to reality. One can already see the "liberal" epithets sneaking into British culture.
Aligning oneself with the absurd notions of "Right" and "Left", or "Liberal" and "Conservative" (in the American sense) is to take a big step away from reality. Real people do not make life choices according these concepts. Those who do are turning themselves into living caricatures.
As an example, here are some of my views:
I personally hate the idea of abortion. I couldn't forgive myself if my partner/wife terminated a foetus. But I recognise that this is a matter of personal morality, not state intervention or legislation.
I support without exception the concept of the Second Amendment. I think it's a great thing. At the same time, I have contempt for a lot of the pro-gun people in the US and their readiness - enthusiasm even - to "defend" themselves, ie. see muggers and rapists everywhere. Shooting an unarmed fleeing burglar in the back is not acceptable. It is murder.
I like the idea of a well-funded military. Tanks, submarines, warships and explosions are good. The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were an enormous con.
National service - without opt-outs for university or the rich and well-connected - is good for society. It civilises the military. The "War on Terror" would never have happened if there was a draft in place in the US and UK.
I'm for equal rights for LGBT people across the board.
The welfare state works and, without it and the NHS, we'd be fucked as a society.
No limits on freedom of speech. Whatsoever.
etc etc.
I consider myself a fairly complex person. None of my views can be delineated into ideas of Left, Right, Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, blah blah. No political party in the world represents my views adequately.
This fucking tedious war between "Liberals" and "Conservatives" in America has to end. It is getting on everyone's tits, and I don't even live there. Stop spraying this piss over the rest of the world! It makes the US look like an enormous banana republic, with all the military parades, soldier-worship, flags, eagles, laurel wreaths and shit, and causes my eczema to flare up. Why can't the fanatics of both camps fuck off to, say, Alaska and leave the real people to get on with life? They have nothing to give us but hatred, envy, intolerance, hyperbole and lies.
Despite my feeling of separateness from the two sides, and without wishing to show favour to one particular group of wilful stereotypes, I think it is fairly obvious that the "Conservatives" are the worst of the two. They generally seem to be mean-spirited, intolerant, pitiless, envious cunts without a shred of empathy or goodwill. For all their scripted yapping about "Jeeeeeesus" they appear devoid of forgiveness or love for their fellow human beings, and entirely ignorant of the concept of charity. They drone on about "Big Government" raising taxes, taking their guns away, keeping God out of schools, spending money on welfare programmes - but who are the fucking bastards who want to legislate against abortion, homosexuality, pornography? "Big Government" sticking his prurient yellowed eyeball right up to your bedroom keyhole. I know whose side I'm on.
Anyway, that's enough from me. Outlaw political parties, ban private funding, stamp on lobbyists, and try to wring some real "democracy" from that poor degraded word. That might be a start. America is making the mistake of the bull who charges the red rag, rather than realising he is part of a disgusting game. Obama is little more than the lesser of two evils, and I certainly don't have much faith in The Magic Negro. That said, if he doesn't win I would expect nothing less than civil war.
The best idea so far has been abortiondinner's write-in for Lord Steven.
I despair of the way US bloggers, media outlets, etc. infect the rest of the Anglosphere with this fucking crap. It is base, artificial, fallacious and without any connection to reality. One can already see the "liberal" epithets sneaking into British culture.
Aligning oneself with the absurd notions of "Right" and "Left", or "Liberal" and "Conservative" (in the American sense) is to take a big step away from reality. Real people do not make life choices according these concepts. Those who do are turning themselves into living caricatures.
As an example, here are some of my views:
I personally hate the idea of abortion. I couldn't forgive myself if my partner/wife terminated a foetus. But I recognise that this is a matter of personal morality, not state intervention or legislation.
I support without exception the concept of the Second Amendment. I think it's a great thing. At the same time, I have contempt for a lot of the pro-gun people in the US and their readiness - enthusiasm even - to "defend" themselves, ie. see muggers and rapists everywhere. Shooting an unarmed fleeing burglar in the back is not acceptable. It is murder.
I like the idea of a well-funded military. Tanks, submarines, warships and explosions are good. The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were an enormous con.
National service - without opt-outs for university or the rich and well-connected - is good for society. It civilises the military. The "War on Terror" would never have happened if there was a draft in place in the US and UK.
I'm for equal rights for LGBT people across the board.
The welfare state works and, without it and the NHS, we'd be fucked as a society.
No limits on freedom of speech. Whatsoever.
etc etc.
I consider myself a fairly complex person. None of my views can be delineated into ideas of Left, Right, Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, blah blah. No political party in the world represents my views adequately.
This fucking tedious war between "Liberals" and "Conservatives" in America has to end. It is getting on everyone's tits, and I don't even live there. Stop spraying this piss over the rest of the world! It makes the US look like an enormous banana republic, with all the military parades, soldier-worship, flags, eagles, laurel wreaths and shit, and causes my eczema to flare up. Why can't the fanatics of both camps fuck off to, say, Alaska and leave the real people to get on with life? They have nothing to give us but hatred, envy, intolerance, hyperbole and lies.
Despite my feeling of separateness from the two sides, and without wishing to show favour to one particular group of wilful stereotypes, I think it is fairly obvious that the "Conservatives" are the worst of the two. They generally seem to be mean-spirited, intolerant, pitiless, envious cunts without a shred of empathy or goodwill. For all their scripted yapping about "Jeeeeeesus" they appear devoid of forgiveness or love for their fellow human beings, and entirely ignorant of the concept of charity. They drone on about "Big Government" raising taxes, taking their guns away, keeping God out of schools, spending money on welfare programmes - but who are the fucking bastards who want to legislate against abortion, homosexuality, pornography? "Big Government" sticking his prurient yellowed eyeball right up to your bedroom keyhole. I know whose side I'm on.
Anyway, that's enough from me. Outlaw political parties, ban private funding, stamp on lobbyists, and try to wring some real "democracy" from that poor degraded word. That might be a start. America is making the mistake of the bull who charges the red rag, rather than realising he is part of a disgusting game. Obama is little more than the lesser of two evils, and I certainly don't have much faith in The Magic Negro. That said, if he doesn't win I would expect nothing less than civil war.
The best idea so far has been abortiondinner's write-in for Lord Steven.