Topic: Political Parties
Everyone Won't Third parties are like a bad football coach. They encourage everyone to tackle the head and ignore the legs completely.by Jahfre Fire Eater
(libertarian)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
For every proposal put forth in the name of "changing the world", or "breaking the two party stranglehold", or "taking back America" that relies on the concept that "If everyone would just do...", whatever, I have the same answer:
If everyone would just...? Well, They won't. Ok, that plan is shot down instantly, again, for the millionth time. It never works and it never can work so how about finding ways to do things as an INDIVIDUAL that lead towards the desired goal. That works every time. NO EVERYONE NEEDED! Just you. Go do it.
See, there's the problem. Individuals know they can't make change happen quickly on their own and they want results NOW!
If only we could skip all the hard work and regular participation and just show up on election day to change the world in one fell swoop! What a wonderful world it would be if we could skip all the bad things and make the good things happen just by wishing for them and, of course, getting EVERYONE to make one simple token gesture towards their sincerity of purpose. Perhaps if we all bought salads that day we'd suddenly become a nation of fit, healthy adults too! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Such proposals are based on the very reason we have third parties to begin with. Americans don't know and don't care how politics works; they just want their every desire to come true instantly...and when it doesn't, because it cannot, they fractionalize into little like-minded cliques that can never do anything but HOPE to change the world. That is why we have 3rd parties. None of their ridiculous "If everyone would just..." proposals address the cause; they only hope to ignore it long enough to win one pointless election.
Keep cheerleading though, maybe someone will stumble upon a way to cause 3rd party members to get over themselves and leave the safety zone of their little clubs to fight for liberty in the free market of ideas. I will not hold my breath waiting for that though. So far, there is very little willingness among members of ANY third party to understand why their passionate preaching to their own choir is nothing more than playground political theater and cannot affect change in the real world. Until this starts to happen, replacing our corrupt congress with people who understand their role and responsibility to the people in the present and the future cannot happen. This will take decades once it begins and we're only just barely beginning to attempt to use the tool properly to our advantage. The Ron Paul Revolution was a great catalyst but the reaction must continue, forever, in order for any lasting changes to be created and maintained.
Every bit of energy wasted on schemes to win, or even influence, one particular presidential election is energy our opponents, the liberals and progressives who run both major parties, will never have to deal with. That energy is sacrificed to no good use. Third parties are comprised of self-marginalized people who don't even know they locked the door to their own little closet. They sure aren't interested in hearing that it is time for them to unlock it and come out into the light. They will deny they have the key, they will deny they closed the door, they will deny they are in a tiny dark closet and they will FEEL so damn self-righteous about being exactly where they are that no new perspective can ever sway them. Islands unto themselves is the world they have created for themselves; yet, they consider themselves do very reasonable and rational. I find that hilarious.
I say leave them there. If change, if sanity, responsibility, reason, accountability and liberty count on them, we're freakin' doomed. Anyone who is not actively working to change the candidate pipeline in the GOP or the Democratic Party is simply wasting their efforts. The only reason to join a political party is to shape its candidates. This requires weekly, sometimes daily effort, forever. Third party members have abandoned the two major parties to leftists, I think that's all the "help" we need from them. Let them sit in the closet and make as much noise as they want. I have nothing against 3rd parties or their members, I just don't let their version of their power and purpose be the only perspective folks are exposed to. I don't buy one tiny bit of their delusions.
The notion that third parties are victims, that the other parties have a "stranglehold" on them is part of the problem, not part of the solution. One of the best first steps towards coming out of the closet is losing the victim mentality and taking responsibility for one's own choices. Third parties created themselves. Third party members chose to affiliate themselves with a useless tool. It is not the tool's (3rd party's) fault and it is not the fault of those who have chosen far more powerful political tools. It is the consequence of individual choice for 3rd party members to be wasting their time and energy. Their playing the victim is disgusting. They are not victims, just unwilling to take responsibility for anything they do...except for preaching to the choir, of course. That is their main source of pride they take full responsibility for every little event they manage to orchestrate from inside their individual closets.
I've had it with the endless cries for unity among the 3rd parties and the fantasy the the LP just needs to "grow up" to become a real political party. Folks who are saying these things are playing pawn to the two major parties by keeping the eye off the prize and encouraging 3rd party members to behave as victims. It's too late for this 2008 election cycle. The candidates have been chosen. The tally doesn't matter, no matter who wins, the progressives, liberals and empire builders from either side will be in charge after this election. The goal of political activity today should be to shape candidates for the next election, whatever that is in your local community. Anything else is just ego stroking and evangelizing...more of that ever present preaching to the choir.
Facta, non verba. Deeds, not words. Just go do it! Don't wait for EVERYONE to do something so you can get away with doing less. Pretend you are the only individual who can change our political system. Are you going to choose playskool tools or the most powerful political tools the world has ever seen? It doesn't seem like that hard of a choice to me but I guess that for many people doing something, taking on a regular, inconvenient responsibility is much harder than waiting for everyone else to do something.
The closer we get to the election the more serious the threat reality poses to these delusions and the more frantic the calls for unity and herd actions become. Don't listen to them. Step off. Do your own thing and do it boldly but don't do something pretend and then play the victim when it doesn't manifest in the real world. It won't play in the real world, only amongst your choir.
-Jahfre Fire Eater
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