My most cynical post ever -- We're all schmucks.

[Armstead]

(IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I hope my mood about politics will brighten. But this is the way it seems to me right now, in light of this debacle on top of all the debacles before it.)

Anyone who takes contemporary American politics seriously is a schmuck.

Modern politics is ultimately just a dog and pony show, when you look at the results. Both parties are beholden to the same Big Interest Oligarchs who are pulling the real strings. Obama or McCain or Romney -- they'll all be dancing to the same tune on the issues that really matter in terms of wealth and power.

The rest of it is based on "lifestyle choices." I'm on this side because the traditional Democratic image and message reflects my own values and goals. The Democrats are better on social issues. And since I prefer to hang out with basically like-minded people, I prefer to identify with Democrats.

Republican schmucks are the same way on the other side. They buy into pirate free-market nonsense and "family values" so they support Republicans. And since they don't like people who are not exactly like they are, they hate Obaama and libruhls and Democrats.

And the elections and the legislative dramas and personalities are entertaining -- and caring about them and participating in them makes us feel like we are part of the process.

But ultimately, that is all window dressing. The elite oligarchs will continue to make the decisions and control the agenda, no matter which team wins.

That's why we're all schmucks -- because we keep enabling this top-heavy system.

Too cynical you say? Well I wasn't always so fatalistic, but the last couple of years have been a last straw. We had a golden opportunity to begin to turn the tide in 2008. But now we're headed for the rocks even faster.

That's what President Obama has done to my own sense of hope -- at least at the moment.

[BeyondGeography]

1. This is still healthier than porn

[Armstead]

3. A but is it?

At least there's a release with porn.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Kind of like, er, beating Republicans

Still does it for me.

[zappaman]

29. you may have created a new phrase

"beating the Boehner"

[Blecht]

2. Right there with you

I, too, hope my attitude changes.

[RKP5637]

4. My attitude is pretty piss poor too anymore. If this were a place I was

working I'd have my resume on the street by now.

PS: Excellent analysis and well thought out!

[Autumn]

5. It's been very eye opening

I always considered myself an old yellow dog. Now I'm just not interested in what they even have to say, because I don't trust them.

[whathehell]

30. +1..n/t

[Raine]

47. TOTALLY agree nt

[Doctor_J]

63. This is the biggest tragedy of Obama's presidency

because in 2008 lots of people cared deeply about what he had to say. Now I can hardly listen to him

[Autumn]

67. On election day this old black man and I walked up to our voting

machines at the same time, we looked at each other, smiling and he mouthed Obama, I mouthed the words "yes we can." we both had big smiles on our faces and watery eyes. When we were done voting we walked out side and hugged each other. That hurts to remember that.

[davidwparker]

71. +1

[nadinbrzezinski]

Agreed...

Hope and change sound nice, we were talking 'bout it. We will still vote... but it is questionable who we will vote for... and whether we go third party or lesser evilism. I mean lesser, means shit and crap.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Agreed...

Hope and change sound nice, we were talking 'bout it. We will still vote... but it is questionable who we will vote for... and whether we go third party or lesser evilism. I mean lesser, means shit and crap.

[FedUp_Queer]

39. Kind of like...

Do you want to die by electric chair or lethal injection.

[LARED]

8. Actually, it's more like a large corporate

marketing plan. Both parties try to differentiate themselves through slick marketing strategies to hide the fact they have only marginal interest in you while trying to hide the fact there is not much difference between themselves, but rather are solely interested in getting reelected.

It's not much different than trying to get you to buy Coke rather than Pepsi or visa versa.

[scarletwoman]

9. Very good. It's all about brand loyalty - Coke or Pepsi?

[woo me with science]

14. I would agree with all of that except for their sole goal.

Getting re-elected is a means to an end. Their sole goal is to enrich themselves, and it happens at our expense.

[Solomon]

36. But there is a difference between Coke and Pepsi.

Didn't know that until somebody pointed it out and I took the taste test.

They are definitely different. Both colas, but different.

[Jakes Progress]

41. Just taste. They do the same thing.

[A Simple Game]

72. There is a difference. I don't like Pepsi, but do like Coke.

The next time, I think I'll try a 7-Up. Seems I got nothing to lose by trying it.

I'm starting to think maybe the Nader voters were right.

From now on I vote my conscience, not a party.

[skamaria]

10. No problem!

If you're not cynical you're not paying attention.

[hfojvt]

11. first of all - I disagree

we would not be heading for the rocks right now, I firmly believe, if Democrats had not gotten shellacked in 2010. The oligarchs are winning because the pro-oligarch party keeps winning elections. Unfortunately, it looks very likely that they will win many of those election thingies in 2012. The people are apparently getting the dysfunctional government that they want.

Secondly, what is the alternaive to "enabling this top-heavy system" as you say? Quit paying taxes? (not really possible) Quit watching TV? (largely already done as far as I am concerned) Quit voting? (see above) Go for the Hail-Mary hope eternal 3rd party miracle? (see above).

It may do well to remember what Bismarck famously said about laws and sausages, and to step away from a game that we cannot really control.

[Armstead]

19. Well, one step would be to stop enabling the worst tendencies of Democratic leaders

A start would be to find some way of telling them in no uncertain terms to cut this shit out and start representing the majority for a change.

And for some Democrats to stop rationalizing their bad behavior.

Don't have many specific ideas right now, which is why I count myself among the schmucks.

[femrap]

32. Elections are merely

a Circus for the masses as demonstrated w/ that highly crafted marketing campaign of Obama's.

All I can wish for is someone somewhere will come out and primary him. I'd like to see a Sanders/Strickland ticket. Then I'd like to see the Teabaggers offer a ticket as well.

If it's a Circus, I want to be entertained. I know I'll never see Sanders/Strickland....but I like to dream from time to time....just to reduce the time I spend as a cynic.

[Armstead]

34. Actually a four way race like that would be more meaningful...

Personally, I don't want to see a three-way race with a left third party, as that would help the GOP.

But a race between four would force them all to at least address real issues.

It might be amusing, for example, to see Sanders and Bachman going toe to toe.

[femrap]

37. The more the merrier....I agree! nt

[Flubadubya]

60. "And for some Democrats to stop rationalizing their bad behavior."

Oh, wouldn't that be a god-send!? Maybe then we could get the lead out and get some Democratic leaders with genuine Democratic values in office... might even help get rid of some of the idiotic rethugs/teabaggers!

All I know is that there needs to be real shake-up before we can ever start moving in a more positive/progressive direction. Alas, I'm not so sure that's going to happen any time soon.

It seems to me the U.S. is acting like an addict with such a serious substance abuse problem that the only way to affect viable change now is for the "addict" to hit rock bottom. It's either that or die, I'm afraid.

Cynical... maybe. Just facing facts... more like it. :(

[liberation]

55. You know, when Bismarck quotes start to apply...

then we're in worse shape than I thought.

[deutsey]

12. The masters make the rules for the wise men and the fools n/t

[unkachuck]

13. K&R....n/t

[woo me with science]

15. The more I read and learn, the more I come to exactly that conclusion.

We are being played. Both parties are largely controlled by the moneyed interests now, and they are systematically building a financial structure that transfers the wealth generated by our hard work to themselves.

If you think about what has happened over the past 30 years, it is truly frightening. The entire structure of the media, election financing, debates, and balloting has been changed to effectively shut out challengers who are not bought and paid for by the moneyed elite.

We have seen bailouts of huge, corrupt organizations and tax breaks for billionaires, while the people get poorer and are expected to work longer hours for less. This country has amassed tremendous wealth over the past 30 years, through the people's hard work, but virtually all of it has gone to the already obscenely wealthy.

Our wages have been stagnant, yet the cost of everything is increasing, and more and more you find yourself trapped in expensive corporate spider webs for services that used to be free, more flexible, or even optional. More and more, to live in America means to find yourself in a system in which debt becomes almost inescapable, and in which you are expected to work long hours, with few vacations, for increasingly meager pay, just to keep your head above water. The corporations have bought our health care. They are now going after our schools.

We have seen in increase in use of the shock doctrine technique to create faux emergencies to rush legislation through before the people have time to organize a response.

Now entitlements are on the table, offered up on a platter by a Democratic President. In addition, both parties want to institute a "Super Congress" composed of moneyed elites in order to bypass the normal representative process for future "debt-related" legislation (read: cuts to the people). They want to shut out from the process members of Congress who are still standing up for the people, and they want to be able to push through major debt-related legislation without the political mess that has accompanied this attempt.

They want a perpetual money source, and we are it.

No, you are not alone in being cynical.

[Hydra]

33. Exactly

It's hard to communicate this to other people, because the concepts on how things really work(like economics) aren't widely taught,and good luck getting people to go digging for the information.

The thing that blows me away is that this has always been an oligarchy, but it was shrouded in window dressing. All the scary stuff is being brought to light, and we're told to "deal with it."

Too many of us are.

[Gregorian]

16. I'm schmucked.

:)

I can't help but participate. And I also now feel like you stated so well.

[Armstead]

76. Interesting verb -- Let's make it a meme

I'm schmucked. You're schmucked. We're all schmucked. "

[lonestarnot]

17. We certainly no longer have a democracy and the oligarchy can just go to fucking hell!

[johnnie]

18. "Modern politics is ultimately just a dog and pony show"

I am blown away sometimes about how many people seem to have never followed politics before. It's been bullshit for years.

[Armstead]

20. I've been followinbg it since the 1960's

Which makes me a long-term schmuck.

[Telly Savalas]

21. American politics is caught in a negative feedback loop

The people are fed up with the bullshit and thus become disengaged from politics. Consequently the only way for a politician to burst through the bubble of indifference is to flood the airwaves with 30 second ads and play all the moronic media circus games. However the result of these efforts is just more bullshit which feeds a greater level of apathy from the public.

This mode of politics has a hefty price tag, so politicians will naturally be dependent upon those who can write them big checks. But I think saying that an oligarchy underlies the system oversimplifies matters greatly. The top wealthiest 1% are outnumbered 99 to 1, and there are structural mechanisms in place that allow the public to choose leaders that represent their interests. But instead of making a sound choice, in 240 out of 435 Congressional districts the plurality of the people that bothered to vote chose someone from an organization that has a very weak grasp on reality, much less an ability to govern. That's not oligarchy, that's people exercising their freewill - unfortunately that freewill is largely fueled by apathy for a large chunk of the populace, and this cedes a disproportionate amount of power to zealots.

The way to break out of this cycle is to get normal people involved and reengaged, in particular at the local level where it takes considerably less effort and resources to get results than it does at the national level. There has to be this foundation at the local level if we're ever going to build a movement at a national level to promote responsible governance that works for the people. I'm convinced that while this is an uphill battle, it's something that can be done.

And if that shit doesn't work for you, just go with that line from everyone's favorite movie: "lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for". Never give up.

[Armstead]

23. What I have a problem with all this is --- It's not rocket science

Democrats are supposed to be the party that represents the interests of the middle and lower classes. What is needed to be that is pretty obvious. It's also pretty obvious that if the stakes were spelled out in clear terms -- with no waffling -- a substantial portion of the population, most likely a majority,would agree. And many would actually get enthused.

Simple but.....

There are some great Democratic politicians who do that form of leadership. But they have to fight an uphill battle against their own "centrist" party leaders and their enablers.

And when you have a president who spends more time bashing liberals and his own base than the GOP, something is off kilter.

[Telly Savalas]

65. If it were that simple, then there should be no problem finding candidates

who represent the interests of the poorest 99%, and getting these candidates elected. Rather than waiting for the "Them" that's mostly running the Democratic Party to see the light of reason, we need to be taking a DIY approach to politics and making the change happen ourselves.

The trickle down approach to the restoration of political sanity isn't working. Politicians haven't been given proper incentives to behave rationally. When funded by wealthy donors in the environment I describe in the post above, Stupid wins more often than not.

We need a bottom up approach. Rather than continuing to wait for the party elites to spell out the stakes in clear terms with no waffling, we need to be doing this ourselves. We've reached the point where the Democratic leadership can't even be bothered to defend basic economic orthodoxy about the wisdom of austerity measures in a recession. Why should we idly wait for them to promote a liberal agenda?

While I truly believe this to be the approach, I really don't think change will be easy. But it will never occur if the agents that can make it happen do nothing and expect others to take care of it.

[Armstead]

77. Well I agree partially but...

There are a lot of people who have been working on that, and for years.

That has had some success on the local and regional level in some places.

However at some point tjose need the support in the upper levels. You can build a movement based on living wages, for example. But to have results, they need that to be translated into policy and law.

Its got be a mix of levels ultimately.

[killbotfactory]

22. I thought that way once, then we invaded Iraq and snuffed out the lives of a million innocent people

I no longer view politics as a sideshow. The republicans are ready and willing to plunge the economy into ruin to protect the interests millionaires, and I find the vitriol and discord directed at democrats from the left misplaced and self-defeating.

[Armstead]

24. It shouldn't be a sideshow.

But when Democrats have been reduced to a race to see how much they can give to the Republicans -- and how much they can take from the rest of us -- it has been reduced to the level of a very bad carnival act.

Meanwhile, the fat cats are sitting behind the curtain laughing their asses off at us all.

[liberation]

57. Wow, Using innocent Iraqi victims to blame the political victims in America

Bravo!

A creative tour de force.

[killbotfactory]

75. Are you saying republicans are political victims?

Anyway, no, I'm saying this "sideshow" of politics has real world consequences, and I no longer believe that cooler heads and common sense will prevail.

[JohnyCanuck]

25. See my sig line.

[Armstead]

26. That about sums it up

[spanone]

27. schmucks are us

r

[Scottybeamer70]

28. Great post, Armstead!

Thank you!
My first time to vote was JFK. I can't believe how far we have fallen since then!
I still do not understand people when they say they are so disgusted with this
president, but they will still vote for him. Then what change does that cause?

[jus_the_facts]

31. K'N'R

:loveya:

[ZombieHorde]

35. To quote Aristotle...

"It is accepted as democratic when public offices are allocated by lot; and as oligarchic when they are filled by election."

He is talking about sortition.

[socialindependocrat]

38. Vote out the incumbents

If we can't trust either side then we need to vote out the incumbents (except for the ones we trust). We need to make a list of people we do trust - like Bernie Sanders - and then go in and shock the crap out of the system. If we can't trust them then they need to get voted out. Hey, it's a start, right?
Secondly, if none of the representatives who signed the pledge not to raise taxes (for the rich) since they are unable to negotiate, they need to be flushed from the system - bye, bye lice!! How could a group of "adults" sign away their right to freedom of choice (or freedom to represent)- OOOOHH!!! They were offered something in return that they value a lot. What was it? Money? Security? No big deal - just vote them out... Ta, Da. Send a message that no one is secure if they won't represent their constituents.

[sulphurdunn]

42. Nothing strikes as much fear

into the whole where a heart should be of most politicians as the possibility of a primary challenge.

[laconicsax]

40. FYI: It's spelled "oligarh."

:hide:

[sulphurdunn]

51. You only mention this because

your are an elitist snob and look down your nose at god fearing and faithfully ignorant real Americans who hear the prophetic voice of Glen Weepy (not a single malt scotch) Beck.

[laconicsax]

58. Wow! That's eerily accurate!

:rofl:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

43. Nothing wrong with cynicism so long as it doesn't cloud one's judgment. n/t

[defendandprotect]

44. "Politics: The shadow cast over government by corporations" ... !!

[nineteen50]

45. Schmucked

It takes so-called democrats to get the heavy lifting done….
Free trade NAFTA and deregulation under Clinton and now
shifting the debt created by wall street and the bankers to
the public sector (socializing the losses and privatizing the
profits), and the dismantling of Social Security and Medicare
under Obama.

[Raine]

46. I feel exactly the same. nt

[RVN VET]

48. Lily Tomlin had it right

"I try to be cynical," she once said. "But it's just so hard to keep up."

Meanwhile, my slogan for 2012: "Vote for Obama, he's disappointing but not repulsive."

It's a winner. Imagine cutting it to a couple of words atop a couple of images.

On top of Obama's picture: "Disappointing".

On top of picture of GOP candidate Santorobachmalentyromnerrypizzapaul: "Repulsive"

Says it all.

Who wants to make the T-shirt? ;-)

[spooked911]

50. that slogan works for me!

could try cafepress for the T shirt

[spooked911]

49. which brings up this George Carlin classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ

[sandyj999]

52. I Totally Agree

This has become a very disappointing three years. They just pull the strings and none of us have the scissors.

[liberation]

53. You're not being cynical, you are simply being realistic and intellectually honest with yourself

It is then when we realize that what it is, it is not really what we thought it was, and perhaps it has always been like that.

And that usually tastes sour and bitter, a feeling many confuse with "cynicism." The term comes from the Cynics, a Greek school of philosophy centered around the concepts that the purpose of human life was to be conducted in agreement with Nature, that the world belonged equally to everyone, and that suffering was caused by false judgments of what was valuable and by the arbitrary customs and conventions which define most societies. Cynics rejected conventional desires for wealth and power.

[Armstead]

79. Being that kind of Cynic sounds kinda appealing

[trof]

54. Dead solid perfect, spot on, and egg-zackly. K&R

My sentiments precisely.
And we've gone from Bread and Circuses to just Circuses.
:-(

[Mosaic]

56. A republic

Is designed to keep the little people, the mob, in line. We made a mistake in the founding to not make a real democracy, instead we made a representative democracy, a republic, and that is the source of all our frustration. It would take a revolution, or intellectual enlightenment to recreate this nation as a true democracy with the proper control 24/7 squarely in the hands of all the people, the naysayers be damned.

[liberation]

59. Technically,

you're referring more to the electoral "winner takes all" system we have in this country. Which is not very representative indeed.

That is not what the definition of a republic is. France, for example, is also a republic but they have a representative electoral system esp. for their congress and senate.


The electoral and legislative system in the US has always been designed to act as a filter that gives a disproportionate level of representation to capital. Not because there is something intrinsic about what a republic is that makes it so. But rather because many of the founding fathers had a fairly "patrician" view of what "democracy" was. So it follows that the system they designed did end reflecting those views. Things like the electoral college, the electoral unaccountability of the judiciary branch, or the fact that the senate was initially selected not elected, make abundantly clear that what the founding fathers understood by "democracy" is vastly different from a more modern definition/view of the term.

The founding fathers did however get the concept of republic right: our head of state is an elected and temporary position, not a permanent one based on blood lines and divine selection (although the 3 Bush presidencies sort of make me rethink that position a bit).

[Evoman]

61. Ha...it's been like this since we discovered agriculture.

The perversion of having elites with soldiers and money and power rule us and work us to the bone has ever been our reality. This "middle class" mumbo jumbo is a temporary phenomena. We almost had a chance....we almost managed to create a civilization were the peasantry managed movement into the elite. What you see now is just a bald faced attempt at correction.

We are many. We are disposable. We are ignorant. We are powerless. When things get so bad that we finally kill those responsible for our pain, we just raise a new host of thugs that cause us more pain.

Until we learn how to cut off those who would rule us at the knees instead of cutting ourselves on their orders, it will ever be like this. In small groups, it may be possible, but with as much people as we have now....well, I despair.

Cynical...yeah, I'm cynical.

I think I might also be crazy. I'm interested to find out what will happen next.

[Armstead]

78. Gee, and I thought I was cynical....

Now I feel like Polyanna ;)

[Dragonfli]

62. You don't understand how awesome Obama is

He is the most powerful , most progressive and wisest of all the presidents, except perhaps for Reagan but no one ever expected anyone to be that good.

These arguments (you have heard them perhaps but listen this time) will prove that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqsd0WNl8u0&feature=mh_lolz&list=FLKXehyAT2wPA

[a2liberal]

64. K&R (n/t)

[IScreamSundays]

66. Welcome to the bullshit left/right paradigm

It is all garbage. They all work for the same masters. They may pose and be funded by such and such and so and so but in the end, IT IS ALL BULLSHIT!!!! Anyone who still believes we are represented needs a long stay somewhere and medication.

[90-percent]

68. Quote

"Politics is the entertainment branch of industry" - Frank Zappa

-90% Jimmy

[hgs111]

69. The solution to corruption in our legislature

Never Re-Elect anyone that is not term limited and that means anyone. This is the only way to break this cycle and awful situation we are in. This greatly diminishes the elites influence over our elected officials and ultimately us. So remember do not re elect an incumbent even if you like them. It's self defeating. Fire each and every one of them every election cycle.

http://tenurecorrupts.com

[RevStPatrick]

70. We're facing a new Dark Age...

It's hard not to feel cynical.

Last night I was reminded on another thread here of a passage from the book The Fourth Turning, which I re-read last winter:

"An impasse over the federal budget reaches a stalemate. The president and Congress both refuse to back down, triggering a near-total government shutdown. The president declares emergency powers. Congress rescinds his authority. Dollar and bond prices plummet. The president threatens to stop Social Security checks. Congress refuses to raise the debt ceiling. Default looms. Wall Street panics."

That was written in 1997. If that happens, it could tip the whole jar over, and all the beans will get spilled. None of us knows how we'll live once that happens, and it could begin next Tuesday...

[movingviolation]

73. It's like WWF!

And they just wave it in our faces. "What you gonna do about it?"

Zappa was right when he said "The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way, and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theatre."

[sce56]

74. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

Like that avatar also.