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Allen's avatar

The mistake most make is in seeing the Dems and Repubs as separate and oppositional entities.

Let us leave Never-Never Land and examine The Very Real and Duplicitous Function of the Two Party System in the American Political Universe.

The two parties play an indispensable role in society's political machinery. This doesn't mean they have any real power, in terms of controlling the state or setting policy. It means that without the existence of the Two Party System, the US could no longer maintain the pretense that it's a "democracy."

If either Party disintegrated tomorrow, the US would be revealed for what it really is -- a One-Party state ruled by a narrow alliance of business interests. Both party's true function is largely theatrical. They don't exist to fight for change, but only to create the illusion that one fine distant day they might possibly bestir themselves to fight for change.

Thus the whole magic of The Two Party Show -- the essential service it renders to the US power structure -- lies not in what they do, but in their mere existence: by simply existing, and doing nothing, they pretend to be something they are not; and this is enough to relieve despair and to let the system portray itself as a "democracy."

As long as the two parties exist, most Americans will believe we have a "democracy" and a "choice" in how we are ruled. They will not despair, and will not revolt, as long as they have this hope for "change within the system."

From the system's point of view, this mechanism serves as the ultimate safety valve -- it insures against a despairing populace, thus eliminates the threat of rebellion; yet guarantees that no serious change to the system will be mounted. Neither Party is the "lesser evil;" they are auxiliary subdivisions of the same evil.

To understand the political system, one must step back and regard its operation as an integrated whole. The system can't be properly understood if one's study of it begins with an uncritical acceptance of the 2-party system, and the conventional characterizations of the two parties. (Indeed, the fact that society encourages one to view it in this latter way, is perhaps a warning that this perspective should not be trusted.)

Any given piece of reactionary legislation is invariably supported by a higher percentage of Republicans during one term or by Democrats the next. Does this show that one or the other is the "lesser evil?"

If one focuses on the noble efforts of a few outspoken dissenters, it's easy to feel that on any given issue one party is somewhat less evil. But in the larger picture, Party D invariably submits to what Party R more ardently promulgates until the next issue where the script gets flipped.

Thus the overall function of the system is not to fight for everyday people, but to participate in this ever shifting totalitarian process. Just as the Harlem Globetrotters need their Washington Generals to make their basketball games properly entertaining, Republicans and Democrats need each other for effective staging of the political show.

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MoodyP's avatar

EO13848. A bit late for that. That’s what I call a bullshit theory.

Given that it was in place to be utilized during and after the 2018 election. And the 2020. Trump chose NOT to invoke the provisions contained therein, which allow for the siezing of “assets” that were used, or suspected of being used, to alter, or attempt to alter, election outcomes. Siezure of assets under the EO is not limited to just financial assets, but can include physical assets. Including election hardware and software. Ponder that, then ask yourself, why not.

Just as he failed to utilize the EO he also failed to take the other necessary steps to prevent the steal. He had all of the Constitutional, Statuatory, and Moral Authority to do so. He did not use them. Ponder that, and ask yourself, why not.

Trump failed to use the EO in 2018.

Trump failed to use the EO in 2020

Obama certainly was not going to use it in 2022.

I’ll likely vote for PDJT again if he is the nominee. But I will never forgive him on the basis of two things. He caved on Covid, ushered in WarpSpeed, and delivered the EUA. And he failed to stop the steal when he could have, thereby sending us that much closer to full Marxist rule.

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