Yeah yeah constitutional republic. But I just received my ballot for the state and like 70% of these guys have no opponents. There is no choice here other than what party you want. And they all fucking suck.
I mean it’s not. It just flat out is not. There is no democratic control of government in this country. Full stop. The public’s opinions and desires do not influence policy in any measurable way. Who we elect does not matter, even in so far as we have a choice in who we elect, which we generally do not.
America is not a democracy. America does not have a democratic system of government. American government is not run for the benefit of the people, with the consent of the people, or according to the will of the people. They’ve streamlined the process of governing so smoothly that the electoral process only influences a handful of culture war issues, and it doesn’t even have much influence on that.
I remembering voting for treasurer or some shit of a state with no income tax and both of the fuckers we had to choose from were center right “independent” business school freak types who had basically the same platform, which was “absolutely do not, under any circumstances, make the tax code less regressive.” That was the first time it really sunk in for me how absolutely little voting mattered
Omg this is so accurate to my city’s “non-partisan” elections. The things these people brag about are the things that are immediate disqualification for me supporting them and it’s fucking insane because I don’t even know anyone in the city that supports these people. Everyone’s opinions range from complete apathy to “execute city council”
Who knows? Maybe I might actually get to know one or two and actually like them, but in a city council district with 400,000 people how the fuck would I?
All these people are just fucking nobodies, as far as I’m aware. I’ve never heard of them before. I have no idea who they are right now. I doubt I’ll hear their names more than twice in the future, save for news about a ribbon cutting on the next mega-mall or as an aside with their involvement in a sex scandal.
Some of that is because all these assholes are just climbing the ladder from Deputy Party Kiddy-Diddler Cover-up Guy to Senior Party Corporate Grifter to Candidate. But a lot of it is because we’re all so atomized that we don’t know half the people who live on our own blocks, much less the people saying they’re going to run our city or state or country.
I need to stop arguing with Americans about US “democracy” versus how it’s done in AES states like Cuba or China or past states. It’s pointless. They will always compare the aspects of socialist democracy they don’t understand, laser-focus on the mistakes that have been made, or just straight up not believe a word you say despite them not actually knowing a thing about what they’re talking about (ran into this a lot when talking Cuba in particular).
Meanwhile, they will defend US democracy by acting like it works along only the most pollyanna-esque, platonic ideal of how it should run in their heads. They never move past 6th grade civics class. The fact that these ghouls either run unopposed or with 100% odds of winning in a gerrymandered district; or that there isn’t a functional difference in the two parties… well that’s just how it works in our totally perfect and fair republic - because after all we’re not a democracy We’Re A rEpUbLiC!!!
You don’t even have to mention AES. I have literally never heard of an unopposed election here. Sure, some candidates are clearly just giving some student a hopeless fight, but all major parties contend all seats, at least nominally.
A large part of the reason the US is in as bad shape as it is is that during the Obama years the Democrats just… didn’t support candidates in state and local elections. Just totally fucking ignored them. Republicans took control of many state and local governments and then passed laws and appointed judges to cement Republican control.
There was no reason for this error. It was not forced in any way. Obama’s Democrats simply… didn’t do it.
A lot of democrats are just cucks who think that because they abide by “social unwritten norms” that everyone else will. then when the republicans inevitably don’t, they go :surprised-pika:
It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.
:carlin-pog:
In Soviet Korea there’s only single candidate on the ballot
