This whole episode has been quite frustrating. For over 40 years, the Republican party has fought a losing battle while holding the majority hand. They fight almost exclusively a rational and dignified battle against a radical minority party, the Democrats. However, the Democrats like other radical minority parties of the past in other countries use tactics that work. The truth and ethics are of no relevance to their tactics—they control the media (see DiMaggio and Powell’s explanation of institutional control), use a few devastating lies that frighten people who have been made dependent on Soc Sec and Medicare (or welfare payments of other kinds—see Reyna and Brainerd’s explanation of how humans decide), and control education (kids through college—again, see DiMaggio and Powell). When you add the amount of money they automatically gather through forced union dues, the wealthy (Gates, Buffett, and the like), and a few industries (e.g., Wall Street) and you have an unstoppable force. The could represent a tiny percentage of the population but these factors are central to political power and they dominate them.
Arguing that spending is too great or the debt too high is wasted words—few people understand what that means to them personally and even those who do understand the consequences—well, those consequences are later and they are enjoying themselves as things are now (see Reyna & Brainerd, again).
The Democrats have watched the Republicans make extremely modest attempts at rational budget legislation and happily watched their media savage and misrepresent the Republicans. Meanwhile, the Democrats never advanced their own legislative proposals and never felt a need to — the public’s perception was always going to be shaped by the information they received (from the media; if you don’t get other information you can’t have any other perspective) and a simple fear of potential loss (such as Soc Sec, as threatened by the Democrats). Of course, some rich folk might get hit with higher taxes but the public believes they are isolated from any negative effect on them, personally. They have no way of knowing otherwise.
The Tea Party people have no leadership, no large financial backing, and no organization to wield influence. This appeals to some people but ultimately makes them weak against powerful political forces—the result being they are ridiculed in the media and by the powerful political forces. Remarkably, the Tea Party has a voice because of the widespread popularity of their common sense ideas. However, their political effect is still limited for the reasons I note.
Until the Republicans, or Tea Party members, or conservatives can get information to people in the way people understand information, their efforts will be ineffective. Right or wrong, it doesn’t matter.
I just had to complain a bit. Thanks for tolerating these words.
This whole episode has been quite frustrating. For over 40 years, the Republican party has fought a losing battle while holding the majority hand. They fight almost exclusively a rational and dignified battle against a radical minority party, the Democrats. However, the Democrats like other radical minority parties of the past in other countries use tactics that work. The truth and ethics are of no relevance to their tactics—they control the media (see DiMaggio and Powell’s explanation of institutional control), use a few devastating lies that frighten people who have been made dependent on Soc Sec and Medicare (or welfare payments of other kinds—see Reyna and Brainerd’s explanation of how humans decide), and control education (kids through college—again, see DiMaggio and Powell). When you add the amount of money they automatically gather through forced union dues, the wealthy (Gates, Buffett, and the like), and a few industries (e.g., Wall Street) and you have an unstoppable force. The could represent a tiny percentage of the population but these factors are central to political power and they dominate them.
Arguing that spending is too great or the debt too high is wasted words—few people understand what that means to them personally and even those who do understand the consequences—well, those consequences are later and they are enjoying themselves as things are now (see Reyna & Brainerd, again).
The Democrats have watched the Republicans make extremely modest attempts at rational budget legislation and happily watched their media savage and misrepresent the Republicans. Meanwhile, the Democrats never advanced their own legislative proposals and never felt a need to — the public’s perception was always going to be shaped by the information they received (from the media; if you don’t get other information you can’t have any other perspective) and a simple fear of potential loss (such as Soc Sec, as threatened by the Democrats). Of course, some rich folk might get hit with higher taxes but the public believes they are isolated from any negative effect on them, personally. They have no way of knowing otherwise.
The Tea Party people have no leadership, no large financial backing, and no organization to wield influence. This appeals to some people but ultimately makes them weak against powerful political forces—the result being they are ridiculed in the media and by the powerful political forces. Remarkably, the Tea Party has a voice because of the widespread popularity of their common sense ideas. However, their political effect is still limited for the reasons I note.
Until the Republicans, or Tea Party members, or conservatives can get information to people in the way people understand information, their efforts will be ineffective. Right or wrong, it doesn’t matter.
I just had to complain a bit. Thanks for tolerating these words.