Parties, priorities, politics, and the mess that is our Congress

[docstrange]

holzman has a post about what I shall henceforth term "The change in tide that saved Hyde."

He says, "There are no acceptable excuses" to not tackling the Hyde amendment in this Congress, with its Democratic majority and a pro-choice President.

Comments

[unixronin]

rights are what governments cannot do to you, not what other people must do for you.
An excellent way of putting it. As observed elsewhere last night, you have no right to anything that someone else must work to provide for you.

I'd vote for your third party. I'd like to see the Libertarian Party become it, and I think it currently has the best shot at doing so, but I don't know if it will. Unfortunately, as you note, the Democrats and Republicans have - quite intentionally, I'm sure - rigged the rules of the political game in such a way as to make it very, very difficult for any third party to ever get its foot in the door, and will resist any kind of electoral reform in the US to their dying breaths. Their idea of electoral reform is to quash dissent and ensure their access to lobbyists' money.

[docstrange]

I liked your formulation as well, but being a lawyer, fall back onto that old piece of paper for reference, with its general approach to rights being vs. the government. There is of course a whole realm of jurisprudence and philosophy dedicated to "what is a right."

[ilcylic]

Enh, $anarchist_position: "We shouldn't have federal funding for any of that crap anyway".

[docstrange]

Change that big piece of paper, then, or else admit the $anarchist_position is the same as the statists': There are no rules. Don't anarchists believe in contract?

[ilcylic]

Show me where it says health care services (or abortion) are covered in the big piece of paper.

[docstrange]

Show me where I said it did?

[chorus]

I'm sure you know I've wanted a viable third party for years (enough so that I will vote even for the ones that don't stand much of a chance, provided I really think they're the closest match to my ideals), so, yeah.

I'm especially keen on the idea of trying to find some people who like all the parts of the Constitution and not just selected bits as and when it suits them.

You want to know just how much I dislike the current state of politics? The other day I thought to myself, "I wonder whether or not I could actually win if I ran for office." Me. ME. I mean, seriously.

[docstrange]

Yes, they mostly all suck.

Politics starts locally. Lots to be done without even running for office.

[apostle_of_eris]

My own, personal, long-standing stand on “third parties” is that mathematically you can't have a third until you already have a second.

As for your proposal, one of your bumper stickers might be
What part of "promote the general Welfare" don't you understand?

[docstrange]

Hmm. While a good jibe, I'm not sure it goes after either mainstream party in particular, nor both. Also, it's a peculiar question. "Promote the general welfare" is a purpose for the powers given to the federal government, not a power itself. The Constitution wasn't intended to give "any power necessary to promote the general welfare" but to give a specific set of powers in order to promote the general welfare (inter alia).

[thewronghands]

I'm guessing that he's saving DADT for closer to the election, to win stumping points with the currently disaffected GLBT voters.

I'd be delighted by viable third parties that were not immediately hijacked by total jerks capable of being bigger and louder than most. (From their own sites and platforms, not from the media representation of same.) I vote third party when I can with a conscience, but it doesn't seem to do much, even locally.

[docstrange]

I'm guessing that he's saving DADT for closer to the election, to win stumping points with the currently disaffected GLBT voters.

Horrible. Maybe horrible politics ultimately. I mean, "Hi, I really care about your rights. They are critical! Real rights. Equal rights issue, here! But they can wait until politically expedient."