“The hardest thing I’ve ever seen the Democrats fight for is to keep a disabled Marine combat veteran off the ballot.”
– Matthew Hoh, Green Party candidate for US Senate from North Carolina
One Trump, Two Trump, Red Trump, Blue Trump
(or The Future of the So-Called Democratic Party)
by Coast Watcher
Frankly, the so-called US Democratic Party should be sued for flagrant misuse of the term democratic. They are without doubt the most undemocratic institution in the United States. It’s no secret that the party has a standing order to challenge the right of any third party to be included on electoral ballots, federal, state, or local. With friendly judges in their pockets these iniquitous attacks by Democrats on the right of the American people to have a choice frequently succeed.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, the Establishment Party (composed of the so-called Democrats and their good friends, the Republicans or GOP) have succeeded in placing their members in positions of authority in county electoral boards and changed the rules so no other parties can sit on such boards. These are the people who decide who does or does not qualify to be on the ballot. Naturally, the GOP and the Democrat candidates always qualify. But people running for third parties? Not so much.
Take the case of Matthew Hoh, Green Party candidate for US Senate to represent the people of North Carolina. (More details on this story at Whatever This Is, It's Not a Democracy.) A disabled Marine Corp veteran, Hoh is an excellent candidate for high office. An articulate, intelligent man, Hoh has "seen the elephant" in war. With such experience, his is a voice of authority when it comes to espousing the deep desire for peace and an end to the American government’s policy of constant warfare. Hoh’s campaign has gained a great deal of traction to the point that it looks like the Green Party is becoming a real challenger to the Establishment Party in NC.
This, of course, doesn't sit well with the "Demopublicans."
The North Carolina Green Party workers went the extra mile in ensuring that all petition signatures for inclusion on the ballot were legitimate, collecting far more than the minimum required. The counties' election boards approved of the Green Party's signature petitions to be on the ballot and sent them onto the state board of elections for final approval. When it came to the state electoral board to certify the counties' findings, the chairman muted the Green Party’s legal representative to prevent him from asking questions and rejected the NCGP's certified signature petitions out of hand.
The Greens are protesting the railroading of their candidate, but with the courts firmly in the hands of the Establishment Party, do you really think they'll decide in the Greens' favor before the ballot deadline?
Matthew Hoh’s horrible experience isn’t the only such example. There have been many others across the country, some of which are described in this excellent article. The Establishment-owned electoral boards not only run interference against perceived challengers to the Democrats, they also reject petitions on behalf of Libertarians who are seen to be challengers to the GOP.
This constant denial of ballot access is draining Americans of the right to participate in their own government. It disenfranchises millions of voters who are not affiliated with either wing of the Establishment Party. It also appears to be the sign of the so-called Democratic Party in a death dive.
Consider this: if the Establishment's policies are oh-so wonderful and
beneficial to the American people, why do Democrats and their GOP
allies act afraid of any challengers on the ballot? Could it be they realize their policies are actually harmful to working class Americans, and they rightfully fear revolution? Could the handwriting already be on the wall, and those currently in the status quo know they'll be first in line at the guillotine?
The rot has set into the so-called Democrats in a big way. Young adult support for the Dems has hemorrhaged. The current figures make woeful reading for the party leadership. According to a New York Times poll released last Sunday, 94 percent of voters aged 18-29 do not want Biden to run again in 2024. Biden’s betrayal of his election pledge to lessen student loan debt is coming home to roost.
His age is also against him. Biden will turn 80 in November—assuming he makes it that far. The signs aren’t good. You only have to look at his recent performances on TV to see there’s something badly wrong with the man’s health, both physical and mental.
End quote: Repeat sentence. Quite.
Support among Black Americans is also in free-fall. Biden pledged to end police violence against Black citizens. Instead he supported increasing police budgets and allowed police departments to siphon off money intended for COVID relief to fund their own projects. For instance, federal COVID funds are being used to pay for things such as security cameras instead of improving ventilation and filtration systems in schools and public buildings.
Misuse of public funds doesn’t end there. Over half a million Americans are homeless. Many more are insecure in how long they can remain in their dwellings, facing rent or mortgage hikes far beyond their ability to keep up with payments. Many states and local authorities are responding to this crisis by effectively criminalizing homelessness. Over 11 million children are food insecure. Over 17 million people lack even adequate healthcare coverage. Most Americans are but one unexpected $600 bill away from financial ruin.
In spite of these somber statistics, billions of dollars are being sent to prop up a proxy war in Ukraine with nothing more than the rubber-stamp approval of Congress. Obviously, keeping the military-industrial complex profitable is more important to the Establishment Party than making sure all Americans are housed, fed, and have access to adequate health care.
From the way things are shaping up, I see it merging with the Republican Party before too many years are out. Ideologically they are growing ever closer until, like sunset and sunrise, there soon won’t be any daylight between them.
And the persecution of third parties and their candidates? Parties that offer Americans real choices on the ballot will continued to be harassed by the threatened Establishment. Vicious attacks on social media against alternative voices are at an all time high. It seems when neither wing of the Establishment Party can come up with a good policy to address the pressing needs of suffering Americans all the Demopublicans can do is post nasty tweets and broadcast mudslinging TV commercials. Casting doubt and blame on newcomers who come up with brilliant ideas comes naturally to those mired in the status quo.
A lot of the propaganda that went into the Cold War against the former Soviet Union was based on the USSR’s "One Party State" system. So tell me, how is the United States of America any different from the USSR in denying its citizens a choice on the ballot and a real say in their government?
Related Articles:
The Democrats' Third-Party Massacres https://www.counterpunch.org/
Whatever This Is, It's Not a Democracy http://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2022/07/whatever-this-is-its-not-democracy.html
Biden Snaps at Reporter Over Low Poll Numbers (video) https://youtu.be/8TYVyQv5qXA
We Are Sooo F*cked... (video) https://youtu.be/p1IVJUdjBY4
If Trump Jumps Into the Presidential Race Before Midterms, All Bets Are Off https://truthout.org/articles/if-trump-jumps-into-presidential-race-before-midterms-all-bets-are-off/
Noam Chomsky: Biden's Middle East Trip Contains Echoes of Trump's Policies https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-bidens-middle-east-trip-contains-echoes-of-trumps-policies/
Neo-Cons: Genesis to Ascendency https://scheerpost.com/2022/07/15/neo-cons-genesis-to-ascendency/
The Corporatization of Just About Everything https://scheerpost.com/2022/07/17/the-corporatization-of-just-about-everything-including-the-climate-crisis-and-outer-space/
Seen on Twitter:
"Why do you criticize Biden so much and not Trump?"
— Lee 🖖 Carter (@carterforva) July 16, 2022
Good question, thanks for asking. It's because I understand how linear time works, and at this point in linear time, Joe Biden is the President.
The people: Can you guys at least try to do something about the staggering amounts of wealthy inequality?
— mousdrvr (@mousdrvr) July 17, 2022
Congress: We’re working on it! We’ll let you know as soon as we figure out how to shrink that gap through massive increases in corporate profit and shareholder value! 🥰
Homer Simpson - America, take a good look at our candidates, they're all corrupt
— Compton Jay (@ComptonMadeMe) July 16, 2022
Candidates - It's true, we are corrupt, but what are you going to do about it, it's a TWO PARTY SYSTEM, YOU'LL HAVE TO VOTE FOR ONE OF US pic.twitter.com/TJeSS5LRc3
You outnumber your oppressors 12 to 1. You can not only relieve yourselves from the consequences of this accursed system, you can absolutely abolish it. You can put yourselves in control of the government, take possession of your own, and emancipate yourself from slavery
— Eugene V. Debs (@DebsEbooks) July 18, 2022
I don't expose Biden because I like Trump, I expose Biden because people believe he is a better person than Trump
— Black in the Empire (@blackintheempir) July 19, 2022
FICTION: A third party can’t win.
— Ryan Knight ☭ (@ProudSocialist) July 16, 2022
FACT: There’s currently 127 Green party candidates holding elected office in 19 states & since 1985 the @GreenPartyUS has won 1347 races.
So please take your duopoly talking points & throw them in the trash where both corporate parties belong!
It's high time the US took a leaf out of the UK method of determining candidates for election. The UK has a deposit system. The prospective candidate pays a small fee which is returned if they get a relatively small percentage of the vote. No signatures on petitions or anything like required, and certainly no veto power by other parties over who gets to run. The US government says it's 'spreading democracy around the world,' but it sure doesn't practice it at home!
ReplyDeleteIt sure would make the US seem more like a "democracy" if there was a unified method of getting onto a ballot at all levels of government. I like the UK deposit system a lot. It seems fair and easy. And it certainly guarantees there's more than "Lesser Evil 1" and "Lesser Evil 2" on the ballot. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) would also go a long way to make the US more "democratic."
ReplyDelete