Political Parties

[Red]

Concerning the issue of political parties, I can understand their usage and purpose, however, especially in recent years, I believe they have divided the people of the United States, and the issues of the world. Political parties in America have existed ever since the days of George Washington, and every president after him has been associated with a party at some point in their political career, and there have been great rivalries between the two main parties, the Democrats, and the GOP. Each party is always trying to be the majority in Congress, and to have one of their prime members in the White House.
Speaking of George Washington, he warned the country of political parties in his farewell address, as he always remained independent (although he sided with the Federalists on most issues), and allowed members from the major parties at the time in his cabinet.

"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

What party do you associate with? I personally identify as an independent (not a political party, be funny if it were), although I don't necessarily condemn folks who join a political party.

BTW that thing is making good progress if you know what I mean, this is some top secret shit.

[Lay Vegan]

Concerning the issue of political parties, I can understand their usage and purpose, however, especially in recent years, I believe they have divided the people of the United States, and the issues of the world.

Agreed. I especially dislike when areas of science are depicted as partisan issues. Or when politicians use (or deny) scientific phenomena, like climate change, to push political agendas.

Powerful fossil fuel companies are no better. They frequently hire bribers...I mean...lobbyists to gather in Washington and have laws passed that only benefit big business. Or they poor money into certain party campaigns that try to prevent climate change policies from being implemented.

Remember Jim Inhofe? US senator of Oklahoma who "debunked" climate change with a snowball? How much money do you think he and his republican pals receive from fossil fuel companies to deny scientific consensus?

I believe science should be either bipartisan, or kept out of politics entirely.

What party do you associate with? I personally identify as an independent (not a political party, be funny if it were), although I don't necessarily condemn folks who join a political party.

I'm a registered democrat, but personally, I don't fully identify with either party. I most closely identify as an independent. Is the Science Party a thing? We should make that a thing.

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

I don't know why you have put Progressive/Bull Moose on there, when this is a party that does not exist any more.

I also don't know what WPK is there for. Is that meant to be Workers' Party of Korea? This is from an entirely separate country, when you have put all American parties before.

I personally am a member of the British Labour Party, but here are the parties of other countries I support:

Korea - Workers' Party of Korea
Japan - Social Democratic Party
False Korea - Democratic Party of Korea
USA - Green Party (Would support Bull Moose if it still existed)
France - Génération.s, le mouvement
Germany - Die Linke
New Zealand - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Australia - Australian Greens
Canada - New Democratic Party
India - Indian National Congress

[miniboes]

The problem for the USA is not so much that political parties exist, but the way they are elected into office. The American electoral system makes it nearly impossible for a third party to gain significant power, which leads to the issues you mentioned. Political parties are very useful, you've just gotta make sure they are in a fair "market" of votes, where not a single party has a guarantee of staying relevant.

As for my personal preferences; I don't associate with any party at the moment. If I were in the USA, I can't see myself not voting for the democrats.

[brimstoneSalad]

USA - Green Party (Would support Bull Moose if it still existed)

How can you support greens when they have the worst environmental policies of any party?

Best to worse in the US (in terms of the most important issues of environment and animal welfare):

• Democrat (except the anti-nuclear Sanders style democrats)
• Libertarian (because they would end agriculture subsidies and make nuclear power much easier, despite being terrible on animal welfare meat would become more expensive without agricultural subsidies and vegan options would likely win in the marketplace)
• Republican (accidentally slightly less horrible than the greens because they're not quite as anti-science, despite denying climate change they at least don't oppose the technologies we need to mitigate it)
• Green (because they oppose genetic engineering and nuclear power, their support for things like carbon tax is nearly useless)

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

USA - Green Party (Would support Bull Moose if it still existed)

How can you support greens when they have the worst environmental policies of any party?

Best to worse in the US (in terms of the most important issues of environment and animal welfare):

• Democrat (except the anti-nuclear Sanders style democrats)
• Libertarian (because they would end subsidies and make nuclear power much easier, despite being terrible on animal welfare meat would become more expensive without agricultural subsidies and vegan options would likely win in the marketplace)
• Republican (accidentally slightly less horrible than the greens because they're not quite as anti-science, despite denying climate change they at least don't oppose the technologies we need to mitigate it)
• Green (because they oppose genetic engineering and nuclear power, their support for things like carbon tax is nearly useless)

Because although I support GMOs and nuclear power I consider these issues to be less important than foreign and fiscal policy which all the three parties you just mentioned (with the exception of the Libertarian party on foreign policy) have horrifying positions on).

I also think that if I lived in USA, I would try to change the Green party's position on GMOs and nuclear power from within. This would be far more realistic than changing the Republicrats' position on foreign policy and fiscal policy.

I would love to see the look on the face of somebody new to this forum when they saw that your main concern with my post is that I support the Greens and not that I support the Workers' Party of Korea, but I understand that you are probably used to my pro-DPRK rants by now.

Speaking of which, there is no use in supporting the Republicans over the Greens due to their environmental positions if the world goes up in ash because that dotard Orange Man throws a temper tantrum over the DPRK's mere affirmation of its right to exist.

[brimstoneSalad]

Because although I support GMOs and nuclear power I consider these issues to be less important than foreign and fiscal policy which all the three parties you just mentioned (with the exception of the Libertarian party on foreign policy) have horrifying positions on).

In that case, you should favor the libertarian party.

I also think that if I lived in USA, I would try to change the Green party's position on GMOs and nuclear power from within. This would be far more realistic than changing the Republicrats' position on foreign policy and fiscal policy.

More realistic than changing the Republicans? I kind of doubt it. Greens are incredibly dogmatic; overwhelmed with Dunning-Kruger certainty rather than humility and open mindedness.
If you want ideological diversity, here again libertarians are a better bet. They're even open to things like basic income, which you'd think libertarians would be against, but they like it because it's simple. They're also willing to ignore certain popular issues (in practice, you could probably keep them off anti-animal-welfare platforms).
And if you want a party that's going to empty prisons and end trade sanctions and foreign wars they're probably the best bet. They also compete more with the Republicans (Greens are too far left to ever gain traction, but Libertarians have a real chance of replacing Republicans as the second party if it goes down in flames thanks to Trump).

[Cirion Spellbinder]

For all practical purposes, I am a Democrat. Like brimstone has pointed out, they have the best environmental policy and I support the welfare state. However, I don’t value equality or nature in and of themselve as some Democrats do. I also don’t support identity politics (which are more associated with Democrats than Democratic).

[PsYcHo]

I side with Libertarians because (IMO) they are the most moral of the parties.

Regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican majority pass a law, they are willing to enforce their laws (however trivial they may be) with violence. If you don't agree, commit a small non-violent offense, then refuse to pay the fine or appear in a court. You will at some point be accosted by armed men who will force you to accompany them. Try to resist them, and force (up to deadly) will be used against you. After all, a man was murdered on camera for selling loose cigarettes, for example.

Both of the major parties are also willing to go to war when it suits them, even if it is not in defense of our homelands. (Or if they want to seem anti-war, they will just use remote control airplanes with bombs to kill people. And possibly win a Nobel peace prize.)

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Because although I support GMOs and nuclear power I consider these issues to be less important than foreign and fiscal policy which all the three parties you just mentioned (with the exception of the Libertarian party on foreign policy) have horrifying positions on).

In that case, you should favor the libertarian party.

I also think that if I lived in USA, I would try to change the Green party's position on GMOs and nuclear power from within. This would be far more realistic than changing the Republicrats' position on foreign policy and fiscal policy.

More realistic than changing the Republicans? I kind of doubt it. Greens are incredibly dogmatic; overwhelmed with Dunning-Kruger certainty rather than humility and open mindedness.
If you want ideological diversity, here again libertarians are a better bet. They're even open to things like basic income, which you'd think libertarians would be against, but they like it because it's simple. They're also willing to ignore certain popular issues (in practice, you could probably keep them off anti-animal-welfare platforms).
And if you want a party that's going to empty prisons and end trade sanctions and foreign wars they're probably the best bet. They also compete more with the Republicans (Greens are too far left to ever gain traction, but Libertarians have a real chance of replacing Republicans as the second party if it goes down in flames thanks to Trump).

I think that the Libertarians are well-meaning people, but I can not side with them simply due to their extreme right fiscal policies, which are actually worse than the Republicrats. However, you are absolutely right in that the Greens are too "far-left" to gain traction in USA, despite being centre-left at best, that is far too extreme for the yankee imperialist bastards who are so far to the right that they are off the scale.

The United States is fucked and perhaps Britain ought to retake control of it because it is actually closer (especially with the prospect of Corbyn becoming PM) to the Founding Fathers' vision.

Now in this below paragraph I am somewhat serious but somewhat joking so don't take it very seriously:

Perhaps when we reunify Korea, we could divide up the United States so that Korea takes control of part of it and Britain takes control of the other part. Then, just as in Germany with the De-Nazification, we reeducate all the Americans to except Socialism, Secularism, LGBT Rights, GMOs, Nuclear Power and Juche as the truth and show them how disgusting capitalism and imperialism are and why the occupation is a good thing.

The above paragraph is something I would genuinely love to see happen, but I know it sounds silly so don't take it too seriously please.