{"id":7321,"date":"2017-06-30T02:53:24","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T02:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rationalargumentator.com\/index\/?p=7321"},"modified":"2017-06-30T02:53:48","modified_gmt":"2017-06-30T02:53:48","slug":"tricked-voting-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rationalargumentator.com\/index\/blog\/2017\/06\/tricked-voting-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Being Tricked into Voting for the System? – Article by Sandra from The Right Side of Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Sandra from The Right Side of Truth
\n<\/big><\/big><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
June 29, 2017<\/span>
\n<\/big><\/div>\n
******************************<\/div>\n
\n

For years, we\u2019ve been sold the idea that the political system of the United States is a choice between two very different parties. On the Left, we have the progressive-liberal Democratic Party championing forward thinking and social good, and on the Right, we have the conservative Republican Party, sometimes called the GOP (short for Grand Old Party), touting the ideas of less government and traditional values.<\/p>\n

At least that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been told. These stark differences are pushed at every debate and every public event. However, what the parties rarely discuss is how similar most of their policies are in practice.<\/p>\n

So exactly how is it that these two parties continually trick us into voting for one or the other? How is it they manage to stymy progress time and time again, thrusting us further into the past<\/a>? Not surprisingly, their tactics are both extraordinarily basic and brutally effective. Here\u2019s how they do it.<\/p>\n

Drumming Up the Non-Issues<\/h2>\n

The favored tactic by public masters of deception is presenting non-relevant ideas to distract us from what truly matters. Every election we see it, and 2016 was a perfect example of this. Both candidates kept their audience focused on personal attacks and empty promises, constantly avoiding the real issues.<\/p>\n

Take for example the issue of \u201cthe wall.\u201d Democrats historically voted in favor of constructing a border wall with Mexico; Hillary Clinton, largely seen mocking Donald Trump on the topic, was quite in favor of it in the past<\/a>. While the two candidates bickered over the wall and who should pay for it, there was never any real debate between the two about whether or not it was a good idea because under the surface both candidates supported it<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Yet if we return to the present, we can see very little being done in terms of large-scale action. The President\u2014who is not a legislator\u2014has not suddenly conjured up a solid concrete wall across the entire US-Mexico border. That it was suggested this would happen was absurd to begin with and little more than a distraction.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not the only distraction we see virtually every election. \u201cMajor\u201d issues come up conveniently every four years regarding topics such as abortion, marriage, and military spending. Yet the moment the elections end, these issues become silent. No significant changes or votes are held because neither party ever intended to do anything in the first place.<\/p>\n

The third-party candidates that seriously have an interest in changing our policies never receive a serious moment in the public\u2019s eye. Debates are always between two parties, and the results are always the same no matter who wins. Alternative ideas are shut out, even when they come from within one of the major parties, as we saw in the 2012 election with Ron Paul\u2019s repeated media blackballing<\/a> despite a commanding voter base in the primaries.<\/p>\n

The \u201cOutsider\u201d Candidate<\/h2>\n

Those who genuinely believe the idea that the controlling parties would allow an outsider (that is, someone with different views than the status quo) to become a serious candidate are sorely deceived. This is another tactic used to mislead the public into thinking they have a real choice.<\/p>\n

While it pains me to use the same example repeatedly, the 2016 election is just one of the best in a long time to truly demonstrate how good these parties are at fooling us. We were fed two choices\u2014Hillary Clinton, the \u201csafe, regular Democrat\u201d choice (and trust me, the party never gave Bernie Sanders a second thought), and Donald Trump, the Hollywood businessman with a mouth.<\/p>\n

Surely Trump, with his uncouth speech and disrespect for the Republican Party, was the outsider\u2014right? Yet in office we see him making the same choices any GOP candidate would have made. He is still pro-War, pro-Keynesian economics<\/a>, and shows no major signs of instigating any promised changes.<\/p>\n

Other than speech patterns, nothing<\/em> would have been different under any other GOP candidate or under Hillary Clinton. To begin with, the president is the head of executive power; he or she does not independently pass laws nor create funding for public projects. All of these faculties fall to the House and the Senate, which are also dominated by shills that vote nearly exclusively on the party line.<\/p>\n

The running of candidates such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and even Ronald Reagan are simple feints to distract us from the real issues. And the real issue is the perception that there are no alternatives. By funneling our votes into a predictable \u201cA or B\u201d pattern, the parties work together behind closed doors to ensure they remain in power with no challenge to their plans or wealth.<\/p>\n

The “Thrown-Away Vote” Fallacy<\/h2>\n

Dictating how things are from above with tools such as the mainstream media or political announcement is only so effective. On many levels, people can see through the deception of public figures and come to different conclusions. How is it then that so many of us continue to fall victim to this scam?<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, the problem is truly at the root of our culture, and it\u2019s been instilled in most of us basically since birth. It\u2019s the idea that voting outside of the two choices we\u2019re given (Red or Blue) is a wasted vote<\/a>. We\u2019re taught to think voting for a third or fourth party is somehow a vote for whichever candidate we don\u2019t want to win.<\/p>\n

This is a logical fallacy that\u2019s been perpetuated for decades to discourage us from breaking away from the two-party system. If enough people believe it, it becomes true to some extent\u2014people fear throwing away their votes and thus don\u2019t vote for anyone outside the standard parties.<\/p>\n

But we already know from the Senate and the House that this is simply incorrect. While no third-party president has served to date, several unaffiliated or third-party candidates serve or have served in Congress. Their ideas were different, and their voter bases were small enough to avoid widespread control.<\/p>\n

Breaking the Illusion of Choice<\/h2>\n

If we truly wish to end the illusion of choice in the voting system, we need to recognize the inherent flaws within the system. From the outset, the American system was designed to discourage the illiterate mob from having final say over major candidates. It was designed back when few citizens had a formal education, thus the Electoral College that supersedes the popular vote.<\/p>\n

Because of this, changes need to be made within and without the current major parties. We must collectively vote out the leadership of both the Democratic and Republican parties while simultaneously pushing for third-party representation. Not just for a single party such as the Libertarians either\u2014we need multiple parties represented because not all interests overlap.<\/p>\n

No single party could ever hope to represent the needs of conflicting groups. Farmers do not share the same values as corporate America, and manufacturers run counter to mom-and-pop businesses just the same as the interests of the wealthy conflict with the poor. And this is totally natural!<\/p>\n

We the voters must take responsibility by researching the issues that are important and by seeking candidates that suit our needs. That means watching documentaries, reading books and blogs, and listening to podcasts. Even entertainment venues such as Netflix\u2014when the content is locally available<\/a>\u2014have something to offer to help us broaden our perspective.<\/p>\n

And as might be expected, no perfect political system exists. At the end of the day, the real enemy of freedom isn\u2019t just some evil council of political masterminds striving for world domination. The biggest opponent of choice is staring at us in the mirror. Will you overcome your fear of uncertainty? Tell us in the comments.<\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/em> Sandra is a political activist and free thinker who\u2019s never afraid to speak her mind. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation in Washington, she\u2019s confident that by coming together we can make real changes for the better. See her website at The Right Side of Truth<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sandra from The Right Side of Truth June 29, 2017 ****************************** For years, we\u2019ve been sold the idea that the political system of the United States is a choice between two very different parties. On the Left, we have the progressive-liberal Democratic Party championing forward thinking and social good, and on the Right, we have the conservative Republican Party, sometimes called the GOP (short for Grand Old Party), touting the ideas of less government and traditional values. At least that\u2019s…<\/p>\n

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