The two party system

It can't. I really want to see electoral reform at some point in my lifetime here in Canada. At the provincial level, and then at the Federal level. MMP, STV would be favourable to elect the actual person or party that you wish to elect.

Some people think that you can't list off the people you want in office, that you should be able to choose just 1 candidate, and have 1 vote, because that's the most fair. But in a MMP & STV system, you can still do that if you want. If you don't want to make a list, you don't have to. If you think 1 person is the best candidate you can mark down that 1 person and still have your vote counted.

The point is to elect members into government who best represent the constituency - the FPTP system does anything buy represent the majority of people residing in a particular constituency. It's plutocracy, where the will of the majority over-rules and overpowers the will of the few or the secular.

 

This is so untrue, there's plenty of direct democracy in many states, again California being the best example, but also at the local and state level. The fact is most people don't care about politics, word events and economics, they find it boring, and generally know nothing about them. More people vote for American idol then for president, more people probably know the next movie Lindsey Loham is doing vs the vice presidents name. Hell look at the last referendum this week in California, major important questions on how to deal with a $24 billion budget gap that's going to seriously effect the lives/taxes of all Californians.....................19% voted

 

This problem with the two party system is the people who vote within the system have a habbit of thinking from a planet america mindset.

Yes, this is a swipe at your opening post. This is the internet. Despite it being controled ( to a degree, its getting beter) by the USA, an OP like you which screams that the poster just isnt considering the fact...~sigh. nm.

If this was a subforum of USA your post would annoy me.

 

The two party system is a tradition in more places then just America

I don't think Americans who are interested in the system are actually as American focused as foreigners think, these same foreigners are the ones who's news service constantly carries stories of American news. Hell in the Americas section right now on the BBC 8 out of the top 10 stories are United States stories for the whole 50 something countries in the Americas. There's a reason for this, 300 million people in an economy the size of the entire European union in one of the largest(if not the largest since Canada and Russia are bigger but a good deal of both countries is frozen tundra) countries in the world, what we do on an international level is often more important to foreign countries then what they themselves do. We control you like it or not.

 

I'm repling to the OP

"Does anyone else agree that the both of our political parties are flawed?"

The "our" is what leads to my planet america comments.

 

European, you seem to be misunderstanding the issues I was trying to bring into discussion. In no way was I alienating other countries or cultures. But because the majority of our members are American, it seemed only fit to use our political system as a point of reference.

The issue is representation, not america or its particular political system. You can add an interesting element to these posts by relating your own political environment to the issues being debated to create more discussion, which leads to more understanding.

I agree that there are other political systems than just ours. But I obviously don't agree with ours, but that is not to say I agree with yours or any others specifically either. Which is why I began this post. Is your pollitical system any better and why or why not?

 

No, I didn't missunderstand anything. You post above just proves it.

"But because the majority of our members are American, it seemed only fit to use our political system as a point of reference."

My use of " planet america ", just about the all too common trait of americans: using their system as a default starting point for any thread. ( usually under the assumtion that they are in the majority ).

Why do you think the USA is in the majority here ? Do you have access to full ip traceback logs ? I dont care about the answers either tbh.

Your assumpition annoys me.

I have no other interest in the thread apart from that.

 

Generally people here know begin to know each other and it's safe to say that really on any English speaking website the majority of people are going to be Americans, and when the thread is about the 2 party system comes up they're going to think it's about the US system since the good deal of European systems and Canadian are 2 party dominated with a few minor parties while the US system is almost just 2 parties

In fact of the people who post in the politics forum on a regular basis the only 2 I can think of that aren't American(well aside from you) are Ari and Balbus, and Ari is right across the border in Canada so she's basically half American.

Though I can't vouch for whether Ari wants to be a nominal half American.

 

Fuck America.

*spits*

 

Canada is just jealous we make better whiskey and wine

and we got new yawk

 

Better wine and whiskey? Hell's nah.

You can keep New York. Too many taxes.

 

There might be a capitalist in you yet

 

I'm Canadian. I love taxes, just not as many as you have in New York. Unreal.

 

Really ? Sooo...The forum of say...I dont know . an Australian Radio Station would be majority USA ? How about an British computer magazine ?

Please. This the EXACT thing I have been posting about: The planet america point of view.

 

Obviously you fail to see the reality of the situation. This isn't an Australian radio forum, this is a world wide forum. If you go to the UK section, most people will be British, aside from that, most people on this forum are in fact American.

 

O i get it,. You want to change you mind about what you typed ??

"and it's safe to say that really on any English speaking website the majority of people are going to be Americans"

You type rubbish. Own it and please stop trying to dodge your mistakes.

 

OFF TOPIC!

Let's get back on track please. Settle it in PMs please european if you must.

 

I'm pretty sure Ari was responding to my statement of

When she said that


As for back to parties, aside from the giant amount of problems the 2 party system has, how about some pros. For instance if compared to some parliamentary systems we could would in theory have more more then 2 parties. Parties in say Britain, the party is dominant over the individual and the party whip keeps the party members in line except during free votes, hence there might be more parties, but each party has a much more specific and set platform. While generally most members of both the Democrats and Republicans can in fact be considered in the normal mainstream of their parties, there are some members of congress who are far off from most members of their party and in many systems would be a different party. My first main thought is Dennis Kuchinich and Ron Paul, while they are, under a more strict party system neither would be a member of their respective parties as their political beliefs stand.

 

Which only leads to the idea that the segregation of groups of people only leads to conflict... and that the creation of political influence, by the constituents, influenced by outside forces, leads to corrupted political party members.

One can not be themselves in this political environment. They have to be part of this two party system...