I've been coming to the conclusion that our view of what's happening in the US is somewhat muddied by a misunderstanding of the political map. We believe that we have two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, and a few insignificant third parties which pop up every four years to act mainly as distractions and election spoilers.
This is not true. There are #FOUR #major #political #parties in the US. But we have to start by dropping the names we're used to.
First, there is the "Hell Yeah" Party. The HYP believes that isolationism, racism and xenophobia are good; that cooperation, education, empathy and diversity are bad; that all science and modern medicine are deeply suspicious; that burning your entire back yard vegetable plot because you don't like that your neighbor helps you pick your vegetables is a perfectly reasonable and sound plan; and that laws are optional.
Then there's the "Meh" Party. The MP doesn't actually believe in the HYP's platform enough to actually vote with the HYP, but isn't strongly enough opposed to it to vote against it either, especially since it is an article of faith with MPers that all political parties are equally bad. If there is one thing MPers are actually deeply committed to, it is fighting tooth and nail against any argument or evidence that might refute their "all equally bad" position.
After the Meh Party comes the "Come on, How Bad Can It Really Be" Party, also known as the Don't Rock The Boat Party. The DRTBs at least profess to disagree strongly and conscientiously with the HYP's platform, but decorum and not rocking the boat are more important to them than their principles, and given a choice between taking a stand and actively opposing the HYP, or convincing themselves that they can "make a deal" with the HYP to act less badly, they will cave and collaborate with the HYP every time.
And last, there is the "Fuck No, What The Hell Are You Thinking" Party, whom we shall call the Fuck No Party for short. The FNPers are firmly and vehemently opposed to all of the ghastly things the HYP wants to do, and believe that we have a fundamental obligation as human beings to treat people decently, even the ones not like us, if we want to be able to actually call ourselves a functioning society. The FNP is, unfortunately, crippled by having to share its place on the ballot with the DRTBP.
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