myata

And today, what year is it? Doesn't this only confirm the point that the system that assumes that there will be only two political entities, forever (they are not parliamentary parties in the true sense because in the modern world the definition has to include a fair and accurate representation of the support in the society) is grossly outdated and inadequate to represent complex configuration of modern societies? It was made in the 17th century based on the social and political realities of back then. It was centuries ago, literally. Is it naive, dumb or plain insane to pretend and claim that one doesn't need to adapt and change, ever?

If the will and resolve to stand one's ground united and strong isn't there, the writing would be on the wall for the West's place in the future. How could the divisions be overcome and healed, in this critical moment in the humanity's history?

No no! No need to fix craziness with even crazier things. It's simple really: just count the votes. Every vote counts. What could be wrong with that?

Right. Since the times of Aristotle no one has figured it out: the politics oscillate between the ochlocracy, the mob rule; and the oligarchy, elites ruling (for) the pueblo. And the cycle goes on and on.

Objectively and factually. The interim results are in, and the longer term consequences, unknown. Can be dire, judging by the situation that is unfolding before our eyes.

These would be most bizarre, frankenstein versions of normal parliamentary coalitions because they do not represent the society correctly and accurately. No "majority" party even super-wow-"landslide" won the majority of the popular vote. Ever. How's that, for basic sanity?

Just for the record: the election attempt of Biden was an unforgivable failure of integrity and duty to the society. The two-millennia adage played itself out again and with perfect synchronicity: - citizens grew complacent and bored, abandoned democratic politics to run itself - it detached from the society and started running in its own space - the detachment progressed all the way past the point of no return - at a critical moment in history, all major political players failed the society: a clear and unforgivable faceplant. Both parties have produced not just inferior but clearly unacceptable in a responsible democracy results. This is no coincidence but a result and outcome of a setting where political system does not need citizens except for once in a rare while legitimization ritual.

Well, that's where the line of responsibility is drawn. Liking and dis, doesn't work in the matters of this significance and impact. If you think and know that it shouldn't happen you have to act to stop it, prevent it from happening and nothing less works or means anything. It had to be the act and it didn't happen. And so what we have in the residue, is the history and the precedents. Next time, or maybe just around the corner it will be worse still. Why wouldn't it? What's there (left) to prevent it?

This has to be the standard of democratic government in the next phase. Otherwise, voting on sentiment, false, invented and manufactured realities will be a staple and the age of democracies will end. It really as simple as that: it's easier to believe in what we like than work on changing the reality in the way the society needs it. Humanity stumbled on this pothole on countless occasions, but here this time around with technologies of suppression and information, tyrannies can rule forever. The difference. The current system of delegating decisions and all responsibility somewhere far away is at an end of its run. A meaningful renewal should have happened years ago.

That was a part of it, almost certainly. But then again, whose responsibility it is, ultimately, to see the changes and respond to them? What if we let go of the steering wheel sit back and wait for someone to fix all and any problems for us? Sure there will be no lack of guru, prophets and other such kind they're always around waiting for an opportunity.

Third world has elections and institutions. Sure, they have parliaments and courts. Formal arrangements are not what makes a mature modern responsible democracy. It's the citizens. The line between the worlds lies via a deficit, or absence of reasonable and responsible citizens. Nothing else, no books and no miracles can make democracies work. These days the U.S. has crossed the line, formally and de facto. The first election of the !diot could have been, with a big stretch, written off as an aberration, a travesty. Not this time. Everybody knew everything and there could be no mistakes and no confusion. A large part of the population has decided, knowingly and consciously, to stop being citizens and move to the state of pueblo. This, again, was a conscious choice and is mostly a one-way process as assuming the reason, principles and responsibility can be more difficult than letting go of them. The proof didn't take long to manifest. A month away from the office, the !diot already makes entirely unsubstantiated, stupidest and bizarre territorial claims to a NATO ally. Right at this time, we know when maintaining unity against a rising axis of dictator thugs is paramount to anyone who can think with a single cell in their brain. Beyond ridiculously absurd, this is plain stupidity, as it is, walking and talking and yes, you chose it and there are no explanations or excuses. More to follow, certainly as there can be no amazing miracles in such cases. And no "managing", no trying to shuffle this away and pretending it didn't happen could return you dignity and self-respect, now. I can't fathom in all honesty, how could such a grotesque failure of reason and responsibility be redeemed. The move has happened, and the line, crossed.

Superficial indicators such as GDP growth, unemployment levels mean little if anything if the standards of broad prosperity and meaningful participation aren't met. Especially "jobs", any kind of, an easy and universal excuse and slogan of politicians means little if they don't amount to full meaningful participation and do not produce broad prosperity. The gap contributes a big deal to the detachment and resentment of democracy, where ruling elites always invent superficial indicators to convince the society that it's doing great while underachieving in the two makes many think that they are led around the pole, and an easy prey to populists.

Congrats to us. Nope: no miracle escapes, from here.

In the ascending order of the underlying influence and the descending, of the failure of institution or individual on the condition that everything else failed. And here it goes, all four that contributed to this not exactly inspirational interim result: 1. Pompous blindness of the Democratic party: always in the same pothole, what could go wrong? Gore, Clinton, Harris: no can't be a coincidence. Not a one off, too many and in a row. A debilitating failure of all senses to see and take in the difference between own status and agenda and that of the country. It wants a change, in the directions, ideas and faces? Nope, gotta stick with us. Or else. Sure, as you wish. 2. Joe Biden - a senile ambition of an old man "want but can't" that eclipsed essential and even critical interests of the nation and the world. Can it be more mundane and trivial? Wouldn't be an easy feat to beat. That' your legacy now, Joe. The first two are close contenders. The final ranking is my own (m.) 3. The lust of greed and power: an astounding failure of the Republican party to maintain the standard and quality of political players. The pull of power - by whatever means was just too strong for too many. Also and old, old story. And the same troubling conclusion, sigh. Nothing new and nothing great. 4. The eroding and debilitating influence of a gravely outdated binary political system that's grown detrimental to the needs of a modern society. Via detachment, sensationalism of the discourse, extreme partisanship of the political process: down and all the way to the bottom, the ultimate demise. You are expecting unexpected surprise rescue, new solutions? From where? Where?

Global warming, pollution, microplastics, AI. Nukes: you thought it should be enough to keep our hands (and minds) full, for a while? Enter "mirror bacteria": an artificial life form that some scientists have been working hard on, and gaining on the success. Except it didn't evolve in the natural world: a completely new entity. What will it do if manages to escape? But we can contain it with perfect, 100% confidence, right? Right?!! Humanity is inventing ever more potentially existential crises without demonstrating the maturity, intelligence and ingenuity to solve one. So far. Can someone guess where the curve is heading? And there are no all-knowing wizards around who would save us from the troubles created by our own hands.

Thanks Michael, you illustrated the point beautifully. That was four decades of statistics, plus. Point to any one point where the majority was favoring the increase. No? Why was it increasing then, in any period in all four decades? There's something that you see once elected into that chair and it can be completely different from what you were thinking as a regular citizen. Is it a good thing? Maybe, if citizens still have a direct line to you. But if not? If you're whisked into that tower and tell them that all is going great. What happens next?

Nope. No way. There's voting and voting. Not all voting is the same, even if the word is. "Voting" as in baby choice, milk or porridge? No thanks. I want ice cream. Have no interest in a pointless ritual that at this age has very little to do with genuine representation of people's interests and priorities.

That is true. Still the contrast is right before our eyes, like an experiment set by the evolution itself: Europe (proportional system): "fringe" gains momentum, but rarely (Italy the only example so far) makes it to be the lead force in the government. The full political spectrum of the society is wider and more complex even when one party, drive or agenda is gaining momentum. U.S., UK, brexit (binary): once "fringe" makes it into, then takes over one part of the duo, it shoots straight up to the top of the political system. The binary thing doesn't care and couldn't care less what is it it's propping, just inflates to to one of the two possible options, this or that, nothing else. And we know in this situation, faced with a baby choice under enormous marketing pressure societies can make wrong choices. The pressure is just too strong to retain independent and rational opinion, for many or the majority. Germany, UK, US - it can be taken as a given that under strong and persistent ideological/marketing pressure focused on one point, majorities even in democratic societies can give in. What you said about the detachment of traditional politics is very true. Once in power, representatives see and feel problems faced by regular people from a distance. They create an artificial environment a sphere for themselves. And of course once the difference, the power gradient between the inside and outside, real world reaches certain point it bursts. We have to find a way of democratic governance that makes connection to the reality of life almost daily. How, that's the question.

He just cannot give a clear, definitive answer. They (used to be): 1) Yes or 2) No, no way. Isn't that proof in itself?

Interpretations and metaphors can very well be "subjective" all the way until they catch up, fly into the window and/or knock on the head. But we thought it could happen only to them! Knock, knock. Nothing new to be discovered, in this line of phylosophy.

So facts and logical conclusions are "metaphors" now? Because you don't like them? Haven't we seen this somewhere? What does the word means if any thug can break it at will? Does it mean anything? So no international law - done. After four decades of predending and three, of some sort of adherence, gone out the window. Any thug with nukes can do the same, what "law"? Congrats on steady improvement.

Is that because you weren't following? Trump said at the meeting with the French and Ukrainian leaders that he wants a ceasefire immediately and then "negotiations". This is like a twin coin of the position of Russia's Lavrov, since mid 2022 - negotiations without returning any captured territories. What is "complete or near coincidence of positions" is called in your dictionary? Why would anyone allow "negotiations" about giving away their internationally recognized lands? No wrong! If that would be allowed to happen it wouldn't be the "war end". War may not end at all but what would end indeed is: 1) the international law and order and 2) the foundation and any claim of the United Nations. Because if Vlad could do that, is allowed to - who wouldn't and why, for generations or ever? Who or what's there to stop them? An easy calculation. Welcome back to the 17th century - but this time around, with nukes.

A long but steady path to negative selection through extreme division, mental laziness, boredom and complacency. Done! Another mission accomplished.

1941 - 1945: America confronted dictators of the Axis. 1945 - 1990: America stood and defeated communist dictators. 1990 - 1991: America in coalition defeated dictator Saddam. 2003: America in coalition defeated and ended the rule of dictator Saddam. 2011: U.S. participated in international coalition to protect people of Libya and topple dictator Gaddafi. 2011 - 2014: America involved in Syria against a brutal dictator Assad, a close ally of Russia's dictator Putin. 2014: U.S. participated in defeating terrorist caliphate ISIS. 2022 - 2024: U.S. supported Ukraine against an unprovoked terrorist aggression of Putin's Russia. And now what: America will side with the most brutal and despicable totalitarian dictator of our time? See, you can blow and whistle from all orifices what you can't do though is to change the reality: and it will always catch up. Yes you can cuddle and smooch the fat lying baby but it comes at a cost - forgetting and leaving behind who you are, all of it, behind. Back in early 1930s they could cry that they were naive couldn't know but you couldn't claim that, with any honesty. You knew it all, everything. And our choices have price, and consequences.

So will America side now with the worst totalitarian aggressor dictator thug on the planet? Yes or no? Only the mirror: and remember, the reality always catches up.