What the American people want politics to be

This is very easy to determine. Because the people have the power - the power of voting, we can tell by who they vote for what they want things to be like...

Americans like attack politics. They like mudslinging, attack ads, insults, and the like. Because if only one politician does it, they are most often the ones to get elected. The one who tries to be nice ends up defeated.

They don't want third party candidates. Because they won't vote for them in any number. They like the battle between the democrats and republicans.

They like politics as usual. Every time someone comes along and says "no more politics as usual", they lose.

Or maybe they people don't like this stuff, they just haven't realized that they have the ability to change things, just as long as it's with actions and not just words.

Sometimes, I honestly think that American is proof that democracy is like socialism - great for an ideal state, but pretty poor in reality. A stupid and uncaring public votes for stupid and uncaring leaders.

There is no such thing as a perfect political structure. It's just how much they screw up the theory and mangle the system. If one wants to prove through example, socialism definitely is *NOT* as good as democracy. May I remind you of the Mitterand tyranny in 1980's France? How about Canada and their economy? Australia's failing experiment in social welfare? The repeated failures of Old Labor in Britain? South America (Venezuela comes to mind)?!? Admit it, socialism sucks.

Americans have a pretty simple mentality when it comes to what they want in politics. Gimme what I want, otherwise, not in my backyard. But then again, isn't that what the citizens of all nations want? I want the maximum benefits, with the lowest opportunity cost possible. Gimme gimme gimme. I know that's what I want. They want simplicity.

Americans probably don't like mudslinging. All mudslinging is is a bunch of politicians making dirty accusations and slander at each other, in order to turn the other person into a "politically incorrect bastard" and win the election. In fact, they probably hate it. As in, "who gives a shit?" But they are forced to live with it, and to stand there and take the slander is not acceptable. All elections are is some popularity contest where you try to prove how shitty the others are so that's why you are the only decent choice. Since people are actually gullible enough to believe the ads, mudslingers win.

Third party candidates just throw the monkey wrench into the works. They don't win because people are confused. "We've always had Republican and Democrat, who is this new guy? What do we do?" They will probably end up voting for the Elephant or the Donkey anyways because they can't be bothered digging out information about the independent. Again, they want simplicity. Don't confuse.

Me? You know what I want? I want you all to get out of my backyard or I'll turn my guns on you. And don't steal half my paycheck. It's my money! All mine!

The political process probably is a sham, so I direct you to my writeup in Why won't people kick both parties out? Enjoy!

Ahhh ... it would nice if the American people wanted any of these kinds of politics. Even the kinds that I don't agree with ...

It would be nice if the GENERAL American public (not the well-educated, politically minded or highly intellegent public, but the whole public) wanted anything that was on this list.

But they don't.

The American public wants entertainment. They want their politics to fit into a 30-second infomercial, filled with words with two or fewer syllables, perferably in either cartoon or musical format. They don't want to listen to long-winded debates about social reform, they don't want to be educated on the matters on which they will vote on or vote for representatives to vote on. They don't really want to understand what's going on.

They want bread and circuses. So that's what they get.

Mudslinging reminds the public of Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones ... hell, that's entertainment.

If the American public wanted anything more from their politics, they would get it. We, the people of the United States of America don't get to bitch about the state that politics is in anymore. We put it there. We keep it there.

If Americans really want to prove me wrong ... they should change it.