Isn't it Time to put an End to the Political Parties?

1. 52

   bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years ago

   Isn't it Time to put an End to the Political Parties?
   
   Here is my starting premise for that statement.
   For the last one hundred years, at least, the democrats and republicans have had control of the congress, and presidency with total and various levels of control. Today is the result of all of those years of both parties tinkering with the government, the people and the country.
   
   No matter how you apply your favoritism to your party, and blame the other party, the result is today. Deal with how the country is today, and compare it over the last 100 yrs, the decline started to pick up from the 70s.
   
   Without parties we won't have gridlock.
   
   

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2. 82

   tamarawilhiteposted 9 years ago

   People organize into tribes with which they share something - whether it is the dance troupe or religious faction or ethnic tribe.
   In politics, you gain power based on your organization's ability to influence elections - creating political parties OR political movements based on tribes voting together.
   So no, you aren't going to get rid of political parties.
   And if you did, you wouldn't end gridlock - just create new groups competing for influence on something narrower than the broad parties we have today.

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   1. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      How many tribes were lost since the beginning of history, and how many people lost their country? Political power is great for the politicians, but not the people, and use history to judge the results.

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   2. 82

      tamarawilhiteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Democracy at least gives the people MORE power. And they gain more in such a system by organizing into groups like parties.

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   3. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      How has that worked out since the 70s?

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3. 86

   Nathanvilleposted 9 years ago

   Name me one country without a genuine democracy e.g. China, Russia, North Korea, Syria etc., where you would feel comfortable to live, and if so why? 
   
   The problem with America is you have a two party system which just gridlocks.  Unlike member states of the European Union where we have a multitude of political parties, covering a much wider political spectrum than covered under American politics; so parties have to be more adapt at working together get things done.
   
   In the UK for example we currently have a total of 11 political parties who won seats in the last general election;:-
   
   •    6 left wing parties (Socialist politics) with a combined total of 297 seats. 
   •    The Liberal Democrats (similar to your Democrats) in the centre with 8 seats, and
   •    4 right wing parties (similar to your Republican Party in political ideology) with a combined total of 342 seats.
   
   Yet for the past 70 years, since we’ve had more than just a two party system, our politics have been rich and dynamic, and since then, through thick and thin, progress has been made in this country for the better.  A prime example being the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948 by the Labour (Socialist) government against fierce opposition at the time but which has since become our national pride.  The NHS, which gives free health care for all at the point of use (paid for from taxes), with doctors and nurses being public servants rather than private practices; so no health insurance costs.
   
   Through the decades, since the rise to power of the Labour party in 1945 the Liberal Democrats have tended to act as a stabilising force between left wing socialism and right wing capitalism.
   
   Small parties like the Greens (extreme left) and UKIP (extreme right), the two most extreme political parties in British politics (each with one seat only) influence politics because they take votes from the bigger parties on their side (Left vs Right) e.g. the Conservatives will have elements of UKIP policies in their manifesto to minimise the risk of their vote being split by UKIP and therefore increasing the chances of the opposition (Labour) party from winning power in the general election.  Labour, likewise will consolidate Green Issues into their manifesto to keep the 'Green' Vote in elections.
   
   So far from having fewer political parties I think it would be good for America to have more political parties competing with each other for support from the voting population.

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   1. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      We have many political parties but the voters ignore them.
      How has the UK or European health system curing cancer and other major diseases? In the US our failure to cure major diseases is caused by the for profit drug industry.
      Cheers

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   2. 86

      Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Costs minimised in EU by encouraging comparative-effectiveness reviews, whereby cost-benefit analyses are applied to rival drugs to determine which perform best. Survival over 10 years from cancer in UK is from 50% to 98% dependant on cancer type.

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   3. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Is that your answer for curing cancer, and what about all the other major diseases?
      Are you by any chance in the NHS or someone that you know, as you seem to really support it? Vat up to 20% from 17.5%

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   4. 86

      Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      No not in the NHS. I am British and we are pride of our NHS.  There are over 200 different types of cancer, each with its own diagnosis and treatment, so not enough space here for a full answer; suggest you visit sites like www.cancerresearchuk.org

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   5. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The simple answer is that the UK is not finding any more cures than the US or the rest of the world. Treatments are not cures.
      And Cancer is only one of many major diseases that are not cured since the 1950s.
      That is a fact an not a critique.
      Cheers

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   6. 86

      Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I don’t know how the UK compares to the USA.  All I know is that in the UK after treatment for even the most difficult of all cancers there is a better than 50% chance of surviving for more than 10 years; and results are now improving year on year.

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   7. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      My point is that treatments are NOT cures.
      What was the last major disease that was Cured, like Polio?
      Cheers

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   8. 86

      Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      According to NIH (National Cancer Institute) in USA, like UK, once cancer treated, no more treatment is required, just regular check-ups to make sure the cancer don’t return; that to me would seem like a cure, for those who don’t get cancer again.

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   9. 52

      bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      When people continue to get diseases, heart disease, cancer, ms, and the rest of these major diseases that is not a cure. And treatment rates less than 90 percent means that we don't have a cure. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation are primitive, and so

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   10. 86

       Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Valid point but in UK Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer, with more than 96% of men with early stage testicular cancer being completely cured, and some other types of cancers are close to or above 90%; I assume same in US?

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   11. 52

       bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       We are sort off topic here, and I have already written hubs on this subject.
       Cheers

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   12. 86

       Nathanvilleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I agree, we have strayed off topic.
       
       Thanks, and cheers.

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   13. 52

       bradmasterOCcalposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I appreciate the dialogue
       Cheers

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