This is an interesting way of looking at things …. Doc passes on Frank Leahy’s perspectives on two-party politics (actually, i’d call 1.5 party politics).
The most interesting point to this brief piece is, I think, the extrapolation of this way of looking at things to most of our activities in daily life, our waking hours. We are so used to being bombarded by one-way marketing messages that, basically, I think many people get sort-of subconsciously annoyed if they are “forced” to think about things that may be a bit unclear or somehow ambiguous.
geez … I think that means we’re in for spot o’ trouble here and there, because it seems clear and unambiguous that human, environmental, political and other large-sclae issues aren’t likely to get less complex any time soon.
From Doc’s blog:
Frank Leahy: The 7-11-ification of Politics In America.
And the same thing has happened to American politics. The same two chains — Republicans and Democrats — are the only two stores in town. There¹s no longer a place to have a conversation about what matters in America. All the real conversations have been relegated to the far back corner, if you can even find them at all.
And what makes it worse is that the two parties aren¹t really interested in conversations, they¹re only interested in messages. Why are there no major newspapers or other media outlets that will present anything but the message of the day? Why is there no way in America to talk about the corporatification of America? No way to ask why health care isn¹t a right instead of a privilege? No way to suggest that maybe locking up people for using drugs might not be the best use of our money or their talents? No way to wonder why teachers are paid less than prison guards, or to do anything about it?
No, all the conversations are full of the same empty calories that you buy at the local village shop. There is no place for meat and vegetables in the national conversation.
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