Wednesday, February 11, 2009

So, I'm confused

There is danger in listening to NPR. Why, just this morning (in between the long-ass pledge breaks they take) there was a story on the elections in Israel that made my head spin. It appears to me that Israel's government is a loose association of many many groups/parties/gangs that are invited by the party in power to join them in a coalition government. Some parties are not invited, some choose to opt out of accepting and invitation - these folks are called the 'opposition' and spend their time stweing in a corner someplace about how THEY could have been in the popular group if they wanted to, but think it's stupid and so 'herd mentality' that they're HAPPIER not being invited! What's even more curious about this form of government, aside from the fact that it simply reeks of high-school popularity contests, is that the President picks the party that will have the best chance of forming a new coalition, even if that party is not the one that got the most votes/seats in the parliament! So now, the leader of one party that now has 27 seats (of a total of 128) is likely to be asked to form a new government while the leader of the party that apparently got 28 seats will possibly not even be INVITED to be part of the government.

Begs the question: HOW THE HELL DOES ANYTHING EVER GET DONE??????

How do you know who is your ally and who is not? How can one have any real appreciation for good ol' party politics when there are so many enemies? The ideological bile-spewing must get a tad dilute what with there being so many folks at which one might aim.

(You're thinking of it, aren't you? You're picturing a ticked-off wonk spouting vile liquids, a la Linda Blair, all around the Knesset, the spray force diminishing little by little until at last there's nothing but a dribble of greenish fluid dripping off his chin, an impotent clammy spill of spittle. Yeah, I'm not thinking Arby's either.)

Makes me kind of glad we don't have a system like that. The possibilities for new political parties are as abundant as the amber waves of grain! The left would splinter, the right would fragment, new groups would arise from the bits and piecs of the old bastions of power, grabbing bits and pieces of whatever flotsam is available. The Hippie Party! Labor! The Green Party! The Birthday Party! Right to Death! Death to Rigth! Hamunahamuna! Where would the MADNESS END?

Noplace good, I'm thinking. Except if you're a bumper sticker maker. Then your work would be well and truly cut out for you, wouldn't it?

With that, I'll ask you: what political party would you start or join, if we radically changed the way American politics works?

Once you've answered, please turn in your papers face down on my desk, and have a wonderful day.

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