Reply #20: dysfunctionality of the two party system predates meda conglomeration [View All]

Festivito wrote: "It's not a 2-party system problem, it's a bought-out media problem."

I think the dysfunctionality of the two party system predates the the trend toward media conglomeration. Therefore I suspect that all the media reforms in the world will not have much of an effect on real political reform. There's also a bit of a chicken and egg process going on here. The media is also market driven so if there's a real constituency for political reform, the media provides a feedback loop... and vice versa.

Festivito "Getting rid of the 2 party system is easier than repealing the law of gravity, but, not as hard as stopping all bank robberies."

You might be correct... too bad that bit of wisdom doesn't fit on a bumper sticker

Festivito "Kerry's gambit might had worked if not for the medium of church-goer-communications. And, a lack of fair/honest news media that makes such subterfuge look good."

Or Kerry ran a terrible campaign. Some will blame everyone but the Democrats or Kerry for this loss... but the only reason I voted Kerry was to get rid of Bush. That's not much of an endorsement. I'm from Mass and haven't voted for him as Senator since he supported NAFTA.

Festivito: "You can't change the world if you can't change yourself."

But it's the very nature of most ideoligies... the filters see the world though to be self-justifying and thus self-perpetuating. Unless we understand this and can find ways to promote self-correcting ideologies... then social change is highly unlikely. I think the way is to get people to begin discussions of core values and let their contradictions reveal themselves.