There exist, among people of any new political ideology, who support the existence of their "Ideology" Party, two quite different views as to its purpose. According to one, the party exists to gain political power by winning elections; it differs from other parties only in wishing to use that power to implement its particular ideology about the role of government. This seems to be the dominant view at party conventions, at least the ones I have attended. While I have not yet heard a presidential nominee predict victory, several have given the impression that it is only a few elections away. One difficulty with this strategy is that it may be inconsistent with the internal dynamic of political parties. Before asking whether a new party can win elections, one should first ask why the "Ideology" Party represents the ideology and under what circumstances it will continue to represents the ideology. A party is not a person. It does not have beliefs; it cannot be persuaded by philosophical arguments. To say that a party holds certain views is an abbreviated way of describing the outcome of the internal political processes of that party the processes that determine what positions are published as the party's platform and, often more important, what positions are pushed by the party's candidates and acted upon if they gain office. An ideological person should reject the idea that a party that happens to be named after their ideology will automatically continue to advance the same ideological positions. To understand what either a government or a political party will do we ought to start by assuming that the individuals within the organization rationally pursue their own ends (selfish or otherwise) and then try to predict from that assumption how the organization will act. A political party, in order to campaign or even to exist, requires resources. It gets them in two different ways. It receives donations of money and labour from people who want it to succeed because they support its ideology; when a party first starts, that may be all it has. But once it becomes large enough to win, or at least affect, elections, a party also acquires political assets with a substantial market value. The political game is played for control over the collection and expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Even a relatively weak player in that gamea party, let us say, that gets five or ten percent of the votes in a national election and holds a few seats in Congresshas favours to dispense worth quite a lot of money. A political party is driven by two objectives. It wishes to proclaim positions and take actions that appeal to its ideological supporters. But it also wishes to attract as many votes as possible, in order to maximize its political assets, and having attracted these votes it wishes to act in such a way as to maximise its (long-run) income. On some issues these objectives may prove to be consistent. On others they will not. When I say that a party "wishes" something, I am again employing a convenient abbreviation. Consider a small ideological party. Initially, all it has to offer to potential workers, officers, or candidates is the opportunity to achieve their ideological objectives. As long as that is true, its members, officers, and candidates continue to be people whose main objective is ideological, and the party continues to 'believe in' this ideology. Suppose the party begins to win elections. It occurs to some people that positions of power within the party may, in the long run, be worth quite a lot of money. Some of the people to whom this occurs may be nonideologicaland willing to proclaim any ideology they find convenient. Others may be vaguely of the same ideology, but with a greater commitment to their short-run private objectives than to their long-run public ones. What these people have in common is their willingness to make a profession of gaining power within the party. In the long run, in the struggle for power, professionals will beat amateurs. It is as certain as anything can be in politics that once a party achieves substantial political power it will eventually swing towards a policy in which ideology is a meansperhaps an important means but not an end. It will become a vote- and income-maximising party, taking positions dictated by its ideology when that seems the best way of getting votesor the volunteer labour and money it requires in order to get votesand taking actions inconsistent with its ideology when such actions yield the party a net profit, in votes or dollars. NB: This is essentially David Friedman's "Anarchist Politics: Concerning the Libertarian Party" but tweaked slightly to make it generic.
Alot small towns here sell really everything (sometimes plain ridiculous things) in order to not have to increase their tax now. Because elections are too close. Says it all about those policitians eh?
Tangentially related, looking at a different segment of the state - "the intellectuals", by Murray Rothbard.
Entitleists snip And a summary, his list: Read the article here: http://www.caseyresearch.com/cdd/the-age-of-entitlement These are the "politically untouchable", the interest groups that serve their own purpose and with whom a plethora of political parties curry favour in order to get in and maintain control.
Poor bugger across the street on some form of welfare, early 30's. Can only afford to eat out 5 times a week (well, to be truthful we're only open 5 days a week). Today it was the rump for $22, yesterday the fettuccine with pesto chicken for $17, Friday it was only a BLT with a can of coke. Fettuccine carbonara for $17 on Thurs. Poor censored. Probably lives below the poverty line. Fkn disgraceful. Forced to use his welfare payments to dine out. :|
No veges or salad with that rump either. "Fkn rabbit food" managed to wean him off well done at least, now it's med/well.
Ironic really. My taxes pay his welfare payment. He takes his welfare payment and gives probably a third back to us, we then give 10% of that back to the government, keep some and give the government some of that as income tax etc. The government then takes that money and sends it back to him and the whole cycle repeats itself. And................he's on a store fkn credit!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: It's the end of the week, last shift
