The Path Forward for Progressive Politics

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > The Path Forward for Progressive Politics

Cerebral Bore: Apr 21, 2010; Fun Shoe

The literal point of the "checks and balances" in the US constitution was to make it impossible for the popular will to seriously threaten the interests of the upper classes and that anybody is still holding that poo poo up as some kind of gold standard is farcical.

# ¿ Dec 26, 2019 15:46

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 17:30

Cerebral Bore: Apr 21, 2010; Fun Shoe

UnknownTarget posted:

https://germanystructuralanalysis.weebly.com/government.html

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/unitedstates/en/eu-us-relations/us-and-eu-branches-of-government

Are you guys here to discuss the path forward for progressive politics or what? Why are we re-debating basic poo poo from the past? I'm all for challenging the status quo but most of the naysayers in this thread are either wrapped up in naivete or just grumpy do-nothings who have an axe to grind.

Propose some ideas you dialectic featherweights.

I see that being an intellectual heavyweight in your world means posting poo poo about Germany and the EU when we're talking about the US constitution. I suppose one could also point out that plenty of western countries don't actually have a formal separation of powers and still manage to do better than the good ol' USA, but I guess that would be lightweight stuff since it's actually relevant to the discussion.

It's also extremely funny to see the same people who are literally arguing that there must be an elite to control the rabble accusing others of being offputting or naive. I'm sure that your average voter will just flock to you once you explain to them that they just have to be ruled by their betters.

# ¿ Dec 26, 2019 16:28

Cerebral Bore: Apr 21, 2010; Fun Shoe

UnknownTarget posted:

Dialectic != intellectual.

Your point was that "anyone who holds up the separation of powers outlined in the US constitution as a gold standard is farcical". I merely posted two other examples of succesful democratic countries that have modeled their separation of powers on the US model. Ergo, I assume you think their approaches are also farcical?

You are either like OwlFancier, in that you cannot comprehend arguments, or you are being deliberately obtuse. The people in this thread (myself included) that have argued for a check on elites have simply stated that there will always be some sort of elite class. If they're torn down today, a different group will rise. For some reason, you take that to mean that we support the idea of being ruled by elites. I, personally, accept them as an inevitability of the human condition.

Now we are going to go into the traditional progressive circle jerk of infighting. Propose an idea instead. I dare you.

Dude, Germany doesn't follow the US model of separation of powers. They have a parliamentary system, i.e. the executive is elected by the legislature and is dependent on the continuing support of the legislature to stay in power. This is the most basic of common knowledge. And the EU isn't even a loving country.

Also, generally speaking, given the utter ignorance on display here you don't get to make demands on anyone.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2019 16:15

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > The Path Forward for Progressive Politics