19-11-2014, 11:05 AM
Drew Phipps Wrote:I'm gonna take issue with your use of the term "moral weakness." Far as I can see, Obama has been one of the most "moral" presidents I've ever seen. Certainly he has a better track record on "morality" than Clinton and GW.
Ineffective, yes. I see that more as a sign that democrats are losing core voters, because the democrats have shifted to the far left on issues such as gay rights and gun laws. Individual democrats are faced with the unattractive alternative of either losing financial support (which is unlikely to come from their constituents), or alienating their voting constituents. The Republicans were shocked when they didn't beat Obama in 2012 for the same reason, their "out-righting" each other cost them votes.
I doubt the ideologues in either party can see this basic truth.
Until a political party adopts moderation instead of extremism, the safest bet for American voters is to make sure that both Congress and the President are of different parties, partially hamstrung by having to oppose each other.
I'm happy with moral weakness, Drew. He clearly doesn't agree with the neocon agenda (as far as I can see, anyway) and yet won't block it or fight it, but sits by while they commandeer his foreign policy. For me that's a moral weakness and a character flaw which informs me of how ethically weak he really is.
As for the safest bet for Americans, I would argue that their best bet is to boycott all political parties and voting. Period. The whole system is a complete sham; a shadow play where the only citizens who have any clout or meaningful influence, are those with wealth and power - where their dollars work for them. For the rest of us our dollars are commandeered through the tax system and embezzled on a grand scale. Being in "public service" translates, for me, as willingly participating in a cloaked exercise in grand larceny.
Taking part in elections - especially national elections, is simply placing a bet on a fixed roulette table and worse, plays into the belief that your vote ultimately matters. Your vote only matters (extremely limited even so) for that one second it takes to mark the ballot paper or press the button. After that you don't count at all until the next time a vote comes around.
A curse on the houses of all political parties and the system as it is currently configured.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14