The world is flat.
Thomas L. Friedman wrote the book, over a decade ago.
The Internet explosion and outsourcing have brought us into instantaneous connection with everything that can carry a signal. Provided we sustain electronic linkage, we can now communicate with virtually everyone – about anything – and provide goods and services for anyone from anywhere.
I can remember when one had to drive to a local library, navigate the research department catalogue, and sit for hours copying columns of material just to prove one historical point. Now, one smart phone and about twelve minutes can accomplish the same task – and, save all relevant documents into a virtual folder.
In the United States alone, I’m sure there are scholars who can provide enough data to support Friedman’s thesis. But, let’s consider the political realm, in this context.
Based in the last couple political campaigns, the internet has proved itself responsible for the rise of Bernie Sanders and the election of Donald J. Trump. Social media has become the first avenue for publicity. We don’t even need graphic designers, anymore (and, I was one); banners and yard signs can be self produced, using available software, and picked up at the nearest print outlet.
Instant access; equally swift information transmission. Do we even need to be present, to win?
Now, consider how we might review the political platform of a potential political candidate. Said hopeful creates a website, and lists his/her political views, point by point. Televised ads would be retained, albeit many of them viewed via smart phones. Door to door campaigns would still carry significant local weight, but these would no longer require anything but prior familiarity with a candidate’s position on all the issues.
So, how do we place value on political party? Primarily, citizens align on platform – a set of commitments to action which follow a certain ideology. Fiscal conservation. Equal rights, for women and minorities. Federal programs. Single payer health. Flat tax. Retirement options. Self-employed business ownership. Industry. Agriculture. The environment, and its protection. Fuel and power sourcing. Medical services. Insurance coverage, for home, auto, and equipment. Military defense. Employment opportunities.
But, why do any of these issues require party delineation? Can’t each be addressed, per its degree of relevance to the citizen? Is this populism? Well, why not?
The branches of government as vehicles would not have to be party dependent, either. Is there really a philosophy governing what has historically been defined as Democratic or Republican, anymore? I can’t even list how many op eds have been written about the evolution of party ideologies, and almost all address a direction which moves away from their original intent. It’s as if each is enduring the pull to divide, like a human cell.
Why not just consider all issues across a scale – left; center; right?
By working merely from such a scale, we would have a clearer perception of needs vs wants, and might more easily dispense with entrenched, outmoded thinking.
I am certain that sociologists would concur, on one point: the class system is the principal offender, here. Those who are defiantly party aligned are usually class conscious. And, this mentality is inherently divisive.
I fully expect to be bombarded by the resistant and the outraged. I’ll be called a simpleton. Have at me! Yet, I firmly believe that this is an idea whose time is coming. Please, be open. We cannot continue as we have been, with partisan gridlock tripping every step we attempt to take and, worse, resorting to suppression of the truth.
Institutionalized thinking is the bane of progress. Most importantly, morality has become subject to the interests of partisan politics – and, that is the foreboding harbinger.
“Government by, and for, the people.”
First.
It’s our national call, in our world.
.
.
.
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© 10/11/18 Ruth Ann Scanzillo.
littlebarefeetblog.com
littlebarefeetblog 
Interesting concept, but who’s going to go first? I’m sure Trump would be delighted if Democrats offered to fall on their collective swords, but then who would he hold up as the enemy? (other than the usual suspects, lazy, greedy, useless etc) I think this populism hopes to simplify everything but is more liable to replace a system which is in fact difficult but highly evolved with something even more barbaric and miserable.
Globalisation from the the humanist / christian perspective ought to bring about more equality and fairness across the world not just pain and misery as reported – for ex – there was some guy on TV the other week said the stats show everything is fine and getting better, just the media isn’t interested in boring slow progress stories!
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OF? I wrote the piece. You agree with those who would call me the simplistic simpleton, eh? 😉 😀 It’s okay. I expected at least one to invoke that kind of label, but barbaric? I agree that it smacks of a globalist’s position, but in reality I was hoping for a consideration between those who live on our shores. Unless you live in the US, I’m not sure you can know how women are feeling, right now, about the men in power and those who cowtow to them. It’s pretty dastardly. Really. I mean, a Supreme Court Justice was just installed without ever having been investigated properly, after serious allegations of sexual impropriety BY SEVERAL were made against him. A Supreme Court Justice! Where is the moral component? It seems to have evaporated, displaced by party politics. The GOP was desperate to tip the scales in their own favor. So much for a government “by …and, for….the people.” My God.
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We have a similar system here, top judges aren’t the sort of guys you meet in the bars or the street – there’s always been stories about how perverse they are, weirdo privately educated misfits with no real idea of what makes the people they judge and rule over “tick” – but I agree, Kavanaugh is so partisan its a disgrace he got the top job, an insult to the general public!
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p.s. the DOW tanked over 1000 pts in the past 2 days.
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Oh, I wasn’t arguing that Trump is fine, no problemo, not at all, he is the problem – I think the Democrats were too, and thats where politics is going wrong, but I’d have voted for them just the same, (Democrats lesser of 2 evils)
We had the same cycle here, Tony Blair restructured the Labour party to make it more votable, took the middle ground, at first everyone was jubilant, but then they got miserable with Labour seeming to be not like good old labour, he even re-branded the party “New Labour” like a washing powder or something!
Right now we are in a position where the left has gone back to being far left, and the right is far right, all for the sake of appearances.
Truth is, politics has little power to change things, the globalisation thing wasn’t a political dream come true, merely the evolution of business, better transport & trade links and the internet and so on, countries are coming together more than ever, what the guy on TV was saying was we don’t need Trump, or the new right, we aren’t in crisis, its all overblown manipulation whats going on today. The stats about things getting better were relating to how the 3rd world is improving, slowly via better trade and so forth. I wish I could find the guys spiel, he’s a Havard guy, motivational speaker, I got the impression he was anti-Trump, he certainly didn’t praise him, it was all about how populism isn’t the answer.
I feel that there’s so much cash in the world, and now that cash is moving away from us and towards poorer developing countries – we are still far richer, so we can hardly say our countries are screwed – hence, no need for Trump et al, but of course ordinary people aren’t experiencing it that way, they want jobs to come back, and wages etc, and he offers that, can it last? I doubt it, what we really need is governments that manage our national situation better, people feel that labour / democrats failed, so they vote in the bigger devils! Argh! Drives me mad, but what can we do? Things are so bad here now, we need a far left government to come in and redress the balance, but its going to be painful, and there was no need, but thats democracy, we’re stuck with that!
I’m rambling, I don’t know the answers, the Havard guy on tv was talking about how over the last 30 yrs or so, poverty, disease, starvation etc figures are getting better, and thats how we should look at progress – instead what we did was get them to make our TVs and clothes on the cheap, now the jobs have gone, we want to take it all back! Thats not fair or nice!
As for Kavanaugh, he ought to be destroyed, but we all know the establishment would sooner kill half of us than one of their own – thats how its always been here anyhow!
I’m sorry if I sounded like I thought you were turning Trump! I never suspected that, but he is changing the debate, who could have guessed a moron could achieve that? What seems crafty is really only the workings of a monstrous idiot! Frightening! ❤ ❤
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P.P.S. Just edited, to expand. Perhaps you’ll have a moment? Thnx, OF ❤
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I wasn’t explaining myself very well last night, perhaps because it was late and I’d had a couple of drinks – but the long and short of it is – I don’t think we need all this upheaval in the first place, sure the judges are corrupt and out of touch! They always have been – those are the sort of people the upper establishment want to keep us all under control – we need to change that, bit by bit, or else via bloody revolution (viva!) 🙂 But really, slow change is much safer, Trump is obviously going in the opposite direction, the bite back when it comes is going to have to be more aggressive to counteract his efforts – politics! Its a cold subject, always about how they’re going to make this or that better, but they never talk about how many they are going to neglect or kill – its all about the stats baby! ❤ XO
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You surely have made the salient points, today, and last night, OF. One (and, possibly the only) benefit of alcohol, studies show, is a temporary increase in abstract thinking/reasoning….anyways: I’m just trying to use my pre-frontal cortex before it shrinks to a size more similar to my 528 Neanderthal DNA variants…..sigh…..it’s true that there are many with a deeper understanding than I possess (the high school counselor overlooked Western Civilization/Civics when he let me graduate, so I am woefully behind.) Nevertheless, maybe there will be somebody who gleans a morsel or two from my ruminations. A local actuary friend “actually” agrees with the no party idea, so at least one sound mind I know personally does support my theory. It’s also true that extreme ideas which require major restructuring do not take shape overnight, but it’s my contention that, if enough of us sound the bell, those who seek power might absorb some of it and begin the arduous process. AND, WHY? Because, to my observations, partisanship has reached critical mass. There is viciousness, open hostility, underhanded sabotage and, possibly worse, WASTED TIME spent arguing party position instead of stepping back and really viewing the national conversation and its actual, real participants…….In short, I see party politics as bringing out the ugly – in everyone!!! The one, near tragedy of the Trump administration is that history may show it as a step BACKWARD. In the short term, saving jobs (coal/steel); in the long term, retrenched dependence on fossil fuels. And, that is just one point! And, if you lived on our continent, you would really note the threat to our environment.
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Oh I wouldn’t worry too much, my mum is 85 and still as bright as a button!
On the actual “no party” issue, (sorry I went off on a bit of a separate track) well, they say that the party system is great because it gets things done – but then over in Germany, I’m told their system is much less party dominated, and thy seem to do alright, better than us mostly! I think the only reason our countries are supposed to be so much better is all just bluster and hype / propaganda of the most insular sort!
Its a terrible shame what they do to the environment, here every inch has been developed at some point, even the wild & beautiful moors they tell me were s badly polluted in the industrial revolution with acid rain, its why they are the scrubland they are today! Awful, yet still more beautiful than the city of Manchester, concreted over by humans! 😮 XX
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So glad your mum is a spark! Treasure every moment, with that woman. Celebrate them all. The final years diminish, precipitously, and the regrets encroach.
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I found the humanist guy I was talking about! He’s called Steven Pnker, (n ozzy, not from the USA as I previously stated) here’s the link to what I saw on tv 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIeyVYqzIZE
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