Just seems funny how we have so much "choice"...except for where it actually matters
I know the post is intended to be comical, just wanna say that more parties =/= more democracy.
Poland fact: after last elections, 17 political parties and 42 independents got to sejm (on 460 seats). But all of them represent the same option: neoliberalism.
Yeah, though not per se, what's forbidden is "propagating totalitarism*" and "calling and working for toppling the state system**". And what constitute totalitarism is undefined, so while nobody afaik went to jail and the KPP party theoretically still exist, everything communist even starting to show in public place is hounded with constant infinite lawsuits by chuds, and KPP is left with like 5 members and no activity. Even internet sites hosted in Poland are immediately lawfared. Oh and the court decision is always the same: communism isn't totalitarian and communist symbols are allowed. Until next lawsuit that it.
*It's also the reason that a very rare but still sometimes happening lawsuits against nazis are inevitably turning into utter farce, because yelling "Heil Hitler" and saluting is like one thing most Poles would agree is totalitarian, so they are going into incredible mental contortions to prove it was not that, some well known bangers include "Roman salute" and "ordering 5 beers".
**Revolution, you can't mention you would want revolution
Much in the same way 20+ brands of peanut butter on the shelf where the only major difference is the style of the label isn’t actual consumer choice.
Consumer choice is when you leave the decision of what's produced and how and where in the hands of the free market instead of democratic institutions and unions.
All the brands of peanut butter are basically the same, though, so actually they have a lot in common with our politics!
You can decide between creamy and crunchy, but it's both just peanut butter
Oops, just saw the other comment already said just that
The illusion of choice is really just choosing how much added sugar you want in your pb.
The blue party's selling point is that it's "just like the more popular red party America loves!" so in practice we have one "name brand" party in the GOP, and a generic brand version that doesn't even try to be an alternative.
This is no shit why people got so mad about covid masking requirements, I swear to god.
They gave up or were forced to give up any democratic will over domestic distribution and production or foreign affairs over the last half of the 20th century, but hey in exchange you'll get TV with 500 channels and 20 brands of peanut butter and a new restaurant opening every other week. And then it all started going away during covid (except TV I guess just exploded into streaming content), and people didn't get their democracy back and that impotent rage they felt was about the ignominy of wearing a mask and watching all the diners close down for good
The Patriot Act took some huge bites and we never got those back either.
We also still have the "temporary" baggage fees that were supposed to salve the "ailing" airline industry. So that was a lie...
Guess thats why the lockdown didnt have any effect on me im too poor to afford anything but basic survival anyway.
in china you can change the policy but you cant change the party, in america you can change the party but you cant change the policy
hope you don't mind me pasting in the reference
Li: At the moment, the Chinese the party state has proven an extraordinary ability to change. I mean, I make the joke: “in America you can change the political party, but you can’t change the policies. In China you cannot change the party, but you can change policies.” So, in the past 66 years, China has been run by one single party. Yet the political changes that have taken place in China in these past 66 years have been wider, and broader, and greater than probably any other major country in modern memory.
Pilger: So in that time China ceased to be communist. Is that what you’re saying?
Li: Well, China is a market economy, and it’s a vibrant market economy. But it is not a capitalist country. Here’s why: there’s no way a group of billionaires could control the Politburo as billionaires control American policy-making. So in China you have a vibrant market economy, but capital does not rise above political authority. Capital does not have enshrined rights. In America, capital — the interests of capital and capital itself — has risen above the American nation. The political authority cannot check the power of capital. That’s why America is a capitalist country, and China is not.
from https://redsails.org/china-has-billionaires/
I like to phrase it this way. In America the market is a wild animal. A coyote that is opportunistic and feral. In China is is domesticated. A dog that is kept leashed. And should it become feral it will be put down.
In communist China, YOU change policy
In capitalist America, policy change YOU!
You can also get it mixed with chocolate now! Yaay freedom 🙃
But that is just wasting your vote. You can't do that now when we're making the most important sandwich in our lifetime!
Don't force me to choose grape for my jelly! If I can't choose strawberry or raspberry or something I'll... make a club sandwich instead idk
Setting up a peanut butter brand aint that hard
You have always had more active wars than political parties
Well your solution to that is to have only one party TANKIE.
