Re: dumbass democrats. (this guy at least.)
Thesightless:
In Holland its exactly the same and i think pretty much anywhere on the world. People are in general too retarded with voting. In Holland we nowadays have a government that fucks up all over again...and really costs the taxpayers a shitload of money. So people are angry on the government.
I would think that if you are satisfied by the ruling government you vote for one of the leading parties then, if not vote for something completely else. And in Holland there is at least some variety. So there more to choose than out of two 'evils' like in the US.
But somehow people dont get that cause they all buy the shit. For instance if you have money you should vote the VVD, the rightwingers to sorta say. In general they are for less strict rules on coorperations etc and for a tax reduction on the interest of mortgages. But if you look what kind of cutt backs they have made the past few years being in the government i wonder if voting for them saves you money as a more wealthy bloke. Yet they will always draw alot of those 'money'-voters even though the reason people are now losing money in their pocket is actualy also their fault.
So thats for the rightwing conservative moneyhaving voters. They will mostly stick to their VVD party. Onto the middel parties, the left side and the right sid eof the middle. They suck up usually the most voters in Holland. It even seems like if the one doesnt seem satisfying anymore they vote the next time for the other. The difference may have been big in the past because the PvdA was a real workersparty and the CDA a christian more conservative party. But the difference nowadays have become IN FACT very fractional although especially the PvdA as opposition party seems still to point out much at the older differences.
So what you get is this. Now we have the CDA, which because of so much old people having still the old voting habits draws all the 50+ religious voting people to their party. And some not specifically well-payed workers vote always for the PvdA. Means they always have at worst a voting core that ensures them to become at least the 4th largest party in Holland. The rest of their voters are floaters between either one of the two mostly. Which in fact doesnt always make that much of a difference in the end.
And what those people dont see is that now...while in the polls for the elections next year the opposition party of the PvdA is the largest one and the CDA loses bigtime that the PvdA is already making friends with the CDA to form the next coalition. Even though the polls show a majority for three left wing parties...which the PvdA was much in the past and where they still get most of their voters from...
And there is where the polictical situation indeed seems institutionalized in Holland as well. The PvdA is prolly not willing to jeopardize their reputation with going into the sea with two unexperienced left wing parties..which some people think would become a disaster. So in fact they go for the safe old 'friends' the CDA with whom they have played ball many times. And this outplays a real democracy.
In my opinion for the next elections its very stupid to vote CDA and VVD if you are unsatisfied and not very wise to vote PvdA as well. But no people fear voting too much leftwing...cause oh my dear if they become in charge they turn it into a disaster, consuming too much tax money and making the sate be a bit communistic. And on the other hand voting a bit more rightwing than the VVD is not considered to be acceptable either although lots of people are dissatisfied by immigrants in our country. Too right is always nazilike... i must admit its a thin line, but there's a difference between addressing problems and being a nazi. Look at Pim Fortuyn, he was even mild with some of the things other people from parties like the VVD and CDA have said about the problems after his dead.
but somehow people stick to too safe voting... And it doesnt change a goddamned thing in the country on the long run if we keep allowing governments with only CDA, PvdA and VVD. Why wouldnt we allow other parties a chance either for 4 years. Maybe they turn out to be quite right...if not 4 years later you can always vote something completely else. But this doesnt get through the heads of people. They dont see they are supporting a system which creates a new elite and lots of corruption. Debates that are no longer about the issues but about keeping friends (PvdA supporting sending additional troops into Afghanistan, which at first they were against---keeping the CDA a friend)
Or think of the law for a mayor being chosen by the population of a city. This was a law designed by small party. They wanted to join the coaltion to create just a majority only if this law would go through. CDA and VVD promised and the law got through the parliament (Second Chamber). But in Holland the Senate (First Chamber) has to approve it as well. And this time it was shot off, making the role of that small party utter ridiculous (they were being used) but most of all it kept a system going on in which the parties decide pretty much who they gonna install as a mayor somewhere. Being mayor is a sort of donated job for proven services in the past....Now hows that for corruption. Pretty much most mayors havent spend a day in the city they are going to lead before they were chose to become mayor there. So they have no actual band with the city....
Its just dumb ass institutionalized shit and about 80% of the people is too dumb to vote with consideration.