European opinion about American parties

My European opinion of American parties is that they're both rather bad, but that is due to the way their political system is set up, inevitably leading to two big-tent parties. There are certain parts of the GOP that, if they were their own party, would be rather nice.

 

I think politics in the US and Europe (certainly the UK) have a lot more in common than many people are really willing to accept. The UK has the same issue with the mainstream parties being very similar at the core and the few differences and exaggerated and spun to try to win votes. There are certainly fundamental differences between the political class as a whole in the UK compared to the US (though I don't like the terms "left" and "right" because they mean very different thing to different people - an example of those differences) but even there I think we have a lot in common to. While some of the things we read about US politics seem alien to us but there are plenty of reports where, just changing the names and places, you could believe happened here instead.

I do think there is more benefit for all of us in recognising and acknowledging our similarities rather than obsessing over our differences. Of course, all of the politicians and their politicos tend work towards the exact opposite, domestically and internationally.

 

To be fair, European politics is less likely to have massive impact much beyond the borders of Europe. The US government has much greater international reach. A terrible European government is unlikely to make a missive difference to you. A terrible US government could, in extremis, literally destroy the world.

 

Europeans are generally ignorant about American politics. They only get what's fed to them in the news media, and we all know how accurate that is.

 

you do have a point sort of. We do have to ignore little things like your ancestors slaughter of people across the Americas and other colonial areas. we do have to ignore other Europeans penchant for mass graves and gas chambers. we do have to ignore politicians like chamberlain who allowed hitlers slaughter. come back when you learn a bit about your history. Like Eisenhower said Europeans love war,

 

Very good. What is that saying about those who ignore history being destined to repeat it...? Perhaps America should have taken note of Mr.Santayana's wisdom. Just sayin'

 

Just to clarify: I never said American politics sucks or starting catchphrase is correct.

In continental Europe "left party" means a socialist or communist party. Looking to America an European doesn't find Marxist parties and he thinks there are not a left party in US. I was inquiring to know your position as American people about this.

 

I agree. We should have ignored the effed up mess European colonialism created.

 

You'll get no argument from me in that respect.

 

I think most Europeans confuse the nature of our political system with the nature of our parties. The parliamentary system means vast sweeping changes are far easier both to start and to maintain than here in America.

 

There is no real left in the US.

Plenty of inane drivel about Marxists in the WH, though, which is certainly amusing.

 

Accurate

 

I think that's probably the only conclusion people in Europe could come to. Because it's all relative. From the American perspective, Europe has no right wing. They only have left and further left. For example, their "right wing extremists" would still be leftists over here. Because all of their white nationalists are still socialists. And the only socialists in America are Democrats. Since the American right is built on individualism. Which is also why the concept of racial identity politics is still a leftist position to begin with. Because it fits more with the Democrat meme of dividing people into groups and judging them on collective skin color rather than the conservative idea of a Martin Luther King society where everyone is judged on individual content of character.

^People like you guys don't actually realize how extremist you truly are. And that's the problem.

 

Odd, this thread itself contains the word 'American'. And here you are chiming in.

See, I was discussing threads with American topics that foreigners - like you - stick your nose in. Arrogantly. Now hit those anti-US books again; you need more tuning.

 

I think it's kinda true. The extremists on each side of our parties make it hard for regular Americans to see the truth. President Obama is the same guy as President Bush. Same President. The left HATES Bush, and worships the ground Obama walks on.

The sad part is, there are extremists like this, and they won't go away. They will only vote party, as it shows with Hillary.

The truth is, both parties are the same.

 

Adorable gun&bible guy

 

LOL, who cares what the European's think about America's domestic politics.

I'll bet the European masses couldn't name the leaders of the House and Senate, couldn't name 3 top issues in American politics, and couldn't even name 3 domestic policies that their hero obama has taken in the past 6 years.

The real question is why would anyone ever care what Europeans think of American political parties?

 

What's the difference from their "Allah akbar" and your "America akbar"?

 

I had to search deep into Google to find an answer to this incredibly intellectually challenging question, but...success!

One is what Islamists scream before they commit genocide, and the other is something a foreign liberal dreamed up in a vain attempt to make a silly point.

 

You became a target when you hypocritically responded to the comments of Right is the way. All he said was that he does not care what Europeans think of our parties just like he does not care about European's political parties.

In direct response to that - a poster I doubt you've had much of an interchange with - you called him arrogant; you called Americans arrogant. Then you gassed us with this clearly humble response above.

I think the one who is arrogant is quite clear. If you feel you can "comment on whatever the hell" you want to, but Right is the way is arrogant for explaining that he doesn't care what others think...

...how's that not make you arrogant as hell again? More importantly, how does that not make you a gigantic hypocrite?

 

uhm... no?

It always surprises me how critical Europeans are of the American system. They really misdiagnose the differences. The primary difference is when coalitions are formed. In Europe, you vote for your choice of sometimes over a dozen parties, and then when the voting is done those parties get together to form a ruling coalition. Here, we just establish the coalition before the election such that voters are ACTUALLY voting for which coalition which runs the government.

 

That's a different subject, but I'm sure Europeans are just as ignorant of American international concerns as they are of American domestic issues.

 

And which way of doing it is more democratic, as measured by reflecting the will of the people? Parties can announce before an election that they intend to form a coalition, and they often do, so the the voters know what coalition they will be voting for. In european systems, the people can directly choose how big each member of the coalition will be, in the american system they can not. They instead get to vote for a whole coalition-package, where the individual members of the coalition are given power that might not reflect their popularity with the people. The american system is less responsive to the popular will.

 

Coalition: when a number of parties with little to no ideas in common stick all together to form a greater party in order to win. And that's how we end up with great, useless, cumbersome parties, like giant monoliths unable to move.

 

Forming the coalition prior is more Democratic, because the individual parties form coalitions which often shift because the election results were different than what they expected. When you form the coalition prior, voters know prior to the election which package they'll be voting for.

And I really don't think the European system is more responsive to popular will. I'm sure you're well aware of the situation of the True Finns.