Break up the parties

It's time for us to get rid of the Republicans and Democrats.

I don't mean replace them with more of the same with a different name. No. I mean we need to get rid of our two-party system and bring in a true multi-party system. Break the tea party off. Break the Christian Right off (though they probably align with the Tea party.) Have the more centrist-leaning of each party break off and form their own (or join together.) Get a Green party. Get a Caduccial party - one that focuses on all aspects of medicine, from education (general) to medical schools, drug testing and the business inside, and administration of hospitals.

Really, we need a true multiparty system, one that will eliminate party-line votes (or blocking of votes) from tying down the government. One that forces coalitions to be made and broken. One that's more fine-grained than what our current system has turned into.

While we're there, revise (or rather introduce) term limits. No more career politicians - you're in office for up to 6-10 years (depending on house or senate) total. No more ted kennedys, no matter what good he may have done. We don't need people being fixtures any more than we need the staid parties.

And when the coalition governments have been formed - let those parties choose the president, with the vice president being the second highest number of votes regardless of party. And when sworn in, they have to renounce their parties. Let them stay for seven years, one term, and then exit.

Seriously - overhaul our system.

Republicans and the "American People."

I've got to wonder about the Republicans. Namely when we'll get some sane ones back.

They've just walked out on budget negotiations. They insist (with that "ready for more elections!" vibe) that (a) they just need to get more things done and (b) Democrats insist on "raising taxes on the American people."

I wonder when we'll get some that realize "The American people" includes more than their rich contributors. You know... the same ones they've kept giving tax breaks to. The ones they protect while doing things like cutting the educational budget and attacking the social programs the non-rich at times rely on. (I'm fortunate that I don't, right now. I have a great job that looks steady for the forseeable future.)

I'm not sure which makes me more sick - the Republicans refusing to see that a budget includes money coming *in* (and insisting they just need to cut more programs - they're on the warpath against any social programs) or so many of the people voting for them not seeing that they're *not doing what's best for them.* Are we truly that unaware, swayed by fearmongering advertising?

If it weren't for the train wreck it would cause, I'd almost suggest the democrats step down and *let* the Republicans go wild - just rubberstamp everything. Eight years later (assuming we still have elections,) they can step back up and say "Now, about those social programs, education and the like - don't you wish you'd actually paid attention?" Of course, that assumes the rich masters allow their serfs to watch TV or learn to read.

Hell

So. The history channel has, for some reason, a bit on hell. And they have some preacher (recorded) talking to his congregation saying "There's a real place called hell, every one of you deserves to be in it!"

And the congregation cheers.

If you will excuse the expression, what the hell?

First, no, I don't believe in hell. I think quite frankly religion in general is just something for people who have no scientific understanding to try to figure out the world around them, including scaring people into behaving. I'll take science over "Listen to me or you'll burn forever!" any day.

I think it's a ridiculous proposition that "If you don't believe what I say is right, you're burning forever. What did you do to deserve it? YOU EXIST!" If that's the way of your belief, your god - I want nothing to do with that utterly irrational, vindictive, jealous being. And to me, it's worse with those who believe in predestination - "No matter what you do, if I decide not to save you, it doesn't matter how good you were in life, how much better you made life for everyone around you, sacrificed your things for other people - you get to burn and be tortured for eternity!" Really. Yeeahh... right.

But why would people cheer when they're told THEY deserve to be there? I mean, walk up to a crowd and say "You all deserve to have me kick you in the nuts!" Think they'd cheer, or run you out of town?

Frankly... it sounds insane.

I don't have a problem, for what it's worth, with people getting some degree of comfort from a "something higher." If that's your thing, fine - but do you *really* think it all makes sense? Have you really thought it through?

I don't like the Tea Party.

That's pretty blunt. I don't like the "Tea Party Movement." But I have huge hopes for it, even as I support our president and hope he weathers the oncoming storm.

See, the biggest problem with the Tea Party Movement is that - well, it's not a party. And no, I don't mean paper hats, noisemakers and drinks, I do mean this in the political sense. The tea party movement is summed up in two words - "We're mad."

Well, that's great. Discontent - something rather solidly American - drives change, if you want to do the work, if your politicians listen and do their jobs. But the tea party movement isn't any more defined than that - they're just mad about *everything.* Some over things that are patently false (Obama "not being american," policies that are more conservative than Nixon and that the Republicans offered a decade ago being "socialist" and the like,) some are just foolish ("Throw the bums out" being a rallying cry against incumbents,) and even internally, there's just no agreement. Find something to get a bunch mad and point them -

They're being a herd, and they're being used. And they're not, in their current form, good for the country.

However, that's also a hope for me for them, because our current parties are the *same way.* Less than a generation ago, we had political discourse. Yes, we had Democrats and Republicans - we had conservative, moderate, and liberals in both parties, though. They could work together far better than they seem to now - when it seems the only thing that's going to happen are party-line votes and mudslinging. (Yes, I realize that happens in politics, in many cases defines it, but it seems more entrenched now.)

My hope for the tea party? That they manage to shatter the parties. That we get a range of people - or better yet, actually get a viable third, or fourth, party out there, made of those broken away from the monoliths of Democrat and Republican. Those that would *have* to be worked with, those that would prevent "We're just going to say no to everything" from locking down government.

It needs to happen. Two parties, as long as we've had them, are dangerous. When they calcify, nothing gets done. We need a third... and while the Tea Party Movement isn't a party, maybe they can organize their anger enough to light a fire under those who *can* form a viable, long lasting party that can be taken seriously.

Note, I know there are "other parties," but really, when they don't even form a blip on the radar...

Dear EA Games

I hate what you did to C&C4.

No, this isn't dislike. This is actual hate. I've tried to like the game. I've liked the series for years - C&C was far superior to Warcraft. C&C2... eh. C&C3 rocked, and C&C4 - crash, burn. (Similar to Red Alert - 1 and 2 were great. 3 sucks, *hard.*)

I'd like to know what the hell you were thinking. OK, you're run by someone who thinks games shouldn't be fun. Mission fucking accomplished. I'm really hoping someone makes a good C&C3 mod to tell a better ending story.

Let's see, what's wrong with C&C4?

1. New engine.

Ok. Yeah, it's "not like other RTS games." Congrats. So give it a new series, one that can die in a fire somewhere if it sucks. Don't do this massive change to an existing IP and ignore your playerbase when, in beta, they tell you "This is not fun." The whole "No base, pop cap, limited resource" thing? It's as non-C&C it might as well be X&X. It hurts gameplay, and it hurt the story.

2. "Always online."

I'm sorry, but I hate this. I want to go through the single player stuff on my own. Yes, I CAN pick solo - but I STILL need an internet connection (unless I hunt down a crack and risk viruses and the like,) STILL need to see a chat room full of people babbling in 1337 "u sux" "i pwnt u lulz" to each other. Of course, now those rooms are DEAD because, well, nobody wants to deal with the game. I just want to hop in, play the campaign, maybe a skirmish, and go on about my business.

Oh, it's an anti-piracy measure? Guess what this boneheaded, dumbass move is encouraging as people go to find cracks for it - either just to use the game, or in lieu of buying it AT ALL. (I bought it. I'm regretting it.)

3. Persistent XP and leveling.

Oh. My. God. Who the HELL thought this was a good idea? Especially when, frankly, you *need* the Tier3 stuff in the last mission to beat that damn bomber. Guess what. I haven't unlocked it. The other games? By the time you've gotten there, you've been introduced to all your units. You just have to build through your tech tree, live, and win. It might be a hard fight, but it's doable. Here? You're not rewarded for being clever, sneaking people over to take over a base, for instance. Nope, that costs you XP. So, at level 11 on the last mission? I have no idea what I need to unlock Tier3. I get to *grind.* I don't like grind in MMOs. I Sure as *fuck* don't like it in my C&C.

4. No bases.

Look, I get the whole "wanting to keep combat fluid." And I actually kind of like control points affecting the game. But having to wander around in this damn "crawler," trying to spit out the units I'll need, not being able to set up defenses if I'm nto the right "kind" or make a backup to affect production, or any of the hundreds of other things you can do with a base - including what you can do to the *enemy's* base, like capture it and use his own weapons against him - ugh. This sucks.

5. No Tiberium.

No harvesting - just picking up crystals that, for some reason, are delivered to a battlefield... what? One of the linchpins of the game story has been the overtaking of Earth by Tiberium crystals. The economic warfare is a big part of the gameplay. You're telling me everything's scoured clean? No, I'm not buying it.

I thought "co-commanders" were irritating in RA3. C&C4? Makes RA3 look like a jewel by comparison.

EA, just go out of business already. If this is your "plan" for games? You don't deserve to be in the industry.