Geir,
It has been fascinating for me to figure out why change has not come to the US yet, because the population at large is very dissatisfied with their government (not like regular dissatisfaction with politicians - substantial dissatisfaction). On top of that, there are so many injustices in this nation, clearly an upgrade to USA 2.0 should have been made decades ago.
First off, the US is an enormous nation. There are two neighbors and the USA does not take too many cues from them (or from the rest of the world). The system is such that Washington DC is not the most important political institution, but rather the States are. And at the State level, the cities and counties have a lot to say. Yes, Washington DC is very important, but particularly about the overall direction of the nation, while the local politicians make society as the locals like it. Folks are therefore happiest with their local politicians and least with the Federal politicians.
Those that do not like it in an area move to an area where they do like it. I don't use the word fascism lightly, and I hope you forgive me for pointing out one ideal of fascism and almost make it sound like a good thing, but in the US folks create their version of what they believe the US should be in their own location. At the local level therefore, close to all folks say that "We have it good here unlike the rest of the nation." There is a lot of finger pointing elsewhere within the US when you talk to folks and elsewhere is the reason why "We are happy to live here."
Television reports on everything that goes wrong elsewhere (and when something bad happens locally, folks say "I never thought this was possible here").
In school, folks learn about their history and only those with more means learn more history. Average Joe and Joan do not learn too much about history elsewhere, bits and pieces, no coherent storyline. The 20th century is the exception in which the US is the hero (and I agree there); folks do know the 20th century geopolitical struggles.
Within the culture there is this imported old-European sentiment of We are the Best. Where Europeans learned to shut up about how great they are (in the 20th century) because it doesn't make situations better, Americans still hold on to the nationalist agenda. Without any large neighbors around (just Canada and Mexico), no one has a good reason to not say that we are the best. There is no correction, is what I am trying to say. Group think rules in the US, and having just two parties does not break down this group think. Folks are simply not informed on a deeper level because one needs political clashes of the multi-party kind to get all the information above water.
On the news, a good number of the reports about politics are character reports. This reminds me much of one-party nations where folks are trying to read tea leaves. When I went to Canada and watched a political news show it was amazing how they did talk about the actual political issues; a contrast to the US political news shows where it can often be about a person's should-have and shouldn't-haves.
So, folks think they have all the freedom they want, but this is a severely warped freedom. Economically, folks can do much more than in most European nations (it is not as well regulated), and the uptick is a strong national character of not complaining and to just go and do it. The downside is that there isn't anyone to complain to, except if you are willing to make that your life's work. Militarily, the US also has a lot of freedom because this gentle giant can and does wield its large stick and as a foreign nation you don't want this to come down on you. Politically, there is the freedom to not vote for the party you hate the most. But there is no true political freedom here; all third parties are soup with one of the two ingredients being water and severe skimping on the other ingredient.
No third parties promote electoral change and that must be because all are not brainwashed as we understand the word, but brainwashed by information that is not the heart of the matter. The lack of actual and true information causes folks to storm the Capitol and then not knowing what to do because there is no leader there to tell them what to do (and so they ransack the place instead). Folks do not understand the setup. No one taught them the real big picture. So, they have this paper story in their minds about the big picture and they think it is the real big picture.
The US Constitution is the document that guides this nation. It talks about the Federal relationship with the states. That's basically it. Changing it is near impossible (except for single issues that become popular enough). There is an outlet possible toward changing the State and local level political setup, but the lower you get on the political totem pole, the happier folks get. So the angry focus people have is toward the top, the happier focus is toward the political bottom.
Fascism one more time, because it may sound like nothing but a fantastic benefit that everyone at their local level can recreate reality in their own ideals. But this is also where things go awry. The local level becomes a specific kind of society with dos and don'ts. Let me say that in general Statelings are warm-hearted people. I mean that. The average American is kind-hearted, good-natured. Yet group think at the local level can make situations dangerous for those folks not part of the specific local culture. That is another reason folks move; they are being pushed out (but must leave on their own accord) because there are greener pastures they fit in better.
Try organizing this nation toward change, and one has to overcome deeply ingrained division at the overall level, there is no cohesion in folks' minds; Washington is not their immediate concern. Go to one specific society and talk to folks about change then you'll hear "No, we are fine; we don't want our way of life changed."
Geir, I hope you see that European thinking does not apply to the US. Folks here are not dumber than Europeans, but the playing field where all socioeconomic and political contexts take place is wider here and deeper in Europe. Here, there is always the chance to move elsewhere, and that goes for political discussions as well. In Europe, one has bumped into other cultures and powers often and one has to duke or talk it out. True democracy is the result of that because the cookie crumbles in more than one way. Here, the cookie only crumbles once.
Lastly, there are no discussions in the US about the system. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Folks look for their leaders and their leaders are saying that the system is the best in the world. Of course, if I were one of the two political Machines, that is exactly -exactly- where I want my peeps to be.
