Do those in power at the Federal level, Executive, Legislative & Judicial Branches, regardless of party, desire to keep the public bickering over labels such as Republican, Democrat, Liberal & Conservative, just so they don't have to do anything for "we the people"? Discuss.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma Replace "cooperate" with compromise and replace "defect" with advocate extreme positions and you have your answer. If a minority refuses to compromise and moves away from the middle, the only effective strategy is to do the same thing.
Yeah, the prisoners' dilemma clear up nicely why the world is such a mess. Why don't the masses rise up for the common good? Because we're all out to get ours. Isn't it possible to vote in more taxes for our future wellbeing? Yeah, but the companies already get tax breaks, they should get hit first. In the world of give and take, take wins.
Even though the country is becoming more of a moderate mindset, which relfects the fairness and open-mindedness of people, the problem with being in the middle is that both sides attack you as being in bed with the other side and not making up your mind. This is classic liberal/conservatice group think.
Since the major political parties have become the same basic, left-of-center statist groups, it serves them well to set the debate. It serves incumbent politicians well to highlight their differences and create controversy when the bulk of their views are oppressive to the populace as a whole.
The Purple Political Platform says 2+2 = 6, and we love America. The Pink Political Platform says 2+2 = 4, and we love America. Therefore, the moderates decide to find the middle ground and say 2 + 2 = 5, and everyone's happy.
Bush and Rove very deliberately went about polarizing the country as hadn't been many decades, then exploited it. D&D. Impeach Bush and Cheney.
