@lonelyowl13 @Mary625 @freemo If you ask my old cynical self, the truth is that we have one party with two color-coded wings: The Billionaires' Party.

Either that, or it's just a long series of amazing coincidences that they pretend to squabble and hate each other over wedge issues (that they deliberately inflame and leave in limbo)… but they form up like Voltron every time their bosses' "profits" are threatened or their bosses have found a new way to expand their thievery and graft. 😏

@MySideIsHumanity @Mary625 @freemo

I mean, united states isn't the only democratic country with questionable political system but it's the only one with de-facto two party system where other political activity is just rat racing that could be safely ignored. And a thing that makes it especially puzzling is that it isn't a new phenomenon, democrats and republicans were dominant forces for the last century.

@lonelyowl13

So the two party system hoax, is bore out but an illusion that does lend to this thinking, and it can be understood why.

In FPTP voting systems there is a strong tendency for each election for there to be at most 2 parties that collect most of the votes. What a FPTP system does not do is cause the same 2 parties to consistently win during each election.

But its an illusion because it is not reflection actually support from the people. They will vote for someone other than who they want as a compromise. Sot eh actual "real" support is usually wildly different than the public manifestation of support in the form of votes.

In other words if parties have A: 35% B: 33% C:32% in terms of peoples preferred candidate, what you will see is the actual vote will turn out to be A:51% B: 49% C: 2%

However the very next year if C gains 1% support and B looses 1% support then the very next year you will see a sudden shift in votes at A: 51% B: 2% C: 49%

So while there isnt **really** a two party system this illusion tends to make people thing it is. Then once they think it is it becomes self reinforcing people people are idiots.

@MySideIsHumanity @Mary625@mstdn.social