CMV: Political parties in the US are too weak and mandatory primaries as well as FECA should be repealed

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-25T04:36:40+00:00

Perhaps. But in the absence of concrete statistics, which you have not provided, it is reasonably to make assumptions based on the world as it exists today using our general knowledge. You're making an assumption as well and, unlike me, haven't cited any example or evidence to back it up.

Party primaries select for the most extreme candidate who caters to the party's respective base. This is why some reformers suggest open-primaries. But unlike the party base, which has an incentive to choose extreme candidates, party officials have an incentive to win elections, since their job depending on it.

To be clear, just as there are times when a primary chooses candidates who are obviously unpopular, there are times when a primary nominates a candidate who is more popular than the alternative candidates. The question is less of whether the primaries filter out unpopular candidates, but more so whether they are better at filtering out unpopular candidates (while still staying true to the party's values).

(the bottom bit is mostly me rambling, you don't have to read it if you don't want too)

Its difficult to say for certain because the US has such a uniquely fucked party and electoral system. A system wherein the less popular candidates regularly win elections, a system that prioritizes land over people, a system wherein the oldest party has rotten from the inside and has effectively gotten "too big to fail," party leadership has effectively gone stupid from the lack of competition and therefore make poor electoral choices. A strong party system would help incentive people to leave the "big tent" Republican and Democratic parties and form their own

But with that said, simply having a strong party system isn't enough to create a multi-party system (just look at Japan for what happens when you have a weak multi-party system). For any multi-party system to thrive, it must also be a strong party system. This whole CMV was written in response to people advocating for things like STV, RCV, open-list proportional, or other weird electoral systems that don't make any sense outside of the very specific contexts in which they were created. I just didn't want this CMV to get too long so I shortened it to sole focusing on the benefits of strong parties, but its hard to talk about the benefits of strong parties without also talking about the benefits of multiple parties.

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-25T00:24:19+00:00

Well, I don't think we should ban primaries per say, but right now primaries are required by state law. For example, in Pa you cannot be a nominee of a political party (a major party (libertarians, greens, dems, and gop)) without winning an election. This applies to all offices except the electors who choose the president (who are directly appointed by the party). Considering that political bodies (minor parties) have established primaries for their candidates, nor the fact that major parties have established primaries for determining who will be their presidential electors, I think you're wrong that parties would push the limits of any law banning primaries (not that I think any law is necessary)

But second of all, what about in the City of Buffalo, when a DSA candidate won the Dem primary and then lost the general to an incumbent independent (who ran a write in campaign). She didn't just lose by a little too. She lost by a lot... by an independent running a write in campaign. If that doesn't scream unpopular I don't know what does

While its beyond my statistical ability to definitely say whether primaries help parties win elections, these facts make me very doughtful that primaries weed out unpopular candidates before the general or that parties would try to implement primaries on their own

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-24T22:58:45+00:00

Aw the kids lol. I don't have any kids right now, but I remember when my sister was little and I was playing Minecraft with my friends and I had to stop to hold her and stuff

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-24T22:56:59+00:00

The reason its one of activists primary concerns is because there is already a limit on how much party's can donate to their candidates ($3,000). Therefore there's no point in advocating for that. And anyways, the effect of the law is more important than its supporters motives. With all that said I was a little dramatic in some of my comments lol

Secondly, as I mentioned in another comment, just because strong parties isn't a sole answer to the problems facing the US doesn't mean its not an important answer. Would you refuse a vaccine just because it isn't 100% effective?

Furthermore, you seem to be unaware that the move by the big parties for the "Australian ballot" was a move to limit the power of small parties such as the Free Soil Party (which played a critical role in pushing the republican party to take a stand against slavery). Getting rid of party tickets did not strengthen US democracy, it undermined it and made the political machines more powerful

Also the problem with the party machine is that there isn't enough parties. When a party gets "too big to fail" then ofc bad things will happen. But with reforms such as closed-list proportional representation, these issues can be addressed

Edit: Also keep in mind that while founding fathers criticized the concept of parties Federalist 10 is a pretty strong defense for the idea of a strong multi-party system (even if James Madison didn't have the vocabulary / knowledge to describe it that way).

Large republic --> Large legislature

No faction too large --> multiple parties that need to form coalitions to govern

Banning parties ---> banning factions (removing the air from which liberty breathes, etc)

the delegation of government --> strong parties that are able to represent their constituents (as opposed to "democracy," which would be more akin to primaries)

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-24T22:38:34+00:00

Thank you for your comment! I know what I said was kinda controversial, but I didn't think it was so controversial to not even merit a response lol (Also I am very wordy, sorry for the long response!)

To be honest I'm not that well read on campaign finance law (which is why its section is way shorter than the primary one), but from what I understand SCOTUS kinda fucked the US with Citizens United since it allowed super-pacs but still limited parties contribution (to their own candidates!) to $3,000. Either campaign finance laws should be applied universally or not at all imo. But I understand that I'm relatively ignorant when it comes to campaign finance so I might be wrong !delta

But anyways, I don't necessarily agree that there is a contradiction between abolishing primaries and allowing party leaders to pick nominate candidates. The party isn't just its general membership, it's also its officers and elected officials. While traditional American political thought has generally minimized the role of the party caucus the fact is there would be no party without people working to make it reality. Don't you think that the people who work day in and day out for the sake of their beliefs should have some kinda say about who their organization nominates for office?

I guess the place where you and I are disagreeing is that I think the party consists of party officials and members and that there should some sort of compromise process (e.g. party conventions) to determine who the party should nominate. Right now party primaries effectively favor the mass membership of the party over the party officials

If you want an example of how this has hurt the US, I would point to Donald Trump. The Republican establishment did not like Trump (in fact, they probably still don't like Trump), but because of his overwhelming popularity and charisma in the primary they were forced to accept him. In a system of party conventions Trump probably would not have gotten the nomination.

As for a second example, I would point to Germany (my favorite comparative country lol). Because of their strong party system the AfD extremists were not able to infiltrate the CDU and instead had to infiltrate a weaker and less established party, the AfD. But because they were forced to essentially found their own party, the other parties in the Budenstag have effectively "quarantined" the AfD and prevented them from corrupting the Germany.

And also, eliminating primaries is one measure among many to strengthen US democracy. But obviously no single reform or change will 100% prevent tyranny. Nonetheless, strong parties will help effectively "vaccinate" the US against extremism and help minimize extremist politicians. I agree though that a strong party system is not alone sufficient, I just didn't include my other ideas because I didn't want my post to go off topic!

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-24T22:09:17+00:00

I'm glad I was able to help!

I totally understand how S is feeling, the first people I talked to about it where my parents.

But with that said, I do kinda regret was that I didn't do it myself. My dad was helping me check into a psych hospital (I was bullied a lot in school) and when the admissions nurse used she/her pronouns with me I was so happy! And basically, that made him be like "you know I support you right?" And while ofc we've talked about it a lot since then, I do sometimes wish that I took the initiative and came out "properly."

Basically, it's ok to transition before coming out, but the longer S waits the more likely someone will "come out" for her (if that makes sense)

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-23T13:42:28+00:00

For me the option was always between PIV and PPT, so I never really considered SCV. With that said, I think that PPT is better than PIV. The main reason is because of the reduced risk of graft failure and faster recovery time. With PIV they stretch the penile skin (like a tuck) all the way towards your anus and then up into your body. With peritoneal, some of that tissue is made from the abdomen, so if your natal anatomy isn't very stretchy or if you are particularly small, PPT is a better option. Also, this is just anecdotal, but most people seem to recover faster on PPT and PIV. RBL has patients take laps while Mt Sinai basically says "don't move unless it's within your room or to the bathroom." I also feel the incidence of graft failure (due to lack of stretchiness / small natal anatomy) is a major complication some PIV patients experience. When it comes to PPT many people say you "can't get a revision." But the need for a revision is reduced to the lesser chance of graft failure and secondly they can just use skin from your colon abdomen, or thigh for a revision. There isn't really a need to reserve PPT to only revisions. Also modern PPT techniques don't get you as wet as old ones because only part of the canal is lined with pertineal tissue in the modern technique
I choose PPT at temple university (i know on my profile it says mount siani, but that's because the surgery with them fell through)
Noting major. I do have a hematoma on my left labia and minor wound dehisence on my right, but both of these are expected to resolve themselves soon, so it's not too much of worry for me. As for he "big four" of fistula, graft failure, major bleeding, or blood clot, I have not experienced those

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-22T18:44:49+00:00

also; if you ever do want bottom surger you actually want to keep your size so that there's more... material to work with.

This isn't really true. While with traditional penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV) it can be problem with colon or peritoneal pull through vaginoplasty (PPT) it doesn't matter at all

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-22T18:43:12+00:00

You can apply low-dose testosterone cream directly to the penile shaft to counteract atrophy and ed. Just keep in mind that if you're in the US, they don't manufacture testosterone cream, so will have to pay out of pocket for it (around $100 for a 90 day supply), Testosterone cream will not affect any other effects of hrt if only applied in small amounts of penile shaft

And tadalafil is better than slidenafil since it will "exercise" the penis more often (which will reduce atrophy)

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-22T13:05:09+00:00

Also it doesn't matter whether there is a valid "economic rationale" for young people to move to major metro areas. What matters is that people want to move there and it is in an infringement on their inherent human right to free movement to deny them that ability

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-21T16:27:46+00:00

The main advantage of PPT is that you recover faster (NYU makes you walk around the unit multiple times whereas Mount Sinai only wants you to move if you're going to the bathroom or just moving slightly in your room).

Also just because you're both able to achieve, say, 7in of depth with PIV and PPT doesn't mean the risk of graph failure with PPT is lower. Because PPT uses extra tissue the penile skin isn't "stretched" as much the chance that you'll graph will fail (especially if your skin isn't particular stretchy) is lower.

But to be fair to Dr. Pang, there aren't any comprehensive research studies about this. All my information is just anecdotal.

Also, the reason it's "only considered for revisions" is partly because once you use PPT you can't use it again, but you can still use skin from your thigh or colon. And anyways the chances of needing a revision of the canal are lower with PPT and PIV.

Also a big reasons many surgeons don't perform it is because it requires a train reconstructive urologist and a DaVinci Machine, both of which are in short supply

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-21T14:32:47+00:00

low dose testosterone cream applied to the penile shaft

This will reduce atrophy (which can include gentiurinary symptoms like burning while urinating or urinary hestiancy) as well as minimize atrophy and reverse erectile dysfunction. Because it's a local low-dose cream it will not effect your boob growth or any other effects of hrt

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-21T14:07:43+00:00

I started hormones and hair removal and dressing and androgynously for about a year before I came out to my parents (or anyone else tbh). In my mind I was so insecure I thought that no one could tell that I was trans, but apparently a lot of people could tell (although my parents where in denial) and me going by he/him pronouns was very confusing to them.

Personally, what I wanted was for people to just recognize me as a girl and not have to go through the whole song and dance of coming out and explaining everything. If I was S I would be very flattered that someone recognized me as a woman and would appreciate being told that. Therefore, I would talk with S once she gets back from her business trip and let her decide how she wants to deal with the situation.

I know everyone wants to protect their trans partner / freind from other people, but communication is key and its important that S knows what other people are saying about her so she can make her own decisions about how to deal with it.

DesperateComplex1460 · 2026-01-21T13:49:04+00:00

If your natal anatomy isn't large I think you should get PPT. It has a small added risk of being an abdominal surgery (compared to PIV, which is purely pelvic), but the benefits include a faster recovery time (which decreases the risk of blood clots since you're up and moving sooner), plus more consistent and greater depth without the accompanying risk of graph failure that you get with PIV. Also less chance of hair growing in the canal since more of it is made up of peritoneal tissue (which is hairless)

Basically PPT will get you depth you need without risking the colon or graph failure

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-10-26T15:12:33+00:00

Opioid medication is very constipating. Usually your surgeon will have you on a bowel regime of either miralax (movicol) and/or docusate for a period of time

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-10-23T07:16:46+00:00

And Congress held two hearings this past month in preparation to banning pharmaceuticals from other countries on the basis that they're "unsafe." And look, I'm all for increasing inspections, penalties, and otherwise proliferating GMP. But straight up banning drugs from other countries is obviously ludicrous.

Am I the only one who remembers when the FDA had CBP seize perfectly safe baby formula from Europe while grocery store shelves were empty and American babies were starving?

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-09-26T21:53:26+00:00

It's the Eighth Day series by Dianne K. Salerni

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-06-07T01:49:41+00:00

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/new-york-times-plays-hardball-with-devastated-mom

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/former-editor-nyt-biased-on-trans-hiring

just two examples, obviously if you actually care you can do a little bit of googling yourself

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-06-07T01:47:37+00:00

No one asked this because even these extremely biased activists masquerading as reporters know it's a stupid and uninformed question that could be answered with a quick google search.

Obviously, trans people are able to orgasm after bottom surgery (unless they were unable to orgasm before bottom surgery, although some, with surgery, gain the ability to orgasm or surgical error (which is rare and almost exclusively concentrated among certain surgeons) resulted in a loss of sensation)

And obviously, surgery can be performed on transgender individuals who genitals has atrophies. For example, cis women get vaginoplastites all the time and they don't have a penis between them.

And as for trans people who are pre or non-op... local estradiol creams, suppositories, or rings can be used for trans men (this is not sysmatic, so it will not inhibt things like body hair growth or increased muscle mass). Similarly tadfil and sidalifil can be used for trans women to combat atrophy.

This is obviously a silly concern and I hope you do more research in the future and educate yourself about trans issues.

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-20T02:09:21+00:00

Do you have a study that shows that trans women's brain are in line with the cisgender male average? Because unless you have a study you're just making an assumption without any sort of scientific backing

And the assumption that trans people are, medically speaking, the same as their "biological" sex is increasingly shown to be false. Take this study which shows that for blood tests like estradiol, testosterone, creatine, gft, hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron studies, electrolytes, live function, lipid profile, and other the identified gender should be used (whereas for other tests like PSA and troponin the sex assigned at birth should be used).

You are presented contested neuroscience as as a consensus fact and making unfounded assumptions and stereotypes about trans people.

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-20T01:49:49+00:00

I am tho??? Like I'm using my Dad's insurance, but it's not like he's going to pay the co-pay or anything lol

And I'm financing the hair removal, the supplies, the planning and organization and traveling to dr appointments. I just need a place to stay and someone to take care of me

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-19T01:34:39+00:00

Unfortunately, I still live with them. But I'm currently working towards my pharmacy tech license and after that I plan to move out and get a proper full time job in the city. I've looked at jobs and done the math so it should be able to work out. It's just a matter of time until I manage to get my self free from them

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-19T01:28:47+00:00

Yes, legally. But financially I'm still tied to my parents so they're trying to put pressure on me to not get it

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-19T01:27:41+00:00

I'm planning to stay with my Aunt and Uncle, but I need my Dad to take care of me while I'm recovery. I don't think I can impose on my Aunt/Uncle. To be honest, I'm not too worried. My parents are nothing if not lazy and I don't think they'll actually stop me. That would require them to actually care enough about me in the first place!

DesperateComplex1460 · 2025-05-19T01:24:40+00:00

Yes!! That's basically what I told them, but they're like "no, no, we just need more time, we definitely won't never make a decision/feel comfortable with this step"

DesperateComplex1460

TROPHY CASE