# What is every political faction's "finish line?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 15, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580 "2019-04-15T15:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/21 "2019-04-18T00:24:06Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Its basic common sense for most people that political goals change over long periods of time. Of course people won’t have the same goals in 5,000 years that we have now, even if we achieve all our goals now. > > But the finish line for modern liberals is a more Scandanavian type society culturally and economically. Well, I was drunk when I posted that so…um, ok. Let’s say that, tomorrow, the US decided to adopt all of the policies of the Scandinavian society and government. Would the liberals/progressives basically celebrate and disband at that point, their job being done and their finish line crossed? Or would the then basically start looking at new things to set as goals to move toward? I think the later. As good as the Scandinavian governments appear to US liberals, there are still some things in there that, if they actually got what they wished for, they would want to change, IMHO. I actually think it would be a lot, if we adopted ALL of their culture as well as their government and economy. Hell, the reality is the Scandinavian countries aren’t actually socialist, really, so ISTM that would be a new goal right there. In any case, I THINK that’s what I was getting at. Or, who knows…I don’t. That’s the best I gots tonight though, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/22 "2019-04-18T01:42:29Z")
I don’t think it’s fair to call it moving the goalposts, because we never say that there is a goal. And why should there be? Parties exist for the purpose of democracy. There will always be some new issue. It’s like asking “when will medicine be finished?” “When will science achieve its goal?” As long as democracies exist, there will be political parties, since grouping together with likeminded people have so many advantages in getting elected. You’re stronger together than apart. A specific party dies only when it is unable to change enough to hold onto a group. But then, eventually, a new party will form. Democrats especially have no reason to end, since we’re the one who has the progressives, meaning we’ll constantly be trying to progress, to get better. The only end state I can see for them is pure equality, with no poor people, no discriminated people, and no unhappy people. Good luck with that every happening. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/23 "2019-04-18T16:40:38Z")
So, in U.S. politics, what does the finish line for (most) Ds and Rs look like? For (most) Rs, probably a white Christian theocracy. For (most) Ds, might it be something approaching communism, but without the actual C word? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/24 "2019-04-18T16:43:11Z")
Also, for (some) gun-control advocates, their finish line is the banning and confiscation of all privately-owned firearms. Hard to tell what the finish line is for (some) gun-rights advocates though - completely and absolutely unfettered right to bear arms, with buying a gun comparable to getting a gallon of milk from Walmart? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/25 "2019-04-18T19:52:14Z")
The endgame is and always will be to win the next election. Or abolish elections. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/26 "2019-04-18T20:04:44Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > So, in U.S. politics, what does the finish line for (most) Ds and Rs look like? > > For (most) Rs, probably a white Christian theocracy. > > For (most) Ds, might it be something approaching communism, but without the actual C word? I don’t know any Dems who want state ownership of industry. The overwhelming majority of us want a strong capitalist system with varying degrees of responsible regulation and minimal state monopoly (like defense and health care). Yeah, we’re crazy as fucking loons. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/27 "2019-04-18T20:40:11Z")
I don’t know any Republicans who want a white Christian theocracy either. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![bubba001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@bubba001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba001)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/28 "2019-04-18T22:04:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I don’t know any Republicans who want a white Christian theocracy either. > > Regards, > Shodan I do. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/29 "2019-04-19T01:00:58Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Well the thing is those “movements” as I call them, have people professionally employed and “winning” means they will lose their jobs. > > So quite frankly, its in their best interests in either never winning, moving the goalposts, or creating new bogeymen in order to keep the money flowing and the meal tickets alive. This is such a dumb idea, yet people keep repeating it as if there’s any truth to it. For the vast majority of workers in nonprofits, the pay is shit and the hours are long and the work is demoralizing. They’re not there because they’re like, “Fuck yeah this is the life,” they’re there because they believe so firmly in the work that they’re willing to make personal sacrifices to do it. Workers at your local food bank would be beyond thrilled if there were no more hungry people in the nation. Workers at your local homeless shelter would be ecstatic to be out of a job. Workers at the humane society would love to have no more abandoned animals. Workers at the local Sierra Club would be beside themselves if we reached zero pollution. It’s bonkers to think that workers want things to stay bad so they stay employed. The epistemology that allows this sort of nonsense is deeply broken. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580/30 "2019-04-19T15:47:53Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > This is such a dumb idea, yet people keep repeating it as if there’s any truth to it. > > For the vast majority of workers in nonprofits, the pay is shit and the hours are long and the work is demoralizing. They’re not there because they’re like, “Fuck yeah this is the life,” they’re there because they believe so firmly in the work that they’re willing to make personal sacrifices to do it. Workers at your local food bank would be beyond thrilled if there were no more hungry people in the nation. Workers at your local homeless shelter would be ecstatic to be out of a job. Workers at the humane society would love to have no more abandoned animals. Workers at the local Sierra Club would be beside themselves if we reached zero pollution. > > It’s bonkers to think that workers want things to stay bad so they stay employed. The epistemology that allows this sort of nonsense is deeply broken. You’re probably right about non-governmental non-profits. People on welfare in Quebec may not do volunteer work that might give them useful skills or experience and may not take courses that might make them more employable and if you can suggest any legitimate reason for these rules, other than to guarantee employment for the workers in the social services I would like to hear them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-every-political-factions-finish-line/832580.md?page=1)