Politics

The power of politics is in the power of organization.  Politics in America is fairly weak right now due to the combination of democracy and cheap information.  The first problem is simply that there aren't a whole lot of minority interests not being addressed.  People tend to organize when it is necessary, and if they are generally happy or believe that their concerns are merely idiosyncratic, they aren't going to feel the need to do so.  Cheap information has allowed political leaders to become very attuned to their chosen constituencies.  Rare is the politician who makes a large unforced error in policy nowadays.

Oddly enough the cheap information age has brought with it a decline in the quality of information from policy organs.  Sister Walsh, spokeswoman for the USCCB, sounds and acts like a right wing shill when she mindlessly repeats talking points of dubious veracity.  Admittedly the only people who follow USCCB statements are people who have already made up their minds on policy questions.  There is no persuasion taking place.  I could cynically describe it as a paint by numbers thing to appeal to six figure and above donors.  The paint by numbers thing is simply having the ability to show the USCCB worked on the donor's pet issue.  To go on a tangent, that reminds me that it is increasingly apparent that a lot of these umbrella organizations are not for the benefit of their members but are little more than vehicles for connecting professionals to large donors.  Is there really any doubt that the USCCB's pro-life office is controlled by donors?