The third way is no longer the best option for political change. I used to think that a third party based on libertarian principles would be the best countermeasure to the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans. I do not hold that position anymore. I now prefer that we discard political parties and let individuals run for political office on his or her merits, experience, and ideas. Simple is most profound; complexity only adds confusion.
A Bit of History for Context
The establishment of the United States of America in March 1789 did not include political parties. Moreover, Messrs. Madison and Hamilton wrote about the dangers of organized factionalism in the Federalist Papers. Despite Madison and Hamilton’s prescient concerns, political parties reared their ugly heads in 1792, and their size and scope have continued to expand. Their existence proves once again the wisdom of Eric Hoffer’s quote when he opined: “Every great cause starts out as a movement, becomes a business, and ends up as a racket.” Mr. Hoffer was spot on.
A Simple Thought Experiment
I offer this simple thought experiment for your consideration. Just imagine a situation where no political parties existed at any level in American government, not at the local level, State level, or Federal level. Would we be better off or less? In my opinion, we would be better off. Imagine further, that the best and the brightest would answer the call to public service, instead of the political “flotsam and jetsam” that we see today. Public corruption would likely be minimized, and we would accomplish a lot more because we would greatly simplify the election process.
The End of Political Parties
Sadly, political parties will be with us, likely forever. There is not enough understanding, energy, and commitment in America at the grassroots level to do away with political parties. They reflect the peculiarities of human nature, and that is certainly difficult, if not impossible, to change.
*Explanatory Note: I realized after the fact that an incomplete draft of this post was published on May 18, instead of this final version. I offer my apologies to my readers for that oversight.
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