I write, as with most political works, purely of opinion. I believe that something terrible has befallen modern politics in the United States: a disease of sorts, a sickness of the mind. I would call that illness the two-party system.
Now, some people may say that the two-party system is a good thing, even traditional. I would disagree. I would say that with the Elephant and the Ass having their scheduled fights, the truth and the rest of us are trampled underfoot. I have often said that if you take sheets of paper, write each politician's name at the top and their points below, then cut the names off, it will break down into only two stacks. Are there only two ways of thinking in the United States, or is it a matter of making nice with the party in order to get reelected? The answer, I believe, is that Noah should have thrown both animals off the ark, figuratively speaking.
Theoretically, a third party or independent could be elected. In practicality, however, that is simply not the case. Historically, there have been very few cases in major offices. Certainly we may call ourselves free, but can we truly be free when our rulers are vested in only two vessels? Will it eventually boil down to two camps and eventually a civil war? It is almost utterly incompatible, in my opinion, with real freedom when power is vested in only two ruling elite groups.
Not only is this ideologically bad for American politics, but it is also bad for national unity. With any given issue, an individual's mind is made into one of two camps. Both sides demonize each other to an amount that is ridiculous, so hatred is rampant. We've all heard people rail about how stupid Democrats are, or how ignorant the Republicans are. Can we, as a nation, long endure when almost two even halves of the nation hate each other so profusely? Both sides will immediately reject an idea regardless of its merit, simply because it was put forth by the other.
To condense my points, it is bad for America to have the two-party system. To solving issues, to creating unity, to the very idea of freedom, there is very little benefit to the two-party system that is readily apparent. So, I end this article with a question that the 2016 election has made apparent: if Joseph Stalin were to run on a Democrat ticket and Adolf Hitler on the Republican, would you still vote for the "lesser evil"?
