The two party system and the new reality

Via-Jer

The two party system and the new reality

The Parties

Since just prior to the Civil War the United States has basically been run by a two party political system, the Democrats and Republicans. Various third party movements have arisen from time to time usually populist movements or single issue oriented parties but they eventually go away. They are either overcome by events making their cause unnecessary or they are absorbed into one of the established parties becoming a constituent of that party so to speak.

Besides third parties there have always been factions in the two parties. Sometimes these factions have been the result of the absorbing of these third parties but more often they have been the result of the influence of a particular issue, ethnic or gender group.

For example in the sixties and early seventies the "anti-war movement" became a strong faction within the Democratic Party. There was a time when the Democratic Party had some very "hawkish" members such as Scoop Jackson , the last of these was probably Joe Lieberman who is no longer a Democrat. Another example of a powerful faction within a party would be the so called "Christian Right" which has had a powerful influence over the Republican Party over the past couple of decades.

These factions are necessary within parties in order that people with different priorities may have a political voice in our country. Whether you agree with any particular groups views, their right to have them and generate political action in support of them is what makes our country not only great, it makes it free.

A New Reality

Something interesting is happening in our time which is different from the normal ebb and flow on the political landscape. Let me explain.

Over the past few decades, slowly but most assuredly the Progressive Movement has come to dominate the Democratic Party. What is the Progressive movement? Well without getting into a detailed explanation and for the purpose of this post, among many other things Progressives do not believe that the Constitution is the governing document of our nation. They will say that it is but they define the Constitution as a living document subject to interpretation by-them. They may swear to uphold it but their actions and often their very words show that they consider it a hindrance to their agenda and goals. What is their agenda-control and political power.

They do this by increasing the size of government which necessarily makes more people beholding to the government through both more public sector jobs (government work) and increased entitlements to the general population. It is an insidious growing cancer on freedom which enslaves people either through their employment or an ever increasing need of public services provided by the government which in turn grows the size of government even more. A vicious cycle of dependency which feeds political power to those who gain power through the distribution of property and wealth they do nothing to create.

Their are countless examples of this in the Democratic Party but I'll just give you one of many from the current leader of the Progressive Movement- President Obama.

"But, the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it's been interpreted, and the Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can't do to you. Says what the federal government can't do to you, but doesn't say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf."

That in a nutshell is what the Progressive movement believes and what it's goals are, to determine and institute "what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf" . But the government creates nothing to distribute on anyone's behalf it must rely totally on redistribution of others wealth. Worse what a government giveth it can also take away, or ration, or dole out to friends or withhold from enemies or any of a number of things to control your behavior, your vote, your life. Progressives believe that the government is the caretaker of the nations resources and wealth and is responsible for its distribution. All of this flies in the face of the foundation of what America is all about -Individual Liberty, Freedom and Private Property rights.

Not all Democrats in government are progressive but it is obvious that they control the Democratic Party and influence the policies and direction the Democratic Party endorses and follows. This is not true of all Democrats in the country as a whole, Democrats in the citizenry are generally not Progressives, this is why many Democrats have left the party. Many if not most who remain generally believe in a political philosophy or tradition that has little to do with the progressive movement but stay in the Democratic Party based upon need, history, tradition , loyalty or just a dislike of the opposition.

On the other side we have the Republicans, there are progressive Republicans as well but they have a much smaller influence on the the party as a whole certainly not on the rank and file. Because they too have broken faith with their core they even more than the Democrats have lost support to the Independent movement. Like the Democrats The the Republican Party is coming under the sway of a new movement The Tea Party Movement.

The Tea Party Movement is basically the anti Progressive Movement they stand against everything the Progressives stands for. The Tea Party Movement believes in limited government and individual freedom. They believe that the government's power is derived from WE THE PEOPLE and that government is the servant of the people. If WE THE PEOPLE choose to allow the government to provide certain services for us they do so at our behest not as our caretakers. The Tea Party Movement believes strongly in the Constitution as it is written. In a nutshell they believe the purpose of government is not to provide for the people because in fact the government has no capacity to do so without redistribution of the peoples property to others through political coercion and control.

Unlike the Progressive Movement the Tea Party Movement does not directly control the machinery of the Republican Party as the Progressives do the Democratic Party. The Tea Party Movement controls the Republican Party indirectly through their influence with the general population simply because they are the general population.

What does this all mean?

Due to the fact that the two political parties, Democrat and Republican, have controlled the politics of our nation for most of our existence, all political discourse and power has been centered in them and any political change or actions must be funneled through them. This is why a third party is so difficult to establish.

The new reality is this, The Democrats are for all practical purposes being led by the Progressive Movement. More and more the Republican Party is being led by the Tea Party Movement. So in reality if not in name the two political parties in the nation are the Progressive Movement and The Tea Party Movement and the two traditional political parties are just their surrogates.

The political struggle of our time is the battle between the Progressives and the Tea Party and which movement all the Americans who do not yet fully realize the fight we are in , the implications and what is at stake will side with. In the end this has very little to do with political parties whether you are a Republican a Democrat or an Independent this is far bigger than partisanship this has to do with something far more basic-the very survival of our Republic. Have no illusions there is no such thing as a Progressive Republic, the two ideologies are contradictory to one another. It is like saying someone is your free slave you are either free or you are a slave but unlike historical precedence we America's are able to vote ourselves into our chains.

I have faith that ultimately, as is becoming more obvious, once Americans recognize the truth they will stand for freedom and that is far more important than either party.




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