This has been rolling around in my brain since the nail-biting days of the 2000 election and the more I think about it the more convinced I am that this whole 2-party, 3-branch checks and balances system is a WICKED bad idea.
There are 2 major political parties, Democrats and Republicans. Now there are those who say that they are actually just one big party and I find it hard to argue with that statement, truth be told. Politicians in general are a slimey, selfish, self-riteous lot party be damned. I tend to vote for democrats more than republicans because their agendas, on the surface anyway, appeal more readily to my value system. But I don't belong to the party and I have voted Green, Libertarian or independent on occasion.
Then you have the 3 major branches of the government; Executive, Legislative and Judicial. President, Congress and Court system. The point of the 3 branches is, as told to me by Mr. McCausland in my American History class, is so that there is a checks and balances system. No one branch can hold all the power. BUT...the wrench in the works is the 2 party system. Because, at any one time 2 of the three are going to be held by one party or the other. And if GW has his way, he will have all 3 branches in his evil clutches by the end of the year. This situation renders the checks and balances system moot. The only thing that has held the government in any illusion of check is what small amount of press coverage has been allowed and any resulting public opinion, and the fact that the minority party generally puts up a hell of a fight in their period of minority.
Witness the Dems and their Fillibuster Fiesta in this session.
I think it would be great if we could eventually get a multiparty system going. Personally I like the Green Party. I got kind of hopefull when Ross Perot started his party because it may have opened up a door. Then Nader came along and I toyed with the idea of getting on that bandwagon but I realized quickly that the time wasn't right. It's not going to happen overnight and if it hadn't been GW in that election I may have done the Nader thing. But, for now obvious reasons, he just scared me way too much to take a chance. And when the '04 elections come around, I will be voting Democrat again just to get that asshole out of office before he kills us all and bleeds the earth mother dry.
Thomas Jefferson said that he would be dissapointed with the United States if there wasn't a revolution every 20 years or so. I agree, but wise strategy dictates that we pick our battles, time and place. The system need a serious overhaul and it's time to stop worrying about whether the alternative might be worse. Look at the situation we're in now, I don't know how it can get much worse than this.
*sigh* hmmm... I think tomorrow I will rant about the NRA again. Everybody's got to have a hobby. :oD
at 11:58 AM :: ~#~
