beyondtheass-blog

[beyondtheass-blog]

The Future of Politics: Pragmatism

The Future of Politics: Pragmatism

The two party system in The United States no longer holds any value. The words “Republican” and “Democrat” are becoming stigmatized. When I was a young child, I remember being told that Republicans represented an upper class way of thinking and that Democrats looked out for those in the working class. As I've gotten older and learned more, I've come to the realization that that is not entirely true.

Republicans of today represent an “American” way of thinking. The basic foundation of the party is based on the idea that one must stand on their own and be responsible. It is an idea that makes sense in moderation. However, recently, the words “Republican” and “conservative” have become synonymous. They are used interchangeably in the media. The Tea Party has highjacked the republican population. They are like mosquitos infected with conservatism biting everything in sight. Politicians on their end have been behaving as though, if one is not extreme enough, they will not be reelected. They have made progress within the house into something very difficult to accomplish and they have polarized themselves to the extent that it will be difficult to get new young people from cities. But at least the republicans stand for something.

I wish I could write that the words “Democrat” and “liberal” are used interchangeably, but I cannot. To me the Democratic party of today does not stand for much. The Democrats represent any and every body that doesn't want to be associated with the extremist Republicans. They follow the president blindly. They fight without really fighting. Democrats compromise so much that they might as well be an extension of the Republican Party. As much as I criticize this aspect of the party, I can see why this is so. The party must follow the lead of the president and the president has dedicated himself to representing all parties. However, I would much rather the Democratic party stand on its own values; whether those values go against the policies of the White House or not.

This is where I see a third voice coming into the picture. Today, people have the world at their finger tips. If there is anything that I want to know more about or learn to do, I can search for it on the internet and most likely I will find what I am looking for. As more and more people use these resources correctly, more informed decisions will be made. People will begin to stop making decisions based on their biases and feelings. Decisions on what side one may support in a conflict will be made based on facts. As this begins to happen, a political party will emerge that represents pragmatism.

Does it really make sense to reform healthcare and not have a public option? Does it really make sense to support Israel when 70% of their military campaign's casualties are made up of civilians? Eventually people will begin questioning the actions of the dominant political parties and a new group of people will emerge that make decisions based off of logic. As this group grows, so will the politicians who are supported by them. The politicians who are not afraid to go against their party because they believe it is the best decision for all. I can see this movement beginning in the democratic party first. Especially because Democrats have not polarized themselves too much.