I didn't know just how epic my quest would be when I undertook to examine the various political parties' platforms two weeks ago. Democrats and Republicans pretty much spell out their platforms in their press releases, and negatively conflate each others' stances. The Libertarian Party platform was a breeze -- simple and to the point, just like their views. Then I got to the Green Party. My goodness. On Facebook I mentioned that it may take me longer than reading Atlas Shrugged the first time through. (I've read it four times now.) The text is dense, yet concise, but there's just so much of it. They have an official stance on just about every aspect of American life. Some of it I agree with, some of it I don't, but their positions (and the large number of positions) got me to thinking about why I became involved in political commentary in the first place.
My biggest thing has been advocating the rejection of the Big Two parties. To me, Democrats and Republicans represent "big politics," just like ConAgra and Monsanto represent "big agriculture," Bank of America and Goldman-Sachs are "big banking," et cetera. Big institutions represent the consolidation of control of various aspects of American life into centralized structures, with a resulting major loss of diversity. As I wrote elsewhere, joining in anything "big" surrenders a bit (or a lot) of your personal identity to another group, which could be described as "mob/herd mentality." It's no secret that I am quite a bit of a lone wolf, but unlike other lone wolves I actually enjoy being around people -- just not a lot of them and not for long periods. (You can call it "empathic fatigue" or plain ol' curmudgeonry, whatever suits you.) Surrendering to a mob (it's an ukly ting) can cause you to undertake activities in which you would not ordinarily involve yourself.
One issue away from which which most political commentators shy is "big labor." There was a time when labor unions revolutionized how American workers work and how employers worked them. Without labor unions, we would not have the forty-hour work week, the minimum wage, paid vacations or health benefits, and many of the perks most American workers now take for granted. But, just like any monster organization, labor unions metastasized into cancerous masses which are now eating away at American liberty and economic viability.
At least three generations of my family have suffered at the hands of labor unions. My grandfather was a supervisor in a machine shop which made tank parts during World War II, and he grew to hate unions with a passion. My father was a member of the United Auto Workers for thirty years. Dad is what I would call an excellent worker. The biggest thing he taught me growing up was, "If you're not going to do it right, don't bother." He strives in everything he does to produce the best outcome his ability can create. Such characters of excellence are fed upon by modern labor unions, the leadership of which strive to keep their cronies in jobs they really don't deserve while justifying the existence of the union as a viable political force in the American workplace. My own blessedly brief stint in the UFCW bore out the bitter resent that both Dad and Pop-pop felt toward big labor. Modern labor unions reduce the responsibility of individual workers to the kind of quality and performance standards which made American manufacturing the best in the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a result, American manufacturing is now about on par with the "cheap Chinese crap" we all complained about during the late 20th century and even to today. Unions destroyed the railroad and auto industries by resisting automation and innovation to keep their workers in positions which became largely irrelevant.
As an aside, my own employer has repeatedly reinforced their stance against unionization in their facilities. The pay and benefits are better than anything I've ever received in my lifetime. Each worker is held accountable for his or her actions, and the company is free to take whatever corrective action is necessary to ensure the highest quality of its workforce. If the workers were to unionize, I would quit the very same day, because it would not be long before the quality of the services we provide decline to average and the company becomes "just another online retailer." If you know who my employer is, rest assured that my opinions are my own and in no way reflect my employer's position, though major similarities exist between the two.
Big politics have destroyed the American political process, leaving voters with merely the choice between the lesser of two evils. Big agriculture has homogenized American farming, leaving the entire system vulnerable to otherwise minor economic and climactic fluctuations. I don't need to tell most of you what big banking has done to America and the world, since the crash of 2008 is still fresh in everyone's minds. Our Founding Fathers feared exactly the kind of centralization of power and homogenization of culture which is now destroying individual liberty and removing the distinctiveness which gave each state its own identity.
My point is simple: stop voting for Democrats and Republicans. There are plenty of other choices. If you are conservative, you could do better with the Constitution Party. If you have a liberal bent, consider the Green Party. If you're somewhere in between, go with the Libertarian Party. There is a whole list of political parties from which to choose. Use your choice. Be an individual.
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