Towards a Biparty State

Have you ever felt that you don't have a real political choice? Have you ever had the feeling, that no matter who you vote for, the effect would be the same? Many, many people from the first world have that feeling. Would you like to stop feeling that way? If you are a risponsible citizen of your country and the world, I bet the answer is "Yes".

The first thing you need to know is that, that feeling of not having a real choice because of the little difference among the parties is a weapon against you. Making people think that there is no real difference in voting one party over another, makes people loose interest in politics. Why should they worry, or care, or even go to vote, if what ever happens will make no difference? The result: people end up voting by simpathies, tradition or just not voting at all. But this is the situation today. Let's travel some decades back, and seewhy is this happening.

Every first world country has passed by hard political and/or economical and/or social domestic difficulties. In the US the civil war, fight for civil rights, etc, in France the revolution, in Italy and Germany dictatorships, as well as in my country, Spain, and of course the World Wars. During and after the hard times, historically, people become very interested in politics. Usually become more active, more eager for information and watching over their parties and government. In most nations, the begginings of democracy has been the only real democratic time they have lived; with clearly differentiated parties; several mayor parties not only two; high rate of activism and electoral participation, and a serious and risponsible checking on governments action with little tolerance to lies and manipulations. What has happened since then?

Simplyfing the answer, we have become accomodated, lazy and have lost all trace of social risponsibility. But most of all, we have become too selfish and individualistic. We live in the culture of the individual. "Get the most you can get, the fastest you can get it, and don't look around you." We have lost solidarity, and any sense of team spirit, neither as a region, nor a nation, nor as humanity. May be some feel patriotic, and feel they are in the same team, but still push each other to become the star of the team. As I was saying before, in almost every first world country we have come to an almost total biparty state. This has happened for two main reasons

1. First, the lost of interest I mentioned. Loosing interest in politics, means not wanting to "loose" your time learning about the political choice represented by each party. That drives people into not seeing the differences between APPARENTLY alike parties. This caused that people with a left ideology ended up voting the same left party, probably the one with more resources to make it self more heard and seen. Same with the right.
2. Second, the influence of the economical powers. It has been easy for economical powers such as corporations to influence parties, by making big contributions to them. Obviously it is much easier for them, if they only need to influence two parties; the two parties that alternate in a nation's government. This influence, makes the two main parties have a huge advantage over the rest, having an overwhelming difference of power even when they are not running the government. There is literally no space left for the rest of the parties to breath.

What are the consequences? The loss of political ideology. In the biparty situation, both parties know that sooner or later, they are going to be in the government. They don't need to make a great effort. One mistake in the opposition is enough. The party itself, becomes more important that its ideology. It makes no sense. A party that has been founded to defend an ideology, has become more important than the ideology itself. So the main two parties look after the same objective, to keep as much time in power as possible.

Who do they get the benefits from? The president of the US's salary is $400,000, paid by the citizens. What is that compared to, for example, the millions that Rumsfeld made with the bird flu (Look at the "Good Old Bird Flu" post in this same blog), or the Bush family´s profits? Pocket change. So, who you think they are going to be most eager to please, the citizens, or the corporations, individuals and associations that provide them all that money? But the opposition will do the same once in power, because in a biparty state, ideology is no longer important. Presence in media, publicity, image is what is important. Have you not noticed that in the last years the only thing politicians talk about, are the dirty affairs of the opposition, and how thay mess up in this or that? Of the two parties, the one with a better image will win the elections (Unless somebody plays around with Florida's votes.)

So, who is to blame for this disaster? OURSELVES. It is true that it is inmoral and low and outraging that political parties are acting this way. But we are letting them. Democracy is the people's sovereignity, the people's power, but it is useless and pointless if we don't exercise that power. And to exercise that power in a risponsible way, we need to inform ourselves of the options we have, and ultimately, if we don't like any, to found, or promote, or help in some way the creation of another party. One of our greatest enemies is to think that voting a minor party is wasting our vote. It is not. It is an error to think that if you are not voting a winner you are wasting a vote. First of all, because that way, it will never become a winner. And second, even if that party is not a winner, it will achieve a little more representation in the political scenario. Also, we seem to think that if we don't belong to one of the two leading parties we are outcasts, marginals, weirdos. Remember that that is a weapon used against you to keep the power among the same people. Don't you think it is senseless, untruthfull, irresponsible and even dumb, to not vote who you really think deserves your vote?

What can we do now? We need to make the two main parties feel unsafe. Make them now that they are not the only choice. Find a smaller party that fits your believes and vote for it. Make them really worry again for the voters. Let them now that they need real thought through programs fitted to the needs of the nation if they want to govern you. Like that, it will be more difficult for the corporations to execute their influence. If they have to diverge their contributions among more parties, they wont have enough. And if they happen to have enough money to do it, they wont anyway. What kind of company supports every party? What would that say of their loyalty and what image would it give out?

And if you don't find any party that really represents your principles, vote blank. Your vote is an extremely valuable good. Don't give it out to just anyone. If no party convinces you, let them know by voting blank. Can you imagine what would happen if a high percentage of the populaiton voted blank? That would definetely bring a change. About that, I suggest you read the novel "Essay on Lucidity" by José Saramago.

The only thing I think is a pity, is that probably most of the people who read this, already care about democracy and politics. The rest probaly stopped reading after the second sentence. I still have hope, and will continue to write, hoping to inspire somebody who does not participate, to do it.

Hope to see you around again.