Politics today is like taking a series of poison pills – all used by opposing political parties to exert control in the pursuit and possession of power!
Sadly, an old television beer commercial comes to mind. Two opposing sides, yelling at each other – “Tastes great – Less filling” made all of us laugh heartily. What made the commercial so popular was the fact that sales for that beer increased astronomically!
Using this as a metaphor accurately describes our current political climate. The party out of power does everything it can to undermine the actions taken by the opposing party.
The more disgusting and “news worthy” the better. Why? Because history has taught us it works.
Therein, lies the problem. The DNA construct of the Republican and Democratic parties has inbred conflict built in. The whole idea of the two is to stand for opposing views on virtually all controversial topics (immigration comes to mind).
There are only a few times in our history where this was not the case. The most recent example was World War II.
That being said, we haven’t had an ALL IN phenomenon occur since 1945 (though it came close under President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962).
The parties have been like two fighters in a boxing match – each looking to land that knockout blow! It perpetuates a continuous and unremitting cycle of political/social warfare!
There was a great American leader who warned against a two party political system:
“The alternate domination of one party over another and coinciding efforts to exact revenge upon their opponents have led to horrible atrocities and is itself frightful despotism. Political parties eventually and gradually incline the minds of men to seek security in the absolute power of an individual.
Parties must be restrained in a popularly elected government because of their tendency to distract the government from their duties, create unfounded jealousies among groups and regions.”
That quote was from President George Washington in his Farewell Address to the Nation in 1797! As prophetic as that statement was, the political party warfare as gone unabated since the election of 1800.
