Politically active people in America, with the help of the corporate media, believe the nation is governed by a two-party political system. Upon closer inspection it's more likely that special interest groups own both parties and use the false dichotomy to effectively push their agenda.
Every story has a central duality. In Star Wars it's the rebels and the lights side against the empire and the dark side. There's no middle ground, just a clear-cut picture of two opposing forces struggling for control of the galaxy. The same dualistic process plays out in the commercials that break up your favorite primetime sitcom; whether it's Pepsi vs. Coke or Burger King vs. McDonalds, the core theme of these guys or those guys prevails. Are things really this simplistic in our world?
On the American political stage we find Democrats and Republicans, fighting fiercely for control of the nation's policies and ultimate direction. Few issues create the passion evoked by a conversation about two-party politics. Water coolers, bars, family picnics, even church sewing circles, are lit up with the sparks that fly from this supercharged dichotomy.
Democrats are "liberal", or on the left. Republicans are "conservative", or on the right. It's every bit as straightforward as Luke Skywalker on one side and Darth Vader on the other, as plain to see as Pepsi over here, Coke over there.
Or is it?
Democrats want to end the wars, elevate the poor to a higher standard of living, promote equal rights, and save the environment. At least that's what they claim. According to Republicans, however, the Democratic Party is just a front for a Communist takeover, the destruction of big business, and the creation of a total welfare state that caters to drug addicts and same-sex partners.
The Republican Party believes in a strong national defense, capitalism, family values, and Jesus. So they say. Democrats, however, are pretty sure the Republicans want to start World War III, herd all the minorities into work camps, create a fascist super state, and forcefully convert the whole country to Christianity.
If you live in a rural area and support a citizen's right to carry guns to church, you're most likely a fervent Republican. If your home is in the suburbs of a major city and you constantly browbeat your co-workers for not driving a hybrid, it's safe to assume you're a Democrat.
You're one or the other, unless you're a bad American who either doesn't vote, or who supports one of those "loony bin" political groups. There's no way around it, right?
This is the vivid picture painted by talk radio hosts across the land. Is it a realistic depiction of the American political climate?
Yes and no. It's pretty accurate in terms of portraying the public's deeply polarized, generally uninformed ideology, but it's anything but a genuine representation of what our political leadership is actually doing.
In fact, once you get past the campaign speeches and canned statements from the political press secretaries, this left-right, one-or-the-other format is nowhere to be seen. When you examine what political officers in America achieve during their time in office (as opposed to what they promise before the election), an entirely different picture begins to unfold.
Only a little research will make abundantly clear the FACT that both Democrats and Republicans, once in power, pretty much push the same agenda! It's right there in plain sight really, but few people have the awareness to catch it.
Consider this: It's pretty common for the Federal Reserve Chairman (the guy who heads up the private company that prints and controls our monetary system) to serve through multiple administrations. During this time the chairman runs the country's economy under both Democrat and Republican leaders. Bush (on the right) and Clinton (on the left) both had Greenspan atop the Fed. Bush (Jr.) and Obama both kept Bernanke in this position. Does it strike you as odd that two political parties, each claiming to vehemently oppose the other, apparently see eye-to-eye on who should have total power over the nation's money supply and monetary policy?
Who benefits from the debt created by the Federal Reserve? Certainly not the taxpayers who are forced to pay the bill! The political and social elite are empowered to literally create money out of thin air and use it on any corporate project or government program the like.
Neither a Democratic nor Republican President has made any meaningful effort to influence U.S. economic processes differently from their alleged opposition. Raised taxes, massively deepened debt, insane military spending, and full-scale de-industrialization have been standard policy throughout the terms of Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr. and Obama.
Devoted Dems and Reps will no doubt howl in rage at this suggestion, pointing to this or that campaign promise as proof that their candidate opposed one or the other above action. Again, we must look at courses of action rather than rhetoric.
Did you know, for instance, that George H. W. Bush signed NAFTA as one of his final acts in office? Most Americans attribute this horrendous treaty to Clinton. The truth is, Bush Sr. initiated the process, and then Clinton had the job of getting it ratified.
Both parties worked to push the NAFTA agenda, which has literally gutted the manufacturing industry of this country. Does this seem bizarre to you, given the night-and-day difference ascribed to the two parties?
Does NAFTA help the middle class by demolishing industry that has supported millions of workers for many generations? Or does it make life bigger and better for company execs and stockholders of mega corporations by allowing them to stop paying professional workers in the states and open sweatshops in Mexico? This is a no-brainer.
The workings of the Federal Reserve and impact of NAFTA are but two examples, out of many. If you're paying attention, it's an easy matter to spot a dozen ways in which the two-party leadership increases their wealth & power, with no regard for what might benefit the voters who put them in office.
Sadly, this article only scratches the surface of how both the left and the right act in unison toward a larger plan of action. Republicans charm the conservative population with their talk of "family" and a "strong military". Democrats woo the liberal population with promises of better social programs and more benefits for minorities. Behind the talk, however, both parties diligently fleece the public while creating massive wealth, influence, and power for the ruling class.
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