Post-Election Thoughts (2020 Version)
I think this is primarily because I don't have a party. I do not belong to any political party. I have no political home. Why is this?
Well, there is at least one thing that is so disturbing to me about each party that it precludes my membership. Let's take them in turn.
Republicans While the Republicans talk good fiscal policies, they are much less interested in implementing them. This includes both when they are in power and when they are not. And I just cannot abide the religious right. They are ill-informed and mean-spirited. And the Republican social policies are set by the religious right. In fact, the only thing the Republicans consistently get correct is foreign policy.
Democrats While I pretty much agree with their social policies, I just cannot abide their fiscal policies or their foreign policies. What's more, it seems like there is a progressive element with totalitarian tendencies taking over the Democratic party. These people do not really support the First Amendment.
Greens & Socialists & Communists I cannot think of anything to support here. In fact, I find most of their policies just loathsome.
Libertarians Which brings us finally to the Libertarians. I think they largely get social policies and fiscal policies correct. But they are absolute children on foreign policies.
Of course, there are a raft of individual issues which preclude my membership in the parties. For instance, the Republican position on abortion and the Democrat position on the Second Amendment. But I am not a single-issue voter. I cannot be a Democrat only because of their stance on abortion any more than I can be a Republican only because of their stance on the Second Amendment.
And there can be lots of nuance around these issues. I have written before about the Second Amendment. So here, let me use abortion as an example. Roe v. Wade is the most shamefully dishonest Supreme Court decision in the last fifty years. In fact, I would argue that abortion is not a constitutional issue at all. It is okay if you think that it is. But even though I am pro-choice, I am not your political ally and I cannot be a member of your political party.
I am no fan of European governments. But one advantage of their parliamentary systems is that they allow for the participation of multiple parties and easier formation of new parties. So it is much more likely that an independent thinker can find a political home and political allies. And actually participate.
In the United States, I am a party of one. And I won't get far with that. Sure, I pick the least-worst candidate, and give him or her my vote. But it is far from satisfying. And after a while, years and decades, it becomes demoralizing. And perhaps pointless.
I am not suggesting that we get rid of the two-party system. And I don't really think it is possible to get rid of it. But surely we must recognize that this binary choice leads to gridlock and animosity and distrust.
Here's a little thought experiment for you: Imagine if the Greens and the Socialists and the Libertarians and perhaps something along the lines of the Conservative Party of New York could all consistently muster say two to three percent of the vote and hold similar numbers of congressional seats. Then the two major parties would be forced to cut deals with at least one smaller party to get anything done.
The small parties would be a lot more important and hence attract members. They would be the deal makers. And the large parties could lobby for their support rather than resort to gridlock or bipartisan fluff. I think such a situation would attract new parties as well, as other currently independently-minded people come together under their own platforms.
I realize that this is impossible in the United States. Each race is independent, winner take all, and we do not vote for slates of candidates. Therefore one of the two major parties is basically assured of winning each and every race. So I don't foresee any real change to the two-party system. But it is interesting to consider the possibilities.
As someone pointed out after the 2016 election, there is something seriously wrong with a system that produces Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, perhaps the two worst people in the country, as the two major party nominees. And personally, I don't think 2020 was any better.
If the Covid crisis has demonstrated anything, it is that we live in a kakistocracy – at all levels of government. Surely we have the worst political class in the history of our nation. By this I mean not only politicians, but also bureaucrats, academics, and especially journalists. The 2020 election just confirms this state of affairs.
The deterioration of our nation, of our society, and of civilization itself, continues.