130 lines
7.9 KiB
HTML
130 lines
7.9 KiB
HTML
<p>In light of the most recent elections and the chaos and tension that
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accompanies it, I think it may be important to talk about the way the
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democratic system works and one of its key flaws, both in the United
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States and in other places (like my home country of Spain). I realize
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that this is entering into politics, something that I generally haven't
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done for quite some time, but I believe that this is sufficiently
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neutral of a topic and answering to something that people from both
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sides can see some benefit from.</p>
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<p>In the past, I have been very pro-party. That is to say, I believed
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that politics should emphasize the parties and not the candidates. My
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reasoning was that when politics focuses on the candidate, we focus on
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the candidate's personality and characteristics rather than their policy
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which would truly have an effect on the Common Good (which is the
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primary function of the State). I also criticized candidate-centric
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politics for simplifying politics into nothing more than the campaign,
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since the candidate on his own is unlikely to draft a robust, concise,
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and coherent policy during his campaigning, while a party can.</p>
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<p>However, something I've come to realize over time is that these are
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not the effects of candidate-centric politics, but Democracy itself. By
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the very nature of Democracy, in an attempt to appease the Masses, the
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level of political discourse must be simplified and popularized so as to
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attract the attention of the most people possible. This is not to say
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that the majority of people are ignorant or in any way mentally
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incapable of understanding politics, but rather that we all have better
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things to do than spend all day learning about the state of our
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country's politics. The idea of the eight hour work day was that the
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worker would work eight hours, sleep eight hours, and have eight hours
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to be at home with his family. For the working man to spend time
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updating himself on current events, which may not even be relevant to
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him or his family, would mean taking time not out of work hours, which
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would not be allowed by his superior, not out of his sleep, which is
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necessary for his own health, but out of his time to spend with his
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family. Time that, although also vital, is often treated as unimportant
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or expendable.</p>
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<p>Given that Democracy is not something we are willing to give up, or
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at least not in the near future, it does seem apparent that some kind of
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change is still necessary to combat the most negative effects it has:
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instability, divisiveness, and polarization. The solution to which, I
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believe, lies in the dissolution of political parties in favor of an
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electoral system that functions solely on the basis of candidates with
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absolutely no affiliation to any political organizations.</p>
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<p>Political parties exist as an inherently collectivist idea, whereby
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the entire party and all its constituents rally around a common ideology
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with more or less variation. As such, a party is not so much defined by
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the people in it, but by an ideology to which its constituents conform.
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This on its own limits the diversity of combinations of policy that
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could be possible in a Democracy. Aggregate to this that a party system
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will tend towards the concentration of different ideological currents
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into a single party so as to consolidate power. This happens not only in
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the United States, where there is a sole office to be taken by the
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winning candidate, but even in parliamentary systems as we have in
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Spain. Any Third-Way ideas that do not fit neatly into the Left-Right
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dichotomy adopted by mainstream politics will be unwelcome and expelled
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from the political arena.</p>
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<p>From the concentration comes a lack of flexibility or nuance in
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political policy and discourse. Candidates are forced to hold party
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lines, which are made on a basis of ideology and voter research (i.e.
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demagogue). When different times call for different prudential measures,
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the parties will religiously stick to their Man-made ideologies with no
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consideration for temporary expedient measures. Examples would be such
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as those of the Libertarian who will refuse to enact any State Welfare
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programme despite desperate need of such aid, or the Socialist who will
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refuse to consider some deregulation of certain sectors of the economy
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to allow for smaller enterprises to grow. To these party candidates, the
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party line is what is sacred, not the Common Good.</p>
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<p>If we were to dissolve all political party structures, and elect on a
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basis of candidates alone, then many of the barriers to dialogue and
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diversity of policy would be eliminated. Candidates would no longer be
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funnelled into certain ideological boxes, but be free to espouse a more
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nuanced solution to our problems. Nor would it be necessary to make any
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ideological declarations, as one would not need to be part of any
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particular party in order to win an election. Third-Way candidates would
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be on equal standing as the conventional Left-Right dichotomy. It now
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becomes more difficult to discern who the mainstream candidates will
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be.</p>
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<p>It is likely, of course, that in the beginning of such a system
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being implemented many candidates will attempt to associate with the old
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labels and parties so as to gain more votes. In doing this, many voters
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may feel the need to still vote for one of these candidates (although
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they will likely be many) so as to avoid a greater evil from being
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elected. This can be remedied by using a ranked voting system. Allowing
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voters to choose candidates based upon a ranked list rather than only
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voting for a single candidate. All ballots that ranked first the
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candidate that won the least amount of votes will transfer their votes
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to the candidate ranked second on their ballot, and the process
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continues until a final winner is determined.</p>
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<p>In a greater attempt to combat the errors of party systems and
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Democracy over all, it should also be prohibited to do any kind of
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publicity, campaigning, or propaganda of any sort outside designated
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(and equally alloted) spaces. E.g. publicly hosted debates and
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interviews with each of the candidates as well as a public platform on
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which each candidate can publicize their programmes and policies for the
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public. In this manner, we avoid political elections being turned into
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spectacles for our entertainment, and keep them <i>bland</i> as nothing
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more than a discussion on policy.</p>
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<p>As candidates would no longer be associated with parties or
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ideologies of any sort, the polarization of society would diminish as we
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begin to appreciate more nuance in each other's opinions; recognizing
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that we may agree for different reasons, or disagree but have similar
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intentions. Rather than viewing our political adversaries as polar
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opposites of our own view, we will see them as people with differing
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opinions that may, at times, be misguided. We will begin to consider
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candidates not as opposed to one another, but with different ideas on
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how to achieve a common goal: the Common Good.</p>
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<p>We are living in one of the most divisive times, not only in the
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United States, but in many places. The COVID-19 pandemic and the
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consequent economic recession have led us down a path of uncertainty
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and desperation, moving us to take desperate measures. It is absolutely
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clear that the manner in which our political systems currently function
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is not helping the situation, but rather fueling the fires of the
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already roaring flame. A change is needed for the good of our
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compatriots. It may be very unlikely, or even implausible that such
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changes could occur, much less now, as all parties are doing their best
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to seize as much power as possible; but this should not stop us from
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trying to make changes in the system. We must remember that our
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compatriots who think differently from ourselves do so in hopes that it
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will be better for our country, and ultimately it is better for the
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Common Good when we are not at each other's throats.</p>
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