Political Parties are Destroying American Democracy

What is the last big problem America solved? I mean, other than Facebook not being a Metaverse. That was clearly a big one! Thanks God! No, I mean, what was the last big problem that we came together as a nation and, using our political system, addressed in a serious way. Some might argue ObamaCare in 2010, others would go back further.

But in the meantime, we have so many problems: climate change, the educational crisis, the student loan crisis, the income inequality crisis, problems around race relations or massive over-incarceration. The existential crisis of democracy. The list is seemingly endless. Yet nothing ever seems to happen.

The fact is that America is no longer capable of solving big problems, and political parties are largely to blame.

Everything new gets old. Even the best products, over time, lose their luster and eventually, their functionality. In 1990, I bought a top-of-the-line stereo. (“bought”…”stole” what difference does it really make? Except of course to my neighbor. It probably made a difference to him). But now, that state-of-the-art sound machine sits in a heap in my crawl space, unable to emit a single sound. The fact is that time, changes in circumstances and changes in perceptions eventually weaken even the most perfect things.

The same is true of ideas. In 1789, when our founders donned their grey wigs and ruffled shirts to help them think of a form of government, they created a brilliant and surprisingly durable democratic republic that involved separation of powers, checks and balances and a bill of individual rights that allowed the United States to flourish for over two centuries. Sure, there were a few bumps in the road. For example, the Civil War was a bump. In fact, not many people know (because it’s not true) that it was actually called the Civil Bump for decades.

But after resisting the obvious for years, I am now forced to come to the heartbreaking conclusion that the government designed in 1789, no longer works, or is even capable of working in 2021. There are a number of reasons for this, all of which I’ll be writing about in my new book “Feel Sadder!”. But the way political parties have evolved has to be near the top of the list. It was actually George Washington who first warned us about…