We’ve successfully elected the lesser of two evils, and it will make a real difference for the United States and for the world. I’m proud of this fact; I like Barack Obama, although I do realize that he is not likely to work toward the kind of real change we need. The difference between the candidates is only a few percentage points on most issues. But it is a step in the right direction, and it shows that, although it may be just as much for show as anything else, we do have the power to enact some amount of change when things are at their worst.
During the worst of times is when we most need the kind of new and innovative ideas that are only coming from third parties. When Obama says he’s going to invest in alternative energy, I think he might throw some money at it, probably more than Bush has, but I don’t believe we’re going to have a real solution to our energy problems, at least not the way we would with a Green Party Congress and a Ralph Nader presidency.
But during the worst of times, we are most afraid of giving our votes to third party candidates for fear of contributing to the election of the most frighteningly dangerous candidates out there. That’s why now, now that the White House and Congress are under the control of the Democratic party (and as the evening progresses, we’ll find out whether the Democrats reach 60 Senate seats), we have to take advantage of the current political environment and the post-election interest in analyzing the state of our democracy to build a third party movement.
If you look at the rest of this site, you’ll see that I’m proposing to organize voters who want to vote for third parties but prefer to vote strategically when necessary, to show that this is a group with enough numbers to make a difference, especially in the local elections which we tend to ignore with the nationalized media focusing on the President. The idea is not to destroy what we have achieved in this important election, but to expand upon it, make a real difference on a local level, and show our strength and continue to pressure the political establishment to open up the system to a plurality of voices. Given unconditional support just because they’re better than the worst candidates, they will quickly fall into old habits, failing to take a stand to make a real difference in the lives of the people.
Remember, things were far from perfect before George W. Bush came along and made a mess of the nation. Change back to the way things were isn’t good enough. We have to keep fighting, and we have to go further. Congratulations to Obama and the Democratic Party, and I hope they keep their promises, but we need still more change and we will make our voices heard and make it a reality.
Capitalocracy 