Health & Fitness
Political Parties
Ever wonder what is behind all of the political party rhetoric? Have debates turned into "my way or the highway" debacles? Frustrated with the whole thing?
In this election season, it is important to step back and ask, “What is a political party?” and “Where does all of this political friction come from?”
In a nutshell, a political party is a group of like-minded individuals that attempt to exert power over those who they do not agree with.
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This is where we get our political friction.
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At a minimum, a party needs 51% of the population’s support to exert control on the other 49% of the people. Inevitably, the 49s not in power will chafe at the 51s’ rules and regulations, and they will attempt to sway 2% to come to “their side”.
Why? Because the “51s” decide many things: military spending, social spending, education standards, social standards, work regulations, and pay regulations…the list goes on and on.
Of course, for each area, each “party” claims to have the solution that everyone else must follow – or else.
So, what is wrong with that? To the winner goes the spoils, right?
The fundamental disconnect is this: If the 49s have done nothing to aggress against the lives or property of the 51s, why should the 51s get to dictate their actions?
Why should there be laws written by the 51s to prohibit and punish the non-aggressive social activities of the 49s? Why do the 51s get to aggress against the 49s’ property (through taxation) to pay for programs that they do not support?
It is certainly an interesting thought exercise.
Have you ever been upset at what was or was not taught in a government school? Or, have you ever been upset because your tax dollars are funding some social/political/military program that you do not agree with?
Both are examples of a “51” aggressing against you as a “49” – and I would guess the knee-jerk reaction is to get another 2% to come to “your side”.
I would suggest another way.
Since there are an infinite number of issues to divide us into 51 vs 49, and it is a fool’s errand to attempt to gain consensus on all of them, it follows that our world would become a perpetual state of campaigning and division (sound familiar?) as each side tried to “win”.
The other way is simple: Stop using government as a tool to exert power over the non-aggressive actions of our friends and neighbors.
Only then will we ALL be free to enjoy the “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that we want for ourselves and our families.