The two-party system in the United States is an absolute disaster. It is infuriating and embarrassing to pretend either party supports the best interest for Americans.
While conservatism is more associated with the Republican Party, it can also be used to define the Democratic Party as well. Political conservatism is the ideology of maintaining the status quo of traditional values. The Democratic Party has not done enough to break away from this status quo.
I have more issues with the Republican Party being the anti-progress party in the United States, but I cannot in good faith say the Democratic Party is much better. The Democratic Party is not the party of progression that many would like it to be; instead it is the party of virtue signaling.
According to the Senate Democrats website, “The Senate Democratic majority strives for fairness, justice, and equality for all by standing up for all middle-class Americans and those struggling to get there.”
They can make all the claims of wanting to help the middle class all they want, but what really matters is what they will do about helping them. While the Democratic Party is certainly better than the Republican Party in promoting public welfare, they are not promoting beneficial changes in the long term. They still maintain the same status quo of the systems Republicans love.
What the United States needs is more options when it comes to political parties. The third parties currently available are useless. It is shamefully true that a third party vote is a wasted vote, but this should not be the case. The American populus should be educated about what will be best for them so they can make an informed decision on how they feel the government should be run. Instead, Americans are given two almost identical options that they pick without even thinking twice. It is very shameful and really depletes my hope any significant change will ever occur.
I feel that starting a progressive party would be the best bet for the United States. A party that promotes secularism, bodily autonomy and social democracy among everything else that would be in the best interest for Americans should be created. Social democracy especially should be prioritized, but sadly it is often the fear of a lot of Americans because conservatives use the boogeyman word “socialism” to describe it.
It should be noted social democracy is not socialism at all. It is a system also referred to as the Nordic Model because of its association with the Nordic countries. According to Investopedia, the Nordic Model “combines features of capitalism, such as a market economy and economic efficiency, with social benefits, such as state pensions and income distribution.”
Promoting a change like this would leave the United States thriving. Just looking at how advanced the Nordic countries are should make it obvious what values we should promote. These should be the values of an existing party in the United States, not just two conservative parties. If the United States is worth saving, we should actually do something to save it.
Nico Brazill can be contacted at
nbrazill@kscequinox.com
