Do We Really Have a Two-Party System in this Country?

I've been listening to some tapes from a conference held by the Rockford Institute and was particularly interested in one speaker who said we really don't have two political parties. We have only one and its name is "the establishment." The main policy of the establishment party is to keep itself in power. Whatever it takes to do that is the guiding principle of the "establishment." Stay in office and leave office after a long, enjoyable career very, very rich.

That's why so many politicians who go to Washington on a reform platform immediately reverse themselves. The establishment makes it crystal clear that they will be shunned and never belong to the club if they dare to buck the establishment. As the speaker said, once the politician is elected, the voters who wanted reform disappear until the next election.
But the lobbyists and big donors are on the politician's doorstep wanting a return on their investments. Look at Hillary and her $300,000 stipends for speaking engagements. Does anyone really think she's getting that with no strings attached? But somehow she and Bill can get massive bribes without ever landing in hot water. Come to think of it, the same treatment keeps the money flowing to the crooks at Planned Parenthood with hardly a chirp from the establishment members of both parties.

Not only that, but the establishment makes it clear they will freeze out anyone who dares to buck them. Makes sense doesn't it and explains why the Republicans despite being in the majority always seem to buckle. No big waves in the establishment pond especially with a powerful media inluencing the debate.

In a perhaps tongue-in-cheek proposition the speaker said the solution was publicly-funded elections where the challengers get more money than the incumbents to offset the incumbent advantage. But, of course, that would have to be passed by the establishment incumbents who would never do it.

Since the establishment sets the rules and they all want the rules to favor themselves, reform seems very unlikely. But the reality is that the entire house of cards is getting ready to collapse. That's when things will get really interesting. Unfortunately, it is likely to be a rocky ride. So let's put on the armor of God and pray for an extra helping of faith and hope and a double dose of charity. We'll need it! In the meantime, continue to participate in the system, but put your trust in God.

As the Rockford Institute says, there are no legislative solutions to cultural problems and what ails us is the collapse of our cultural institutions. One of the most important thing any of us can do is to work to strengthen the moral values of our own families. No matter what progressives tell us, the traditional family is the basic building block of our society. When you work to strengthen the family and its relationship to God, you are building up the society.