Democracy and Violence by Butler Shaffer

There is a growing awareness that the so-called "two-party" system in America is nothing more than a one-party system (the "establishment party") with two subsidiaries pursuing the same policies and purposes. This singularity is so widely accepted that the notion of "bipartisanship" is trumpeted as a civic virtue! Politicians are praised when they "come together," from "both sides of the aisle," to support the same governmental programs. For such reasons is Ron Paul labeled a "kook" for being the sole dissenter in a 434-1 congressional vote on some measure. How dare he reveal to the public that the political establishment depends upon the maintenance of a group-think mindset; that Republicans and Democrats – and even liberals and conservatives – are simply two wings of the same bird of prey. Far better that men and women not trouble their minds with the kinds of questions best left to the philosopher-kings whose judgments are to be trusted.
Our world is becoming increasingly decentralized, meaning that top-down social systems are becoming less and less relevant to how people live. Unrestrained violence, and the capacity and willingness to exercise it against any who inconvenience their interests, has become the hallmark of modern political systems. The perverted notion that bombing cities in foreign countries; destroying their cultures; and slaughtering hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in the process, is done in the name of advancing "democracy," is a further illustration of the symbiotic relationship between democracy and violence. The Iraqi mother who was quoted as warning her children against "the democracy men" tells us so much more than did our high school civics class teacher.
Nowhere is the imaginary nature of "democracy" made more evident than in the effort of people who, seeking alternative avenues of political expression, try to organize a third-party as a means of electing candidates to office who are not part of the plutocratic establishment. Republicans and Democrats – who want to monopolize how the political game is to be played – have legislated all sorts of hurdles and barricades to make it extremely difficult for third-party advocates to get on the ballot. When third parties do manage to get ballot access, those who run the presidential debate circus make certain these alternative candidates are not allowed to participate. The establishment media cooperates by consigning third-party candidates to debates with one another, to be shown at 3 a.m. on Sunday, or at equally dead times.

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