Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Do Parties Help or Hinder Wise Decisions?

   Politics (meaning public policy) would be purer if we took politics (meaning political parties) out of it.
   What is it that makes us think we have to divide into parties, anyway? We would be more inclined to decide issues based on their merits, we would be more likely to adopt policies based on whether they are wise, if we didn't have parties pulling at us. As it is, we side up based on which side our team -- be that republican or democrat -- sides up on. We don't even need to think, we just pick our policies based on politics, based on which side our party is on.
   You cannot tell me it is a system that drives us to the best decisions. It is a system that encourages us to side up before we even know much of anything about the issue. Someone might argue that the party system provides opposition, and checks and balance, so that both sides of the issue get considered.
   My first thought is to say that is wrong, that people can disagree and have differences of opinion without having false differences of opinion ("false" meaning not natural, but rather prompted by loyalty to party).
   But, as I think more on it all, I do consider that without parties, there might be more of an inclination for everyone on a public policy board to agree, without considering both sides, if not for parties.
   So, my little blog tonight takes a U turn, and I am left not knowing which to think. It is too late to resolve this, as I must go to bed.

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