Third Parties

Former Member

Well, can't say I know much about Brit politics, but here in the good (?) old (?) U.S.ofA. we have a neat little two-party system. "You're either with us or against us" at it's finest. Democrat or Republican, left or right, kind or cruel... it doesn't seem to leave room for any third (or fifteenth) parties. However, I've grown to hate both Democrats and Republicans as they are blending into one large body of bloated fakers. I don't blame them. This is what the general public is telling them they want: more big business and less of the little man; more savings and pollution, less environmental awareness and personal relationships.

The point is, I'd like to join a third party, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself these parties can make a difference in the politics of my country, let alone little old me do anything. I'm basically a perfect fit for the Green Party over here, possibly even more left-leaning than even them. But they've barely even been able to get candidates on the ballot, let alone get them elected. I'm basically just frustrated as what I see as the right direction for my country is essentially ignored as we're being dragged into a more and more facist-like state.

What can I do, where can I go to make a difference? What, if any, personal experiences can anyone share that might shed some light on my own? Any information on ANYTHING relating to this subject would be heartily welcomed, as most of the green party webpages have already been poured over by my eyes and I don't know where else to look.

Former Member

Unfortunately, upstart political parties in The U.S. have a history of consistent failure or, at most, only minimal success. If your political leanings tend left, then your best bet would be to throw in with the Democrats and become a very active member. This entails a substantial commitment of your free time and a willingness to do the drone work of the party - e.g. going door-to-door, stuffing envelopes, manning the phones, etc. The idea is to affect change within the existing system rather than trying to invent a new one. The up-side to following this route is that you'll learn more about the political process than you probably care to know, you'll gain invaluable insight into the art of working with others, and you may even gain enough power (or at least access to it) to affect the sort of changes you now long for. The down-side is that most people are too easily frustrated by the vagaries of the process to maintain any sort of long-term commitment and give up in disgust. If you can identify with Sisyphus, you'll do just fine.