New Political Party

For as long as I can remember, the Democrats were always the party of the blue collar working class and the Republicans were always the party with a white collar pro-business stance. The Democratic platform has traditionally been concerned with social welfare, labor unions, civil rights, and regulation of business. While the Republican platform has been defined by a strong military, opposition to big government, business deregulation, anti-abortion, and supportive of tax cuts. But it seems that with the coming of every new election season there is more at stake for all Americans. There is more on the line as voters and politicians alike seem to be chasing the same buck. Each election is more about who gets a bigger slice of the pie than the greater good of this free society as a whole. The lines are blurry between who and what is a democrat or a republican. During election season political candidates go to great lengths to differentiate themselves and really try to stand out in a crowded playing field.

Every election season you can rest assured you will hear all the same old political slogans and cliches being throw about by candidates like; "He'll give America back to the people," and "She'll fight for you." But after years of hearing these catchy phrases over and over again one must ask, where are they taking us and who are they looking out for? Each election-day voters find themselves faced with the decision of choosing, "the lesser of evils" or asking themselves if they should even vote at all. But are elected officials capable of really enhancing our lives in light of all the international and domestic challenges faced by a Congress that allow themselves to be swayed by the tremendous number of special interest groups that line the avenues of Washington? Do we as individuals have any control over what goes on in Washington? Does it really matter how many letters we may write to Congress, or how many political rallies we attend? Once we vote on election-day are we done with our ability to affect the U.S. political system until the next election-day? Having raised all these cynical questions, I've decided to start a new political party in the United States. I call it the "Party of Every Man for Him.' To be involved in this grassroots organization you should be mindful of a few basic tenens that should allow you to not just survive but to hopefully pursue the ideals of your American dream as you perceive it.

Educate yourself- The power of a formal education in this country cannot be overstated. Arm yourself with knowledge and embrace it like a military bulwark.

Save your pennies- Setbacks are abound to anyone and everyone in this pursuit of the American dream. A personnel emergency fund is mandatory if and when you fall behind even if you only experience a temporary setback.

Fight - Wake up every day prepared for a heavyweight fight. Expect a daily battle for what is yours and for what you believe in. Your ideals, your work ethic, your protectionism of family.

Perhaps you already belong to this party or you already believe in this way of thinking. Perhaps you can add a few tenets of your own to this brief declaration. But the point is that blind faith in the two party system is not enough. Self determination is the best path to empowerment in achieving the kinds of individual freedoms we all envision for ourselves. Whether you want to join my political party or not, perhaps in some way we all belong to the same political party, "The Party of Every Man for Himself."