I have a confession. No matter how much peer pressure I feel, I just can’t bring myself to get behind one political party and support that party 100% in all things. I don’t agree with the entire Liberal/Democrat agenda, nor with the entire Conservative/Republican agenda. I find it impossible to imagine giving either party “carte blanche” to do everything they want, to the exclusion of the other.

(You might think at this point that I’m going to continue this post by stating, “I agree with this policy, but not this,” and “I understand this point of view, but not that” — but that’s not what it’s about.)

We are confronting a lot of really big issues in our times, and it is understandable that these kinds of issues can get folks really riled up — whether it’s health care, or global warming, or abortion, or the economy, or something else — chances are, if you have any political interest at all, then there is probably at least one thing that you consider to be of pinnacle importance.

Lately though, it seems like more and more folks — when they find that one pinnacle issue — just completely jump whole-hog onto that party’s bandwagon. “If I agree with them on this one thing, then they must be right about everything else, right?” For example: you aren’t allowed to be against both abortion and global warming, because one party champions one of those causes, and the other party champions the other. The party’s supporters say, “you’re either with us, or against us,” so you’re going to have to give up your position on one of those issues if you want to fit in.

I’m weary, so very weary, of all the groups who claim you must vote based on their one issue… if you don’t vote for precisely whom they tell you, then you are going to risk being ostracized, or worse. Heck, they might be right about that issue: but constantly beating me over the head with the notion that I’m not allowed to vote any way but their way is maddening to say the least. If I really truly and honestly “have no choice” but to vote for a certain party, then what’s the point of living in a democracy at all?

Thankfully, our political systems in North America have some how managed to keep some semblance of balance in place… but I find myself wishing more and more that there were more than just two viable parties to vote for. (Emphasis on “viable”… there is a little more choice in Canada, in theory, but not in practice lately it seems.)

I’ve never taken any sort of political science course, but I have to wonder what will happen if this partisan divide keeps growing… and I often wonder whether modern technologies and knowledge will ever bring us a new or revised democratic system completely unlike those in practice now… (could there ever be, for example, a system where we vote directly on issues, instead of for representatives?)

P.S. When I moved down to the U.S., there was a lot of talk about how most folks are either a registered Republican or a registered Democrat. The idea of “registering” as one or the other seems like a horrific invasion of privacy to me — almost like a voluntary surrendering of the basic and arguably most important freedom that democracy gives us. (I know, technically you can change your vote in the privacy of the booth — but still.) I understand the notion of throwing your support behind the party that you believe in — but in the modern computerized world where everything about us is tracked and shared among government agencies, I’d rather not have my political “orientation” on file for them to use to discriminate against me, thanks!