Mitchell J. Rabin - Can & Will America Get Behind a 3rd Party Candidate in 2012?

Join Mitchell every week on Mondays at 6pm(ET) for his show, "A Better World."

When the U.S. government was established, there was no provision in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights stating, or even suggesting that there should be just two political parties controlling political office on local, state or federal levels. In fact, for most of U.S. history, there were numerous parties andparty-switching was fairly frequent. Now it's nearly non-existent.

The idea that there are only two parties and that loyalty to one's party is seemingly more sacred than Congress' commitment to their vow of upholding the Constitution and serving the People of the Land. No one likes to use the word treason, but, isn't this some form of it? If a Party's platform undermines the health and well-being of the government and the People at large, no matter their party, well, what do we call this, business-as-usual? Life without integrity or heart?

Why should two parties dominate our Body Politic when our People are so diverse and the parties don't begin to represent every citizen's view? The only change they seem to come up with over time is to become more and more like one another.

While I am no fan of the Democrats, the Republicans seem, like a fraternity just short of the special handshakes. They put their party's importance above the interests of the nation, and this is patently in violation of their oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the U.S. This violation should have legal consequences besides the obvious moral decay and emotional immaturity, sad as it is to say, that it expresses.

It is due, not to strong Democratic values but to the lowest end of politics and sheer manipulation, that has kept worthy 3rd Party candidates from gaining a foothold. In terms of qualifications, 3rd Party candidates have, in my opinion, far outshone those Presidential candidates of the two main parties, now dinosaur-like, self-interested, both of which are paid-out by the same corporate interests. Strong as it may sound, it's hard for intelligent, self-respecting Americans, cultural creatives, progressive thinkers who actually care for others, a humanitarian type of individual, to take either of these two parties seriously, so quick are they to let the children, elderly and those disadvantaged suffer. Even the middle class! Didn't Jesus say " "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me also"..."? Do not most members of Congress consider themselves Christian? So, what has happened to the dignity of brotherly love? Surely there are members of each Party who are good men and women with a strong drive to improve the country and the lot of people, but they are overridden by the lower common denominators of their respective parties. All the more reason that we re-join American history's precedents and give attention and power to viable independent parties. The time is "so here" it isn't funny!

To give some sense of the history of political parties in the United States, I quote Wikipedia below which clearly indicates that, until now, there have been multiple parties at a given time.

The 19th century

The shifting of allegiance between political parties was much more common during the 19th century than it is today. It took several years for political parties as we know them today to coalesce after the founding of the United States, and many parties formed and fell apart rapidly.

A massive party switch occurred in the 19th century and 1810s when many members of the United States Federalist Party joined the United States Democratic-Republican Party. When this party fell apart in the 1820s, its members all switched to various political parties, including the United States Whig Party, as well as theDemocratic, National Republican, Anti-Jackson and Anti-Mason Parties. The Republican Party was also formed by a massive party switch in 1854 when northern members of the Whig, American and Free Soil parties, along with a few northern Democrats, formed the Republican Party, and many Southern Whigs became Democrats. Following the United States Civil War the Republican Party faced several massive party switches. As Reconstruction ended, many Southern Republicans became Democrats. In 1872 Republicans dissatisfied with President Ulysses S. Grant formed the Liberal Republican Party and had a joint presidential campaign with the Democrats. Most Liberal Republicans soon returned to the main Republican Party, however. A similar situation occurred in 1884 when themugwumps left the Republican Party and supported the Democratic presidential candidate, later rejoining the Republican party. The next major conflict in the Republican Party occurred in 1896 when Republican supporters ofFree silver left the party to form the Silver Republicans, though again most of these politicians later rejoined the Republican Party. By the late 19th century, as the Democratic and Republican parties became more established, however, party switching became less frequent.

The 20th century

The shifts in American voter demographics beginning in the second half of the 20th century - the southern statesfrom Democratic to Republican, and New England and the west coastal states from Republican to Democratic - have prompted several incumbent federal legislators and many state legislators to switch parties. In addition, as changes in state laws made it harder and harder for members of third parties to be elected or re-elected, many former members of these parties became members of the two dominant parties.^[1]

This is a phenomenon that emerged over time, it is based on self-interest only, not the free exercise of Democratic principles, and at base, it is an expression of profound narcissism and emotional immaturity, if not arrest.

I have personally voted 3rd party for most of my voting career. I have voted for Ralph Nader and John Hagelin of the Natural Law Party several times. Having had Dr. Hagelin as a guest on A Better World TV three times in rigorous support of his candidacy and the values of the NLP, I learned how corrupt the "Democratic" System really is. For example, Hagelin (which, etymologically, suggests, "holy man in office", from the Indo-European "hagio") met the qualifications to be part of the televised, national debates in the year 2000. He had the backing of NLP of course but also of Ross Perot's Reform Party and good endorsements across the country. With a background as a professor of physics at Harvard, he brought a level of intelligence, thoughtfulness and intellectual acuity to the Body Politic the pundits, et al. commercial media, just didn't know how to regard or digest. It was no longer just a horse-race, thinking, just not deal-making, a nice smile and political favors, that counted. It was like shining a light on a lowly den of hucksters and thieves!

The FEC, Federal Election Committee, as federal it seems as Federal Express, despite Hagelin's meeting theircriteria, denied him participation in the televised debates. The reason? "We don't think you'll win..." What's "democratic" about that? Who in the world are they to pronounce the future on behalf of the American People?

NLP sued, but the FEC had reach into the Judiciary (imagine that!) and the court hearing was postponed, curiously, until after the election. There is nothing democratic and legitimate about a system that allows this to happen, or that perpetuates this kind of unethical activity, yet they get away with it. Despite the advertising, promotion and propaganda in commercial media, Democracy in the U.S. ain't that popular. The U.S. likes to talk about promoting Democracy around the world but doesn't practice it at home. NLP's lawyer gave up law after this severe miscarriage of justice and became an herbalist, remaining closely connected to Nature and the ground. Probably a good place for us all and as the dollar sinks in value due to other unethical activities among the banks, our relationship to the Earth will likely be a whole lot more valuable than paper money in our pockets.

In the midst of the Dionysian Fest in Washington, D.C. where the politicians are drunk with money, power and their own sense of self-importance while missing the blatant fact, obvious to the rest of us that they are a major part of the problem, not the solution, and are hastening the modern-day fall of Rome (hear my interview with Monty Taylor and Arun Singh who make evident that the very same conjunctions occurring today were present during the fall of the Roman Empire, but of course, it was said, one doesn't 'realize' that one is part of a sinking ship until the life-boats are being called for...http://www.abetterworld.net/astrology-east-west-roundtable-with-monty-taylor-arun-singh), is emerging a former Democrat, whose intelligence pressed him to leave the Democratic Party, and ultimately become part of a 3rd party, Rocky Anderson Justice Party candidate for President.

Haven't Americans seen through the lies and deceptions, the empty promises of both the Republican and Democratic parties for long enough? Must this go on longer? Are we so stuck in the mud as a people that we have no larger imagination to allow us to entertain a 3rd party candidate for President? We were considering a Democratic woman who was generally surpassed by a Democratic man of color who promised "Change".

What I think he meant by change is that at the end of his term, the U.S. would be reduced to having left only a little "pocket change". Evidently it didn't mean change on the scale he suggested while running. While there are a few reforms that Obama has brought forth, to give credit where credit is due, by and large, he could be called "Bush III", I regrettably say as I wanted change to occur as much as anyone who voted for him.

I suggest that, as of this past week, with Rocky Anderson's declaration of his candidacy for President in a party that is looking out for the little guy, the environment and the overall virtue of Justice in every corner of our society, we have a viable,articulate, politically-astute though ethical candidate whose track record shines as a progressive, thoughtful candidate. Based on what I have read and learned to date, I am impressed with his convictions, his reasoning, his commonsense, ethical, respectful approach to complex issues. This is why I invited Rocky Anderson to be on the show, to lay out his positions on a number of important issues, to see if he is a candidate that A Better World can get behind.

Speaking Out

How many people during the Bush-Cheney-McCarthy Era were willing to stand up and call for their impeachment? Mayor Rocky Anderson did and in Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich did, God bless his soul! Who spoke out early, prior to the Iraq War beginning, to blow the whistle on this illegal war and madness? Rocky did, and again, a handful of smart people in Congress (Kucinich, Feingold, and a few others). Who enacted legislation and supported a major city in reducing its carbon footprint and succeeded in doing so by about a third during his term in office? Yes, it was Mayor Anderson.

The film Rocky, rocked the country because of the emergence of a heroic figure who came to 'save the day'. Certainly "it takes a village", agreed Hilary, and best when there is a reliable leader at hand. The leader is a very human archetype which inspires others to goodness and sometimes greatness. I say that this is what we need in our country, we need real leadership. And Rocky may be someone who can fulfill this role. During difficult times such as these, typically a nation becomes fascistic due to people's mounting fears of economic instability and social unrest. I'm arguing that we can go in another direction--the direction of greater humanity, compassion and understanding, more cooperation among ourselves. Oh it requires work, I'm not talking about hand-outs, I'm talking about everyone rolling up their shirtsleeves and together, getting to work. If you haven't seen the film Urban Roots,about the re-building of Detroit, from industrial wasteland to agrarian haven, I'd strongly recommend it. It shows what can happen when people come together for a common cause and cooperate to make great things happen for the good of a community.

When we reflect on what happened in Wisconsin last year with the major protests against Gov. Scott Walker, same in Ohio against its Governor, when we look at the Occupy Wall St. Movement and how it has germinated around the country and world, and continues even when physically displaced, when we look at the overall deep, dissatisfaction and disillusionment of Americans with their own government, economy, joblessness, with healthcare benefits drying up due to cutting back spending so radically, the reduction in education potential for the average citizen, one could say that disenfranchisement across the land is at a high point as it hasn't been since the 1929 crash and the subsequent Great Depression.

Yet now we have, due to technology and experience, more ability to provide for the "public welfare" than then or perhaps ever before. Yet, politicians keep winding out their empty promises, literally stealing our rights guaranteed by our Constitution and Bill of Rights and in so many ways, stealing our future based on their profound self-interest and unconsciousness. Can people say that actually believe the empty, contentious, self-interested words of the Obamas, the Romneys and Gingrichs of this world? Have we not learned by now that all each wants to do is selfishly wield power for their own, and not for the common good despite rhetoric? Some of these, especially the Republicans, even admit, by implication, that they don't give a hoot for the People, just the millionaires. It should not continue as it is, and Mother Earth Herself is letting us know.

Just this past week, a horrific discovery was made by Russian scientists, that due to melting glaciers in the Arctic, methane, 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide from a Climate Change point of view, is beginning to be released in massive plumes into our environment.

"Russian scientists have discovered hundreds of plumes of methane gas, some 1,000 meters in diameter, bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean. Scientists are concerned that as the Arctic Shelf recedes, the unprecedented levels of gas released could greatly accelerate global climate change". Anderson's track record, not just talk, has shown that he takes this and many environmental initiatives seriously, as a matter of life and death, which actually, they are.

America, are you ready to put into office someone who is not "twiddelideum and twiddeledee" as Ralph Nader describes the Democrats and the Republicans? No, they are not the same party, the Republicans will sacrifice our nation in a minute for the triumph of their own Party and its allegiance to its wealthy patrons, I'm not confused about it, but the Democrats are too spineless as a group to do anything about it, so down the proverbial drain we go. Let's really look, my friends, at another, visionary alternative, which becomes realistic when we all get behind it.No one thought Obama was going to pull out in front of the Democratic Party and then get elected to President!

Well, let's be realistic: expect another miracle. What a beautiful way to live!

And this week cannot pass without noting that the Iraq War has been said to have been brought to a conclusion, as they say, with a wimper. Why a wimper? More than half the country, educated or otherwise, know in their gut that we should never have been there in the first place, it was completely a private war between the Bush's and Saddam on behalf of Exxon, Chevron and BP, or their friendly competitors. This had nothing to do with Democracy but a private vendetta.

Bush was said to have begun planning this before he was selected and appointed to office. Do Americans know this? Subliminally, I believe that many do. We have embarrassed ourselves and shamed ourselves through our entire involvement in this madness, and spent trillions of dollars fomenting bloodshed, ours and theirs. Halliburton and private contractors robbed the American People of the funds that allow children to have school lunches and the elderly to have some medical benefits.

So its end is unceremonious, uncelebrated, and brings yes, a sigh of relief, but no flag-waving, just a deep and massive "We're Sorry for the foolishness of our so-called leaders" we should broadcast to the Iraqi People first and foremost and the rest of the world for this horrible mistake, through which all lost. And this was also the week that Congress passed an illegal, morally reprehensible Bill, the Military Authorization Act, which renders this country, and all people on the planet, subject to the whims of authority in the Oval Office. Nor should the week pass without acknowledging Private Bradley Manning's trial, finally, and on his birthday, some kind of crude joke. Let us pray that justice will be done and he will be seen as the brave hero that he is, blowing the whistle on a corrupt government and a deceptive military.

As Lao-Tse says, you only go to war when no other option exists, and you do so always with regret and a heavy heart. There is no winning.

And last, that we are in the midst of the Holiday Season, and NYC is a fabulous place to be at this time of year. The air is crisp, it smells good, Christmas trees are around an occasional Chanukah bush, and there's an overall sense among people of well-being and even though Rome is falling, who says we can't enjoy ourselves, honor and celebrate, apart from all this, life itself?

You can hear my interview with Rocky Anderson on www.prn.fm or www.abetterworld.net.