Today something is happening that is unparalleled across the pastime of the United States of American and that is increasingly it is to be seen that Americans occupy alternate universes.  With no room for compromise; each battling it out over their perception of reality.  Neither side seems to have much use for each other and in the current generation of media, the phrase “much use for one another” may be too generous.  There are legions that are driving this nation further and further apart.  It is not hard to see this division in society today it can be seen in the bias in news organizations in print or on television, politicians not even willing to acknowledge their fellow legislators just because of the party they identify with.  It is happening in the classroom talking to peers or teachers and more often than not you can find this in your family and some of your closest friends.  All of these factors have contributed to this problem for hundreds of years and this “new reality” has no foreseeable end in sight.  It has become acceptable to some Americans to no longer use words to convey their argument but rather resort to violence.  Meanwhile we have been fighting a never-ending war in the Middle East trying to defeat people who do the same by resorting to violence instead of conversation to get across their argument.  This issue of America’s political divide is no longer something that can be put off, it has to be addressed and it has to be addressed now or else our country will continue to break apart and one day, it will be too late to fix it.  Many Americans need to realize that when you try to censor someone by verbal abuse or physically assaulting them rather than taking them on a verbal debate you are not showing the world he is wrong, you are showing the world that you are not willing to debate him, but sadly that is often forgotten.  By no means take this as we should all think and do the same things but rather just be able to have a conversation about our beliefs and not have to fear for our well-being.  This issue has no definitive cause but instead a whole list of people organizations and establishments all contributing to the issue.  America’s two-party system needs to be abolished in order for our country to make progress in order for the United States to recover before a pending collapse from chaos ensuing, government standstills and growing hatred among American citizens growing.

It all started after a speech in 1796 by one of America’s great leaders and he saw this threat over 200 years ago.  Since George Washington’s inaugural address there has been a two-party system dictating American democracy for now 200 plus years and this way of running our country is 200 plus years outdated.  Before George Washington left the oval office, he warned the American people of 1796 and the many generations he knew that would proceed them and look at his speech for direction and he said the three things that could destroy our democracy were excessive debt, foreign wars and hyper-partisanship.  President George Washington knew that all of these things would slowly but surely cripple our country and tear down something he worked so hard to build up.  Now in 2017, the effects of everything he feared so much are now a reality and like he claimed are taking down our country.  This issue unlike the others tears a country apart from the inside out leading to hatred amongst Americans and people are no longer labeling themselves American but instead Democratic, Liberal, Republican, Conservative, etc.,   which is preventing rational conversation and legislative process to actually work.  Going against President Washington’s advice has dug the country into quite a hole to get out of and most see this as an impossible issue.  Simply put by the great Alexandre Dumas, “All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.”  President Washington knew the potential of the United States as he wrote down his inaugural address and it has certainly become something great, but he also knew the country he loved so much no matter how great it became it could still topple down like many great empires have done before.  This issue needs to end where it began and that is start of Democrats and Republicans. 

Right now, in the United States government there is a deadlocked congress and senate where instead of big pieces of legislation making national headlines for the amount of lives it has changed for the better, we only hear about the conflict and chaos that goes on in the White House.  This problem of politicians starts at the top of the hierarchy, that being the President of the United States Donald Trump.  In a time where we have needed a true leader to unite this broken country, the current President does not even resemble that in the slightest.  He has made it acceptable for politicians and American citizens to resort to name calling and insults while talking down to people they disagree with instead of approaching them in rational conversation and this has had a trickledown effect to politicians, news media and American citizens.  A recent Pew study found that 81% of voters can no longer agree with the other party on basic facts.  How could there ever be stasis with two opposing parties if over 4/5ths of think the other side is too ignorant enough to not understand basic facts?  Basic facts are supposed to be basic not some ever so complicated issue that is dragged out.  This can no longer be the normal and it while it started at the top everyone is responsible for it continuing and gaining life.  Something that has really come to the forefront of society is admitting that you simply do not know or that you are simply wrong. One of best parts of the two-party system is also one of its fatal flaws and that is its sheer reach and size in America.  The benefit being that has a large reach and influence, the negative being since it is so large in size the party has to beholden to a particular set of morals and ideals.  For example, in the Republican party fiscal responsibility, small government, pro-life, pro-gun and on the other side for the democrats they follow the morals and ideals of big government, liberalism and pro-choice.  People and politicians get handcuffed to their party and these principles making them unable to work across party lines without being labeled a traitor.  Most recently Senator John McCain’s vote against the Republicans attempt at replacing The Affordable Care Act, most Republicans did not care that he did the right thing by vetoing a terrible bill that would result in tens of millions losing health care, he was seen as a Benedict Arnold type.  Someone should not be a traitor by working with their colleagues to make the best possible piece of legislation. No wonder why America is slipping deeper into the chasm. This impasse has resulted in political gridlock, with virtually no legislation ever being passed.  In Obama’s eight years he struggled with this constantly.  During President Obama’s tenure, 965 laws enacted by congress and from 2003 to 2009 there were over 500 more laws enacted by congress.  President Trump ten months into his presidency is currently experiencing the same troubles as President Obama but on a much greater scale.  In fact, he has yet to get a significant piece of legislation passed through congress and senate.  Without legislation being passed our country can never progress and if you are not moving forward you are getting left behind.  The greatest threat to the well-being of the United States at this point is the two square miles that encompasses the capital.  

America is one entity and it should be treated as such.  The news media is a part of the problem as well, helping perpetuate the idea of two contentious teams in America.  It is evident that they are doing this and you just have to turn on the television to see in places like CNN and FOX only presenting one of the side of the argument misleading their audience to believe one thing over the other.  Currently there is a plethora of different voices being heard across the spectrum and the way to stick out from the pack is shock value and that is why people are no longer driven by their passion for their own party but rather a hatred for the other.  Looking at their debate commercials in the 2016 elections, it looked a lot more like fight night rather than being about two individuals talking about their policy.  They have made American politics into a TV soap opera looking for every possible scoop even if it false.  This has helped led to politics really becoming personal, resulting in people no longer being able tolerate the other side of the discussion.  People now live in echo chambers, over 50% of Americans now live in counties with the same political beliefs as themselves and there is no longer just having a differing opinion with another person.  A huge percentage of Americans see the other side as actively trying to destroy their country and as most of us would do if we see something we love being destroyed we would do anything to try to stop them. This goes to show as much as politicians and the news media is to blame for this problem, we have some take some part of the blame for the situation we are in as well.  By not taking off those rose-colored glasses in 2017, you are doing a disservice to yourself and others.  People need to know that news organizations are not incentivized to bring you the truth, they are incentivized by profits therefore ratings, it is sad but now more than ever as a whole we need to fact check and hold news organizations accountable.  Remember we live in a world where facts matter less than how you present them.  

This problem of our political division needs to be addressed now before it becomes irreversible.  As United States citizens, we should be united as one, that is when we are strongest.  As one collective force, it is impossible to stop us, looking at some of the best times in America it points to when we as citizens aligned and could compromise on issues.  It could be argued one of America’s best times was during the FDR presidency, where we worked together as one unit.  There was legislation that passed that still benefits us to this day and during this presidency America was solidified as the world superpower.  Another thing remaining true to this day but we as a country are only kidding ourselves if we think this title is automatically ours forever.  Like Russia has already done, countries will seize the opportunity of being able to bring America down.  To give an idea how easy it was for the Russia government to successfully interfere with our democratic process at the highest stage also known as the presidential election, the Russians took down a campaign that had over one billion dollars invested into their candidate Hillary Clinton with some controversial Facebook and other social media advertisements that cost a few hundred thousand dollars. That is unacceptable that a foreign government could completely disrupt what America holds so sacred, that being democracy and this was all because of social media posts, not some big scheme that only the best and brightest could come up with.  If that is not a sign of how fragile our country is and there something to be done, then what is?  This is prevented be improving the United States as a whole and that is done by passing legislation but currently in a deadlocked congress that is close to impossible.

The way to solve this vast issue is abolishing the party system.  People including politicians should not be tied to a belief or ideal just because of their party.  Now more than ever people are afraid to admit that they are wrong or just say simply I do not know.  But involvement of parties makes such a simple answer ever so complicated.  Another thing that parties contribute is make simple and clear issues much more chaotic than they ever need to be because god forbid they align with the opposing party.  Something that is often forgotten is many politicians are not working their citizens, they are working to be reelected and I cannot blame them.  If they do not get reelected they are essential out of a job and for many people the most addictive thing is no a drug it is power, once you have power it is hard to loosen your grip.  Currently in today’s electoral system it is close to impossible to be elected or reflected without support from the Republican or Democratic parties.  If you decide to be that brave sole to go against the pack they will drop you in a blink of an eye and find someone who will support their agenda.  Good luck finding funding for a campaign on your own.  At the end of the day in a capitalistic society the answer to every question is money and by removing money, influence and power from outside sources and putting it back into the hands that got elected through our democratic process, there can be some real change made.  
