Heads they win, tails you lose

Another fallacious election is upon us, but we're morally and politically hobbled

We can’t honestly say we were never warned:

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

-- John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780), "The Works of John Adams", vol 9, p.511

It constantly amazes me that the greatest nation on earth can continue to operate politically on a totally fallacious basis. Where will it end?

Among the most important-to-understand logical fallacies is what is known as the false dilemma.

Here is one of the best definitions of this that I’ve found:

“The false dilemma is a fallacy of oversimplification that offers a limited number of options (usually two) when in reality more options are available. Also known as the either-or fallacy, the fallacy of the excluded middle, and the black and white fallacy. Either-or arguments are fallacious because they tend to reduce complex issues to simplistic choices.” —Richard Nordquist

In America, politically, this is a perfect description of the false two-party paradigm, the destructive paradigm that John Adams explicitly warned us against.

So, as 2024 approaches, we are already being told that our only two “choices” are quite likely to be limited, again, to a dangerous, twice-impeached, soon-to-be four times indicted, insurrectionist demagogue, and an incumbent who thinks the continued mass murder of millions of unborn babies is just fine.

Our “choice” is between an ignoramus who, on the world stage, kowtows abjectly to dictators and war criminals like Vladimir Putin, who wants Ukrainians who are bravely fighting for their freedom, sovereignty, and survival, to surrender to Putin and his thugs, and an incumbent president who thinks he can somehow change the weather if trillions more American tax dollars are tossed up in the air in the name of “climate change” (i.e. handed out to his liberal Democrat political constituencies, and to other countries).

Both of these bad choices, of course, proudly support the homosexualist agenda, and the massive, unconstitutional, socialist spending that already has the republic bankrupt and on the verge of insolvency.

Americans, you need to understand: As long as you continue to buy into this fallacy—election cycle after election cycle—and refuse to do the hard work of raising up a principled alternative, your foolish lesser-of-two-evilism can only continue to produce more evil. It’s obvious, and it’s a dead certainty.

As great as it is, our republic is morally and politically hobbled, and this at a moment in history in which the world desperately needs America to be moral, and strong.

If we continue this moral slide—a slide that is all mixed up with two-party-ism—the whole world will, in the end, pay a terrible price for that failure, as will our posterity here at home.

It’s easy to criticize, I know. But, some of us can credibly do so, because for many years we have—on a practical basis—done what was necessary in order to offer a decent, constitutional alternative to the people of the United States.

We saw these problems a long time ago, and in response launched America’s Party in 2008. Through four presidential election cycles we have offered up an independent alternative to the truly awful choices being presented to the country by the Democrats and Republicans. (Our first presidential nominee was Dr. Alan Keyes, and I have filled that role since.)

It’s tough, of course. The “two parties” have done all they can at the state level, where electoral votes are decided, to make it extremely difficult for anyone but themselves to compete.

But, it’s not impossible. A large enough mass of principled, patriotic Americans could conceivably overcome it, if they simply had the will to do so. Some of us know from long experience dealing with the existing election laws exactly how it could be done.

So, what will we do in 2024? We’re still considering and praying about that.

But, one thing is clear: By and large, the American people are still locked solidly into a fallacy. But, it’s all in their minds. They’re like prisoners whose jail cell doors stand open, but they refuse to simply walk out and be free.

All Americans have to do to be free of this destructive “two-party” insanity is to pay heed to the words of George Washington and John Adams, our first two presidents, and then, together, to act morally and logically.

"I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."

-- President George Washington, Farewell Address