Dear Editor:
George Washington, in his 1796 "Farewell Address", offered some very good advice to the American people. Amongst that advice was a warning about the dangers of allowing 'political factions' to take control of our government because they would operate the government for their benefit. Our forebears ignored that advice some one hundred and sixty years ago and essentially adopted the '2-party' system of governance.
Since that time our nation has been in numerous wars from which we have received no benefit, our political system has been corrupted - more than likely beyond repair -and our financial system and economic well-being placed in jeopardy due to uncontrolled government growth and borrowing, much of the borrowed money being sent as 'foreign aid' to nations hostile to us, our national debt said to be more than $20 trillion.
Thanks to 2-party governance our congressional and executive branches are in constant conflict, the Democrats currently wasting millions of tax-payer dollars in their attempt to overturn the result of the last Presidential election, never mind the serious threats to the American people that must be dealt with. There is not even a pretense of working on behalf of the majority of American citizens.
The federal courts often act arbitrarily and outside the Constitution to arrive at questionable decisions, the judges themselves being part of the 2-party system else they never would have been nominated.
The 2 parties have rigged our congress in a way that allows one House member, the Speaker, to have more power and authority than all the other Representatives combined! The current Speaker appears to have serious health/mental problems, often speaking incoherently in public settings.(In the event that the President and vice President are both permanently disabled or die she will become President - a scary prospect!)
The vast majority of Americans effectively have no representation at the Federal level of government. What happened to the vaunted 'democratic process'? Apparently, when the 'right' people are in charge it has little meaning.
The 'free press' has taken sides and engages in rumor, innuendo, speculation, and gossip instead of reporting pertinent, factual information that could be beneficial to Americans. Everything they do seems to be tinged with 'celebrity' nonsense.
They are also undermining the principle of 'representative government', constantly referring to those elected to public office as 'law makers', 'leaders', 'officials', etc., instead of 'representatives'! Most of our ancestors fled the various monarchies of Europe to avoid being 'led' into the constant wars, poverty, slavery, famine, and serfdom to seek freedom. Most Americans probably much prefer to be 'represented' rather than 'led'!
George Washington had it exactly right in his advice/warning regarding political factions. His other advice was also dead-on pertaining to world affairs. He said we should avoid 'entangling alliances' with other nations, that we should trade with all other nations equally, that we should stay out of the affairs of other nations, and that we should stay out of Europe's wars!
Jack Shelley