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Two parties not enough

The Spokesman-Review

I began voting in elections in 1988 and have noticed that it is a constant theme in this country to write to the editor calling for the removal of all politicians in the next election. It is always the same letter: “Those crooks are robbing us blind, or the party in power are out to destroy, or already have destroyed, this once great nation. I did not, or my father did not risk my/his life so that those politicians can ignore me!”

Now it’s all about socialism.

I lived for many years off and on in Europe, where democracy is much more representative of the population. There they have government by coalition. They have to because the number of political parties that end up in parliament are always at least three and most of the time five or six. This system is much more representative of a population than our two-party system; also, it forces the different parties to work together in order to pass any new laws.

It should be obvious that a nation as diverse and populous as this one cannot be adequately represented by two parties.

Christopher Benedict

Colville



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