Working on an alternative to the major parties

Where can an independent thinker go? The politico-economic scene before us is terrifying. Both political parties repudiate industrial jobs. Republicans and Democrats alike decry a perceived incompetence of America's union labor and corporate management. Both praise sweatshop and child labor in China and third-world nations as efficient labor to whom we should concede American jobs for production of everything from toys to cars.

Republicans are content with U.S. standard of living spiraling down towards third-world levels, calling it natural correction as food, clothing, and other essentials seek out lowest-cost producing countries as a virtue of free trade.

Both parties see Detroit car companies paying a living wage and medical and retirement benefits as a sin, rather than a virtue. Both praise Toyota and Honda for labor costs free of such non-essentials. Republicans never ask how low-wage southern laborers or future Detroit unions will live without pensions and retirement medical benefits when they retire. Republicans really don't care. Capitalist ideology is the thing, you see. The French revolutionary D'Artagnan was famous for his cry "One for all and all for one." Republicans say "Every man for himself."

Democrats are little better. Democrats think government should provide for blue collar needs and retirement. Or they don't bother their heads to think that far. Socialist ideology is the thing, you see. Ideology spares one from the painful process of thinking. With ideology we can just regurgitate the thoughts of others. No strain there.

Both parties are happy to increase imported cars to replace those previously produced by the hated auto unions. Democrats once embraced blue collar unions. No more. Not Marxist enough. They still like government worker unions though. When Japan and Europe increase the number of dollars to buy a yen or euro to pay for their cars, will Republicans and Democrats like the higher prices? Never mind, that requires thinking.

In the 1980s Lee Iaccoca's books were best sellers. The author was acclaimed as an industrial leader who hated taking a government bailout, pioneered the minivan, quickly paid the government back several times over as Chrysler surged back with competitive products. Readers quickly forgot his castigation of the financial advantages our own government handed to Japan makers of autos, TVs, refrigerators, tires, watches, electronics of all kinds.

American politicos are conned into a mindless belief in free trade and cheap imports whether or not reciprocated by Japan and China or others. Those we elected turned their backs on American workers, placing their allegiance with foreign competitors. They applauded a gradual stripping of U.S. jobs, wage levels, and fringe benefits. Both Democrats and Republicans. Just following party ideology.

Free trade is a thoughtless ideology if ever there was one. Republicans consider it a capitalist mantra, even while Bill Clinton was its most effective promoter. Democrat ideologues know Karl Marx praised the concept. How better to strip American middle class jobs, reduce wages and purchasing power, cripple retail commerce, and make the mass middle class dependent on government. It worked like a charm. Both Republicans and Democrats alike applaud the demise of General Motors and Chrysler. How wonderful. Another million jobs lost, at least. Thousands of auto dealers out of business or signing on to sell imports.

Republicans are fixated on war and empire, bordering on fascism. They foment a religious crusade in the Middle East. Even torture is a tool, notwithstanding it works both ways. They condemn Venezuela's Hugo Chavez for putting his own citizens first before foreign banks and corporations, the first such locally popular patriotic president in many decades. They still pick on Cuba's poor old communist Castro, while embracing a far more dictatorial communist China.

Republicans forget returning to power requires more than just "getting out the vote," it means attracting the broad mass of middle class voters who want one thing more than anything else: A job. A living wage. Reasonably affordable medical care to replace today's mess. And freedom from assaults on individual rights like the Patriot Act and National ID Act. Democrats now have the baton and are running with it. Don't expect them to do any better.

Our federal government has no money. Nevada has no money. Douglas County has no money. The private sector is bleeding. Nor is it likely to be better for several, maybe many years. The Feds just print it. By the trillions. They send tens of billions to European banks. It all goes to who knows where or whom? Some are getting enormously rich. Congress just wrings its hands helplessly. How much comes back to sticky pockets? Nobody knows. Nobody tells. President Obama is a hero or a crook, that's clear. Which? Neither Republicans nor Democrats are likely to out the truth. Too much ideology in the way.

That's why a few of us started meeting outside political circles where they discourage discussing local, state, or national issues. To see if some grassroots voters are getting disturbed enough yet to want to think and talk about real solutions to real problems. To see if any of us can agree on what's going on. If we can agree, we can start to do something about it. Come join us Tuesdays at 7 a.m. at 88 Cups.

Jack Van Dien is a Gardnerville resident.