The historic issue of America is the historic battle of Evil vs. Evil. Is this a land of total Freedom, or a Christian nation? In this piece, I will not dive deep into the constitution and its hypocritical “founding fathers,” or the sinful ways that America was “founded,” but I will expound on my reasoning for not voting in this 2020 Presidential Election. Sneak Preview, though my reasoning may have been influenced by disappointment with the final candidate pool, my final decision was based on realistic rationalization between the two candidates. 

Imaginary Party Lines 

Before analyzing the candidates, let us briefly analyze the current parties they represent. Starting with the past ten years: what has been accomplished by the political class in America? 

• Increased Social and Monetary Division 
• Increased Deficit leading to a reduced credit rating 
• Increased Global Aggression 
• Increased Carbon Emissions  
• Unresponsive action towards gun violence 
• Unresponsive action towards criminal justice reform 
• Numerous Unjustifiable Wars with millions of casualties, and billions of tax dollars wasted 

A detailed list would go on for hours; the summated point is – the political class in America has become pretty much useless. From supporting assisted suicides, to claiming that global warming doesn’t exist, both political parties in America have fallen deeply out of touch with global reality, and have been pushed to their extremes. 

The Republican Party of today, presents itself as the party of conservatism, wealth, Christian Values, and minimal government dependency. The party and its constituents present themselves as clear antagonist to the Democratic party’s agenda, which often claims to be synonymous with the needs of the minority. Instead of attempting to find any common ground whatsoever to efficiently assist the country, they instead position themselves to be the antithesis of liberalism at all times. Unfortunately, they present themselves as greedy and devout capitalist; who are somehow holier than thou; though their actions also contradict the symbolism of what it means to be an American, they wrap their psychological flaws into a flag of patriotism. In all honesty, if the party truly was the party of Christian morals and values, I would be a proud member. Bible Belt Christians are exclusively associated with the Republican Party; so, as a child from the south, I too believed that I was a Republican. Fortunately, as I grew older mentally and spiritually, I realized that the Republican party is not the party of Christianity, it is the party of self-obsessed gluttony  

The Democratic party of today has become a beacon of pompous intellectualism with contradictory moral values that it uses to shame the uninformed. A party that has historically claimed to represent the underprivileged and downtrodden, but has made minimal changes that directly benefit those people it claims to represent. Frequently, the Party attaches itself to the revolutionary movements of minorities for political gain, but later casts those peoples away once their value has been exhausted. However, unsurprisingly, once elections reconvene, the party attempts to reestablish its false identity, and rekindle its parasitic relationship. 

Ask Republican constituents, ask Democrats, what has your party done for you directly in the past eight years? What has your party done for your community in the past eight years? Ask the unemployed coal miners of West Virginia, if their party held up their end of the bargain. Ask the constituents of Flint, Michigan, if they feel represented in Washington. Ask the average American what they think about the political class in Washington, and a high percentage of responses will be negative.  

The Lesser of Two Evils, is still Evil 

This election cycle I was looking forward to voting. After watching Sen. Bernie Sanders bow out last election to a candidate past her prime, I was hopeful that this cycle would be the cycle of the political revolution. Initially, and as a failsafe, I was prepared to vote for a progressive agenda with Sen. Elizabeth Warren. As I normally do, I stayed informed of the political atmosphere, as well as educated myself with my local political offices to ensure the political revolution was here to stay. However, after the Democratic Party criticized the Republican party for last election’s abundant candidate pool, they orchestrated the exact same scenario. Whether it was an intended illusion or not, the number of Democratic Candidates presented was pointless. In the same way that Hillary Clinton gained Super Delegates before announcing her candidacy, VP Joe Biden had critical acclaim before opening his mouth; the tables were set. No matter how incoherent he appeared during debates, or on the campaign trail, “the polls” showed his legitimacy.  

Fast-forward to Super Tuesday 

From the first primary, it was understood that something needed to be corrected about the Democratic Party’s Primary process. Per usual, however, nothing was done. Fast-forward to the day before Super Tuesday, and for some reason, the majority of viable candidates decided to bow out of the race, and publicly announce support for VP Biden… hours before Super Tuesday? For anybody who was following the entire primary process, it was clear a coup had taken place; the Democratic establishment had announced its candidate. 

The Democratic Establishment, and its many supporters, argue that anyone is better than Donald Trump. Ironically, last Presidential election cycle, the Republican Party made the exact same claim. However, I beg the question, what is the difference between Joe Biden, and Donald Trump? What is the difference between the two political parties? Which candidate has more sins? Possibly an easier question, what are the parties’ current platforms? In a time where all attention is being directed towards a pandemic, nothing requires more attention than the government’s activities and its political transparency. Nonetheless, the statement at the beginning of the paragraph continues to ring true; because of the medias continued battle against Donald Trump, all attention is directed towards Trump’s inability to lead – instead of Joe Biden’s intentions. 

Hypocritical Christians vs. Extreme Liberalists 

Modern Progressivism really means compliance; getting where we already should be; catching up. Focusing on Climate Change should not be, as Bernie Sanders puts it, “a radical idea.” Providing universal healthcare should not be too progressive. Wiping away student loan debt should be a given with all the candidates in this election. Needless to say, can someone point in the direction of the true progressive candidate? 

Conservatism and the Republican Party have nothing to do with true Christianity; as I have said before, it only stands as an antithesis to Liberalism – an anchor to slow down progression. Can anyone point me in the direction of the true Christian party? Better yet, should there even be a true Christian party. Is this a Christian nation, or a land of the free, where everyone is free to do as they choose? In my opinion, this is a “Land of the Free.” This nation is not based on Christian values and principles. The foundation of America is not built on the solid foundation of the Christian faith. This country is not synonymous with ancient Jerusalem or Judaic culture. This country is identical to ancient Rome; or biblically Sodom and Gomorrah.  

As Christians, if we acknowledged this land for what it truly is, a land consumed with greed and unbound self-indulgence, we would realize that any hopes to turn this place into a Christian land are futile. The principles are not ours; the parties are not ours; the candidates do not represent us. So, as a Christian American (a laughable contradiction) what do you do during this election? Who do you vote for? A better surface question: by participating in this vain process are you perpetuating the problem? In my opinion, yes to all of the above. By moving the ball, you play the game. So, my personal goal is to remove myself from the equation. I am currently working to relocate outside of America, where my influence on it, and its influence on me, are minimized. 

The Obvious Consequences of Progression 

The fear that I have is the obvious consequence of progression, progress. Progress is not bad if it is in the right direction. But in a land where we can now genetically grow a child from two same sex donors, a land where birth certificates can be changed, a land where suicides can be assisted, a land where vaccines can be mandated, a land where injustice is expected; progression could be seen as destruction. The more we consume and destroy, the more we progress – Rome.  

Our national attention deficit causes us to jump to and fro; before we make solid progress in one area, we move to another. Before we solve our issues on Earth, we decide to go to Mars. Because we are in the prescription business, we are not interested in finding cures; we are only interested in the illusions of solutions. The same social issues of the 60s still exist in 2020; the same health issues of the 80s still exist in 2020. In summary, my concern is while everyone is focused on replacing Donald Trump, no one is giving credence to the equal danger that Joe Biden’s status quo and “progressivism” brings. We may be taking car keys from the guy who can’t stand up because he’s so drunk, and giving them to the seasoned alcoholic. 

Who is more dangerous for America? Don’t ask me because my pessimism will start to show. However, for those who will be voting, I will admit this: Joe Biden is the candidate that best represents America, the “Land of the Free.” If Land of the Free means allowing people to do whatever it is they want, even if it is self-destructing; the candidate that will best lead the country to the dire future is Joe Biden. But know this, in a land where everyone is free, and made to respect other’s freedom, whether it is the result of gluttony, or unbound liberalism, a scenario where every aspect of our lives is dictated by government oversight, totalitarianism, is inevitable. 

The Third Choice & The Weimar Republic 

In closing, in a scenario where no political party or political candidate can be trusted, the hope for a third party in a two-party system is understandable. However, there are repercussions that come with a third-party option; repercussions that are best examined in post-WWI Germany. In short, once the collapse begins it cannot be stopped until implosion occurs. Once a viable third party is presented, a fourth party will inevitably be presented; then a fifth, and so on. The inherent issue with a multi-party system is the ability for candidates to win with less than 50% of the vote; allowing a candidate like Adolph Hitler to come into power. In this modern environment, a restructuring of the political process is needed. However, the optimism towards that restructuring’s success is questionable. 

For further information on the Weimar Republic, read ” The Death of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic” by Benjamin Carter Hett.