Moving the Parties Apart

 THROUGHOUT my voting career I have generally held the belief that most of the time there isn't a dimes'w worth of difference between America's two major political parties, and that therefore the country needs at least one more major party, and maybe several, or many. For example, every advanced industrial country in the world except the United States has a labor party, a party devoted exclusively to the interests of the working class. although the Democratic party does not always legislate for the poor, since it, like the Republican party, is essentially owned and controlled by wealthy, corporate interests, in recent years has shown a somewhat increased willingness to do so. If this trend continues,  there might come a time in our nation's history when a labor party per se is less than a dire necessity. As for now, we need a labor party, badly. For the working class, the Democratic party is the best bet, and has been since FDR. Strangely, much of the working class fails to understand that. if you happen to be an hourly wage earner, you might want to ask yourself the following questions: which party wants the minimum wage raised?  If government intervention in the economy, why has free market capitalism failed to deliver prosperity to the working class, as promised?   Why has the federal minimum wage remained  unchanged for twelve years? Its not because of the Democrats. Which of the two major parties is the more sympathetic to worker's rights and working conditions, and which is more supportive of labor unions and the labor movement? Not the Republicans, obviously. Often in American history there have been times during which the two parties are virtual mirror images of each other. And even today they are both nourished by the same forces, both basically owned and controlled by wealthy corporate interests. But lately the two have diverged, considerably. The Republicans have move steadily to the right since Reagan, and even now there are signs of a resurgent progressive left wing, especially among post millennials. Also,the Trump movement has helped drive the parties apart. Count me in on whichever political party wants to fight climate change the most vigorously, wants to legislate for the poor and redistribute America's wealth, and most of all, make science and reason supreme, and religion and superstition less relevant.