As Sean Haugh pointed out in his excellent mission-statement (located here: http://www.reteaparty.com/2009/06/01/obliterating-the-false-distinction-between-left-and-right/), many of us are coming to realize that the bigger difference isn’t between the Left and the Right but between the Robbed and the Robbers, between the Ruling Class and the Working Class. Consequently, there are many equally- if not more-important goals which we, the majority, can agree on.

I’m one of the people who believes that the emerging purpose of movements like these Retea Parties is the recognition of and united defense against the untimely division of the Left and Right. Of course, the prospect of partisan unification is irrelevant if, of all the major issues at hand, partisan issues take the highest priority in people’s minds. But I don’t think that they ought to; in fact, I don’t believe that they do. Here’s why: we all agree that every person should have Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (LLPH) and that the best vehicle toward those ends is democracy.

Well, American democracy and LLPH are dying. Our means and our end are shriveling up around us. The Left and the Right have been so busy battling over comparably-minor disputes that we’ve become oblivious to the biggest threat: the democracy-destroying, LLPH-ignoring oligarchy of the super-rich. That’s why it’s time to unite: first to reclaim democracy, second to hammer out the differences between Left and Right (in a notably more peaceful and fair way than is currently encouraged by corporate media).

Here are some of the democracy-restoring goals we might unite toward:

Instant Runoff Voting

Reforming the Media

Opening up the Debates

Adopting a National Initiative

Ending Ballot-access Obstruction

But what if you’re a person who believes that these issues just aren’t as important as partisan issues, like gun-control, abortion, and tax-reform? For all this talk of unification, I’ll be one of the first to draw a dividing line: you don’t belong here, part of this movement, if you believe that the political process isn’t broken or that these problems can be fixed by movements from solely the Left or Right (or whatever angle you’re pulling from).

And if you’re a person who straight-up doesn’t want to work with the other side, I’d say you haven’t been in the field long enough. I have met highly-intelligent, highly-moral, highly-respectable progressives, libertarians, democrats, and republicans alike. Each of these groups has thoughtful strategies and provocative questions. In the grand span of human history, is America really an ancient and wise culture? No – we’re young and we’ve tried and tested very little, despite the great tragedies and losses of human lives we’ve been through. In my opinion, it’s just too early to absolutely condemn the Left or the Right.

It’s true that there are fundamental differences between the Left and the Right and, because of these differences, we will probably never achieve a totally peaceful union. But here’s what we all keep forgetting: we’ve already agreed to disagree; no one really believes that the Left or Right are going to change each other’s minds, at least anytime soon. We argue with friends at school, family at home, or strangers on the internet but, ultimately, most of us keep getting forced back into the political game: I can’t convince you so I’m going to do everything in my power to beat you.

Isn’t it true? Isn’t that why the Left feared the hardlining Bush administration and the Right fears the Obama congressional majority? Because, in these situations, it seems, there’s no more stalemate – one side, we’re told, is actively winning (against the other half of the population, presumably).

As it turns out, it’s not the Left or the Right that’s winning but the Top.

So it’s time to unite – first to reclaim our voices and then to work out our differences in a more rational and peaceful manner. Because right now, we’re all losing.

Peter Lewis