The two-party system has given this country the war of Lyndon Johnson, the Watergate of Nixon, and the incompetence of Carter. Saying we should keep the two-party system simply because it is working is like saying the Titanic voyage was a success because a few people survived on life-rafts.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The two-party system has produced significant failures like war and scandals, so keeping it because it 'works' is irrational.
- In plain terms
- Keeping a flawed system because some survive is like calling a shipwreck a success.
- What can you take from it?
- Do not justify broken systems by pointing to rare survivors.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines a successful political system?
- Are there alternatives to two parties?
Another view
It ignores that multi-party systems can also fail or cause gridlock.
More from Eugene McCarthy
Have you ever tried to split sawdust?
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