I'm new to the forum and I have been reading for a while on the various topics. I find that as with other forums, there is a lot of partisan bashing back and forth and I have oftern wondered why. I have some thoughts on the problem and I hope this can give way to a good discussion.

In the battle between the left and the right, there are 2 worldviews at war and not merely 2 points of view or opinion, don't be fooled, they run much deeper than that. I firmly believe that the politicians of old had one primary goal in mind and the 2 party system existed because there are more than one way to arrive at that goal.

So, the republicans and the democrats had a basic common ground when our country was in it's infancy. These 2 parties had a different approach to reaching the goal of America and that was the source of debate up until around the early 60's when I believe there was a paradigm shift. This paradigm shift was in the making for many years before, but it came to a head in the 60's amidst the tumultuous times of civil rights, free love and Vietnam.

At that time and as it stands now, the 2 parties parted ways. The model moved from 2 parties with one end goal in mind to 2 parties with 2 very different goals in mind who must both work with the same population. So now we have 2 parties who on the face of it appear to be virtually the same in action, (ever hear someone say "what difference does it make, there all the same") but are the impidemy of antithesis at there core.

All we are left with are endless bickering matches between parties that go nowhere because we no longer have common ground. It appears that the balkanization of America has already occurred and we are becoming devided more and more every day. Just a theory, but I think it holds water. Let me know what ya think.

Oops. I didn't see that there is a partisan forum. Forgive me.