Our democracy is failing. It no longer works for the many. It has been spoiled by xenophobia, distrust of the government and economic insecurity. Although, because of these things, it is us who no longer work for democracy. We use ideology as a scapegoat for our behavior. Income inequality is worse than ever? Surely Capitalism is to blame. We’re finally noticing police brutality in this country? Our democracy must be falling apart.

Instead, we should use ideology to guide the state of the union, as it would better serve justice. The top one tenth of one percent of our country hold 90 percent of the wealth? How did we let them get that power? How can we improve the condition of our democracy? How can we regulate Capitalism? When we compartmentalize our politics into parties and regimes, we become incapable of this contribution. We make ourselves choose a side of a binary often because it’s easy. With this upcoming election, for example, our choices have been pared down to Government or Market. 

Clinton and Trump have been allowed to represent either side of this “dichotomy.” Both have chosen to fight the incessant debate regarding which is “better.” The truth is the free market cannot exist without the government. Therefore, as Robert Reich argues in “Saving Capitalism,” people who advocate for a smaller government and a larger market are actually advocating for a different government.

I cannot tell you who I believe will be the one to restore our democracy. I do not believe the answer lies within either candidate. Between Clinton’s ties with Wall Street and Trump’s fear of Liberalism, we will never transcend party politics because we’re too busy criticizing him and ripping her apart. Our purposeful lack of honest dialogue undermines our participation in society; it makes us combatants.

It’s not Trump’s fault that people agree with him. Although we may call him ridiculous, an NPR piece suggests, “Maybe we should concede that [his] declarations are not incidental to his appeal among his supporters, but central to them. Calling them ‘idiots’ posits that they’ve been duped, when perhaps Trump is saying precisely what they want to hear.”

As W.B Yeats said in “The Second Coming,” “The ceremony of innocence is drowned; / The best lack all conviction, while the worst / are full of passionate intensity.”

The rhetoric of our political discourse has become crippling and dangerous for our country. Today we can only be liberal or conservative, not critical. If you’re going to attack a political figure, systematically disassemble their economic, political and social policies, then have a real debate. Using words like “crazy,” “liar” and “demagogue” say more about our deterrence from engaging in politics than it does about the politicians themselves. 

We walk in bliss with ignorance, but we walk in power with knowledge.