Diversify!

Most of you reading this are either employed or have been employed full-time. That being so, some firm - or your H.R. department - has talked with you about your financial future. If you are self-employed, some financial advisor may have had that talk with you. You know, the one that inevitably includes the words:

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Okay, then let's change this slightly to match the current political state in the U.S.:

Don't put all your eggs in either of two baskets.

Businesses attempt to diversify to protect themselves from loss. We diversify our financial portfolios to improve on the good times, and alleviate loss in the bad times. Organizations diversify their workforce, attempting to bring fresh ideas to a stale environment.

So, how do you diversify the two political parties when everyone in the parties thinks alike?

You don't. (See a recurring theme?)

I'm starting to like the idea of a handful of political parties fighting for control of the legislature. What would happen if you had four political parties with clout, each one fundamentally different enough that you could not guarantee a consistent voting bloc, yet with none of these parties having a true majority - and maybe not even a legitimate plurality - in Congress?

I like government more when it does less. I believe a 4-8 year furlough of our elected officials would be a good start. Knowing the outlandishness of that hope, having 4-5 political parties duke it out, with none of them having a mandate, would be just as good.

Quipper, over and out.