An Abusive Relationship

(Part 4 of "They're Looking In the Wrong Place")

Do you know someone in an abusive relationship? Chances are that you do, whether they think they are in one or not. Take a look at these commonly-known and understood aspects of abusive relationships to find out.

They try to control who you see, and get angry if you don't do what they say.
They accuse you of being unfaithful.
They isolate you from family and friends, often by behaving rudely.
They put you down by attacking your intelligence, appearance, mental health, or capabilities.
They blame you for all the problems in your relationship, including their outbursts.
They threaten to use violence against you, your family, or your friends.
They always promise that they will change, and that they will do better in the future, but they repeatedly demonstrate that they have no authentic desire to change or to do better in the future.

Do any of these sound familiar? If you knew someone who was experiencing any of these, what do you think you would tell them to do about it? Would you tell them to leave their abusive partner, or would you do nothing?

Now, what would you think if I told you that YOU ARE in an abusive relationship, and that your abusive partner was … the two-party political system? By the numbers:

The two-party system often blocks third parties from ballot access by making rules that apply only to candidates who are not members of their parties. They also control the requirements for entering into official debates, and have even changed those requirements to prevent third parties from qualifying when they have successfully met the original requirements.
The two-party system tells you that third party candidates aren't worth your vote, that your vote is "wasted" if you do vote for a third party candidate, and that it's the fault of the third party candidate that the Democrat or Republican won or lost.
The two-party system divides us as a nation by using fabricated, sometimes even verifiably false information and propaganda to cause us to argue and fight amongst ourselves. They will even slander or belittle their opponent (and those who support their opponent) on all sides.
Many two-party candidates have publicly made inappropriate jokes about people based on their appearance, mental health, or any other personal aspect to which they can point (i.e., bully tactics). They tell you (the voter) that they are the only parties that matter, and that you are "dumb, stupid, and irresponsible" for looking at any party outside of the main two-party system.
Each party within the two-party system blames members of the opposing party for voting "the wrong way" on issues, and simultaneously shames those who vote for third party candidates by saying that they are the reason things didn't change - as if they are blameless on that issue in any way.
The two-party system has instituted laws designed to punish people for crimes in which there is not victim (the only person possibly harmed would be yourself), and then threatens to take away your liberties if you break these laws. They have also developed and promoted police militarization, and have used them on innocent people.
The candidates of the two-party system always seem to promise "change" during their campaigns, but the change that they deliver (if they actually deliver anything) typically involves making more rules that slowly erode our personal liberties while trying to convince us that these new rules are "a good thing". They choose small battles that they know they can win and, over time, make it almost impossible for anyone to break free.

Think about it, then choose for yourself.

(Note: I wish I could say that I created this list, but I cannot. I saw this listing (organized differently) from a mental health care worker who actually made the comparison.)