This election cycle more than any other, I've noticed a distinct theme running through the parties. It's what I call the "hook" that they use to attract new members to the party and their candidates.

I will forgo the typical party labels here, and see if you can identify the party based on the hook.

First up, the Party of Fear. This party uses fear to attract new voters: fear of terrorism, of ISIS, of illegal immigrants, of high taxes and gay marriage, of minorities and drugs, of exotic illnesses like Zika and Ebola. Give them more power, and they promise to keep you safe from all that threatens you.

Then there's the Party of Envy. This party uses greed to sway voters: you deserve free education, and free healthcare, free childcare, free phones, free housing, free transportation, free internet, free love (and the contraception that goes along with it). The rich have too much and they should pay for all of this. Give this party your vote, and they will give you everything you want and someone else will pay for it.  

What else sets these parties apart? Well, not a whole lot separates these two. If you do any digging, the surface differences cover two parties that both want more control of your day to day life, and pay lip service to the ideals they espouse while working in tandem to further your dependence and subservience to government. "Bipartisanship" is code for both parties having someone else to blame while shoving through legislation that you won't like and which isn't intended to make your life better. There is no scenario you can present where these parties won't proclaim that more government is the answer.

Does it need to be this way, though? We didn't start out this way. Where did we go wrong? And more importantly, how can we fix it? Well, unfortunately, we didn't get here overnight. Fixing this will take hard work, patience and determination. The good news is that it CAN be fixed. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as the saying goes, and you have already taken that step by looking outside the two party paradigm. Awareness of a problem is necessary before it can be addressed, after all. More than ever, people are hungry for a change.

So where do you start? Well, ask ten different people and you'll get ten different answers. My answer is education. The best thing you can do is availing yourself of the mountains of resources that are out there. Maybe you aren't sure which candidate best represents your views. Take a few moments and take your political pulse at http://www.isidewith.com. Or try the world's smallest political quiz at http://www.theadvocates.org. Really think about your responses and what YOU believe, not what you have been taught to believe. This will give you an idea of where your beliefs fall on the political spectrum. Regardless of your results, take a few moments and watch the profound Philosophy of Liberty. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/muHg86Mys7I

There is one more party I didn't mention earlier. It's the Party of Principle. This party promises freedom: of speech, association, choice, markets, trade, religion, press, and thought. Give them your vote and they will leave you to live your life the way you choose, as long as you don't infringe on anyone else's right to do the same. Is it any wonder this is the fastest growing party in the country today?

I hope you agree that the more you learn about this party, the more you'll be hooked.


If you'd like to learn more, get involved now! http://www.lpnevada.org/get_involved