You’ve heard of the Bloods and Crips, the Hells Angels and Bandidos, the Italian Mafia and Russian mob – well these street gangs, biker gangs, and Mafioso’s have nothing on the two largest, most powerful and dangerous criminal gangs in the United States. The two apex gangs control trillions of dollars’ worth of assets and together maintain the unquestioning loyalty of more than one hundred million people. Their gang influence extends beyond the United States to much of the modern world. The two most dangerous criminal gangs in the United States are known as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
The pushback identifying these criminal gangs publically, out in the open, will be both swift and violent. Republicans and Democrats will vehemently declare: “We are not criminal enterprises!”
Let’s take a look.
How do we define a criminal enterprise?
‘A criminal organization is a society of associates, with defined leadership and an internal organization, that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectively, in illegal, and possibly violent, behavior.’
Are democrats and republicans a society of associates? Absolutely. The parties are comprised of people loosely or rather very loosely committed to an ideology but more forcefully committed to attaining and retaining power.
Do the two parties have defined leaders and internal organizations? Absolutely; in gerrymandered communities, entrenched in states and with exorbitantly funded national political machines.
Do democrats and republicans identify with or claim control over territory or communities? Absolutely. Turn on any media stream in the United States and you will see politicians, pundits and journalists emphasizing gang member affiliation and allegiance. Senator so and so, Republican from, fill in the blank. Governor so and so, Democrat from, fill in the blank. Gang members proudly display their colors while fervently espousing party rhetoric without pretense of serving any wider constituency.
See what I mean?
Starting to seem plausible now – isn’t it?
“But, engaging in criminal behavior – that’s going too far!”
Is it really?
Criminal behavior validates the adage: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A good many believe however, in the Darwinian philosophy of survival of the fittest; so too bad for those who can’t keep up. Disregarding for the time being the corruption often rearing its ugly head at the local and state levels, let’s look to the feds.
We are experiencing, and have been experiencing for some time, the institutionalization of corruption. The corruption is so corrosive average citizens are forced into a hyper-competitive free-for-all just to keep their heads above water. No one seems to have the time or perspective to ask: Is there a better way?
If you are a registered democrat or republican I know you’re still, right now, enraged that someone dare suggest that your party, your team, engages in criminal activity. Let’s examine that notion more closely.
Still at the federal level; choose your party, choose your administration and notice the emergent themes:
1. Government grabbing more control over every aspect of Americans’ lives.
2. Government seizing control over ever increasing shares of public wealth.
3. Government deciding who wins and who loses; government officials determine which of their benefactors gain and which citizens – most regularly from the productive class – lose.
4. Government exerts absolute control over the instruments of national power and regularly uses those instruments to kill or suppress poor people around the world ensuring money keeps flowing into the right hands.
The governing mantra of both political parties – though not published publically – is, “Do whatever it takes to whomever to ensure we maintain power.” In simple terms, “Lie, cheat, steal.” Welcome to our modern American democracy.
Seems like criminal enterprises to me.
If you disagree with my premise, then when your party is in power you’re quite happy with the way things are and you won’t need to read on. If however, you sense something is fundamentally wrong with our American system then I ask you:
What can be done about it?
You’ve likely noticed society has been deteriorating for sixty years. We’ve moved from a “we’re-all-in-this-together” post-World War II cultural mentality to an “every-man-for-himself” dominant philosophy of late.
This Covid-19 crisis is a calling card pointing out the obvious: it’s time to resurrect fundamental principles again. It’s time to reset society so that we can actually advance together for the greater good. Unfortunately too many of us are stuck in the fight to get ours.
It’s time to stop fighting.
It’s time to stop identifying with gangs and start identifying as imperfect, humble, yet capable, gracious and giving people. It’s time to break the chains of moribund politics and begin to think as human beings who are part of an integrated global family. We can and must come together and change course.
If we refuse to break from the old ways; if we refuse to divert from the party line and gang mentality of “might makes right,” we stand to lose, not just money and status, we stand to lose everything. Not a prospect many Americans aspire to.
Take off the political party blinders. Engage in crucial conversations – openly, honestly, and transparently. Don’t think you alone have all the answers – re-righting society takes a collective effort – an effort where we all bear the burden and we all change.
Start small by relying on fundamental principles of honesty and integrity. Tell the truth. Be honest and transparent dealing with everyone. Do what’s right and in the best interests of people – all people. Only entertain the advice and direction of men and women of character – people who have proven they are trustworthy and who have demonstrated they are interested in the greater good.
These are challenging times; not a time for gang warfare and status quo political maneuvering. It is time for us to come together, overpower the gangs and make a radical change.
It’s up to us – you and me – to change.
Scott F. Paradis