Neither a Dem nor a Rep. Braking up with a burnt-out System.

written by Wilfredo Dominguez Español

Until 2024, I identified as an independent voter. But over time — and especially in the years following 2009 — I found myself drifting left. Barack Obama’s presidency, which had sparked genuine hope for change, became the backdrop for something darker: the GOP’s growing extremism (remember “I hope he fails”?). As Republicans dug in against progress, I found myself siding more often with the Democrats — not because they were perfect, but because they weren’t actively trying to sabotage the country. Over the years, the GOP didn’t just push me left; they shoved me. Worse still, Republican leaders began to echo the hollow theatrics of Cuba’s so-called Asamblea del Poder Popular, the faux-parliament I thought I’d left behind. It was disheartening. So in 2024, I made it official and registered as a Democrat. But today, I find myself wondering whether I made a mistake. Because the truth is: neither party is doing enough to move this country forward.

The Two-Party System Is Failing — And Fast

And they’re dragging us down with them.

The GOP has been a frustrating force for years. Republicans have become the party of inaction, division, and — at their worst — they amplify the very problems they claim to oppose. They call themselves the party for all Americans , but their actions say otherwise. Take, for example, the way they shrug at harmful trends that disproportionately affect non-white youth : instead of advocating for real opportunities like summer jobs or community investment, they look the other way while predatory tech apps turn kids into human sacrifices to godly brain-eating zombies. Their rhetoric is often just a smokescreen, distracting from the fact that corporate donors — not citizens — set the agenda. It’s one thing to ignore a crisis. It’s another to actively make it worse.

Illustration of a young girl looking uncertain, representing political confusion

Democrats, on the other hand, act as if the problem doesn’t even exist. They offer more progressive language, sure — but when it comes to meaningful, long-term change, they move with all the urgency of a snail on Ambien. They claim to care, but their actions often suggest indifference. Lofty speeches rarely translate into real solutions.

Democrats accuse Republicans of being disconnected from the average American. And they’re right — but they're disconnected, too. In fact, if the last election proved anything, it's this: Democrats don’t even understand their own base. At this point, it feels like Republicans, Democrats, and regular Americans are all speaking entirely different languages.

From Independent to Democrat — and Back Again?

When I registered as a Democrat last year, I genuinely believed the party would bring the kind of bold leadership this country desperately needs — especially in contrast to Republicans, who seem content to sideline or worsen nearly every major issue we face. I was dead wrong. While Democrats aren’t as openly destructive as the GOP, they’re not offering a real path forward either. Like their opponents, they’re entangled in the same old political games — where doing the right thing takes a backseat to donor appeasement and power preservation.

Now, I find myself seriously considering a return to political independence. Not because I’ve given up on change, but because I refuse to stay loyal to a system that rewards noise over action. Both parties are stuck in a cycle of empty promises, and it’s the American people who bear the cost. The gambling issue is just one example — but look at climate change, healthcare, or economic reform. The pattern is always the same: stall, spin, and do just enough to survive the next election.

So why is this happening? Why, year after year, do we see the same dysfunction play out? The truth is, these failures don’t start at the ballot box — they start much earlier, in the classroom.

The Real Issue Starts with Education

Everything I’ve mentioned so far — the political games, the inaction, the widening disconnect between parties and the people — is just the aftermath of a much deeper problem: the manipulation of education. The way Americans are taught — or not taught — to think, vote, and imagine opportunity has long been shaped by those in power. When education is controlled by power — and it always has been — so is the future. That’s precisely why those in charge ensure the system remains broken.

Breaking Free from the Two-Party Trap

This isn’t about pessimism or giving up on progress — it’s about confronting the reality that the two-party system is failing us. Neither side is making the bold moves needed to address the defining issues of our time. And honestly, if neither party is willing to shake the system at its core, then maybe it’s time for you, me, and many others to start holding politicians accountable in ways that actually matter.

This isn’t about multiplying parties, either. Even systems with a dozen parties haven’t proven much more effective than our entrenched two-party model. Real change won’t come from swapping red for blue, or vice versa. It will come when we the people stop allowing power to run unchecked — and start demanding a system that actually serves us.