The document argues that the current polarized political system in the U.S. is dysfunctional and promotes division. It suggests that politicians can learn from the military, which prioritizes cooperation over partisan politics. A cooperative alliance approach would help politicians find common ground and compromise on issues like immigration, gun control, and healthcare. Considering independent or third party candidates may offer a viable alternative to the usual partisan gridlock if the major parties cannot work together constructively to solve problems rather than just focus on winning elections.

1. A third Option: How cooperative alliance can heal our broken political system.
- Promoting politics that put country first.
If you are not for us, then you are against us. If you don’t agree with our position, then you are
an enemy, you don’t love this country. In a bid to win elections and appeal to electorates, our
politicians are taking dangerous positions at the two extreme ends of the political spectrum– left
or right. If you are not extreme enough, then you are not qualified to represent us, has been the
way the electorates have been rewarding these ideological leaders. We are gradually losing the
sense of camaraderie, cooperation, synergy, and respectful disagreement, which are essential
elements for a democracy to work, and for nations to thrive.
In our schools, students learned that cooperative alliance is necessary to prepare them to become
future leaders; thus, they actively participate and collaborate with group projects and sporting
activities as a way to foster a sense of unity among them. Organizations often emphasize the
need for people to work as a team and promote common business goals. In sports, the benefits of
cooperative alliance cannot be over-emphasized as teams that work well together with mutual
respect and admiration are often the team that wins competitive games. Our military is the most
powerful in the world, due to the cooperative alliance that exists among the military people.
What can we learn from our military system that can be applied to the current dysfunctional
political system? The people in the military work well together, even though they may
sometimes have a difference of opinion and political leaning. They put the country first by
focusing on a cooperative alliance.
The news media has contributed in one way or the other to the current discordant climate that has
characterized our politics. They promote their network by pandering to the viewers and doing a
great disservice to them by serving them only what the audience wants to hear. We are now
divided even based on what we hear, while news media like MSNBC are catering to the left-
leaning audience, Fox News airs information that the right-leaning folks prefer, and CNN
gravitates somewhere in between these two extremes. The audience, too, has gotten comfortable
only to trust the news source that aligns with their views. How can we learn and improve our
horizon if we only talk, listen, and associate with only those that agree with us? The cooperative
alliance is a way of seeing things from another person’s perspectives, openly welcoming their
position, and respectfully disagreeing with them, if need be, without castigating them or labeling
them as some villains or unpatriotic.
I think the politicians should look to the military and learn how to truly put the country first
ahead of any political party. If politicians consider what will be good for the country, then they
will work together, cross the party line, and do what will benefit the majority of the citizens.
Most of the time, those decisions will not be easy, and they may come with some heavy political
price, but shouldn’t leaders stand up for what is right, even if it will cost them politically? We are
now electing people that only care about their personal needs to win the next election into a
position of power. How can they put the country first and make a tough decision if it will
jeopardize their chance of winning the next election?
We need to promote cooperative alliance among our politicians and also reward politicians that
can cross the party line to work with the opposing party for the good of the country. To do this,

2. Democrats and Republicans must be willing to listen to and understand the other person’s point
of view. That way, they may gain new perspectives and find a middle ground as a way to resolve
many of their differences. This will mark a turning point in our political terrain, as politicians
will seek to solve problems, and not only think about the next election. By embracing
cooperative alliance, politicians will understand that on immigration issues, the options are not
limited to only whether or not we want to allow people to immigrate to the United States. There
is a middle ground option of comprehensive immigration policy that will promote legal
immigration while reducing the possibility of people crossing the border illegally. On gun
control, the choice is not limited to whether or not you support the second amendment; there is a
third option of common-sense gun policy. On healthcare, the option should not be limited to
whether or not you want government-controlled or private-led health care systems. Still, a third
option exists which will ensure that people with pre-existing conditions are not denied access to
healthcare, or let people go bankrupt when they fall sick. Discussion about the role of
government in peoples’ lives should focus around ensuring that the government can provide an
enabling environment that people can live and thrive, and not about whether or not the
government is too big.
If we are not able to get our elected leaders to work together and put politics aside, then the only
other approach is to consider independent and third-party candidates for political offices. With
Justin Amash throwing his hat in the ring, he is once again following the likes of Ross Perot,
Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein, to offer the electorate a third option. What would you do? Will you
give him a chance or stick with the usual and comfortable options that will only guarantee the
continuous political gridlock that has typified our nation’s capital for some time now.
When we let people on the extremes of the opposing views hold a position of power, we put
ourselves in a situation where we make no progress but continue in the never-ending spiral of
political satirical that will continuously keep us in persistence stalemate. I know you want a
change; I know you deserve better. You need to consider a third option in the next election.