A Look at the Green Party Beliefs

The United States political system is made up of two major political parties. Everyone knows about the Democratic and Republican parties. However, there are also political parties that branch off of these parties and have their own beliefs and political agendas. One of those parties is known as the Green Party.

The Green Party to an outsider might appear to be a small branch of the Democratic Party but it really has some extremely different views. Here is a look at some of the views and political agendas of the Green Party.

The Iraq War. The Green Party believes that there should be an immediate withdrawal of the troops in Iraq. When the troops are gone there will be a oversight committee that is provided by the United Nations.

Privacy. The Green Party wants an immediate end to the Patriot Act and any other laws that invade the privacy of citizens. The Green Party sees these types of laws as extra ways for the government to invade the personal lives of its citizens.

Military Budgets. The Green Party would ideally want to take a majority of the money that goes to the military and send it over to environmental and social issues. This is because the party believes that there should be more support for living creatures than promoting the destruction of other societies.

Environmental Factors. The Green Party believes that the United States should be more involved with environmental concerns. They believe that there should be more restrictions on greenhouse gases and companies that are responsible for these gases.

Abortions. The Green Party would ideally want to provide all women with access to safe abortions.

Latest issues addressed by the Green parties in USA

The Americans are going through a tough phase economically as well as administratively as some their decisions have faced criticism from the international world as well as the Green activists in USA. There have been several sensitive internal & external issues which have been strongly dealt with by the green parties in USA against the administration, which take account of Green parties of Tennessee & Arizona, Illinois etc. Some of the principle issues they’ve addressed include:

  • President’s tax policy: The tax policy adopted by the American administration will result in diverting cash away from the social security funds of the US treasury according to Green party spokespersons. This will in no way compensate to the budget deficit. The Green party workers have further suggested the administration to roll back funds from military budgets which are being spread aimlessly in Iraq & Afghanistan.
  • Administration’s Iraq & Afghanistan policies: The Green activists have also raised their voices against the administration’s unethical use of power & lawlessness. They’ve cited issues of unjustified detention of suspects for unusually long periods, detaining of foreign nationals residing in Muslim countries & demanded punishment of related officials who have initiated such actions. But as is expected, the administration has pretended to turn a deaf ear to them. But these surely will find light of the day as support for greens are ascending day by day.
  • Removal of nuclear moratorium at senate: This movement has been initiated by Greens of Illinois. According to Green activists, nuclear energy is bad for the civilization & thus the event of removal of nuclear production prohibition bill in senate has been slammed by Greens in Illinois. More so, because of the majority with which it was passed 40-1, this mindset of senators didn’t go down well at all with the Greens principles.

Green party of Arizona

The Green party of Arizona is one of the most active green associations in USA. The Arizona green party (ARGP) is comprised of a state committee involving 14 members at present & a separate working committee. Any individual aspiring to become a member of the party has to join the working committee according to party rules. ARGP has numerous working committees as well to distribute party functioning responsibilities so that every objective is carried out in a well-planned & unambiguous manner. Some of these committees include Ballot access, Communications outreach, Strategic planning, Media outreach etc.

It has several county green arties under its wing including Green party of Maricopa, Sedona & Verde valley, Yavapai County etc. All these county parties have a stipulated date & place where they hold meetings every month to evaluate & discuss party functioning. These county green parties are major contributors of party personnel to the Arizona Green party.

The ARGP also appoints party officers who are responsible for operating its offices around the state. Invitations for the post of candidate in such elections are placed in front of the local mass & the ones aspiring to be a green party worker. Presently, 17 officers are holding posts like co-chair, treasurer, media outreach coordinator, green party delegates & county representatives. But, the party seems to have made a huge impact in Arizona as can be deduced from the latest press release. It reported that since the primary elections were held in 2010, the party has experienced a growth of 500 registered party voters which has aided their aim of attaining permanent ballot status. This report carries further significance as it is said now the Arizona green party has more members than the politically established Democrats in the state of Arizona. This certainly marks the fondness that has been growing among local people for the green activists.

Motives behind formation of green party

The evolution of green parties in multiple regions around the world is a voluntary coalition of a bunch of people who demand for an enhanced democratic, environmental, non-violent & communal administrative setting. The ideologies of these green parties globally have been more or less the same, to offer a better living society to human population. They believe that decisions in a democracy must be solely decided by common people rather than some autocratic administrative & business giants. This was the motto with which the first green party in United States was formed named ‘the Greens/Green party USA’ in 1984.

But in recent times, the green association party that has gained ground is the ‘Green party of the United States (GPUS)’. It was founded in the year 2001 from a coalition among the American states green associations known as ‘The Association of State Green Parties’ (ASGP). It can be said that the ideologies of the Green Party is inherited from ‘the Greens/Green party USA’.  But the later wasn’t able to sustain failing to deliver to the necessity of politicizing the green movement for accomplishing the purpose to a bigger extent. This was the core difference in approach of previous Greens/green party & the present Green party in America. The Green party is devoted to offering unbiased, for the people decisions regarding issues like social justice, environmental sustainability, corporate strategies & any other concerning the general mass & the nation as a whole. As the green party activists proudly declare, they’re here to append a touch of ‘direct democracy’ to every phenomenon in the United States that might have an implicit or explicit impact on the society.

The green party is a grassroots activist political party which has been in the administrative tantrum of things since its foundation & currently has 126 democratically elected members supporting its causes in its offices across United States.

The functioning policy of the Green party

Green Party in Northern Ireland

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The functioning of the Green party is solely guided by its principles. Here are some of the key principles which guide the operations of Green party of Tennessee:

  • Grassroots democracy: The green revolutionaries believe in participatory democracy. Every individual must make their opinion count in a democracy. This is what the green party is here to promote. Further, the greens encourage evolution of more such parties which would place the populace as the sole ruler & make its each representative feel accountable to them for everything.
  • Non-violence: Violence should be aborted at all costs. The green party does believe in the ideology of self-defense & to be aware of a potential enemy’s intentions. But abundance of agents of mass destructions like weapons must be eliminated to ensure safe living.
  • Ecological understanding: The Green party promotes ecology to maintain awareness among citizens to live with nature, not destroy it for any means. According to them, humans must accommodate themselves accordingly with the natural resources available to them. This will ensure sustainability of resources for future generations.
  • Social justice & equal opportunity: This principle of the Greens dictates that all social beings must have equal rights & opportunities on the resources provided by administration. People must learn to confront natural barriers like racism, sexual orientations & ensure they don’t act as barriers to one’s social justice.
  • Decentralization: Money & power must never belong to a single institution. This principle rather teaches that society, economy should be so structured that they act more as democratic rather than autocratic.
  • Feminist & Gender equity: Male domination must be done away with & all of us must find ways to communication which would respect individual opinion & gender differences.
  • Respect for diversity: Diversity in terms of religion, sex, ethnicity etc. must be practiced & people from diversified backgrounds must be put together at workplaces & administrative institutions.

What the Green party can offer to the society

The Green party is founded on a solid base of ethical values. The green party is vowed to apply this ethics when dealing with matters of justice, environment, society, hospitality & many more. For more than 130 years now, the political scene of United States has been dominated by two major parties, the democrats & republicans. But to offer a grass-root perspective to all issues, the Green party evolved as a democratically recognized party in 2001. They claim to offer real solutions to real problems. The functioning, decision making of the the republican & democrats are often said to be motivated by corporate minds.

According to green activists, these two parties are opportunity seekers & often deviate from their ideologies. The most common example was the change of perspective on democratic aspects post the civil war in Iraq, Baghdad. They used to stand apart on economic policies prior to the war, but post war they now claim to have taken on different agendas to survive involving their role, social base & ideologies. The US administration wasn’t even able to arrest the Supreme Court’s decision on lifting the upper margin on corporate spending in election campaigns.

In such a muddled administrative ambience, the ever suffering vagabond citizens have started raising their voices & making their opinions count through institutions like the Green party. Their trust on the green activists would have been further affirmed by the real solutions which were addressed before the administration by them. Recently, the green party suggested that the administration should work on generating jobs from alternate energy strategy, public transport expansion & retrofitting of building projects. This certainly would generate fresh funds & thus arrest economic downturn to an extent. Thus, it can very well be concluded that the green party is here to make an impact, an impact that would not only be beneficial to society but civilization as a whole.

Present society issues concerning the green party

The Green party has set its foot firm on the administrative aspect of things in the United States. Till its inception in 2001 as a political candidate, only two parties, namely Republicans & the Democrats. Though there have been many miniature political associations which have sprung up like Whig party, constitution party & the American party. But they haven’t been able to turn the table very much.

The Green party of Tennessee has shifted their focus towards latest social issues like the recession, Iraq war consequences as their political agenda to squeeze the republican administration politically. The present issues that have been shortlisted by the part’s national committees are based on:

  • Mockery of constitutional powers that’s been going on over last decade in United states
  • Obama administration’s backstabbing tax policy
  • Ongoing useless military spending in Afghanistan & Iran
  • Politicizing the matter of finding solutions for budget deficits on the part of both Republicans & democrats
  • Forcing the administration to repulse the age old democrat healthcare bill
  • Stopping comprehensive corporate indulgence in democracy matters

Reasons for taking up these issues:

The Green party has jotted down several democracy threatening acts of the Democratic administration like dissent of habeas corpus, prosecution of whistle blowers, detention of individuals for indefinite periods without proper evidential objects & protested against the same by a green representative of Miami-Dade region. The issue that has gained much attention of green activists is the backstabbing tax slashing strategies of Obama administration. It’s decision to extend Social security exemption policy will further affect the declining condition of United states treasury since Social security taxes has been the forerunner in terms of compensating other finance retrieving sectors of the US government. In the matter of healthcare bill, the green activists have demanded the abolition of it & instead ensure Medicare protection for citizens.

The Power of Third Parties

Third Party political parties are many times discarded as mere spoilers of our political system. Some may say that they may be damaging our political process.  Really it is proof that our political process is working like a finely tuned machine. Third parties like the Green Party offer a place for the voice of many people who do not want to just go with the majority.  Here are three reasons why third party political parties should not be dismissed.

1. They unify people. We are in the midst of a time and place where emphasis is placed on individuality and many may just stick to themselves.  Third parties can bring people together for a common cause. Not only do they rally people behind a common cause, they typically are coming together for a common good. It is not typically to be the downfall of another, but to bring up to the fore front the idea’s that other groups are not focusing on.

2.They stick to ideals. The Green Party is one party who provides real solutions to real problems. They don’t attack issues that are not doable.  They’re not into gimmicks and unrealistic goals. One great example is their stance on not taking money for corporate donors. In their fight against the big corporations who oppose reform, they have made this stance and stick to it.

3. They are made up of real people. Many times those in place to lead these parties are not from a long lineage of politics. These are people who have made themselves and are passionate about these ideas.  They are people who others feel they can back.  Many in these parties do not necessarily feel they fit the status quo, but yet they still have a voice.  Third party political parties provide a home for all who wish to participate in our great nations political system.

The Basics of the Green Party

Green Party of England and Wales

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It may not surprise you to learn that the Green Party takes its name from the common use of the word “green” to indicate things that are good for the environment. Members of the party believe in sustainable farming and business, and laws that protect the environment. Party members support the search for and use of alternative fuels sources; and encourage individuals and businesses to live in and produce goods in ways that cause no further harm to the planet.

You may be surprised, however, to learn that these same people support the development of universal healthcare. The Green Party platform says that access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege that should be reserved for the few who can comfortably afford it. An overwhelming number of workers in the United States simply can’t, based on the wages they earn, which leads us to another pillar of Green Party beliefs.

The party strongly feels that workers in this country should be paid a living wage. The minimum wage, decided upon by the government, is not enough to survive on, which leads many people who work full time to live in poverty. These same people then must fall back on government assistance programs to provide their families with food, medicine and more. In another effort to even the playing field for workers in the U.S., the Green Party supports higher taxes for the wealthy.

Some think the belief system of the Green Party is too far to the left, using phrases such as “bleeding heart liberals” to define the party’s members. But at its core, the party supports the Constitution of the United States and the rights and freedoms of United States citizens. It is possible, however, to support these ideals and still recognize that our government and our society have plenty of room for improvement.

Third Parties Strive for the White House

GULF OF OMAN - DECEMBER 11:  (EDITORS NOTE: IM...
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Breaking the strangle hold of the two party system has proven to be difficult for American political parties. The Democrats and the Republican have dominated the American political system since the end of the Civil War in 1865. While many political parties have made attempts to challenge the power structure, few have been able to make a dent.

One feature of successful third parties has been a dominate personality that achieved success or fame prior to joining with a third party. Former President Theodore Roosevelt challenged his chosen successor sitting-President William Taft. Taft and Roosevelt broke over progressive versus conservative practices in the Republican Party. When Roosevelt was unable to gain the Republican nomination in 1912, he founded his own party, the “Bull Moose Party” and bested Taft in the general election. While Roosevelt might have earned more votes than his Republican rival the action opened the door for Democrat Woodrow Wilson to gain the White House.

The election remains significant because it was one of the few times that the Democrats were able to gain the White House in that era. It is also important because it was the last time that a third party candidate finished as high as second in a Presidential election. That it took a previously popular President get that close shows the difficulty that third parties face when trying to break through to a major political victory.

There have been other attempts by third party candidates to break stranglehold of the Democrats and the Republicans. One of the most prominent was the campaign of former Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968. Wallace had been made famous by his resistance to segregation in the South. His campaign capitalized on the resentment many Americans had to changing times. Wallace was able to make a significant showing in the South, but his campaign wilted once he ventured the general election. Like Roosevelt, Wallace’s party was little more than one dynamic politician.

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