The parties are over

To the editor:

Like C. Andrew Coomes of Orlando (letters to the editor, Jan. 8), I’m an out-of-state subscriber drawn in by the disgraceful thuggery of local law enforcement officials against the Record two years ago. 

Mr. Coomes’ bafflement about Donald Trump’s popularity in your parts resonated with me, so I thought I’d add my two cents.

To an extent, I get why people would be drawn to Trump: The system is rotten, and he promises to clean house. But identifying a problem is one thing and finding the right way to fix it is another.

As a former Democrat (for 30 years), I feel both parties are corrupt, dominated by large corporations and the super-rich, who are shredding our democracy and everything that’s good about this country. 

I’m a great fan of Kshama Sawant, the former socialist (Gasp! The S-word!) city councilwoman from Seattle who accomplished great things there against the machinations of the Democratic Party. (There isn’t much of a Republican Party in Seattle.)

She’s now the head of a national organization called Workers Strike Back, which is trying to set up a new party that would fight, as the name implies, for working people.

I’m under no illusion that Marion County will flock to her banner in unison, but the R’s and the D’s aren’t getting the job done, and it’s time to look for something else. It won’t be easy, but I think that’s the way to go.

P.S. For anyone who hasn’t read Thomas Frank’s book “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” I highly recommend it.

Jon Krampner
Los Angeles