Let’s face it, the current world political situation is a goldmine for writers of all stripes–fiction, non-fiction, thriller, mystery, science fiction, whatever. There’s an overabundance of material in every corner of the world. An expectation hangs in the air that we are on the precipice of great changes about to take place. With so much at stake, now more than ever we need writers willing to put their imaginations to work producing ideas and solutions for the world to consider.

Rather than be inspired by the current political situation, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and repelled by the negativity that fills our political discussions. It’s as if two massive armies were sweeping across the US, one made up of Republicans and the other of Democrats, and we are all being forced to choose sides. 

I refuse to choose sides.

Good and bad policy proposals abound on both sides of the political divide. We may have reached the limit of what political parties have to offer. At this point, all they are giving us is more and more polarization and hate. We need a different approach, one that will draw us together in constructive dialogue instead of apart into our separate political tribes. I like the approach taken by Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn in their organization Stand Up Republic. They both come from Republican political backgrounds but are reaching out to all parties to “grow a community of Americans to defend democratic ideals, norms and institutions.” It’s an admirable goal. 

George Washington once famously said, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Think about it.