G K Chesterton on Political Parties and the Press

I've seen this before, and am happy that another blogger posted the quote.

“The real evil of our Party System is commonly stated wrong. … The real danger of the two parties with their two policies is that they unduly limit the outlook of the ordinary citizen. They make him barren instead of creative, because he is never allowed to do anything except prefer one existing policy to another. We have not got real Democracy when the decision depends upon the people. We shall have real Democracy when the problem depends upon the people. The ordinary man will decide not only how he will vote, but what he is going to vote about.”

GKC explains further:

“A certain alternative is put before them by the powerful houses and the highest political class.Two roads are opened to them; but they must go down one or the other. They cannot have what they choose, but only which they choose.”

And, of course, there's the MSM and the Radio Boyzzz:

“Nearly all the great newspapers, [and radio] both pompous and frivolous, will declare dogmatically day after day, until every one half believes it, that red and green are the only two colours in the paint-box.

How did we get here?

“The democracy has a right to answer questions, but it has no right to ask them. It is still the political aristocracy that asks the questions. And we shall not be unreasonably cynical if we suppose that the political aristocracy will always be rather careful what questions it asks."

So here we sit. Shall we raise taxes? Shall we keep them low?

Notice that nobody--NOBODY--brings up Spending??