Yes, that does sound realistic to me, Art. It's not easy to extricate oneself from a large war, as many occupying forces have found throughout history.

Bill, you said, "do you think INDIVIDUALS would not sell out in various ways?"

Yeah, sure I think so. So what? It would not be as bad as a whole party selling out, it would not be as well organized or as hard to attack, and it would not be as easily covered up, since you could go after any one of those individuals without an entire party machine covering his ass (or cynically sacrificing him, while really changing nothing).

I didn't say it would be perfect, Bill, I said it would be better than the divisive party systems we have now.

I believe the party system is as ridiculous and unnecessary as the absolute monarchies we all once took for granted (not very long ago, historically speaking), and one day it will be seen that way, just as monarchies are seen now as an archaic notion.

Most people are unconscious conformists. They tend to think that what they already have is the best way to go. History tends to prove them wrong as the centuries roll by.

I note that there were no political parties depicted in the advanced society envisioned in the Star Trek shows, but there was a large representative government that functioned rather like ours does, but it was not artificially divided into perpetually warring political groups called "parties". It decided things by discussion and consultation among all seated members in a parliament, followed by a vote. That, in my opinion is the sensible way to do it. I find the whole institution of political parties, frankly, to be detestable. It encourages every form of divisiveness and corruption of the political process. It turns political life into war on a continual and unremitting basis. This is a stupid thing to do.

I regard it the way Patrick Henry regarded the British monarchy in his day. Think about it.

Maybe there's another way to go?