Dear Editor,
I will try to keep this article professional and simple as possible.
Respect to all the new faces and people who may have good intentions that postulate themselves on a political party.
From the present political parties to all new political parties, they cannot define what makes them different.
Lesson number 1: To understand any problem you must identify the problem or else you cannot tackle or rectify it if you do not know where and what is the problem.
Lesson number 2: How you approach and how you tackle the problem defines how you see it. (That is what makes political parties different).
The difference is called ideology. In social studies, a political ideology is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order.
Lesson number 3: Your political party should explain how you would like St. Maarten to be, and why your ideology is the ideology to make St. Maarten successful.
Lesson 4: Your platform (manifesto) should explain how your party ideology plans to rectify the financial issues and social issues and define your party’s patriotism to St. Maarten.
Lesson 5: The members of the party should in principle agree with at least 80 percent of the party platform or else you do not have a political party. This is the key to avoid ship-jumping.
Lesson 6: Every member should explain him- or herself to the party if their intentions are to serve in the executive branch (Council of Ministers) or the in the legislative branch (Parliament of St. Maarten).
Lesson 7: Every member should sign an agreement that loyalty is to the party and not their personal goals, and every party should present that agreement to the voters of St. Maarten.
Lesson 8: Every party member should study the constitution and explain to their party which part of the constitution they feel can be amended or what can be added to provide a better quality life to the people of St. Maarten. Why this is important, this defines who you are (character) as a person.
Lesson 9: Every party member should make clear to his party if he or she believes St. Maarten should stay indefinitely with the Dutch Kingdom or should it set a goal to be independent with a specific time frame.
Lesson 10: What is your party’s view of the definition on who is a St. Maartener and does your party intend to prescribe it in St. Maarten constitution.
The main 2 political ideologies are Conservative or Liberal. Conservatism is a political and social philosophy promoting traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization. The central tenets of conservatism include tradition, organic society, hierarchy, authority, and property rights. Liberalism combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy.
Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional values and a strong national defense. Conservatives believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Liberals believe government should provide more services to the less fortunate (like health care) and increase taxes if necessary. High-income earners should pay a larger percentage of their income as taxes.
The conclusion, it is the party’s responsibility to convince the electorate why their ideology is better for St. Maarten and point out the differences between their party and other parties. This gives the reason why your party is needed. Choices have consequences, political parties choose people with same value and ideology.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
