Anyone paying even the slightest amount of attention to the sociopolitical dynamics that exist in America today can see that we are, for now, in a hopelessly polarized environment in which Republicans and Democrats cannot even agree on the definition of basic terms. The concepts of freedom, equality, and social justice have completely different meanings based simply on which side of the political aisle one is on. Americans have lost their ability to think for themselves, instead deferring their own beliefs to self-serving politicians who play them like puppets.

There is perhaps no greater example of this than the state of America’s debts. When Barack Obama was president, the federal government’s deficit ballooned to over $1 trillion at one point. Conservatives in Congress and the media lambasted Obama over the situation, saying that Democrats were sending the US precipitously close to the edge of financial, and ultimately societal, ruin. Democrats pushed back, saying that Obama’s spending was necessary to bring the US economy back from recession levels. Perennial deficits under President Obama became a major issue, and Republicans capitalized on it. Tea Party candidates, calling for smaller government and financial responsibility played a large role in flipping the House of Representatives back to Republicans.

Then came Donald Trump. During his campaign, riding on conservative principles, promised that he would wipe out all US debt within eight years if he was elected president; he won in an electoral landslide. But nothing changed with regard to debt and deficits. The deficit in fiscal year 2019 was $984 billion, the highest in 7 years and a 26% increase over the previous year. One would think that conservatives would be outraged over this, rightfully so, but they are not. What was considered a major issue just a few years ago, and hasn’t been fixed, isn’t even mentioned by Republicans and conservative media. Democrats, on the other hand, are incensed at the reckless spending of the federal government, especially at a time when the economy is booming by almost every metric. They’re right – a massive deficit in prosperous years makes it doubly hard to sustain the economy at times when the economy is faltering.

So what’ different? Why did conservatives and liberals switch sides so suddenly? You know the answer already – there are different people in the White House. When Obama held the presidency, it was politically advantageous for Democrats to defend a large deficit and for Republicans to oppose it. Now that Trump is in the Oval Office, the opposite is true. And all over the country, hapless Americans are nodding their heads in agreement with the politicians they support who are advocating for policies that are exactly opposite from which they supported just a few years ago. It boggles the mind.

This is why I’m an independent and you should be too. Thinking for yourself will go a long way in determining who is really best suited for office. Having an R or a D next to someone’s name has lost all significance. Their allegiances are based on which way the political winds are blowing, not which direction society is heading. Following your own beliefs is a must when it comes to politics. Because if you don’t, you’re allowing megalomaniacs dressed in a suit to take you for a ride. And that never ends well.