The Second Great Independence Movement is the Politics of the Future – If We Are to Have OneA Conversation with INC Convener Christopher Life“Independents of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your Cheneys …and Bidens …and Trumps.” – Swami BeyondanandaThere’s a Buckminster Fuller quote that is perhaps more pertinent today than ever before:“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”So, while the mainstream conversation is focused strictly on the horse race (or is it hearse race?) between Donald Trump and whoever replaces Joe Biden, there is a significant conversation brewing that has the potential to change American politics forever and for better.Polls show that more than 50% of Americans have given up on the two major parties, and now identify as “independents.” The question is, is there anything that can organize these diverse threads and interests into a unified force?This week’s guest on Front and Center, Christopher Life, founder of – oxymoron alert – United Independents, and convener of the upcoming Independent National Conference (https://www.inc24.us/) thinks so, and we think he is on to something. Here is the stated mission of the organization and conference:At the core of our mission is a commitment to catalyze a transformative shift in American politics—away from the divisiveness of party lines and towards a future where governance is truly of, by, and for the people.United Independents envisions a political landscape liberated from partisan constraints, echoing the founding fathers' warnings against factionalism. We aim to foster a United Independent Movement that champions transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, ensuring government effectiveness and authentic public service for the benefit of all.For nearly two decades, Christopher has been involved in bringing forth a “third wave” so that we can grow beyond the two tired and contradictory narratives that have kept Americans from uniting around the virtues and values the 90% of us who are not sociopaths share. After several years he realized that just about every “third party” had some ideological ax to grind that would limit its appeal and ability to unite the American people. “And as soon as I got that,” he says, “I realized what we need right now is not another third party. What we need is a coordination system for these existing political parties.”“And this is the moment for coalition building. This is the moment for a United Independent movement. This is a moment to break the mold and form alliances between the far right and the far left, because we all have the common interest of ending the two party duopoly controlling this country.”Far right and far left?Well, Michael and I attended the 2023 INC event in Austin, where we were heartened to meet Angela McArdle, chairman of the American Libertarian Party and Nick Brana, head of the progressive People’s Party – who had already collaborated to create a peace march to end the war in Ukraine.At this September’s convention, the keynote speaker will be Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – whom Christopher believes is the current space-holder for that which can unify independents. Kennedy’s platform is non-ideological, and instead promises to be radically-inclusive of political viewpoints across the spectrum. As you will hear, Christopher and his team have already initiated a conversation to bring independents from all sides – from Greens to Libertarians – together to support RFK, Jr.“The two major parties run primaries to determine the best candidate,” Christopher reasons. “And … if there were an ‘independent party’ primary, Bobby Kennedy wins that hands-down. While people may or may not like him personally, I think it will become apparent that he is the standard-bearer for the independents movement we call for in our mission statement.”So …regardless of which candidate or party you plan to vote against this November, here is an opportunity to find out about a movement that is gaining traction, particularly in the under-40 crowd – those who want to make sure they and their children still have access to the REAL American Dream – individual freedom in the context of collective wellbeing, where we bring all perspectives into conversation, and find our way together.As Swami Beyondananda tells us, “There are no sides, only angles. And when we see it from the right angle, we’re all on the same side.”Prepare yourself for a heartening, if provocative conversation.Will we continue to be divided and conquered? Or will we unite and thrive?We have a choice.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggUMCTIfWMIndependent National Convention - https://www.inc24.us/Independents Win - https://www.independents.win/Robert F. Kennedy for President - https://www.kennedy24.com/American Independent Party of ...
