I used to pay attention to American and Swedish politics.

Lately, I've lost interest in both.

In the Swedish case, I got sick and tired of the ruthlessness of leftists defending their political parties against imaginary neocons and racists.

These people ruin relationships and friendships in an alarming rate, leaving so much pain behind in their struggle for ideological purity.

Their leftist friends are the ones taking the hardest punches, not the neocons or the racists. These Swedish leftists are killing the left in their quest for relevance in a political environment they don't understand anymore.

In the American case, I got sick and tired of watching a great country hit the iceberg, just like the Titanic, and of the same reasons too.

Today, a Swedish Facebook friend wrote something on his wall that made me reply the following:

"The more I listen to the debate between the left and the right [in the Social Democratic Party], the more I wonder if the left is looking for becoming a think tank and the right is trying to become a lobbying firm."

Which makes me wonder: Is the political party as a platform for change now obsolete?

We have parliaments, so we have to elect politicians, but is there a better way?

And is the ruthlessness of contemporary politics a result of inadequate organizational structures that create frustrations and unnecessary conflicts?

Politics shouldn't be like this.

Too many ruined relationships.

Too little difference being made.

Is there a better way?

Daniel Kronlid, Sweden

P.S. I began to think about this when I wrote "Sarah Palin killed my Conservatism".