didn't have to be like this! even setting aside European PR examples, the Green Party UK exists in a first-past-the-post 2 party system and has managed to not act as a spoiler for the right, does solid local politics, and is not a Russian puppet. greenparty.org.uk/2024/02/24/o...
(fun thing: I was one of four reporters to attend their first ever party conference, in 1990. I was twelve at the time. It was for 'Early Times' which was a prototype newspaper for children run by Nicky Cox, who eventually founded the much more successful 'First News')
This of course assumes the party has as its goal actually effecting policy, which as best I can tell they do not.
Not to be pedantic, but you're referring to the Green Party of England and Wales. The Scottish Greens exist in a political system which is a mixture of proportional and first-past-the-post. They also support Ukraine greens.scot/news/history.... As does the Green Party Northern Ireland.
History will judge all of us on what we did to defend freedom in Ukraine -
How does a small party not act as a spoiler in FPTP? It's noticeable that British elections often have the vote split multiple ways, and the winner being whoever "votes strategically" in this situation best. Due to Duverger's Law not actually being descriptive.
The only real somewhat serious threat to the US 2 party system was Reform with Ross Perot but that imploded when he tried to bring in Pat Buchanan for some reason and since all third/fourth parties are a joke.
While I believe that this statement is, in principle, factually correct, I also believe that the truthfullness of your proposal that "it did not have to be this way" hinges on the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 not existing.
or the Greens in Australia, who have their shit together to a heartening degree