Democrat versus Republican
I composed a list of some of the fundamental differences of democrats versus republicans so that people new to the political scene can decide which political philosophy is more aligned with their core beliefs.
Fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans
On government involvement in people’s lives
Democrats believe that government should play a large role in its citizens’ lives. They want the government to provide more services than it currently does.
Republicans believe government should stay out of people’s lives as much as possible. People are quite capable of making rational decisions on their own without some government telling them how to think.
On visions of the future
Democrats tend to take a short term view on topics. They believe that governments can effectively micromanage the private sector.
Republicans tend to take a much longer outlook when making decisions about policy. They realize that trying to micromanage people from the federal level is an exercise in futility.
On gun control
Democrats believe that enacting stronger gun legislation will take guns out of the criminals’ hands.
Republicans believe that if you try to take the guns out of the hands of citizens, the only people left with guns will be the criminals.
On Abortion
Democrats argue that life begins when a child is born. Therefore abortion is not murder.
Republicans believe that life begins within the mother’s womb. Taking that life is just as wrong as taking the life of any other person, maybe even more so because that child never has the chance to see the light of day.
On children
Democrats believe that it takes a village to raise a child. At least that is what Hillary Clinton has preached.
Republicans believe that it takes parents and family to raise a child.
On Gay Marriage
Democrats believe that any human has the right to marry any other human regardless of sex and that those unions should be treated exactly the same as a union between a man and woman.
Republicans believe that marriage is a union that can only be formed between a man and a woman. Gay couples have the right to live together but should not be recognized as a lawful marriage.
On National Defense
Democrats believe that the United States should never take military action abroad unless attacked first. They also believe that the United States should not maintain a high level of spending for national defense.
Republicans believe that national defense one of the primary roles of federal government. In general they believe in funding the military sufficiently to maintain a technological edge over every non-NATO member nation. In general republicans also believe in stopping ruthless dictators from invading their neighbors just as Hitler should have been stopped immediately after invading Poland.
On Taxation
Democrats believe that wealthy people have somehow cheated other citizens in order to amass their wealth and therefore ought to be taxed at ridiculous rates.
Republicans believe in a more level rate of taxation. They believe that all workers regardless of income level should be able to keep the majority of the money they earn.
On government spending
Democrats believe that government spending is just as good for the economy as private sector spending. Democrats believe that the private sector is just as wasteful as the government.
Republicans argue that private sector spending is far more efficient than government spending. Republicans believe the government to be extremely inefficient at doing anything especially governing its citizens.
On social security
Democrats want social security to be a mandatory retirement program for every citizen and that government will tell you how much money you deserve to retire with.
Democrats also believe that government is capable of running a national retirement system efficiently.
Republicans believe that social security was designed to be a safety net and that people should be encouraged and incentivized to save for additional retirement money for themselves.
Republicans argue that politicians will continue to squander public funds like social security and that is why it should not be in government hands.
On healthcare
Democrats believe that healthcare should be funded 100% by the government through taxes. They believe that someone in a government position should decide whether or not a particular procedure should be performed on a patient.
Republicans believe that giving free healthcare to everyone will lower the quality of current healthcare, completely stifle future research investments and cost way more than the current system. Republicans feel that the health care system in America will be better run and managed by the private sector. Harnessing competition in the private sector is the key to reducing costs.
On education
Democrats believe that pouring more money into schools is the best way to educate our children. They believe that a decent education for a child is something that can be bought with more money.
Republicans believe that parent involvement and personal responsibility is the best way to educate our children. Republicans think that the destruction of the family unit has lead to the decline in schools’ ability to graduate well educated students.
On immigration
Democrats believe that we should allow immigrants to come here and drop off their children for American taxpayers to raise. They also believe in granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants (about 30 million or so at the time I am writing this) who are currently living here.
Republicans believe that illegal immigrants should be deported. Some republicans believe that the border with Mexico should be defended with military troops. Okay, maybe that last sentence is just my own personal opinion.
On welfare
Democrats believe in redistributing the income of the people who are well off by taxing them and giving that money to poor people through entitlements. Democrats believe that people on welfare deserve a raise. Democrats believe that it is alright for people to live their entire lives on welfare.
Republicans believe that no man who is capable of working for a living deserves a free ride. You are supposed to work and save for future needs, not sit around and live off the taxes that the government has collected from working people. Republicans believe in short term welfare and helping someone long enough for that person to get back on their feet and earn a living for himself.
Both parties agree that there should be adequate funding and services for the handicapped who are incapable of earning their own living.
On Government Bailouts
Democrats believe in bailing out any industry that is incapable of running itself profitably so long as that industry has a union workforce.
Republicans believe that markets work best when governments don’t meddle with them. Weak companies should be allowed to fail so they can be replaced by newer stronger more efficient ones.
On labor unions
Democrats believe that all corporations are run by greedy businessmen whose only goal is to exploit the workforce wherever possible. Therefore, the unions should be supported to offset the greed at the top.
Republicans understand how hard it is to build a business that can compete with the rest of the world. Labor unions are also capable of abusing their power as was the case for General Motors.
On crime
Democrats tend to be soft on crime and support organizations that inhibit the prosecution of criminals.
Republicans are tougher on crime for the most part and usually support the death penalty.
While some of these claims may hold a fair amount of validity in a very, very general way, the blatant logical fallacies that riddle the paragraphs above only serve to extirpate that validity immediately. Now, it would be disingenuous for me to make such a statement without the provision of supporting evidence but, at the same time it would be a waste of effort to enumerate each respective fallacy one after the other. Therefore, while I will not pick apart the entire blog, I will give a few examples:
-On a whole, the entire blog contains hasty generalizations. Many statements in this blog about democratic beliefs reduce a whole political party to one or two sentence claims that are unfounded. While some democrats may hold some of the beliefs listed above, ALL democrats do not think in the ways listed above.
-On Labor Unions: By stating that “Democrats believe that all corporations are run by greedy businessmen whose only goal is to exploit the workforce wherever possible.” you manage to come to the conclusion that this is why democrats believe unions should be supported. This is clearly an example of oversimplification. The reasons behind democratic union support are far more complex than just fighting against “greedy businessmen” and many democrats see the inherent need for big business.
-On Children: The claims about democrats and their beliefs about children are COMPLETELY unfounded and the claims carry the non sequitur logical fallacy with regard to the entire blog. Since when are “children” a political policy or political issue that is discussed by democrats or republicans? This is unrelated to the rest of the blog and really has no substance or factual background.
Again, these are just a few of the logical fallacies to be found in this blog and I hope that people who turn to this website for political guidance are thinking CRITICALLY before coming to any conclusions about party politics.
Nice comments Max,
Obviously you are a Democrat who is tortured emotionally over the fact that your Democratic Party possesses liberal core beliefs that paint you in a bad light. Of course no party member agrees 100% with every party stance on certain issues. I certainly don’t agree with everything the Republican Party does. That is why you find an occasional conservative democrat like some of the Blue Dogs that are concerned about the federal government’s addiction to spending.
Yet, both statements that you call into question are true for more than 50% of the democrat party whether you want to admit it or not. That is what gives me the right to state them. You may disagree with the percentages. However, if you look at the actions of your beloved democrat leadership you will see that I have every reason for making these claims.
Democrats won’t make these statements publicly because it is not good politics; but, their actions speak louder than words. Maybe you ought to question your support for the democrat party. Have you read my post about where I state “I have friends who think they are Democrats who are actually Republicans”?
By the way, families and children are a political issue. It became an issue in the 90’s when Hillary Clinton wrote her book titled “It takes a village”. As she is obviously one of the democrat party’s leaders, I feel completely justified in saying that she speaks for at least 51% of the party. When this book was released there was an uproar about the issue. Hillary published a book announcing to the world what democrat core beliefs are on the subject. The title says it all. So sorry Max. You will have to live with that so long as Hillary remains a spokesperson for your party. This is now forever recorded in history.
As far as labor unions go, would you feel better if I dropped the word greedy? Would that make you feel better? It is nonetheless true. Look at the current policy of the Obama administration. They want to reduce the salaries of top executives in corporate America. The TARP recipients are first. The next step for the democrats is going to be to use the financial crisis as an excuse to find a way to cap other executive salaries. They are already talking about it publicly.
That is yet one more perfect example that justifies my statement that democrats believe that CEO’s are greedy and that they are exploiting everyone for their own gain. In democrats’ eyes, they make too much money. Remember when the Obama democrats were going to punish oil companies for making too much money? They want to punish drug companies for making too much money. They want to punish health care workers for making too much money. Oh yes they do Max. Watch and see.
As you grow older you will become more conservative. Then you will begin to realize that what I have said on this post as well as the bulk of this site is absolutely true. Open your eyes mate. Open your eyes. Stop torturing yourself with this misguided allegiance to the Democratic Party. Your intuition is telling you that deep down inside you are not a Democrat. Stop supporting the madness.
I agree with Max….your blog is riddled with some common generalizations advanced by conservatives to paint their side as the better side. And a retort of “As you grow older you will become more conservative. Then you will begin to realize that what I have said on this post as well as the bulk of this site is absolutely true. Open your eyes mate. Open your eyes. Stop torturing yourself with this misguided allegiance to the Democratic Party. Your intuition is telling you that deep down inside you are not a Democrat. Stop supporting the madness”….was a poor response. I am more interested in facts than some misguided notion propagated by conservative television. Frankly I believe that the two party systems in America is run its course..and it does you no good to classify it as a right vs wrong issue
Jamel,
It is not about painting one party to look better than the other. That is playing politics. That is not what I have done here. What I have done is laid out what I believe to be the differences between the parties on various issues. If you disagree with my summaries of Democratic or Republican viewpoints, then why not suggest where I was wrong instead of saying that I made common generalizations. Where pal? Show me where?
Sorry you didn’t like my response to Max about being a tortured Democrat. I believe that is what he really is. I see it all the time among people that I call my friends. They have bought into the bullshit propoganda that sensationalistic media has fed unsuspecting voters like them. When you stop and ask them what their beliefs are on a certain topic, they quote the Republican party line on the topic. Yet these people call themselves Democrats and pull the lever for their local Democrat at every election. When someone like me tries to convince them that they need to research what their party representatives’ stances are on these issues, they fluff it off. They are embarassed that they have been fooled. Then for some reason unbeknown to me, they still profess their allegiance to the Democratic party. I think that people like this would rather be popular than take the side that the wisdom of history has proven to be true time and again. Sounds like you are one of them.
Common Sense Republican, 1. govt involvement in peoples lives, we had a president who greatly scaled down govt regulation and look what happened. People don’t want the govt in their every-day lives but when we let the big dogs play without supervision look what happens! When you say the republican party does not tell people how to think your living in bizarro world. Visions of the future, you say the dems are short view and the repubs take a much longer outlook before deciding, what the —-? Iraq, Afghanistan, need more? Gun control, where did you find the information that all dems are for gun controll? I know more dems that own guns than you know repubs that own guns! Abortion, repubs have all the time in the world to demonstrate and call for an end to abortion but don’t have time or will to adopt! They also do not come up with plans to benifit children. On children, I think both parties want what is best for children it’s just the two have very different ideas for them when they get a little older. On gay marrage, repubs are homo-phobic! All gay partners want is the privliges extended to married people. A civil union for living purposes is all they want. The church bans gay marrage so stay in your church! National defence, Where you get your ideas? What dem told you they didnt believe in the U.S. striking first? Dems believe in giving the military everything they need but don’t believe in militaraly backing countries and governments that do not have the best interests in mind for the U.S. I would believe your statement that repubs believe in overthrowing ruthless dictators if they did it in all situations instead of selectively choosing which dictators to overthrow and not overthrowing democratically elected governments and putting dictators in charge! Taxation, who are you kidding? The tax laws are written to protect the rich. Most dems don’t believe the rich should pay more, they should just pay their fair share. On govt spending, the repubs constantly call for less govt and less spending but when they get in office the govt grows more than ever and they have out spent everyone up until now. Why shoud we believe their claims now? Social security, I believe the first ones to dip into social security were guess who? On healthcare, same old same ole. You say things without backing them up. Dems are not the only ones wanting healthcare, even R.R. wanted national healthcare. Your claims of healthcare going down the drain are unfounded and as I have said, come up witha betteer plan and them complain. Education, how far out in right field are you? Dem parents want the govt to completly decide whats best for their children, I don’t know which dems you questioned but neither I nor anyone I know thiks this way. Supression (taking out what you don’t like and adding what you do agree with dumbs down our educational system. If you don’t think republicans pour money into education and how unfair the educational system just look and the difference in sshools and what is offered in them between rich districts and poor ones. Immigration, same ole same ole. Build the fence, have the military patroll, etc. Not a word about putting thge business owners in jail who use illegals. As long as tere is opportunity here they will continue to come even if we start shooting them. Dems believe that 1. If you are caught in this country illegally not only are you deported you can never have a legal status in this country oand of course can N E V E R become a U.S. citizen. 2. Mandatory jail time for business owners who use illegals! Try this and see if illegal immigration doen’t come to a screeching halult! when you say dems are in favor of raising and paying for illegal children you are talking out-your-ass. Welfair, most dems are in favor of helping out somone who is down and out and prosecuting those who take advantage of the system. Most dems I know are working and I know quite a few repubs looking for jobs who are damn glad they can get help. The govt (ours, dems and repubs) have made welfair into what it is and both sides are guilty. Personal responsibility, read what you wrote, think about things the way they are, what has happened, and see if it makes sense. Labor unions, here is something that can go either way, without them business owners do tend to run amuck but with them they can get a little to much power. Crime, again, where do you get these ideas? Dems want criminals prosecuted just as bad as repubs. Repubs are (they say) tuff on crime but only when it is not one of their own! When it is one of their own they tend to look the other way. Republicans support the death penalty because the rich hardly ever receive the death penalty. Do you know which countries have the death penalty beside the U.S.? If you don’t look them up because if I tell you, you won’t believe it!
Your view on things and how you feel were summed up when you said on your answer to Jamel, ” I see it all the time among people THAT I CALL MY FRIENDS.”
Please tell me how history has proven that conservative ideals benefits this country.
Mel,
Don’t take my word for it. Ask your grandfather. See what wisdom he has acquired over the years.
Author: Weshon Hornsby
Newark, DE
WHERE OUR POLITICS HAVE LEFT US-A TWO PARTY SYSTEM? RIGHT!
Due to my concern for the health of our nation and its political system I have done some research on the history and origins of the two major political parties. I find it perplexing that no one in the media or in academia of late have delved into the fact that neither the modern day Democrats or Republicans have much resemblance to their centuries ago fore-bearers. I have come to the conclusion that both party’s whether subconsciously or by sublime intent have morphed into a singular mashed sort of Democratic-Republican-Federalist Party rather than what we traditionally recognized as the two party system. The Democratic-Republican Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1792 during the first party system. The party was fairly organized and constructively coalesced around Jefferson until there was strong disagreement between two factions of the party around 1794. The Democratic-Republican Party opposed relations with Britain while supporting France during their war. Their major policy positions revolved around trade, constitutional constructionism and states’ rights. They opposed a strong judiciary, a national army and navy, opposed a centralized federal bank, apposed high tariffs and national debt. They promoted yeoman over industrialists, large merchants and other moneyed interests and also looked down on aristocrats and elites as being too aligned with the values of Britain. The Federalist Party espoused a strong national defense, a centralized privately owned national bank, assuming the debt of the states, promoted favorable treatment toward American trade and maintaining of tariffs. In the turmoil of our daily politics I find that the two major parties, although identified by their liberal or conservative rhetoric, are more philosophically twisted than ever before.
If we look at same sex marriage as an example: “rhetorically both parties oppose the federal government imposing the right of same sex couples to wed in favor of states’ rights all the while advocating for same sex unions which is contradictory to the stated role of their principles”. If one evaluates the stance of our political system as a whole there are a vast number of contradictions that cause mass confusion within the electorate. Over the past fifty years or so the advancements in civil and domestic policy as well as our foreign policy has been fairly stagnant due to the imposing forces of intra-contradiction. When we think of modern debate there is little civility and an overwhelming contempt for impassioned debate. How can someone be civil if he/she disagrees with him/herself so frequent and intimately? I personally think that we as a nation have not placed enough emphasis on teaching history, theology, psychology & science and developing the ability to resolve inner personal dispute through civil and rational debate. Today our Democratic and Republican leadership appear to disagree with one another just to be disagreeable.
As long as the populous remains unintelligible and uninformed our politics will remain partial. The systemic problem with our political process lies within the ignorance and gull of the overall American constituency. The bottom line is that for the most part we aren’t informed by our own convictions, analysis and research but instead by what we’re fed from pundits, partisans, separatists, pollsters and ideologues who aren’t fully informed themselves or who have ulterior motives. For example: If you take a look at the way in which both parties handle the immigration debate, it is clear that there is no real intent on resolving the problem because of the political benefits. The Democrats refuse to regulate the flow of illegal migration and the republicans refuse to acknowledge the need for worker verification. If you think about it the effect of illegal immigration remains the same regardless of one’s politics, but both sides being opposed to the other is a way to prevent progress. My point is that, if two people agree on 95% of an issue and disagree on 5%, then the 95% becomes irrelevant because nothing is ever achieved if resolution requires 100% agreement.
Nowadays I think most of us rationalize things by only listening to what we want to hear instead of listening to all sides and points of view. If you evaluate certain party positions with an open mind you would question where their loyalties truly lie. The Republicans say they’re for limited government but advocate federal tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans they claim to be for a culture of life but see no problem with assault weapons being on the streets of our communities as well as being the biggest proponents of war and the death penalty. The Democrats claim they are for free choice but have a problem with those who want to teach alternative options, they also claim to be the biggest proponents of living wages and compensation but refuse to use realistic statistics to accommodate the middle class and the poor. When people don’t live by their own morals they can’t come to terms with reality.
The advent of the internet and advancements in media technology are partly to blame for our discourse as well because it makes for a huge distraction in autodidacticism. It is so easy to get one’s informed perspective from the internet, cable television or around the water cooler that books, newspapers and other periodicals may soon become obsolete. The seeking of truth has become an inconvenience to the opinionated. We have become stagnant, stale and an unimpressed society and unless we balance our desire seek approval with our need to be informed we will continue to gravitate into the abyss. We must ask the question of ourselves, “Why do we discount the things or persons that we disagree with or don’t understand as invaluable or illegitimate” We truly need a reset in this country, our political leaders need to re-evaluate their positions and we the people need to demand progress. We can no longer allow inquisition to rule the day. In so many instances I see that there is apposition/agreement on how to resolve debate but we then allow demagoguery to divides us. Let us not allow the small things to separate us from moving forward, we should set the insolvable aside and allow a more cultured group of leaders to resolve those issues when achievable. There is too much work to be done involving immigration reform, energy independence, national security, civil rights, financial reform, deficit reduction, education and jobs to be entangled in playful politics. If we are to re-emerge as a true two party system, our future political leaders will need to become educated about their party’s true principles so that even the most layperson can interpret their policy position and make informed decisions in the electoral process. We need our leaders in Congress to overcome their fear of not being in the majority and change the irrational buffoon rule of Super Majority to Simple Majority. In my opinion the Super Majority rule gives cover to both sides to blame the other for inaction, which we have seen displayed time and time again.
Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Weshon Hornsby
Nice history lesson. Thanks for taking the time to contribute so thoughtfully.
This was by far the smartest, most well thought out comment ever left on this blog up to this point in time. I can’t thank you enough.
In my opinion, we Americans are forgetting that we are Americans first. Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives, etc.. should be secondary considerations. Don’t we all wish that everyone had health insurance? Of course. Don’t we all wish that the middle class mad up 99% of our population? Of course. Yet we let the politicians convince us that the other party doesn’t want those things. It really is comical. When we stop and look at the issues, we really do agree on 95% of things. We just disagree on how to make those things a reality.
I am waiting for the day when we get a real leader in the White House again who can unite us into realizing that we are not so different after all. Let him or her bring patriotism back to this once great country the way George Bush did after 911. Let him or her unite us the way that Roosevelt did on December 7 1941. Let him or her unite us the way that Kennedy did when we sent a man to the moon. Let him or her unite us the way Ronald Reagan did when he told Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall.
Those moments, some sad as they were, reminded us that we are Americans first. We need to be reminded of that so we can get through this financial mess and get our country back on track towards long term prosperity.
I guess when someone posts somthing you don’t like you leave it in awaiting moderation limbo!
Dave,
Sorry that I did not approve your comments sooner. This blog is a part-time hobby for me that I only engage in once in a while. If you would like to publish a guest post or two to get some things off your chest, I would be more than happy to consider it.
The best was on another blog where someone said, the republican polititians are like Lucy and the republican voters are like Charlie Brown in the peanuts comic strip. She’s pulled the ball away so many times year after year and ol Charlie believes year after year she won’t pull the ball away even though he ends up on his ass!
Common Sense Republican,
Hey college guy, I know that you know the word common equates to mediocre or inferior quality. A research professor, years ago, admonished me not to rely on common sense in performing or analyzing research, but rely on facts and facts only. He really gave a great informative workshop on this; however, that subject is not for this conversation.
I agree with Max and Jamel. Additionally, here is some advice. Half truths, conspiracy accusations, and baseless opinions have no place in intelligent dialog.
You state in one of your opinions, “They [Democrats] also believe in granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants (about 30 million or so) who are currently living here.”
I can unequivocally respond for a number of my fellow Democrats and myself when I say, almost no illegal immigrants need be granted amnesty. Check some of the Path to Citizenship proposals to more clearly get a cross section of what we may believe in. And, the estimate, and I emphasize estimate, for illegals in this country is not 30 million. It is guesstimated at somewhere between 12 and 20 million. Neither your number nor the government’s or Congress’ numbers are finitely factual.
Facts my man, facts, and good humor make a good blogger. Good luck.
I wish more Democrats would respond to my posts with intelligent conversation as you have done. I have no problem giving people who oppose my opinion equal time to voice their opinions so long as it is done intelligently.
Thanks for contributing.
Reclaim America’s Greatness – VOTE AMERICAN!
Mike Frey, 11/1/10
There is a war going on, and it’s not Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s not rich vs. poor. It’s not black vs. white. It is between those who think the people can make decisions for themselves, and those who think a ruling class should make these decisions. All else is deception.
The bottom line:Americans have been lulled to sleep and have failed to vigorously defend America’s principles, America is not failing because our founding principles were wrong, we are failing because we have abandoned those principles. Only two will be put in positions of power, Republicans or Democrats. Third parties can help shape the debate, but the truth is that votes for them are wasted and only reinforce the power of the leading Party. within the two major Parties, there is one difference that trumps all others – the philosophy about the size and scope of government:
Republican: de-centralized, smaller government in hands of local people.
Democratic: centralized, bigger government is better.
The Republican Party advocates reduction in scope and power of government. it becomes an umbrella for “Conservatives”, “Constitutionalists”, “Libertarians”, and “Tea Partiers” who don’t wish to discard the value of their votes. All of these movements are united in their position on the scope and power of Federal Government.
The Democrat Party advocates government solutions, and increase in the scope, size, funding, and power of government. this party is an umbrella for “Liberals”, “Progressives”, “Socialists”, and “Statists”
Well stated Mike. I agree 100%.
Hypocrite, Whoman cant deside things for there own body’s, Gay’s cant get married, religion taught in School’s, more law breakers in prison? I thougt you wanted less government telling us what to do! You want us to reduce the budget, but the wars you got us into along with the insistance to have a millitary three times bigger than any one in the universe, cost us one half of our anual tax revenue. We cant cut the military budget beacause we need the funds to invade small countries that are sitting on OUR oil. We need the fuel for our inefficiant vehicles that are here beacause you refuse to allow for any advancments in Cafe standards or alternative energys. Instead of taking back taxation from the top money earners you want us to take it away in the form of programs from the most needy in our society, yet you claim to be the party of Jesus. You rial against the laborer when he seeks collective barging just to put themselfs on an even playing feild with CEO’s who are making on average 130 times that of their workers. We needd to look no further than the history books to understand that the modern conservitive experiment has failed time and time again. Ever since 1973 workers wages have been on a downward progression (ajusted for inflation) while corperate leaders have been skyrocketing all due to taxation reductions on the rich. Plese do me a favor just out of curiosity, can you name one country in this century that sucseeds or even exist’s operating on these conservitive ideas that you aspire too. I can name at least six that come to mind that follow the ideals of government to wich liberals aspire. Before you say that they are way over taxed, we should understand that they rate happier, heathier, better educated, more relaxed less likly to commit suiced. Have signifigantly lower levels of prescription drug use, much smaller populations in prison, more equality for all citizens and budgets that dont resemble the U.S.A’s plus their citezens are not all obeise: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Canada. P.S. gun laws are way stricter in these places but they dont seem to mind because due to better policies and less disparincy between the rich and poor they dont have a lot of violence. No I dont want to move there. I want you to move to Haiti or mexico Where the taxes are lower and guns are available for all to have,(take your hummer you will need it for their awfully unfunded roads) so that we liberals can make our country like the ones listed above. Your politics may have worked back in the time of manifest destiny but they hold no clougt in a overpopulated world of multicultural citizens.
Mort,
When people like you come on here and try to start an argument, it just reaffirms my own beliefs that my line of thinking is dead on. I can assure you that the vast majority of people who read your comment will come to the same conclusions that I have.
Normally I delete comments with that many obvious grammatical and general spelling errors. In this case I decided to let it slide because you seemed passionate.
It is statements like yours that make me worry for the future of our country. If our high schools are turning out people like you, (and I know that they are) we are in serious trouble indeed. Stop getting your politics from television. Read a little more of the history that you claim to know and you will begin to see the light. Once you understand history a little more, the lefty politicians won’t be able to pull the wool over your eyes like they have obviously already done.
I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I’m just a man with certain beliefs. It’s man’s tendency to try to put people and things into categories (black or white, Republican or Democrat, liberal wuss or right wing nut job, Gator or Bulldog, dog-lover or cat-lover) so that man can make sense of the world around him and create a false sense of belonging and control. Who I am? I am just an average American guy who does the best he can to take care of my wife and kids and who believes these things:
- Jesus Christ is God Almighty who came in the flesh and died to carry the burden of all mankind’s sin and who rose from the dead so that we might turn to Him as the only way to eternal life and for the forgiveness of our sins before God’s perfect morality.
- Apart from God, nothing is more important to me than my family.
- Abortion is wrong. It is the taking of a life, and that is murder. Unfortunately, this has become an issue that many politicians use just as a tool to get elected and then forget about after the election is over. We should not let ourselves be manipulated by these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
- Wars are morally wrong. I defy any Christian to show me one spot in the New Testament where Jesus himself advocates our killing others. Not only that, massive federal armies and wars are big government and socialism at it’s worst.
- We are a government of, by and for the people. In a democracy or a constitutional republic, if you reduce the government too much and we are the government (after all, it’s a government “of the people”), then don’t we then reduce our own support for ourselves? Wanting less government does not mean that government should get out of every aspect of our lives. It means that we should have laws and regulations and constitutions that protect the best interest of the citizenry. Corporations should not have the same lobbying power as private citizens.
- Everything you have in life is there because God either directly or indirectly enabled you to have it, including your money. “But you earned that money with your own effort entirely,” you say. Wrong. You were blessed with the mind and initiative and family environment and circumstances that put you in that situation to succeed. If your love of money is keeping you from getting close to God, then Jesus is talking directly to your heart when he said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, then it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” and “Give up everything you own and come follow me.” God gave you that brain and those circumstances and that will power and that drive and that job to earn that money to help others. Yes, those “others” start with your family. But, if you have enough money left over to buy a big boat or a brand new Mercedes and you don’t truly need expensive items like this, then you are willfully choosing to turn your back on helping others in lieu of your own personal gratifications. Rest assured, you will die and face your creator, just as I will have to do. How will you justify your treatment of others and your turning your back on the poor to God?
- Not helping others who don’t have access to affordable health care is a sin and it’s wrong. Jesus said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” To me, this one biblical verse among many that is a moral imperative from the creator Himself to care for those who are poor and sick and in need of help. Now, I have heard some hard-hearted folks say that Jesus meant that we each have a personal responsibility (not a government obligation) to take care of the poor and those who cannot afford, say, health care. While we each do have a personal obligation to care for and help others, I would ask you, what is the most efficient and appropriate way for me to help out, say, a neighbor who has cancer and who has lost her job she is now too sick to work? In addressing her financial and medical needs, is it the best and most efficient solution for me to personally go door-to-door asking for cash to help my neighbor pay for her medical costs? Or, is it more efficient and truly helpful for my neighbor and the vast group of others like her to receive healthcare assistance from me indirectly through a government-based health care program that can manage health care on a large scale. Health care is the right of every human being. And yes, there will be those who take advantage of any medical system, private or public. But not every human being without health insurance is a “deadbeat”. Many are people who have pre-existing conditions and have lost jobs in a tough economy and cannot afford to pay expensive COBRA rates to continue their health insurance policies. Many are people working multiple part-time jobs that don’t offer coverage due to their part-time status. Many are people who work but simply don’t make enough money to afford a good health insurance policy. Many are like me, those who have illnesses or been in chronic-injury-causing-accidents that were truly beyond their control, and who still go to work every single day and have paid health insurance premiums for the last 22 years (thanks to God) but who have weak HMO private insurance polices (Aetna) offered through work that have very limited coverage and high premiums and high deductibles. I pay about $600 per month for a family of four, just for the premium alone. I would like to be able to shop for my own private policy but I can’t due to the fact that I have pre-existing conditions and the federal health care reform that might allow me to get my own private health insurance policy apart from my job in 2014 now stands a good chance of getting repealed by our congress.
- Caring for the environment is caring for God’s creation, the world that God has given us. It is our moral obligation and just good common sense to protect our natural resources and our food and water supplies, isn’t it?
-Doing most of our business with a communist country like China, all in the interest of “free trade”, is morally wrong. In our current trade relationship with China, the United States is supporting the largest violator of human rights in the world with every import of Chinese goods that lands on the shelves of our Walmarts and other stores, all in the name of “free trade” and unregulated capitalism. Isn’t it ironic that we can blast some of our leaders for being “socialists” for wanting to help out our own countrymen, but we support full-blown communism by participating in unregulated free-trade and business ventures with the largest communist country in the world?
The bottom line is that we need a better sense of community and solidarity and a culture where helping each other out is supported and not mocked. Christians and our citizenry have the obligation to put politics aside and work together for the good of all, for whatsoever we do (or do not do) for the least of our brothers, we do (or do not do) for God Himself. (Matthew 25:31-46)
Thanks for contributing independent guy.
Your conclusions are obviously derived from your own personal experiences with health and from your own personal beliefs in God. I can respect that.
I don’t think you are going to have an easy time convincing people that they should agree to government run health care out of the goodness of their hearts though. If one thing is truly lacking in our country these days, it is a lack of spiritual connectedness. We are very much disconnected from God and becoming ever more so with each passing day. Look around you.
Plus if you try to connect the issue of health care with God, I can assure you that the Democrats who are already on your side will start running away. As soon as they hear the word God, they run. They don’t want to be associated with any religious kooks!
Even leaving God out of the picture, it can be argued that we should care about what is happening with our health care system. I think we all do care. We just disagree as to the means by which to improve it.
Democrats want to give it away regardless of cost. Republicans want to make it cheap enough so that every man can earn it for himself and his family. Either means would be exceptionally challenging to make a reality.
It is downright absurd for a person who does not pay for any insurance or health coverage whatsoever to expect the same level of medical treatment as a person who has been contributing thousands of dollars for years into his insurance plan so that he would be able to afford the treatment when the time came. There must be consequences for actions or lack thereof.
So,
Mr. Common Sense Republican, in your last paragraph above, you say that those who do not pay for health insurance coverage should not get any? So for someone like me, who once was gainfully employed as an accountant, but now I’m a housewife/stay-at-home mom, should not be getting any coverage? Never mind I worked for 15+ years outside the home, never mind that I’m now contributing to society by raising two wonderful, religious, smart boys. Not juvenile delinquents. I guess its the attitude that still prevails that you’re not worth anything unless you earn an income. My Mother and friends’ moms were all stay-at-home moms back in the 1970s. Can you imagine if our fathers had the attitude that they don’t deserve anything because they are not earning a dime?
I think you need to read that paragraph again. Was I not clear enough for you?
I said it was downright absurd for a person who does not pay for any insurance or health coverage whatsoever to expect the same level of medical treatment
as a person who has been contributing thousands of dollars for years into his insurance plan so that he would be able to afford the treatment when the time came.
I did not say that people should get none. People do get medical care in emergency situations regardless of their ability to pay for it. That has been the case for many years. I don’t want to change that.
Just because you worked for 15 years and now decide to stay home to have kids entitles you to nothing. Those are choices that you made, just as I have decided not to have children to this point because I feel I am not in the best position to raise them at the moment. Should our government take care of me if I decide to quit working and start raising a family? Get serious.
How does this become a thing about stay at home moms? I for one am in favor of it and applaud you for doing it. However, your choice does not entitle you to anything. Your decision to leave work and become a full time mom was between you and your husband. You are the ones who have made the decision to start a family. Every decision has consequences both good and bad. You made your choice. You traded extra financial security so that you could enjoy raising a family. That is great. But you certainly cannot expect the taxpayer to subsidize your financial security because you chose to leave the workforce. That is your husband’s job and your job, not my job.
The mentality you are displaying is that you feel somehow entitled to something just because you had a job previously. This entitlement mentality is how millions of people think and why the Democratic party exists as it does today. You are entitled to an opportunity to make something of yourself in this country. You are not entitled to free benefits that everyone else has to pay for.
It was your job and your responsibility to take your future health care coverage into consideration when you and your husband decided to start a family. Nobody owes that to you and certainly not the American taxpayer.
Common Sense Republican,
I agree that with you somewhat. If someone chooses not to work or could get insurance through their spouse but doesn’t, then they should not be simply given any health insurance as a freebie.
Here’s where I disagree. Lately I keep hearing this same canned speech from lots of Republicans about how life is all about choices. Sure, I’ll agree that everybody has free will and we should all strive to make conscious choices and deal with the consequences of those conscious choices. However, the fact that is missing from your point about choices is that one person’s poor choices can affect another person’s situation.
So, using Republican illogic, if I drive to the store and get t-boned by a another car in an accident that is not my fault and then I lose my job and my health insurance due to injuries I got in the accident, then it was totally my fault for CHOOSING to drive to the store at that point and time. In reality, as much as you Republicans would like to think that individual choice is the only factor controlling our destinies, a person’s life is driven by more than just their own choices. Our lives are a mix of our own free will, unexpected events and accidents, and the choices and free will of other people affecting each of our lives. Most people don’t choose to get in a car accident or get shot by robber or get brain cancer or loose their home in a hurricane or be in the top floor of the world trade center on 911. That is why we call them ‘accidents’ or simply events that are beyond are control. BTW, I still haven’t heard any Republicans like yourself offer up any details on how you are going to fix the health insurance problems facing our country or create jobs. What’s your solution to provide affordable and decent health care to those who work but can’t get insurance because of previous conditions or who have become too sick to work and get insurance?
BTW, I just set my stopwatch. You have a year and 9 months (the time you gave our president and democratic congress) to fix everything that bushy left us in the 8 years before Obama like over a trillion dollar war and deficit, no WMD’s, a lot of killed or mangled American GIs, and a host of bailouts like AIG, fannie and freddie, bears & sterns, etc. If the republicans are for less government why did bushy insist on bailing out all these rich jerks when they were tanking in 2008? He should have just let them fail like a good republican. Shouldn’t he have wanted less government? I guess ‘less government’ doesn’t apply to Bushy and his rich buddies.
One other thing. Just like you and all your GOP buddies don’t want your tax dollars being spent on health care, I’m a taxpayer to and I don’t want a dime of my tax dollars being spent on these wars we are in. No matter what we do over in the middle east, it will still be full of a bunch of crazy muslims who will blow themselves and others up because it is part of their crazy religion. Sure, I hope Obama keeps his promise and gets us totally out of these costly wars. But, I also wish bushy never put us in these messes in the first place.
Point 1 – You are right about life being a combination of luck and choices. I would not argue about that. But, you cannot expect government to pick up the tab just because something bad happened in your life unexpectedly. That is what family and friends are for. Eventually something bad happens to everyone in life that they don’t have control over. That is life. You cannot expect government to help every person who experiences catastrophes in life. That is irrational.
The thing about insurance is that you have to buy it before you need it. Otherwise what fool would give you a policy that they know they would lose money on? People can buy insurance to cover medical costs. People can buy insurance to cover their homes in cases of catastrophes. People can buy disability insurance to supplement their income if they get sick or disabled. People can buy life insurance so their family can payoff all its bills if the person dies unexpectedly or prematurely. The free market already provides solutions to the problems you describe. The problem is not the market. The problem is that people like you won’t accept the blame for not preparing for unexpected catastrophes. The market already offers solutions. You have to plan for rainy days. It is called being responsible. That is why insurance companies exist. If you don’t have insurance, then you are taking a risk. You are taking it willingly as much as the person who risks driving to work every day. Chances are that nothing will happen. But, there is a small risk. Obama said it himself. If everyone including younger healthy people was already buying insurance, there would not be a health care problem.
Point 2 – Many republicans were against the bail outs. Bush was not a fiscal conservative. Nobody claims he was, not even Republicans. He spent too much money. Obama is taking spending to a new level. Republicans wanted to end TARP.
Point 3 – I wonder what your thoughts were about the war on 9/12/2001. If you say you were against it, then you disagreed with 80% of Americans. Hindsight is 20/20. If you look at every single war the United States has ever been involved in, there is no doubt that you can say we could have done it better. The truth is that we will never know whether we were better off or not for it. Reasonable arguments can be made on either side of that coin. We will never know what might have happened otherwise. At the time he went to war, Bush sided with 80% of Americans who agreed that it was the right thing to do.
Alright Common Sense Republican,
Let me spell it out so that you better understand my points. Again I will use a scenario to try to get your input.
Suppose Person A is a 25-year-old fresh out of college with an MBA who experiences a catastrophic event, say, a car wreck that is not their fault caused by an idiot driver with no car insurance. Supposed Person A is left with long term disabilities and chronic pain and injuries from the accident. Suppose in this hypothetical scenario that just prior to the wreck, Person A had gotten their first major job after graduating from college, which was paid for by scholarships received by person A. Suppose the job provided them with health care insurance. Suppose Person A also had long and short term disability and dismemberment insurance which they received via a bi-weekly pay deduction at work. Now suppose that Person A has no family who can help them out. Suppose, Person A’s father and mother are already deceased (they ironically were killed by drunk driver two years before). Suppose Person A is too young and too new to the workforce to have amassed much money in a 401K or IRA. Now suppose that after a few days in the hospital, Person A realizes that he is going to be out of commission for several months and will likely be in lifelong debilitating pain and crippled per his doctors’ evaluations and may not be able to return to work for couple of years. Even after 3 months of FMLA leave, Person A realizes that they will not be able to return to work and afford health insurance or to pay for his daily medical expenses on the paltry sum of disability insurance he has purchased through work on his paltry entry-level-job’s salary. Are you suggesting that this young hypothetical Person A with an MBA and just bad luck should just be discarded by society and left to die? Are his friends supposed be his health insurance plan in his time of need even though he has the due diligence of preparing for the storm? After all, you said “That is what family and friends are for.” Maybe Person A just needs to cowboy the F up, and just shoot himself and do society and you a favor, right? That’s life after all. Oh, did I forget to mention that Person A was your second cousin from Ohio. The good news is you haven’t seen him in 15 years since the last family reunion, so you don’t really have any emotional “attachments” to him. What would you recommend Person A do in this situation? My guess would be maybe Person A can get on Medicaid till they fully recover, but hey that’s one of those dirty socialist programs you Republicans are always whining about?
As to your question about the war, I supported the war in Afghanistan, but opposed the war in Iraq. I felt it would take the focus off Afganistan, where the terrorists were supposed to be. There simply wasn’t enough proof about WMDs IMO, either. Turned out I was right on that one. I guess I am one of the 20% who makes decisions on what the facts are and not on whimsy. Wars should never be entered into lightly.
BTW, Bush wasn’t the only Republican by the way who was screaming about the sky falling in 2008. He had plenty of support from most of his base.
I do agree with you about everyone having to buy insurance by law, just like car insurance. I think that is what you were saying when you said, “If everyone including younger healthy people was already buying insurance, there would not be a health care problem.”