Mar 11 2009
Understanding the Republicans
There doesn’t seem to be much discussion about where Republicans and Democrats come from - which is why there are so many clashes between the two. Unless you understand the persepctive of each person, then you are not going to be able to effectively discuss controversial issues with them.
Republcians don’t want to fund arts, welfare and other social programs. Republicans believe these should be at the lowest level of funding possible. However, Republicans believe in funding national security, pensions for those who served their time fighting for the country and other business things. Why? Because Republicans believe that people need to, and must, fend for themselves.
For a Republican, the idea that someone would live on welfare is hidious. That person needs to find a job, reduce their expenses, gain other income and do what they can to survive on their own. Then, at that point, they should turn to their community because the community should be helping people in need. Not the government. Churches, local businesses, and individuals must help out those in need. Not the government. The government doesn’t have a place in that transaction.
When the government does provide money to individuals, it should be for a very brief period of time. Not a long life on welfare that can be extended by having more children. Not for every because you ahve a disability that prohibit you from standing. You can still sit and type, and so you should do that.
These seem to be very harsh words, and for some they are. To know that people feel that the government shouldn’t be involved hurts some people. It hurts the vary same people who want to take money from the government and then cry out that they aren’t getting enough, they don’t want to apply for work at a fastfood place, they don’t want to take whatever job is offered to them, they don’t get to live in nice places, they have to deal with government intervention in their personal life. If you take money from the government,the government should have some say over what you do with that money.
Private welfare systems can work. The Mormons have a great private welfare system. The success of that system has shown that the government doesn’t need to be involved in welfare. People can , and should, work it out on their own. The government shouldn’t be involved.
Business owners, executives, and rich people have all worked hard to get where they are - or someone has. They have fulfilled the AMerican Dream - work hard, earn a lot, and do what you want with the money. It is something that most people strive for. When they fulfill this ideal dream, what do they get in return? Under Democrats they get heavily taxed so those who don’t work so hard can get more money. Democrats decry tax breaks to the rich and businesses - but they are the ones hiring other people. When the business has to choose between paying more taxes - which they have to do - and hiring a person…they pay the taxes. There are higher consequences. Therefore, if you want to stimulate hiring, you lower taxes on businesses - which are the groups doing the hiring.
It is a simple matter that the Republicans and Democrats are coming at the problems from two very different perspectives. One is not more right or correct than the other. They simply lead to different places on policy. Before you can talk to each other about the policy, you have to understand where people are coming from.
I love how republicans work tirelessly to both remove any kind of safety net from our society and then go and make it even harder for working Americans to actually make it. I guess all the pro-corporate stuff that leeds to wage stagnation, reduction of benefits, weakened rights to organize in the workplace and all the rest of these wonderful republican gifts are all just meant to build character! Thanks, Republicans! I love having to work harder for less. It really builds my character.
http://obamacomics.today.com
oh the life of a libertarian… unable to agree fully with either side.
Being a Republican sure must be hard. You have to pretend to dislike any government intervention, while at the same time throwing government into national security, abortion, marriage, and drug control. I don’t envy you.
Hold on - national security is one of those things given to the federal government in the Constitution. It would be a little difficult for everyday people to muster enough money and people to run national security. Surely we can all agree that we need some national security - and that is shouldn’t be a town-by-town thing.
I am all for taking abortion out of the government. It was out of the hands of the government. It wasn’t until Roe v. Wade that abortion made it into the government purview. Until that point people weren’t allowed to get one. I am all for taking government out of abortion. In fact, I am all for removing abortion except in cases of rape and incest.
Drug control should be regulated as a national thing. This is one of those things that I never understand about Democrats. You all hate the government and think we shouldn’t trust it - but it should be allowed into everyone’s private business and regulate the economy - and today they should even run banks.
Pro-corporate stuff is a part of having a market economy. If people don’t like what they are working for, then they can leave. It may be harder to make a living if you have no job, but so it goes. Unions have gone on long past when they were useful. People, and the media, today wouldn’t stand for abuses of workers that used to happen. All unions do now is make it ahrder for businesses and governments to run. They are roadblocks, not workers helpers.
I am not saying remove any kind of social net. I am saying remove the big one we have. People need to learn to take care of each other and not lay the blame on the government for their needs.
There should be programs for those who CANNOT take care of themselves. That’s not what the programs are today. Until social safety nets are there just for the people who CANNOT take care of themselves, I will continue to be against them.