A little help determining which is which
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LIBERALS VS. CONSERVATIVES – DEMOCRATS VS. REPUBLICANS
Black vs. White? Up vs. Down? Wrong vs. Right? Evil vs. Good? NO! Of course not! Though sometimes the two camps may seem that far apart, in many ways they are closer together than either side wishes to acknowledge. The public rhetorical displays of opposition, mud-slinging, righteousness and disgust with one another are meant to define differences, and to close the gates to each camp so that believers in either cause won’t desert.
The excitable Daschle and the more restrained but cunning Gephardt, currently wield the sword of Democrats, while the resolute Orin Hatch, Phil Graham and Trent Lott spar equally well for the GOP side. The public hears the vehemence and strident words intended for it, while in private these men know the truth – that there is more gray than Black or White; more middle ground than Up or Down; more compromise than Right or Wrong; and more fair than Good or Evil.
There are, however, fundamental differences, and people who “join” either side should be intellectually honest enough to know and accept those differences. Let’s talk about some of the major differences – note that we will use the terms Liberal and Democrat interchangeably, just as we will Republican and Conservative. These are our "short-form" views of the two major political parties:
· Military issues – Democrats value safety and freedom as much as the next guy, but they tend to not want to invest in it as much as Republicans do. They wish to put their tax revenues into domestic programs. The Dems also love to pit military spending against domestic spending. In some ways that's a good thing, but only when done honestly and genuinely. Liberals want to wait until the threat is undeniable, while Conservatives believe more in the power of deterrence by strength. Republicans also tend to believe that the Federal Government’s primary role is to protect its citizens, while Democrats feel it is their duty to provide for citizens.
· Moral issues – Liberals, because of their individual rights stance, tend to fight what they perceive as invasive rulings regarding morality, while Conservatives place more value on societal morality, family values and traditional values than on individual rights. Again, Dems know that special interest groups and the selfish bone in many Americans respond positively to ideas that serve them, regardless of the effects on society as a whole.
· Economic issues – Democrats think nothing of spending more and more money of domestic issues – they see themselves as “providers” of the common good. Republicans generally oppose more programs, large government and the concept of being “providers.” See the joke, below. Its cute, and stresses this philosophic difference between the two sides. Republicans believe in the adage, "Give a man a fish, and he has but one meal; teach him to fish, and he will eat forever." Dems want to hand-feed people, making them slaves to the government's dole. Dems love to pit one American against the other on issues of taxes, social security, health issues, diversity and crime. Democrats have played the class warfare card once too often, and we believe that most Americans are wising up to that divisive game.
· Civil Rights (Race, Sex, Religion, etc.) issues – Democrats tend to represent individual rights over traditional rights. They also claim to be the voice and defender of the common man. It is in that role that they have driven a mighty wedge between the people and Republicans through a continuous barrage of "class warfare." The Democrats have courted the black and Hispanic vote, blue collar vote and labor union vote, pitting them against America's vital business and industry community. Republicans have only recently begun to take them head-on, attempting to dismantle the Democrat's house of cards. It's a hard sale, as many people respond to the Democrat message, thinking that it will "pull" them out of their troubles. It never has, and we doubt that it ever will.
· Crime & Courts issues – Hand-in-hand with the ACLU, liberals tend to side with the individual being "prosecuted." They honestly wish to guard the accused's rights, and that's a good thing, when done with common sense. Republicans tend to look to the victim's rights, and to the good of the whole (society) over that of the individual. Liberals want to make everything right through the courts, using liberal federal judges to accomplish their agenda. We laud the Democrats for some of the social reforms they have garnered, but we also condemn them for the many harms they have done to society as a whole.
· Foreign Aid issues – Let’s begin by accepting reality – every administration has doled out money to foreign nations in reckless, self-serving, poorly controlled and questionable ways. What adds to the problem is that foreign regimes evolve, some for the worse, and times change. What made sense in 1995 may make no sense in 1996. Heads of State that served our needs one decade may evolve into nasty problems for us down the road, as with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, etc. Our alliances and our foreign aid are tied to what serves us best at the time. Democrats know that, as do Republicans, though both parties ignore that truth when they think they can malign the other party successfully. The United States of America defeated world communism and fascism, not always with the cleanest of hands, but the end did justify the means. The Cold War is over, thanks largely to President Ronald Reagan and his "bankrupt the Soviets" policies.
· Taxation issues – Conservatives believe that tax dollars are our individual dollars, not theirs, while Democrats feel that tax dollars are everyone’s, and should be used, as needed, to provide for everyone. “Take from the rich and give to the poor,” is often applied to them in unflattering ways. The Democrats are willing to steal from wealthier Americans, not because they believe it to be fair, but because they come across as Robin Hoods, and further their class warfare campaign. They also know that they are alienating a smaller percentage of Americans (higher wage earners), while satisfying the self serving instincts and natural jealousies of the larger lower income group.
· Liberty and Rights issues – Democrats tend to support individual rights regardless of their impact on society’s rights. Conservatives tend to vote in favor of protecting the majority interests over individual interests, especially when the individual interest seems petty, biased, an assault of basic values, or a threat to American values. It often seems that Liberals support intellectual arguments, while Conservatives apply more common sense. Burning of the American flag was supported by Liberals as a free speech issue, but opposed vehemently by Conservatives on a common sense, traditional and patriotic basis.
A LITTLE HUMOR FROM THE RIGHT:
A Republican and a Democrat were walking down the street when they
came to a homeless person. The Republican gave the homeless person his
business card and told him to come to his business for a job. He then
took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.
The Democrat was very impressed, and when they came to another
homeless person, he decided to help. He walked over to the homeless
person and gave him directions to the welfare office. He then reached
into the Republican's pocket and got out twenty dollars. He kept $15
for administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.
Now you understand the difference between Republicans and Democrats
