Democrats versus Republicans

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

What is she?? Democrat or Republican...one day someone canexplain to me what the difference is?? please?

There really isn't a lot of difference, Alex. Well, unless one considers ones self either the Democrat or Republican, I guess. Each of those appears to see a big difference between their party and the other.

To somebody who regards themselves as neither a Democrat nor a Republican, they're just two sides of the same, almost fascist coin. In short: Democrats like to think of themselves as "liberals." (Tho lately it seems many of them prefer to be known as "progressives.") They purport to represent the poor, the down-trodden, the marginalized, etc. They tend toward the philosophy of "From each according to ability, to each according to need." Republicans like to think of themselves as "conservatives." They purport to represent traditional family values. They tend toward a philosophy of individualism and self-reliance.

Of course: Nether side really practices what it preaches. If it did, you'd have no rich liberal Democrats (sometimes referred-to as "limousine liberals"), and you'd not have conservative republicans pushing for tax breaks and subsidies for big business and agriculture, would you?

Both sides are prone to enforcing their views at the point of a gun. So-called "liberals" aren't content to preach "diversity," "tolerance," etc. They're intent on passing laws that force it on you, whether you want it or not. (It never seems to occur to them they foster intolerance that way, but oh well...) So-called "conservatives" aren't content with preaching so-called "family values." Nope. They're intent on passing laws that force such "values" on you, whether you want it or not.

Both sides often take office amid wide-spread corruption charges against members of the other side, promising to end the problem and sweep though government like a fresh breeze. Of course, a few years down the road, each side finds itself in the other side's previous position.

In other words: Nothing really changes.

Oh, one thing changes: Life grows ever more regulated, ever more circumscribed, ever more constricted by government. Government becomes ever more invasive, ever more intrusive, ever bigger, and ever more expensive. This is because each side, when it gains power, passes new laws and regulations that promote its views. When the other sides regains power, it does the same. What people apparently fail completely to notice is that, tho each side decries the other side's new laws and regulations at the time they're put in place, rarely do they repeal, reverse or amend the objectionable laws, regulations, etc. when they get in power.

People decry all this, but keep electing the same kinds of politicians over, and over, and over again. They seem to expect different results.

Odd, isn't it? When an individual behaves like this, it's called "insanity." When an entire populace of some 300 million people behaves like this, I dunno what you'd called it. I call it, variously, "idiocy" or "stupidity."

Jim

[ReverendMike]

Very nice, Jim. And I think the appropriate term might be "collective insanity".

[sailaway21]

Complaining about politicians is the almost the oldest human activity. The politicians are the one of the most efficient operations in the federal government! Their goal is to get re-elected and, by any measure, they are very successful at it. Oh, you maybe thought their goal was to serve the nation? Well, maybe it is, but re-election often supercedes altruistic goals. And to the extent that re-election trumps altruism, we are getting exactly what we deserve in our politicians. For every zany idea, for every pork barrel project, for every subsidy or entitlement, there is a constituency. "Constituency" is a $5 word that means a bunch of votes in November. The individual voter hates Congress but loves their Congressman. The individual voter's motto is, "after me, you first". Walt Kelly's Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us".

SemiJim makes some excellent points in his explanation of the political differences between the two major partys. The reason I am a conservative is that I tend to vote against anybody who is in favor of the government doing anything. Sounds a bit simple and trite, yes? Well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I'm quite sure that the mohair subsidy and the Rural Electrification Commision were somewhat good ideas at the time of passage by Congress, does anyone wonder why they're still around? Jim is entirely correct in stating that legislators are quite good at putting new laws on the books, less so at removing old, un-needed, and harmful ones.

VOTE FOR THE DO-NOTHING CANIDATE! HE'LL DELIVER WHAT HE PROMISES!

Those types of politicians don't get re-elected. During the recent wildfires in California did you see any congressional representatives or senators refuse to fly home because they would be contributing to carbon emissions causing global warming and the Fire Departments were doing all the work with no need for help from some politician who can't consistently burn meat on a grill? Vote for the guy who says, there's nothing we can do, so we'll do nothing. Vote for the guy who says, that's not our job-it's the state's job, or the local government's job, or it's only the individual's job-not government's job.

If you need help from Washington, you've got a problem and the problem isn't Washington. Rake the leaves in your own damn yard, then go help rake your neighbor's yard. Pretty soon all the yards will be raked, without subsidized rakes, imported rakes, regulated rakes, outside labor, rake-related law suits, federal rake regulations and commisions, rake funding for treeless communities, or studies on the environmental impact of using ABS rakes over bamboo rakes. And the whole thing is just about that damn simple.

Every time somebody says, we need to spend money on doing such and such, my answer is, why don't you spend all your money and time on that if it's a worthy goal? The response is, I don't have the time or the money to do that. The answer should be, we don't either or, what makes you think the rest of us do either?

[senatorcongressman]

Originally Posted by SEMIJim

When an individual behaves like this, it's called "insanity." When an entire populace of some 300 million people behaves like this, I dunno what you'd called it.

Me, I call it "Democracy".


"Ok you can have $1M for this program in Iowa, but we get $1M for this one and California gets $1M for that one..."

[cardiacpaul]

gimme this guy...

We Americans are slow to anger. We always seek peaceful avenues before resorting to the use of force -- and we did. We tried quiet diplomacy, public condemnation, economic sanctions, and demonstrations of military force. None succeeded. Despite our repeated warnings, Qadhafi continued his reckless policy of intimidation, his relentless pursuit of terror. He counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong. I warned that there should be no place on Earth where terrorists can rest and train and practice their deadly skills. I meant it. I said that we would act with others, if possible, and alone if necessary to ensure that terrorists have no sanctuary anywhere. Tonight, we have.

[sailaway21]

Sounds like another President who was regarded as a buffoon at the time by the oh so intelligentsia only later to be found guilty of clear vision.

[sailaway21]

T. Boone Pickens has got a cool $1Million on the table for anyone who can disprove the Swift Boat ads of the last pres. elect. John Francois Kerry thinks he's up to the task. More below.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20071116/APN/711160829

[camaraderie]

Thought this would get some laughs and scowls!



Ways To Be A Good Democrat


1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.



2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.



3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Iran and North Korean communists.



4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.



5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.


6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but two mommies are better than a mommy and a daddy.




7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.



8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.



9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.



10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.



11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" for financial gain only.



12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.



13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.



14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.



15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.



16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.



17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.



18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.



19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.



20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States .


21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.


22. You have to believe that it's okay to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day .........but it's not okay to say "Merry Christmas."

[sailaway21]

That's classic Cam. The only thing not funny about it is that it's all true.

[GulfCoastSkimmer]

Thanks Cam. I am printing up some of those and taking them to class