29/10: Why I Am Not a Democrat, part 1
Category: Politics
Posted by: an okie gardener
In a previous post I contrasted the Democratic and Republican parties in terms of their core values. I summarized the Democrats in this way:
"When it comes to Domestic Policy, the core value of the Democratic Party is simple to state, simple to understand, and has predictible policy implications. In a nutshell, the Democratic Party core value is: The Federal Government Is Responsible for the Well-Being of American Citizens.
Some corollaries: the Federal Government is responsible for maintaining a good economy so that citizens have jobs and income; for those citizens who are not prospering economically it is the Federal government's responsibility to provide for their needs; since a college education is seen as a ticket to greater well-being, the Federal Government will provide financing to institutions and to students (student loans); good health is essential to well-being so the Federal Government will ensure that everyone has insurance, or, provide affordable health-care, and to prevent citizens from damaging their own health, will take steps to discourage smoking and obesity; et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
The Democrats have had this core value for Domestic Policy since FDR's New Deal, policies to implement this value are in place (e.g. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, funding for the Interstate Highway System), and while taxpayers may complain the same taxpayers will not give up the fruits of this core value such as Federal money for large lakes, highway bridges, guaranteed student loans, or Social Security."
I am not a Democrat, in large part, because I think this core value is dangerous to the well-being of American society. (more below)
Individuals develop character through overcoming adversity, learning life's hard lessons such as planning ahead by experiencing the results of bad decisions, and are only independent to the extent that individuals are self-governing and self-reliant. The knowledge that I will be taken care of by the Federal Government, no matter what choices I make or what efforts I put forth, tends to keep me in a dependent, child-like state.
But, "no man is an island," we each are part of our family, nuclear and extended. Families develop strengths by meeting and overcoming adversity, taking responsibility for each other, and sharing the burdens of life. And, the theory makes sense to me that a structure that has no function will not continue; if families have no function, then family life will cease. If the Federal Government takes responsibility for my children, my relatives, then my family will not be strong and healthy.
Families exist within communities: local places, organizations, congregations, schools, neighborhoods where we know and are known. Is our quality of life better when we look to nameless and distant bureaucrats in our need, or to those in our local setting?
I believe that life is better and humans flourish when individual character and strength, family relationships, and local ties, are the dominant reality in our lives. The Democratic Party core value destroys all of these.
And, the government powerful enough to meet all our needs is powerful enough to take away all our liberties. Or, as better said
"A government powerful enough to give everything to its citizens is also powerful enough to take everything away from them."
"When it comes to Domestic Policy, the core value of the Democratic Party is simple to state, simple to understand, and has predictible policy implications. In a nutshell, the Democratic Party core value is: The Federal Government Is Responsible for the Well-Being of American Citizens.
Some corollaries: the Federal Government is responsible for maintaining a good economy so that citizens have jobs and income; for those citizens who are not prospering economically it is the Federal government's responsibility to provide for their needs; since a college education is seen as a ticket to greater well-being, the Federal Government will provide financing to institutions and to students (student loans); good health is essential to well-being so the Federal Government will ensure that everyone has insurance, or, provide affordable health-care, and to prevent citizens from damaging their own health, will take steps to discourage smoking and obesity; et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
The Democrats have had this core value for Domestic Policy since FDR's New Deal, policies to implement this value are in place (e.g. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, funding for the Interstate Highway System), and while taxpayers may complain the same taxpayers will not give up the fruits of this core value such as Federal money for large lakes, highway bridges, guaranteed student loans, or Social Security."
I am not a Democrat, in large part, because I think this core value is dangerous to the well-being of American society. (more below)
Individuals develop character through overcoming adversity, learning life's hard lessons such as planning ahead by experiencing the results of bad decisions, and are only independent to the extent that individuals are self-governing and self-reliant. The knowledge that I will be taken care of by the Federal Government, no matter what choices I make or what efforts I put forth, tends to keep me in a dependent, child-like state.
But, "no man is an island," we each are part of our family, nuclear and extended. Families develop strengths by meeting and overcoming adversity, taking responsibility for each other, and sharing the burdens of life. And, the theory makes sense to me that a structure that has no function will not continue; if families have no function, then family life will cease. If the Federal Government takes responsibility for my children, my relatives, then my family will not be strong and healthy.
Families exist within communities: local places, organizations, congregations, schools, neighborhoods where we know and are known. Is our quality of life better when we look to nameless and distant bureaucrats in our need, or to those in our local setting?
I believe that life is better and humans flourish when individual character and strength, family relationships, and local ties, are the dominant reality in our lives. The Democratic Party core value destroys all of these.
And, the government powerful enough to meet all our needs is powerful enough to take away all our liberties. Or, as better said
"A government powerful enough to give everything to its citizens is also powerful enough to take everything away from them."
martian mariner wrote:
I can't completely agree with you. Our Federal Governement MUST be responsible for some things. That is the reason we have a government at all. I'm not about to lecture the two of you historians on the founding of our government, but I'm sure that part of the purpose was that the government can do beneficial things for its citizens. It should protect community and individual liberties, it should provide for the common defense, it should ensure equality for all citizens.
The reason I said can't *completely* agree with you is because I certainly do, in part. Just now (as in about 10 minutes ago), I saw a press conference with the Speaker. Ms Pelosi was discussing dangerous children's toys, and (not even getting into the ludicrous picture presented by the 3rd most powerful politician in Washington picking up individual toys and and declaiming the dangerous paints in Thomas the Tank Engine train tracks) she closed her argument with something like: "Why should moms and dads have to determine which [toys are dangerous]? Why isn't the governement watching out for them? We have a consumer protection agency which should be regulating these toys." (Ballpark, I'm going off memory of TV.) I couldn't help but think of this post when I heard that. Why should moms and dads have to determine what is safe for their own children? Because they're parents, for goodness' sake. That's their job.
So yes, I would have a tough time being a Democrat because of that "core value" of shifting responsiblity from American citizens.
I also have a tough time being a Republican these days, but that's another story.