User talk:Woozle/2005-09-06 Thoughts on the Divide
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anonymous user 166.89.26.43 said:
You make some good points at the start, but then you resort to "us vs. them" statements.
I think your generalizations and simplifications are stereotyping everyone you don't agree with as not as educated or intelligent as you because their priorities are different from yours, and, I don't believe, entirely accurate.
Most of the division on Red vs. Blue is because of core issues, where each issue has its importance to a certain group of people, and they are willing to compromise on the others to see their issue addressed the want. It is one of the biggest failures of the two-party system.
For example, I work to earn payment so I can support my family as best as I am able. I prefer keeping more of my hard earned money in order to spend it on the things I and my family need and giving to charities that I choose. I don't like giving tax money to the government beaurocracy, which takes 88% of it then doles out the remainder to whom they see fit to, deserving or not.
JFK cut taxes, and I would have voted for him. Reagan cut taxes, and I would have voted for him but I wasn't even registered at the time because I didn't care about politics. Clinton raised taxes, and I registered to vote and voted against him (observe I didn't vote for anyone, just against the ideal that the government knows better how to spend my hard earned money than I do.)
The core issues are, as you indicated, about the direction we'd all like to see this country going. Many prefer the way things were when the Constitution was written, others want to make changes to laws to make things change toward what they see as ideal, and some want to completely rewrite core components to meet their own ends (e.g Handgun Control Inc.).
Before addressing the core issues, the basis of this country itself is an issue. Some Americans don't even believe in the things that caused this country to be founded.
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." ~Preamble to the Declaration of Independance
Many would take exception with that:
- All men aren't created equal.
- There is no Creator.
- Rights are not inalienable.
That these core beliefs, found to be self-evident by the founding fathers of this great nation, are themselves in dispute is a major issue of contention. How can our country remain as great as it was it is no longer what it was founded to be at its core?
From these base issues expands many core issues that are constant points of contention, and personal priorities are the deciders where you will see people throw their vote. If I believe in Pro-Choice I vote with the Dems, if I value protecting myself and my family I'll vote with the Repubs, etc. However, none of it matters, as the political system is not about making America better, its not about doing the right thing, but only about lining politicians' pockets with money from the lobbyists, special interest groups, and the taxpayers.
Until the people start electing representatives based on values instead of core issues, we will continue to have career politicians and not real representatives.
"In democracy you get the goverment you deserve. Alternately you deserve the government you got." ~Josef Heller