Most people believe I'm a Republican and they'd be correct. I could be a Libertarian and maybe an Independent, but I'm registered as a Republican out of necessity.
I'm a Conservative first and foremost. It's not about politics. It's about ones principles. The most important thing for me is that decisions be made based on ones principles. Some things are too important to compromise. I believe in the principles put forth by the Republican party. To be a little more precise, I'm absolutely a fiscal conservative. Socially, I believe the liberals/progressives have a few answers but they are very, very few. So I must say I'm also a social conservative. Therefore I'm a registered republican out of necessity.
In America we have two major parties. The minor parties are just noise. Americans mostly get it and align themselves with one of the two main parties leaving the rest of the people to waste their votes or to find themselves with some unattended consequence. They claim they are "sending a message"....... but somehow the message never arrives.
What's the difference between Liberalism and Conservatism? I've heard it said many times, "That there is not a dimes difference between them." Let me tell you. There is a very huge difference. The differences are pretty straight forward though. Check out the table below. Try to decide which side of the aisle you belong on and ask yourself why?
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Republicans |
Democrats |
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The cornerstone of Republican philosophy is the belief that each person is responsible
for their own place in our society. Individuals are encouraged by the Republican Party
to work to secure the benefits of society for themselves.
Republicans believe that government should be limited to doing for people those things which they cannot do for themselves. The right to determine individual destiny should lie in the hands of the individual. Similarly, Republicans believe governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people, through their state and community leaders, rather than centralized in distant big government. Republicans believe that peace and freedom can be protected only if America maintains a defense force strong enough to deter any aggressor. Republicans turn away form the paternalism of the 50's and encourage other nations to shoulder responsibility for their own problems. Republicans oppose unnecessary intervention in the internal affairs of other nations and stress helping our friends around the globe develop the skills and strengths necessary to protect themselves. Republicans believe in the competitive free-enterprise system. Individuals must be free to use their talents. This is the key to personal and national prosperity. Republicans believe that the only limits to an individual's opportunity to succeed are the limits of his own initiative and enterprise. Republicans constantly strive to cut governmental spending and to eliminate costly, overlapping and unnecessary governmental programs. Because Republicans believe that the individual should control his government's pocketbook, they believe that tax increases should be voted upon by the people. |
Democrats are more willing to subordinate individual rights to the assumed needs of the
group. They assume that society collectively is responsible for each of its members.
They place less emphasis on individual enterprise and initiative.
Recent Democrat administrations have pushed for more and more centralized power in Washington with secondary consideration for the rights of individual citizens and communities. This has led to increasingly more federal controls and regimentation, often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing a severe erosion of local government across the country. The Democrat Party has vacillated between extreme isolationism, intervention and confrontation tactics in cases like Vietnam, Cuba and Korea. This inconsistent foreign policy has confused our allies and encouraged our potential enemies. Democrats say that the economy is too complicated to be left to free enterprise alone, and therefore must be subjected to ever increasing controls by the federal government. They say that we are "entering an era of limitations" and therefore must lower our individual economic expectations. The Democrat view is that the federal government knows how and where to spend money for local needs better than elected community leaders, and federal bureaucrats should continue to control the flow of funds to the states and localities and dictate how the taxpayers money will be spent. |
America has prospered under the two-party system because one party has |
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Republicans believe in solutions, which are decided upon and implemented by the people themselves, through their locally elected representatives. Republicans believe that the solution to America's problems lie in the greatness of the American people. |
Democrats tend to stress a powerful, centralized bureaucracy aimed at solving local and national problems from the top down - a method which, after 40 years of trial, is a proven failure. |
So which side do you come down on?
And what are your principles - your beliefs?
Which set of values are better for our country?
