Newsletter - Edition #31

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It doesn't please me, but it is fact. We essentially have two significant political parties in this country. Since we generally only hear one side of the story from  the major media, let's take a moment and examine where both parties stand on the major issues of the day.

Democrats are generally in favor of giving women what they call "a woman's right to choose." Republicans are generally in favor of limiting access to abortion because they feel that taking the lives of innocent children is immoral. However, events in recent years have caused a softening of this position. 

Affirmative action is government intervention seeing to it that certain groups or are granted economic or other advantages based upon group membership, race, or other minority status. Democrats are generally in favor of these programs because it allows them to "lock in the vote" of these groups. Republicans are generally against affirmative action programs believing instead that all people should be treated equally in the eyes of the law.

Democrats typically do not favor of the right of individuals to privately own firearms. Democrats generally believe that when private citizens own guns it can lead to violence. Republicans generally support the right of individuals to the own firearms. Republicans generally believe that restricting private ownership of firearms will only disarm the honest within society. Republicans believe that criminals are criminals because they break the law and  therefore will not abide by new firearms laws. Republicans believe that firearms are the single best method of self defense against the criminal element and therefore must be allowed.

Democrats believe that the current Social Security system should not be tampered with. The Democrats regularly use this issue in their attempts to frighten our senior citizens into voting for them. They claim that the "evil Republicans" want to take away everyone's Social Security benefits. In actuality, Republicans believe that individuals should be allowed to invest a portion of their funds in the private sector should they choose to. Historically the private sector has outperformed the measly 1.32 percent that individuals are likely to attain within the Social Security System. This has proven to be true even when factoring in the current economic downturn. 

Democrats generally do not favor school choice or "vouchers" because they believe it will siphon funds away from the government school systems. Republicans generally believe that allowing parents access to their portion of the school taxes that are "earmarked" for their child would allow more parents to send their children to private and religious schools. 

Democrats generally favor providing free anything to anyone so long as they can "secure the votes" of those on the receiving end. Democrats believe the cost of medicine on the elderly is unjust and should be remedied. Republicans generally favor mild coverage.  Republicans generally oppose subsidy programs of any kind knowing that ultimately everyone must pay for it by means of higher taxes.

Democrats generally favor socialized medicine in order to grant all people, citizens or not, access to government regulated health care. Democrats believe that all people have a right to medical care. Republicans generally oppose government controlled healthcare due to the belief that examples in Canada and elsewhere have resulted in higher taxes and a reduction in the quality of care.

The Democrats have long shown no desire to decrease the size or scope of government in general. A defacto policy of increasing taxes and increasing spending has become apparent. Republicans generally oppose expansions in the size or authority of government citing that a larger government means a higher tax burden on individuals. Republicans also believe that by expanding government you are in effect creating a class of people who are in effect dependent upon the government. Republicans believe that this creates a conflict of interest when it is time to vote. 

Democrats generally favor reducing the size of the military in order to concentrate tax funds on other obligations. Republicans generally favor a strong ever ready military force.

Democrats have displayed a pattern of submitting to other world governments. This can currently be seen in their attempts to subject the United States to the will of the United Nations. Republicans believe that American Sovereignty should be maintained at all cost. Republicans believe that the leaders of other countries should have no "say so" when it comes to the affairs of our country.

Democrats generally believe that homosexuals should be allowed the right to marry and take advantage of other spousal benefits. Republicans generally believe that homosexuality is immoral and should be discouraged as to lessen the impact on our children.

Democrats generally believe that taxes should not be lowered and in many cases should be raised to help pay for all of our obligations. Republicans believe that when local, state, and federal taxes are added up, we now have at best an excessive tax burden. Republicans believe that government is too large and that individuals should have the right to decide how they spend their money. Republicans believe that government spends too much instead of taxes too little.

Democrats generally support strong government regulation of the free market. Republicans generally support the free market's ability to evolve.

Democrats generally favor strong regulation of the quality of the environment regardless of cost. Republicans generally favor supporting environmental policies when economically prudent. Republicans believe that it makes little sense to force US businesses to comply with expensive environmental regulations knowing that these companies will be more likely to move their facilities overseas where regulations are not present. 

Democrats have no clearly defined moral values. Republicans believe that moral values keep our nation strong and should be encouraged. Homosexual activists generally support democrats while religious groups typically support Republicans. Because some Republicans might, if given the opportunity, attempt to legislate morality we are giving the freedom quotient for this category to the Democrats.

Stop. Go back and count up the number of blue squares. The number you have counted represents all the issues on which the Republicans are in favor of either personal choice or financial freedom. 

Stop. Now, go back and count the number of red squares. The number you have counted represents all the issues on which the Democrats are in favor of either personal choice or financial freedom.

A quick quote from Thomas Jefferson - "Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread." -Thomas Jefferson

Everyone knows that the choosing between the parties is always a question of selecting the lesser of two evils. I may not always agree with them as I become more of a Libertarian as I get older, but the choice between the two evils is very clear to me. Although not always pleasant, we do still have the single best system of government in the world today.  NOW GO VOTE!

If you don't know where your polling place is, just pick up a copy of your local paper.

James Bradley

FTB

"In general, the art of government consists in taking as much  money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another." Voltaire

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms ." Thomas Jefferson - 1776

"...there will never be a really free and enlightened state until the state come to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its power and authority was derived, and treats him accordingly." Henry David Thoreau

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand." Dr. Milton Friedman