Republican versus Democrats?

[Craig1972]

I am now reaching voting age and one very fundamental question eludes me (as I am not an American, and quite illeducated in politics if I might add) --

[UnBlinkingEye]

When a Republican candidate for President agrees to a debate, he is afraid to debate anyone but a Democrat. When a Democrat candidate for President agrees to a debate, he is afraid to debate anyone but a Republican.

When a duopoly rules a country there is no real debate, apologies to the founding fathers.

[keithtoo]

Do you have a soul? If yes, then you are a Republican. If no, then you are a Democrat.

Do you think for yourself? See above.

Do you want to keep more of what you earn?

Do you think most people want freedom more than security?

Do you think that O.J. is guilty?

[coloradan]

For completeness, there's also a fourth party: the Green party seeks to destroy the First Amendment through things like "campaign finance reform" and also seeks to destroy the Second Amendment by means of ever more restrictions on gun owners.

[MindyW]

If you agree with the following, you are a Republican.

The Bill of No Rights

We, the sensible of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden delusional, and other liberal, commie, pinko bedwetters.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights.

ARTICLE I
You do not have the right to a new car, big-screen color TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all of your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and kill you.

ARTICLE VII
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big-screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII
You do not have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.

ARTICLE IX
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities in education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE X
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness -- which, by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiotic laws created by those around you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

[EternalVigilance]

The Republicans want a weak first ammendment (porn, sex education, should be curtained)

You display a faulty understanding of original intent. The founders of this great republic would have scoffed at the notion that the first amendment included loose sexual morality, or some imagined right to pollute society with it.

Their understanding of liberty was the liberty to do good, but never ever included the 'right' to do evil.

[Ford Fairlane]

Democrats are really Socialist

Republicans are the liberal Democrats of 50 years ago

True conservatives are the Constitution Party or the Libertarian Party, depending on whether you think recreational drug use should be legal or not.

[Thane_Banquo]

I'll try to do this with as little spin as possible:

1. To understand American politics you have to understand the Constitution. It is a legal document that tells the powers given by the people to the government, how the government may exercise those powers, and how the government may not exercise those powers.

Republicans usually favor a more literal interpretation of the Constitution, and so are called "strict constructionists." They view the Constitution as a legally-binding contract between the people and the federal government, and thus believe the Constitution should be followed according to its simplist, most literal interpretation, with due deference to the original intent of the drafters of the Constitution, whom Americans call the "Founding Fathers."

The Democrats view the Constitution as a living document and thus believe that it can change as society desires in order to allow for public policy that it would prohibit if read literally. Democrats are known as "broad constructionists."

2. Democrats and Republicans vary on social policy.

Republicans believe the government should provide a minimum moral standard for society by outlawing harmful drugs, abortion, gay marriage, etc. However, because Republicans are strict constructionists, they generally oppose laws limiting the private ownership of guns by law-abiding persons (see the 2nd Amendment).

Democrats believe that morality is, or should be viewed, as relative to the individual, and thus usually support the liberalization of drugs, abortion, gay marriage, etc. Because they are broad constructionists, they believe the government has the power to restrict private gun ownership.

On the whole, though, Republicans and Democrats are both favor broad protection of individual liberties in the social context. This is largely because of Americans' shared heritage of individual liberty and natural rights.

3. Republicans and Democrats vary on economic issues.

Republicans believe very much in free enterprise and "the maximum of individual liberty consistent with ordered society" (Ronald Reagan), and so they tend to oppose high government regulation of the economy and high tax rates. They believe people know best how to use their own property and spend or invest their own money, and they believe the government wastes a great deal of money.

In general, this is because Republicans view the proper role of government merely as guaranteeing social order, protecting individual rights, and enforcing contracts.

Democrats believe the government should provide for people, and that companies must be highly regulated in order to protect employees, the environment, etc. They therefore support higher taxes to fund social programs and more government regulation of business. They believe people don't use their property or spend and invest their money in a way that benefits society, and they believe the government is more efficient than Republicans say it is.

4. Republicans and Democrats differ on foreign policy.

Republicans believe America should follow a less activist foreign policy that is based mostly on America's best interests, not world opinion or UN resolutions. Thus, Republicans oppose going to war when it benefits other countries but not the US, and they favor going to war when it will aid the security of the US.

Democrats favor a more activist foreign policy that is based more on world opinion and UN resolutions than on America's best interests. They favor going to war when the world opinion is for it.

There is usually less disagreement over foreing policy than over economics or social policy. This is partly because of the water's edge effect: The old saying in the US is that "politics ends at the water's edge." Of course, that is true more in theory than in practice. Further, both parties believe that US interests should play some sort of role in foreign policy, as should moral and ethical dictates. Lastly, because voters pay less attention to foreign policy, it is less influenced by political passions, and thus the debate often is more reasoned than on economic or social issues.

5. Republicans and Democrats are qualitatively different.

Republicans tend to rely on statistics, theory, and other objective sources of knowledge.

Democrats tend to rely on emotions, social justice, utilitarianism, and other subjective sources of knowledge.

[EternalVigilance]

The Democrats support a broad First ammendment (free speach)

IMO, your knowledge of Democrats is lacking as well. Truth is, they grab every opportunity to try and silence those who oppose them.

[The UnVeiled Lady]

Democrats believe that we can delay in taking away Saddam's:

25,00 liters of anthrax

38,000 liters of botulinum toxin

500 tons of sarin, mustard gas & VX nerve agents & 30,000 munitions to deliver them to other countries

BUT

They must take the guns away from law abiding citizens who have a GOD GIVEN right to the guns RIGHT AWAY

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Add to your argument, the right to freely assemble (with whomever you want): as in Boy Scouts...

[yooper]

Allright mate, here it is in a nutshell.

LIBERALS (aka "Democrats") are ruled by emotion and the irrepressible urge to foist emotion-driven solutions to society's ills upon society, regardless of whether or not society's inhabitants want to be involved in said solutions (See also; "Socialism", "Communism").

CONSERVATIVES (not to be confused with "Republicans" at times) employ logic, critical thinking, and common sense to same said problems. Our answers to said problems ain't pretty or politically correct sometimes, as they involve self-suffiency, self-respect, and a rejection of liberal dogma, but we are always in tell-it-like-is mode.

More simply put; Conservatives smart, Liberals stupid....

[EternalVigilance]

Absolutely.

[The UnVeiled Lady]

BUT seriously,

if you look in their platforms the Republicans #1 item says we belive in the Declaration of Independance, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. (ie we believe that all men are created equal)

The DEMOCRATS 2000 party platforn NEVER Mentioned any of them. So I truly believe that they don't care about the people they swear they are working for and their votes show it!!!

[elbucko]

Republicans believe that your personal rights come from God (known as "Natural Law").
You are born with them.
Government cannot take away what has been given to man by God. (though government tries)
One has "Moral" obligations to others less fortunate according to ones conscience.

Democrats believe that your personal rights come from government (known as "Posited Law").
These rights are "granted" or "denied" to you by government.
One has societal or financial obligations to others according to government declaration, not the needs of the unfortunate.

[Mr. Mojo]

Is voting age in Australia 32 years of age, or does the 1972 next to your username refer to something else?

[EternalVigilance]

Of course my lists were not comprehensive.

For example, in my compilation of the the members of the RAT coalition, I forgot to include ugly feminists. ;-)

[yooper]

Reminds me of a definition I heard of libs and conservatives on Paul Harvey (or something) many years ago.

If a man were drowning 100 feet off shore, a conservative would throw the man 90 feet of rope and expect the man to swim the remaining 10 feet to the rope.

A liberal would throw the man 300 feet of rope and then let go of his end to go "help" someone else.

[MonroeDNA]

"You display a faulty understanding of original intent. The founders of this great republic would have scoffed at the notion that the first amendment included loose sexual morality, or some imagined right to pollute society with it."

Thanks for demonstrating my point. Thread-starter person from Australia: That was a quote from a Republican.

[Djarum]

What is the difference between REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS?

Ideology.

[Karsus]

If you don't mind me asking, how is a 2.2 Trillion budget limited goverment?