Fundamentals are important to sound political debate. The difference between left and right in the political debate is really all about those fundamentals.
Liberal vs. conservative political ideology has many facets but ultimately it centers around one thing- the size and scope of government. The details of this may vary on subjects, from everything to abortion to foreign policy, but all spawn from the concept of what government is supposed to represent in our lives.
The left maintain that the poor need shelter and food and clothing. They argue that the sick are dying and the ill need treatment. However, they also argue that government must provide these things and argue that the right wing does not care about these people.
The problem with that argument is that it is fundamentally flawed. The right DOES care about the plight of the suffering and the poor. Evidence of that is that the right wing donates more and is far more active in the charitable community at large than the left is.
The difference therefore is not in caring about the poor, but in where the responsibility lies. The left argues government; the right argues the individual through charity. Ultimately that difference is crucial since in arguing that government is the sole arbiter of charity, it also necessitates the use of power and force to accomplish their means, whereas easing the suffering of the impoverished through charity is not accomplished through coercive means and thus liberty is preserved.
This was the original intent of the Constitution that the role of charity and division of wealth would remain in the hands of local constabularies—in essence, in the hands of the States and not Federal government, which was viewed as necessary only in preserving the integrity of the union through defense and law. The United States Federal government was never intended to be a charitable institution that encompasses everyone’s needs and desires, at least not in any interpretation of its text that I’m aware of.
This is why your vote should go to a conservative or GOP ticket rather than a Democratic one. It is the GOP that maintains the original intentions of our founding document and the spirit of the Founding Fathers. They were well aware that no matter the good intentions of the individuals involved, as a government expands its role in everyone’s lives, it also expands the power of government and subsequently it expands the risk of tyranny. A large and powerful government cannot act judiciously and charitably on behalf of its own people, because eventually it will only seek to maintain its own power through whatever means it deems necessary. These are the fundamentals of the argument.
While you, as an individual, may not agree with everything a GOP candidate offers or stands for, it may be also true that you do not agree with everything that a Democratic ticket offers either. Thus, the best way to cast your vote is to err on the side of liberty and of caution.
The Democrats will argue that the sick need more access to health care, that the poor need more food stamps and inexpensive housing to live in, that companies need to pay more of a living wage so stand for increasing the minimum wage. What they do not explain is why government needs to fill that role; nor do they argue how government will pay for it all. Only that it must be done, that we, the American people must be forced by dint of law or gun to give away our wealth to accomplish this.
The reason is simple—to increase the power of government and force more and more people to be reliant upon it for their daily existence, thus increasing the opportunity for their political faction to increase its own wealth and power. There can be no other reason for it, since true charity does not come at the point of gun, or an act of government enforced law, but from the heart and from each individuals desire to create a better society.
This is why Americans must vote for Republicans. It’s not about abortion, defense spending or Big Bird. It’s about how far we, as free thinking and acting individuals, are willing to let government increase its power and influence in our lives.
Do you want more government in your life telling you how to live it, or less?
