On June 1, 1950, at the beginning of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Communist-seeking rampage, our first female Senator, Republican Margaret Chase Smith, said, “It’s high time that we stopped thinking politically as Republicans and Democrats about elections and started thinking patriotically as Americans about national security based on individual freedom.” In this “Declaration of Conscience” she also said, “I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horses of Calumny — Fear, Ignorance, Bribery and Smear.” Strange that her words are appropriate again, after 71 years.
The main political parties for two centuries are Democrat and Republican, with an occasional third party taking votes from one side or the other. Although things have changed through the years, Democrats are viewed today as Liberal and Republicans as Conservative, but there are many conservative Democrats as there are liberal-thinking Republicans, especially separating beliefs that are social from those that are economic. An exceptionally drastic reason for our political divisions occurred when most Americans blamed President Herbert Hoover, a Republican, for encouraging capitalistic Stock Market greed that caused the Great Depression, and they applauded Franklin Roosevelt’s socialistic concepts instated in our Social Security and Welfare systems, also in jobs programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC’s — my dad was an employee). Since then, Liberal Democrats have adhered to bolstering FDR’s view of “giving a hand up” and Conservative Republicans have seen welfare and food stamps as a “hand out” which people choose to live on all their lives.
The United States of America will always tax its citizens and anyone benefiting from living in America, but our disagreements involve how our tax money is distributed. For example, the Interstate Highway system, although maintained by each state, is funded through the Federal government, which also gives money to states to improve other infrastructure — gas lines, electricity, water and sewer, local road systems, and now, tele-communications. I’ve always seen our Federal system as a generous parent obligated to nurture and sustain the health and well-being of our children, with each child, individual states, taking responsibility for effective, prosperous growth. But we’re Human, so to avoid corruption, there must be impartial oversight at every level of government.
George Washington didn’t really believe in political parties, but he and John Adams were Federalists, proponents of a strong central government. Our founding fathers knew that states, counties and townships had created their own governments, so our Constitution was written because there must be basic laws set down by Congress for all Americans, with legal disagreements settled by the Supreme Court. Political parties took on issues of their time, but many disagreements were personal, with some politicians taking an opposite stance simply to assert power or irritate others — personalities run amok.
Modern views of what constitutes our political parties have been exacerbated in the Media, making us think of the extremes of each party — Republicans as “white supremacist” fascists and Democrats as “white replacement” socialists. Few of us fall into these categories, only around 5% on the Far Left and 5% in Far Right factions, with most of us being in the 95th percentile of either party, and the ways we agree are in the majority. Most of my life I’ve voted for candidates from both parties (the person, not the party), and I definitely believe that we need to support a multi-party system, perhaps more than Republican and Democrat. There are many political parties listed on the ballots in each state, and even the American Communist Party runs someone for President every four years, but campaigning takes money, also long-overdue regulations.
I knew very few Republicans in the South before 1964, when election primaries were only for Democrats and Republicans were forced to have nominating conventions or caucuses in each state, but due to Democrat-supported racial integration in the 1960’s, many white Southerners became Republicans. It’s ironic that some people are afraid of the word Socialism, and are being told to FEAR, when their circumstances nonetheless made them dependent upon food stamps or other welfare benefits, and that Social Security check when we’re older sure comes in handy. We must remember that the first Christians were Communists (Acts 4:32-35 — P. S. It didn’t work.) and we’re reminded that even Donald Trump applied for one of Obama’s subsidy programs benefiting property owners.
Each of us has both Liberal and Conservative leanings, for there are as many Republicans as Democrats who are sexually independent as male, female or any combination thereof, and who believe in abortion, with just as many from both parties believing in a woman’s right to control her own body, leaving “killing a Human embryo” for her to answer only to G-D. Personally, I believe as many Hindus, that the Soul does not inhabit the body until some time between six months gestation and birth, but sexuality and abortion never should have been politicized. Neither should Immigration be a political issue, for there are reasonable solutions as legal agreements are made and enacted in Congress, if the members can set their minds to accomplish it.
As previously stated, care of the poor and middle classes began full-force through FDR’s New Deal, and Democratic governments since that time have allocated more money into helping people through welfare-related programs. As a state government employee, I saw first-hand that when Republicans were in office, cuts were made in those same programs, along with funding for mental health and substance abuse. Free or low cost medical care has been promoted mostly by Democrats, and America should research other nations for what has worked and what hasn’t. Socialism that was implemented in autocratic nations failed, especially in Russia, where Communism (Marxism) failed miserably, but democratic nations, particularly Scandinavian countries, have had success incorporating social concepts into capitalistic societies.
During Republican Administrations Big Business booms, especially as Federal corporate taxes are lowered and loopholes allow billionaires to pay little to nothing in taxes. Of course, both parties are legislatively responsible for those loopholes and some, such as charitable contributions, are reasonable. Economic growth was evident at the end of both Clinton (Our national budget operated “in the black.”) and Obama Administrations, but the Republican tax cuts of 2017 did less to help poor or average income people and small businesses than to pad the pockets of CEO’s and Boards of Directors. The Stock Market soared as Big Business used their profits to purchase more stock, making themselves richer instead of investing in front-line employees, giving them higher wages, better benefits, and bonuses.
Wealthy, well-educated elites are members of both parties, but it’s highly commendable that many nouveau riche billionaires, particularly those related to fields of technology, are donating so much to helping people in America and around the world. Many also are responding to the needs of their employees in increased income and various benefits without forced implementation of unions. Our economy can be further strengthened if corporations install profit-sharing programs and stock options, for workers are the backbone of any organization, and they should reap the rewards of growth. Democrats and Republicans incumbent in the House of Representatives and Senate must forge alliances on common goals, then compromise and agree on how to achieve those goals, in cooperation, with no regard as to party affiliation.
One may have noticed that I MUST proselytize in the Name of Messiah Yeshua in every essay — it’s not only my promise to G-D but my duty as a Christian, even though, as I’ve admitted since Essay 1 Homepage, I don’t easily identify with many of today’s Christians, who often are bigoted and judgmental. It’s disturbing that Christian evangelists are quick to be negative and cause FEAR, two descriptions of some modern-day politicians who spread lies in the Spirit of Chaos, so we must not trust those who prove untrustworthy. There is NO FEAR in Yeshua HaMashiakh (Jesus the Christ), ONE MESHIAKH, Alpha to Omega, of the Seven Spirits of G-D sent forth to dwell on Planet Earth among us (Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6), Sevenfold WORD (John 12:47-48) to sit in Judgement for our Souls into the Joys of Eternal Ecstasy.
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential, command. from 1984 by George Orwell