Republicans: Demons and Fools

Not all Republicans are bad people. Some of them are just scared, or have no desire to pay attention to the world. On the other hand, if you are a bad person, why would you be anything but a Republican? So it's kind of like what Mister Kerry said about college (if you think you're not smart enough or motivated enough for college, then the military is one of the few choices left for you). Personally, I don't buy the missing "us" back-pedaling, but it's probably the expedient thing to say at this point, especially with the imminent election. His actual message was that without the discipline to stay in school, whether due to an inclination to distraction or an inherent lack of faculty, the only option is a military position. So just because stupid people become soldiers doesn't mean that soldiers are stupid. Some of them are, just like some Yale Law school and Harvard Business school graduates. But stupid people are people too. Bad people are people too and just because bad people become Republicans doesn't mean Republicans are bad people.

Bad people becoming Republicans doesn't mean all Democrats are good either. Some of them aren't smart enough to be bad, and some don't know what Democrat means. Some are bad people hiding behind a good name, and some were just born that way, so they don't know who they are. So why do good people choose to become Democrats? Most people can't tell you the real answer to this question even though they know it in their heart. It boils down to the basic definition of a democratic government.

It's frightening and frustrating that so many Christians equate a beneficent government to socialism, and the same people who espouse munificence to the disadvantaged metaphorically are greatly disturbed by the concept of a welfare state. I'm not saying that all Christians are Republicans, or even that all Christians are hypocrites. I'm just thankful that when the (real) Christians wake up and see they've been duped by the Republican agenda, they will come back to the light and try to help the destitute. So Democrats can eventually rely on all real Christians to vote for them.

So what is the definition of a democratic government? Government's sole purpose is to protect individual rights. Without a government we wouldn't have prisons to lock away drug addicts, police to abuse minorities, or congressmen to molest children. The point is a democratic government lets anyone do what they want, but the laws protect people by prosecuting offenders. This is assuming the laws created are the will of the people and the majority of the people make a rational decision about reasonable laws. There are problems when the people lose influence over their representatives through corporate, military and lobby interests, but it occasionally works as advertised with an informed and educated populace.

Regulated capitalism is not socialism. Corporations are not individuals with rights that need to be protected. It's the individual that needs to be protected from the corporation. Everyone has a right to a good education. Doesn't everyone have a right to health care? I try to imagine a conversation between a Christian and a sick person, "I'm sorry you're sick, but you don't have enough money to get help. Maybe you should have gone to church. It's not the government's duty to help you, so you have to die. Here's a quarter for a cup of coffee. Oh, you want a venti iced maple mocchiato espresso with soy milk? OK, here's $6.75."

Finally, this week I heard a comment from John Kerry that I could respect. It's something Michael Moore might say but then he screws it up by back-pedaling and apologizing. At least we probably won't have to deal with him running again for president in 2008. Miss Hillary Clinton's remarks were uncalled for. How dare she tell Senator Kerry that his remarks about the state of our country and the options of undisciplined youths were inappropriate. She probably thought that Senator Durbin should have apologized when he criticized the President. She's still ok with the war in Iraq. Has she no spine? How about an apology to Senator Kerry. On second thought, the two are just alike. That's the '08 ticket. Clinton-Kerry: Mettle and Moxie, it was just here somewhere...