I thought it was about time to revisit the major party national platforms and see where I stand today and whether my views or opinions had changed on the directions they wish to take our nation.
I thought this was going to be short and sweet as I was familiar with the Republican Platform after having been a Republican most of my voting life, but then I pulled up the Democratic Platform; a 59 page agenda to government expansion and control. I'm still going to make it short, because quite frankly most of it is self-evident.
Here are the links to both major party platforms as well as the Libertarian Party for reference:
Libertarian Party Platform
Democratic Party Platform
Republican Party Platform
Please note that the major party websites are still operating under 2008 platforms.
While trying not to be totally negative here are some of the things I find to trample on your individual rights:
From the Democratic Platform -
"To help workers share in our country’s productivity, we’ll expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, and raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. The majority of adults in poverty are women, and to combat poverty we must work for fair pay, support for mothers, and policies that promote responsible fatherhood. We’ll start letting our unions do what they do best again—organize and lift up our workers."
"We will double federal funding for basic research"
"And we will help those who are hit hardest by high energy prices by increasing funding for low-income heating assistance and weatherization programs, and by providing energy assistance to help middle-class families make ends meet in this time of inflated energy prices."
"We will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans."
"We will create a national network of public-private business incubators and technical support."
"But the American experiment has worked in large part because we have guided the market’s invisible hand with a higher principle."
"We will ensure savings incentives are fair to all workers by matching half of the initial $1000 of savings for families that need help; and employers will have an easy opportunity to match employee savings."
The biggest issue I have with the Democratic Platform is spending. Where does this money come from? It comes from you and me. Apparently it is also going to come from the next several generations as well. Of course with all the spending comes bureaucracy. There is nothing more inefficient than a government trying to perform a function.
Related to the first big issue is control. I'm not sure the chicken or egg comes first here, but if you decrease one the other follows. It would seem that the Democratic Party wants to define your life from birth to grave; your fulfillment of life defined by government. The Democratic Party shares this with the Republican Party, differing only with their definitions.
From the Republican Platform -
"Individual rights – and the responsibilities that go with them – are the foundation of a free society. From the time of Lincoln, equality of individuals has been a cornerstone of the Republican Party. Our commitment to equal opportunity extends from landmark school-choice legislation for the students of Washington D.C. to historic appointments at the highest levels of government. We consider discrimination based on sex, race, age, religion, creed, disability, or national origin to be immoral, and we will strongly enforce anti-discrimination statutes."
This sounds great doesn't it? Then comes...
"Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage"
"We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life."
"We affirm every citizen’s right to apply religious values to public policy"
A major problem with the Republican Platform is the difference between what they write and what we see as their actions. Or in some cases contradictions in their own platform. Take a look at the following excerpts compared to the ones above...
"Today’s Democratic Party views the tax code as a tool for social engineering. They use it to control our behavior, steer our choices, and change the way we live our lives. The Republican Party will put a stop to both social engineering and corporate handouts by simplifying tax policy, eliminating special deals, and putting those saved dollars back into the taxpayers’ pockets."
Remember, the following was written in 2008 during the Bush Administration.
"The federal government collects $2.7 trillion a year from American families and businesses. That’s $7.4 billion a day. Even worse, it spends over $3 trillion a year: $8.2 billion a day. Why? Largely because those who created this bloated government will not admit a single mistake or abolish a single program."
After all is said and done I find that both Parties wish to define Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness on their terms instead of allowing individual the freedom to follow their own path.
