Platform Differences between Republicans and Democrats

[crb]

I didn't want to derail a thread, and decided to provide this special place for Ashliana's education.



It goes to show that magical "fucking personality or social outlook" you seem to love. It shows that they care about the common and poor people of this nation--not just the top 10%. It's not about taking the poor person's choice away--it's about giving him the choice to MAKE in the first place. Healthcare is extremely unaffordable--the uninsured as a whole do not simply "choose" not to be insured. The democrats, by nature of their political platforms, are inherently non-elitist. They fight for universal civil rights, and helping reduce the burden of the poor while the right favors what?

Yes folks, she actually believes that. It is impossible to be elitist if you profess to care about the less fortunate.

Now, there are a number of fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans, but a few are relevant here.

1. Tax PolicyRepublicans see tax policy as a way to increase economic growth. A republican does not want to favor any group or class, they want to increase GDP, which favors everyone in the long run. Compared to Democrats they may seem to favor certain people, but only by comparison.

Democrats see tax policy as a way to "fairly" redistribute wealth. Their goal is not to increase GDP, but rather to take money from the productive and give to the unproductive (ie, their constituents). They aren't full fledged socialists, or atleast, they claim not to be, but they are closer certainly.

2. Equality Republicans believe in equality of opportunity. Democrats believe in equality of outcome. Republicans believe things are fair and right when everyone has the same possibility of success. Democrats believe things are fair and right when everyone has the same success.



Healthcare is extremely unaffordable--the uninsured as a whole do not simply "choose" not to be insured.

On this point in particular I wish to expound. No one "chooses" to be uninsured, nor do they choose to be poor, they do, however, make choices.

They may have chosen to goof off in school, not go to college, commit a crime, not work hard, and various other things that result in a rather poor lot in life. Also, many people can afford health insurance but choose not to, choose to instead buy other things. Cell phones, cable TV, clothing, materialistic relatively meaningless things that they put a higher priority on than health insurance. True, not everyone, some people can't afford it period, but many many many people choose to buy other things.

If you really want to discuss socialized healthcare we should start another thread. Giving "free" healthcare to poor people doesn't solve any problems. It doesn't solve the frivolous lawsuit problem, the nursing shortage, the doctor shortage, the defensive medicine problem, the bloated administrative aspect of medicine problem, the obesity and unhealthy living problem, the lack of competition problem, the lack of consumer choice problem, the lack of consumer control problem. All it does is say "Look, none of these things matter, because now the government is paying for it." Like putting a bandaid on a broken arm. You have to fix the system, not merely change who foots the bill.

[Ashliana]

I didn't want to derail a thread, and decided to provide this special place for Ashliana's education.

Yes folks, she actually believes that. It is impossible to be elitist if you profess to care about the less fortunate.

Now, there are a number of fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans, but a few are relevant here.

In other words, you've picked and chosen the examples of how they differ because the ones you've left out are the ones that specifically highlight how you're full of shit. Despite your selection, I'll be addressing more.


1. Tax PolicyRepublicans see tax policy as a way to increase economic growth. A republican does not want to favor any group or class, they want to increase GDP, which favors everyone in the long run. Compared to Democrats they may seem to favor certain people, but only by comparison.

The republicans favor a top-down approach, the "trickle down theory." If you want to expand the economy, then give the rich tax breaks so that they can wisely invest it, create more jobs, which gives "the little people" ways to make money, and spend it back into the economy. Except that giving tax breaks to the rich, or to oil companies, hasn't seemed to have had the desired effect. :ponder:

Rather than giving further tax breaks to the poor, the class the spends the biggest part of their income, we'll give it to the class that spends the least amount--because they're more likely to vote, and in general, people with more money are more likely to give huge campaign contributions.


Democrats see tax policy as a way to "fairly" redistribute wealth. Their goal is not to increase GDP, but rather to take money from the productive and give to the unproductive (ie, their constituents). They aren't full fledged socialists, or atleast, they claim not to be, but they are closer certainly.

Except that wealth isn't something the government provides; we've decided that, in order to run the government, tax must be collected, and that the part of the population that makes enormously more, and is much more priviledged than the other part, and spends much less of their income on simply surviving, should pay a bigger percentage.

Republicans claim to want "fairness and open markets," and yet regularly oppose the regulation necessary to ensure that fairness and those open markets.


2. Equality Republicans believe in equality of opportunity. Democrats believe in equality of outcome. Republicans believe things are fair and right when everyone has the same possibility of success. Democrats believe things are fair and right when everyone has the same success.

Democrats believe in equality of opportunity, such as improving impoverished schools and helping to counteract disadvantages that the poor face on the road to success, while the Republicans dismiss such things and point to anecdotal examples of how it is possible, regardless of the increased difficulty, to "succeed," as a poor and disadvantaged minority.

Hyper-conservatives making up the Republican party have regularly opposed the equal civil rights of various groups; be it interracial marriage, women's suffrage, and most recently gay rights. Despite we, as a society, having decided that a separation of church and state is paramount, Republicans continually strive to cram Christianity down the throats of the general population, from public displays of the Ten Commandments, to the artificial insertion of "In God We Trust" on our money, or editing the Pledge of Allegiance to include the words "Under God" to help indoctrinate children.



On this point in particular I wish to expound. No one "chooses" to be uninsured, nor do they choose to be poor, they do, however, make choices.

They may have chosen to goof off in school, not go to college, commit a crime, not work hard, and various other things that result in a rather poor lot in life. Also, many people can afford health insurance but choose not to, choose to instead buy other things. Cell phones, cable TV, clothing, materialistic relatively meaningless things that they put a higher priority on than health insurance. True, not everyone, some people can't afford it period, but many many many people choose to buy other things.

Yes, yes! Another prime example of blaming the poor for being poor. All poor people--especially inter-city kids--had the exact same opportunities as you, but instead picked "failure" on their "What do you want to do when you grow up?" pamphlets the schools handed out. Rather than having crappy schools jam-packed with kids, often broken homes and a parent working three jobs and forced to leave the children with an elderly grandparent or simply no supervision, as well as neighborhood gangs sporting all the things that TV, movies and the media say they should have: those very cell phones, clothing and material wealth, that their parents aren't able to afford for them. As a completely rational, educated child, they can see that sticking to the school they go to, while their older siblings or neighbors having these things, is the way to get what they want in life. Because everyone can see everything that you do, given the benefit of your perspective.


If you really want to discuss socialized healthcare we should start another thread. Giving "free" healthcare to poor people doesn't solve any problems. It doesn't solve the frivolous lawsuit problem, the nursing shortage, the doctor shortage, the defensive medicine problem, the bloated administrative aspect of medicine problem, the obesity and unhealthy living problem, the lack of competition problem, the lack of consumer choice problem, the lack of consumer control problem. All it does is say "Look, none of these things matter, because now the government is paying for it." Like putting a bandaid on a broken arm. You have to fix the system, not merely change who foots the bill.

Except there's a difference between universal coverage and state-run, free healthcare. You don't want to see the difference, because it's inconvenient. Subsidizing the poorest people into being able to afford basic healthcare would absolutely "break" the system--it's a far more realistic alternative to have them jam packing our emergency rooms as primary health centers! We can't possibly make up for it any other way--it has to be "free," and taken at the expense of the most very rich. Because only then would it be income redistribution, which you see at every corner!

Let's blame the obesity epidemic on the poor, and most obese. It's not the fault of an regulated, capitalistic paradise that you love so much! It doesn't matter that public health is NOT in the best interest of a restaurant--it's selling the MOST product, making the MOST money, at anyone or anything's cost. Who cares if those people end up clogging the healthcare system down the road, rather than taking a little bit of initiative, regulating the food industry into providing accurate nutrition information, and spending taxpayer money on awareness campaigns? It's all up to the consumer, who should be absolutely informed about everything, despite not being provided with the information--as it's not in an unregulated food industry's best interest to provide that information. It results in less product being consumed.

All you do is look at things in the simplest terms, without even scratching behind the surface at the actual causes of anything--and when it turns out to be something you find inconvenient? Ignore it, or blame the victims. Moronic.

[Mabus]

Strangely, on health care I believe we should set up, and even support, more free clinics. They should be focused on prevention and checkups, with a secondary emphasis on handling minor health issues of the poor.

These should be funded by foundations, donations (of both money and health care worker time, with both tax deductible) , private interests, and yes, even tax dollars.

The savings from preventative care and lowered emergency room usage could have a small, but noticeable, impact on health costs and provide some care for those unable to afford it.

[Back]

Sorry, the OP almost made me piss my pants. If I were wearing any...

What is wrong with helping others? Isn’t that a good thing?

[Warriorbird]

Was this a thread or a "lets pretend about my party and make up untrue accusations about the other" board.

Okay. Obviously the second.

The Democrats favor bunnies. The Republicans are going to KILL bunnies.

[Back]

I propose beer for bunnies. It always works.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Wait, wait.

Which bunnies?

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/picturegalleries/20070614/cgs12.jpg

Or

http://www.alaynarocks.com/albums/album01/cute_bunny.jpg

[crb]

Was this a thread or a "lets pretend about my party and make up untrue accusations about the other" board.

Okay. Obviously the second.

The Democrats favor bunnies. The Republicans are going to KILL bunnies.
It isn't making stuff up. If you believe in the democratic platform, more power to you, that is your right. but if you seriously don't know what it is... well.... You probably shouldn't vote.

If you don't think their tax policy is about "fairness" then ask yourself why the word "fair" always, always, comes up when talking to a Democratic politician about taxes.

Seriously, Mr. T pities the fool who votes for a platform he doesn't understand.

Now... Ashliana with that wall of text obviously has drunk the kool aid and believes it it, which is fine, as wrong as most of the country thinks it is, she atleast believes in what she votes for.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

It isn't making stuff up. If you believe in the democratic platform, more power to you, that is your right. but if you seriously don't know what it is... well.... You probably shouldn't vote.

If you don't think their tax policy is about "fairness" then ask yourself why the word "fair" always, always, comes up when talking to a Democratic politician about taxes.

Seriously, Mr. T pities the fool who votes for a platform he doesn't understand.

Now... Ashliana with that wall of text obviously has drunk the kool aid and believes it it, which is fine, as wrong as most of the country thinks it is, she atleast believes in what she votes for.

http://www.kosen.com/images/bunnies.jpg

[Back]

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00008/F_200701_January13biz_8256a.jpg

[Daniel]

Lol @ CRB saying someone else has dranken the koolaid.

On topic: Yay bunnies!!!

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Lol @ CRB saying someone else has dranken the koolaid.

On topic: Yay bunnies!!!

The world be a better place with more bunnies. Human or animal.

Srsly.

[Back]

He’s drinking something and I don’t want any.

[Tisket]

The Republicans are going to KILL bunnies.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w66/Sassy_Photos_2007/zzeaster.jpg

[Gan]

Is dranken a word?

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w66/Sassy_Photos_2007/zzeaster.jpg

LOL.

That reminds me of when I was like, five, and my dad told me after dinner that our soup was made out of the Easter Bunny and there would be no baskets the next morning.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r26/Nikkifotos/hoppyeastair.png