posted on Jun, 11 2006 @ 11:57 AM
Running the risk of being accused again of very broad generalizations, I will say it has been my experince that as a rule conservatives tend to see
things in a good/bad, black/white duality while those of us of the liberal persuaion tend to see things in shades of gray, nuiance as it were. The
very thing the bush administration has famously claimed that they do not do. Two very simple examples of this are:
(1) welfare: it is very easy to rail against those on welfare, and yes there are abuses, but I tell ya from having been there, for every abuse there
are far more who are profoundly grateful for it and are more than happy to get off ot it. Of course those are the very ones you never hear about (for
political reasons) and really should be. One never knows the curve balls life will throw you. Semper you say you are currently set for life as it
were but what if a catstrophic illness or event (like katrina or the stock market crashed like in 29) wiped out every savings you had leaving you
homeless and you turned to the state and they said tough poop mate. How would you feel? We are supposed to be a Christian nation, at least that is the
reteroic, but what the funnymentalists (yes I know how its spelt) tend to forget, is at the heart and soul of Christ's teachings is a deep and
profound compassion, and without compassion we are no better than our prejudices...the old saying says it best... If not for the grace of God, there
goes I.
(2) Taxes: The core reason I have no problem paying taxes is that I understand that they are the price we pay for living where we do. The simple truth
of the fact is that for the amount of taxes we pay, we are getting cheated. Most of the industrial world pays far more in taxes than we do, but they
also get far more for it. Some call it the nanny state, but its not really like that. A certian accecptable standard has been set below which it is
not considered decent for a person to fall. What it does is create a more stable society, and if you want to live better than the standard, go for itm
no one holds you back. It is cheap and easy to squeal (politically) about taxes, but it is taxes that pay for roads (here in Va. we have cut taxes to
the bone for so long, our roads are a mess and will cost far more to fix them than it would have ever cost to keep them up to begin with, and still
the republican controlled legisgature is dragging its feet and passing the buck further down the line, and people fall for this) sewers, schools,
water and so many other things that keep this country going, including our way too massive and expensive (in my opinion) military. People fall for the
tax wail but when these things start falling apart, start screaming bloody murder failing to connect the dots. Life is never simple and issure are
very rarely black and white, and to look at things that way is fine for the individual, but give me a pragamitist in office anyday over an ideologue.