Republicans and Democrats Must Avoid the Urge to Purge

Read Washingtons farewell to politics speech.

The man who was the first leader in terms as we understand leaders today spoke of the need to stay away from politics of party. It can only leads raising despots into power. What democrats fail to see is that we in this country do not have a democratic form of government but rather have a constitutional Republic. Big difference! We are not guaranteed anything in our constitution but an acknowleging of our inalienable rights that cannot be usurped by government. The bill of rights establishes that the government cannot make laws to undermine our rights and freedoms spelled in the bill. Stupid people think that the bill of rights defines what government gives us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

well said

Well said Morton. Sensible, sane. rational IMO.

The Urge to Purge

There's a bit more to all of this. First, the Right has tapped into anti-tax sentiment present in America ever since George III. It plays well always since none of us LIKES taxes and since much of what the Left always seems to try costs money.

The Left is for fairness in society, and that means taxing the rich, taxing estates, and, well, redistributing wealth.

Thus, those on the Right who see some injustice in the "System" favor moves perceived by pure conservatives as threats to a status quo they rather like--low taxes, most of which should go to a "strong defense" that amounts to more than 50% of the national budget and not too much of which should end up in dreaded "entitlements." It's those entitlements--health care, welfare, social security, Medicare and Medicaid--that conservatives are after even when they choose overtly to attack, say, abortion spending as part of health care reform.

Candidates on the Right who have alligned with liberal social policy are, as a result, targets of conservatives within the Republican Party. Conservatives, championed and ballyhooed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity among others, are working hard to purge the party of what they deem to be a great danger--the abandonment on the Right of conservative values.

That danger is real, and it will be interesting to see whether or not the conservative Right overcomes the hurdle of appearing to be anti-progress in health care reform, for one, in the attempt to purge the "impurities" they regard as such great threats to the Republic!

Urge to purge

GOP cannot win without conservative or women or catholics. or protestants, or the unemployed, or the uneducated, or those without health insurance, or the subsidized big business and financial services.

Government cannot work in a democracy unless the coercion of the minorities remains separate from the rights of all.

The mandate of George W was interpreted as the rule by faith. It replaced the authority of the people with rights for the special interests. The result was a domestic and foreign policy disaster that will take decades to repair.

Let conservatives form a political party. It has not been a Republican Party since the civil rights split in the sixties.

Let liberal be a political party with the principles of equal justice and equal liberty for all. Sectarianism belongs to the First Amendment, the right to believe, think, speak, publish and assemble without government interference. Everyone is guaranteed the right to think and say the stupidest, the most vile, most hateful ideas. They also have the right to express sane and thoughtful concepts.

But no one has the right to insist that laws must be influenced by beliefs held separate from and limiting the rights, liberties and freedoms of all.

Get Rid Of Joe

If you sleep with a rattlesnake expect to get bit.