Via Ara Rubyan of E Pluribus Unum comes an explanation of the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
When my son was little, he asked me what the difference was between the Democrats and the Republicans.
“One party wants to raise taxes on the rich to help the poor,” I explained, “and the other party wants to raise taxes on the poor to help the rich.”
He figured out the rest on his own.
Any questions?
You know I’m a Democrat, and a liberal, and your friend, and I like your politics muchly–but I am a bit disturbed by gross generalizations about Democrats versus Republicans. There may be a kernel of truth in them–but a kernel does not make a field or a farm. Its the same sort of demonizing that paints ugly pictures of everyone–gays, women, republicans, communists, whichever “them” fits in the “us versus them” dichotomy.
Well, with that said…peace.
James:
My son was eight and needed a handle on it. Since then (he’s starting college this fall) we’ve had many, many more conversations about politics and I assure you his views are more nuanced now.
That said, can you think of a better way to describe the differences in thirty words or less?
P.S. Terrance excerpted my story from a slightly longer post that focused on some tax legislation in Texas that would, in fact, raise taxes on the middle class and cut it for the highest-income earners.
The most basic way I see the difference – which is I think much more basic than taxes – is as follows: the Republican ideal is that They know better, and should lead; the Democratic ideal is that the People know better, and should question all who would lead.