It’s fair to say that both the left and the right (substitute the terms Democrats and Republicans if you prefer) feel they are under siege. I personally am not feeling it!
I read an article recently that outlined a Democrat strategy for gaining a majority. Allow me to paraphrase. In order to win, they should be more like Republicans. Of course, the exact opposite is also true.
Both the Democrats and the Republicans are in wild pursuit of a mythological and unattainable goal, a permanent majority. It is unattainable using the current strategy of demonizing those on the other side of the aisle.
Here’s what will work and what should be done:
We can all agree on the fundamental conservative values as long as they are applied and regulated in an equitable fashion. We don’t like welfare cheats or cheating of any kind. Crimes should be punished and not excused for frivolous reasons. The national debt is obscene and unsustainable. Government bureaucrats, and bureaucrats in general, lack common sense. Parents are often detrimentally permissive of their children. Radicals on the left and the right are not representative of the best American values, and they should be sanctioned. The best Americans are rugged individualists. The best Americans love God or a godly way of life. The best Americas love America or give America the benefit of the doubt and our support when needed. Ordinary people are fundamentally decent for the most part, not just you and your white friends, but all people.
America is far from perfect and would benefit from a closer adherence to the values mentioned above.
Proposed: Let’s live by those values and become the Majority!
Of course, you are not personally feeling it, you are in a protected class of wealthy public pensioners, as am I. And you are not a member of a party that wins elections. Your buffers from bullying Bolshevik policies are built well.
Russia, China, Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have permanent one-party rule. It can happen here; it is very attainable.
Demonizing works: “The rich don’t pay their fair share” when they really pay a share of taxes higher than their income share. 60% of households get more in public benefits than they pay in taxes. “The rich exploit the poor” by paying competitive wages and must “give back” even though they did not steal anything. White racism is the proclaimed cause of social problems among People of Color, so redistribution of income is not enough. This is from the party in power in DC.
Democrats recently increased spending, debt, subsidies, and business taxes. The governmentalization of society and buying of votes grows unabated again.
All cannot agree on values fundamental to you. Calling conservative values conservative turns off a huge chunk of electorate. And why did you include, “…not just you and your white friends?”
I think the key to real progress is to slow down the governmentalization malignancy. Here is a quote from Ronald Reagan, a former Democrat:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with the well fought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same.”
Your blog post is one of those lessons, a reminder, thank you.
Here is a Congressional candidate who lost to the conservative incumbent in the recent primary, she could be your US Representative in 2025:
https://www.lunalopezforcongress.com/meet-luna/
Richard:
As to the siege mentality infecting both sides of the aisle, you said, “Of course, you are not personally feeling it, you are in a protected class of wealthy public pensioners, as am I. And you are not a member of a party that wins elections. Your buffers from bullying Bolshevik policies are built well.”
Okay, but also, the whole confluence of hostility is based on meaningless partisan hyperbole.
You also said, “Russia, China, Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have permanent one-party rule. It can happen here; it is very attainable.”
Not if I can help it! I prefer eight meaningful parties to the two shell games we currently have.
In your para 3, you artfully list some of the demonizing tactics the left uses against the right. You begin by saying, “Demonizing works” and you end by attributing these tactics to the Democrats.
You make the usual broad stroke claim that everyone in the Democratic party is a leftist. Can’t we just stop seeing each other as cardboard cutouts and start seeing ourselves as individuals again?
Your fourth para is the opposite of your third. I will not defend the Democrats overall, but I refuse to hyperbolize everything they do. Let’s take one part. You said, “…buying of votes grows unabated again.” Could we characterize things in a slightly less demonic fashion? Maybe they just think they are doing the People’s business. Maybe they are not all mephistopheles in disguise.
You said, “All cannot agree on values fundamental to you. Calling conservative values conservative turns off a huge chunk of electorate.”
The whole point of the post was to summarize the core values that I think we all can agree on. Why is that so hard? Those values are, by the way, fundamentally conservative, so why not consider meeting me halfway instead of rejecting my points out of hand?
When I said, “…not just you and your white friends….” I was mentally addressing a sub-set of conservative die hards. I think you know the ones I mean.
I have no knowledge of Luna Lopez, but she looks more like a fashion model celeb than a politician. Why did you point us in her direction?