America And Her Diverse Political Views
Rational Nation USA
As a "real true conservative/libertarian American", one who was born on the western seashores of this great nation, one who lived for a brief period of time in the mid west, and one who ultimately settled on the east cost I have a unique American perspective. One I am sure the flaming liberals, as well as the reactionary right will agree to disagree with.
I am not a politician, although I know I could represent the American "perspective" better than most politicians today. I say this because America is being divided along racial, ethnic, religious, geographical, and philosophical lines that are tearing this nation apart. Rather than finding common ground that is American at the core, politicians both democratic and republican are exploiting differences for the sole purpose of political advantage.
The vision our founders held for their fledgling republic was that it would continue to grow in the reality that individual effort and ingenuity, combined with a government who would play a distant but watchful roll to insure individual liberty would insure our continued existence as a free nation. A nation born of the enlightened ideal the rights of individual, as well as the individual rights to liberty, transcended the state.
The founders were right in 1776 and their vision remains right today, regardless of what the extreme left or extreme right may have us believe. And so I read with interest the article by Jacob Weinberg. It is a far representation of the geographical differences (philosophical for purpose of this commentary) that often divide our people. The point being made is of course specifically aimed at the Republican Party and it's divisions. However, the point can very well be made with respect to the Democratic party as well.
Our nation is a diverse blend of political ideology and purpose. The nation state we inherited, and have since inhabited, was founded on the belief individual rights which includes the rights of ownership both individual and business, to engage in free and mutually beneficial trade without the interference of the federal government.
Jacob Weinberg stated it well with the following;
"Goldwater didn't care about religion—he was a Jewish Episcopalian who once said that Jerry Falwell deserved a kick in the nuts. He wasn't focused on racial politics—there aren't many black people in Arizona. What mattered to him was limiting government and preserving liberty. To Goldwater, political freedom was inseparable from economic freedom, a view distilled in his most famous phrase, "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice." To call this politics Western is a matter of its Bonanza style as well as its anti-statist substance. Goldwater boasted a Navajo tattoo and liked flying planes, shooting guns, and playing the tables in Las Vegas."
Goldwater was a western individualist who by no means held beliefs that were atypical of America. He merely was more adept at enunciating the virtue and values of freedom and the individualized liberty that naturally follows. His unfortunate loss to LBJ was the result of progressive/socialist lies that had no basis in fact.
But I digress from the original intent of this post. Which is just this... America is indeed a diverse nation with diverse views. Having traveled and lived in many regions of our country I know that the majority of Americans love and respect the values this nation stands for. I also know the emotionalism we all experience from time to time stands in the way of finding the mutually shared common ground we as Americans can agree to stand proud on. It is time Americans from all sides of the political spectrum realize America, her heritage and vision can be a beacon of hope for not only future generations of Americans, but the world at large as well.
However, only if we allow the other nations to decide for themselves. Not unlike this nation chose to do in 1776.
Via: Memeorandum
I feel that the main reason this nation is suffering its current ills is that people tend to vote for their party, right or wrong. And they are usually members of that party due to "heredity." Sadly, no amount of education, logic or common sense will get them to vary their vote, despite the fact that the leadership and practices of both parties have strayed far from their roots.
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