Identification and Party Politics

Expanding On Individualism vs. Collectivism

Deborah Venable

05/25/03

You’ve got it hand it to Americans – we are masters at inventing identities for ourselves, aren’t we? Some call it labeling, others seem to prefer to call it defining one’s beliefs. Whatever it is, this has become one of the most convoluted exercises that people can fall into. Perhaps, for that reason, people have forgotten how to really define themselves. Trying to “fit in” is a badge of honor for some and something to be avoided at all costs for others. Therein lies the real truth. Following up the thoughts from last week’s article, let us explore this subject of identification, shall we?

We will start out identifying within political philosophy, where the process is most assuredly the most convoluted of all. Within the two main political parties, Democrat and Republican, we find varying degrees. These degrees are usually assigned the labels, “conservative”, “liberal” and “moderate”. Okay, confused yet? Well if you are not, you should be because it is practically impossible to tell the difference between a liberal Republican and a conservative Democrat – or is it? How about a moderate of either party? Well, you might not be confused, but I don’t mind telling you that I surely am! You see, I believe in order to sign onto either one of these parties one should at least know what their purported “platforms” are. Most Democrats and Republicans haven’t a clue about what they are supposed to believe given these labels. I have more respect for those democrats who include “socialist” in their labels than I do for those who claim to even care about what our Constitution says. At least you know whom you are dealing with when someone labels himself a “Socialist Democrat”. These people must lie every time they take the oath of office. The last thing on their mind is defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Either that, or they do not understand or have not even bothered to read said document. “Congress shall make no law…” is not a hard concept to understand, but try and tell that to these modern Congresses that do it every day. As it stands now, it would take Congress a considerable amount of time just to repeal all the laws that need wiping off the books. They certainly do not need to add more, which is what they are always busy doing. It has become increasingly hard to identify the particular political philosophy, which spawns the new legislation year after year. Bipartisanship has turned into a carrot of convenience for exploiting the best interest of the American people. The “can’t we all just get along” philosophy covers up the need to stand for anything, while at the same time the petty bickering makes it appear as if we still have a two party system.

Take for instance the recent battle over the president’s tax cut. Just a few members of both parties crossed the line on that one. Of all the subjects that the two parties can debate, this one is perhaps the one where they should be able to find more common ground than any other. That is, of course, if they were truly representatives of the people. But they are not. They are representatives of a government that has been given far too much power! The servant government has become the unchained master of the people financed by the people for the government. And what do we, the people, continue to do about it? Well over half of us do nothing at all. We do not get “involved” in politics or try to understand government, history, or economics. Such dry subjects these are that most folks convince themselves that they couldn’t make a difference anyway, so why bother to understand? Why bother to vote intelligently? Socialists love a society like we have become. Socialists count on a society of lower than average intelligence who thinks they are just the opposite. Remember, socialism IS collectivism and collectivism is the opposite of individualism. In a society of individualists, you will not find a punishing income tax nor will you find fights over a pittance of a tax cut.

History has proven that tax cuts stimulate the economy – hell, just imagine what an economy we could have with NO income tax! In the past both democrats and Republicans have realized this fact – and it is a fact – but today you find those from both sides of the aisle bemoaning even the suggestion of economic sense in a tax cut. The rhetoric is always the same – tax cuts help only the rich. Trickle down economics does not work, and government should concern itself with paying down the deficit before depleting coffers for a tax cut. If a tax cut is given to ALL who pay taxes, everyone is helped and every dollar of help is relative. A poor man never gave anyone job security, and the deficit is dwarfed by personal debt, which increases every year. These answers to the rhetoric are simple, logical, and correct, but the rhetoric successfully blocks reason. Identifying with the purveyors of the rhetoric is just as damaging to reason. You see, it is generally acknowledged that Democrats fight for the “little guy” while Republicans support “big business.” Democrats get more points because it would seem that even individualists would be more inclined to cheer for the little guy, the poor, those who “need” champions. Profit has become a dirty word because it is seen only as collective profit achieved by huge corporations and the very elite, who already have “enough” money. Naturally, if one is very wealthy, the immorality of confiscating that wealth to be distributed “fairly” among the less fortunate is lost on those who identify themselves as “champions.” Logic is left out of the equation, however, when we begin to question why there would be an overabundance of very wealthy Democrats and why some of the staunchest support for Republican philosophy comes from the heartland of America’s workers. Now we can witness the true separation of the individualists from the collectivists. Those who speak one way and live another cannot be taken seriously, but those intelligent enough to understand which side of their bread is buttered can be counted on get involved for the right reasons. The economy is stimulated when people can spend their own money according to their own choices and investors can utilize their wealth to produce an honest profit without such punishing regulation and taxation as only government can dish out.

Party politics should never stand in the way of individual progress, but it does at every turn. Each of the political parties has become their own little suppressive governments within the framework of the larger one that we the people continue to labor under. Both parties lie to their supporters and try to claim a high ground that is just never there. Adherence to the philosophy of individualism is the only thing that can turn this country around. That takes individuals committed to making their lives and those of their posterity better and freer than ever before. Collectives and collective philosophies will not do that. Parties and the government must again become the servant of individuals – intelligent, caring individuals who look to themselves for solutions to problems that too many have entrusted to government for far too long. Parties may shore up their platforms and go along for the ride, or they will soon be discounted as one big collective.

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