GOP and Big Government

[10Seconds]

Edited to make it more forum friendly - I am interested in the discussion of GOP and restriction of personal freedom here, not just one particular item as the other thread seemed to indicate.

Given that the GOP is supposedly the "smaller government party" why are they always in favor more government regulation of peoples personal lives? You can see this in a variety of issues including seatbelt/helmet laws, medical or otherwise MJ laws, etc. To me, this seems like an inherent contradiction.

I guess I am not the only one to think so, because look at how this view has been helping them out in elections - pretty much all the people vocal against certain restrictions of personal freedom this time lost.

I am sure that some people are going to argue morality here but: you cannot legislate someone into being a moral person, so why try? If you take a immoral serial killer and lock him up, it doesnt make him moral. If you are going to have confidence in a person making correct decisions in the economic/financial realm, then to me, it would seem that you are also going to have to have the same confidence in them making moral decisions too. If you support the free market for the sale of good, then you have to support it also in the marketplace of idea and let people choose.

I may be going out on a limb here, but it seems like to me that a party that doesnt contradict itself within its own platform might have a better chance at success.

 

[OliverKlohzoff]

I see no difference between the 2 criminal gangs in this regard; the DemoCrips and ReBloodlicans.

 

[Glocktogo]

I believe it to be endemic of our society as a whole. You're free to believe whatever you want. However, you're only free to practice personal liberty if it agrees with the views of others. You're not mainstream if you refuse to condone the controlling of the people in some way. You're identified by which freedoms you're willing to sacrifice for the common good. If you favor selective personal freedom and economic slavery, you're a Democrat. If you favor faux economic freedom and selective personal freedom that agrees with biblical interpretations, you're a Republican. If you refuse to play along, you're branded as an anarchist, nihlist or just a common nutbag.

Choose what you want, but you're guaranteed to be hated by at least half the population. Our Founding Fathers would be so ashamed.

 

[sanjuro893]

I think it's the difference between Goldwater and Bush. The modern GOP does just as much pandering and fear-mongering to the religious right as the democrats do to minorities. They promise the moon and stars and dabble in social engineering and violate privacy rights to keep us all "safe" or to keep us all "good". That's why I followed the tea party when it 1st started was because it was the first group that wanted to GET AWAY from ideas and policies like that. I think most Americans want to live, work, raise their families and be left the hell ALONE! Until the GOP gets that, they're just the flip-side of the same liberty-squashing coin as the democrats.

 

[JB Books]

I believe it to be endemic of our society as a whole. You're free to believe whatever you want. However, you're only free to practice personal liberty if it agrees with the views of others. You're not mainstream if you refuse to condone the controlling of the people in some way. You're identified by which freedoms you're willing to sacrifice for the common good. If you favor selective personal freedom and economic slavery, you're a Democrat. If you favor faux economic freedom and selective personal freedom that agrees with biblical interpretations, you're a Republican. If you refuse to play along, you're branded as an anarchist, nihlist or just a common nutbag.

Choose what you want, but you're guaranteed to be hated by at least half the population. Our Founding Fathers would be so ashamed.

This is one of the best posts I've ever read here.

 

[gaseous maximus]

IMO, the actual difference between the two parties, concerning big government, is this; You are in tulsa and you are going, whether you want to or not, to oklahoma city. You can jump on the Turner, and arrive quickly, (Democrats), or you can take backroads, dirt, two lane blacktop, and such, and arrive later Republicans). Either way you are going to get there.

 

[WTJ]

As there is no mention of political parties in the Constitution, therefore they are Unconstitutional.

 

[Billybob]

Like asking the condemned if they want it in the head or in the heart.

 

[BigTulsa]

The OP really nails my problem with current Republican party. They ***** and moan about big gubmint, but they then want to regulate the actions you do in your bedroom or home and act like it's for your own good.

I don't think Reagan knew what he put the party in for when he courted the Religious Right. I think there were good intentions there, but the results aren't quite what were expected, I think.

 

[dennishoddy]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; The republican party needs to get off trying to regulate the female body, and any moral reasons about it.
They need to quit pandering to the evangelicals. They need to focus on the economy for this country, and how this country's economy can influence the rest of the world.
We didn't get to be the greatest country in the world by going backwards the way we are now.
Current statistics have the US at #12 in the world economics. We were #1 for many years.
The tea party was the best thing that ever happened to this country in recent years, but after the mid term elections,were they took back the house, they have pretty much said; Job done, and lost their fervor. We need a resurrgance of the tea party in a big way.