Half of my friends are Republicans. For the last eight years we have had some interesting debates, and playful banter. Now that things have changed and Dems have accomplished the trifecta their rhetoric has changed. With the economy in the shitter, bailouts HARP, TARP, and the stimulus package front and center the conversation is becoming increasingly louder. Socialism, taxpayers bailing out those who bought homes they couldn’t afford, universal health care, increased spending, big government are destroying the country and the dems are leading the way, are increasingly irritating my friends and their rhetoric is getting angrier and angrier. Their tone is increasingly dire and negative. You’d think we are the beginning of the end.
I find it all pretty funny,
Sean Quinn at FiveThirtyEight wrote an insightful post on why a person becomes a Republican and it got me thinking. Being Republican is a convenient philosophy during good times. When people are doing well and the idea that they would ever need a handout is miles away, being Republican is the easy choice. It’s a self centric ideology. It validates their identity of being successful and self-made. It makes them feel they are protecting their efforts and all they believe they created on their own. When times are good, people can have a tendency to take ownership for things that aren’t really theirs to take credit for.
We are in different times now. Things aren’t going well. People aren’t doing well and the Democrats are NOT the only ones whose homes are being foreclosed. Dems don’t own the market for being over-leveraged, and credit burdened. Dem’s aren’t the only ones who are struggling, who didn’t save enough and are one paycheck away from not being able to pay their mortgage.
Irresponsibility is NOT a Democratic problem. It’s a United States problem. As HARP is doled out Republicans, as well as Dem’s will be there with their hands out trying to save their home. Republicans are no more resistant to a hand out than a Democrat.
Being a Republican is convenient. When the money is rolling in and times are good, only the irresponsible are broke, only those who made irresponsible decisions are looking for handouts and so why should responsible, hard-working, god fearing people pay for others mistakes? When times are bad, well that is a different Republican story.
Is there a Republican out there who is about to lose their house, or their car, or can’t pay their bills who WILL NOT TAKE ANY MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT? I got to know!
Being a Republican is convenient. If only those people who are responsible, or don’t want government protections, or would refuse a kidney transplant to save their life because the couldn’t afford it were Republicans, there would be no Republican Party. Needing help, whether it is government, corporate, family or religious welfare is universal. It is not a Democratic problem.
Being Republican is far too convenient when times are good, but it is now appearing to be a little less convenient during the tough times.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you . . . For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.