Spring Break
The Republicans need to stop promoting theocratic policies
Ian Bezek
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Opinion
In my column last week, I looked at what President Barack Obama will need to do to be successful. On the flip side, let's take a look at what Republicans would need to do to restore their party's credibility and viability.
A lot of people have said, with good reason, that they'd never consider voting for a Republican again; however, I believe that the Republican Party can still be saved.
I was raised in a Republican household and naturally gravitated in that direction as I grew up. However, as I read biographies of famous presidents and examined American history, I realized that the Republican Party of 2000 shared little more than its name with the Republicans of the 1900s.
The modern Republican Party has morphed into an extreme party driven by religious fundamentalism.
The Republican Party that my parents joined was focused on traditional conservatism. The Republicans of old valued small and efficient government, deliberate dispassionate decision-making and a respectful toleration of the rest of the world's ideas and leaders.
However, the actions of the past two decades, particularly of both Presidents Bush, have made a mockery of their forefathers' conservatism.
The Republicans no longer stand for small government. They now favor theocratic government -- if their god says the Jews are his chosen people, it means we must launch unilateral wars with all the Jews' enemies immediately. If their god says substance abuse is bad, then we must throw millions of plant-smokers in jail.
The Republicans have also forsaken deliberate decision-making: just take a look at the passage of the Patriot Act.
This almost 1,000-page long monstrosity was passed in just a few days. Congressmen complained they didn't even have time to read the bill before voting on it.
The Republicans of old would have been ashamed to pass a bill that bad without thinking it over first.
Finally, the Republicans' foreign policy changed from cautious isolationism to reckless unilateral aggression.
A lot of people have said, with good reason, that they'd never consider voting for a Republican again; however, I believe that the Republican Party can still be saved.
I was raised in a Republican household and naturally gravitated in that direction as I grew up. However, as I read biographies of famous presidents and examined American history, I realized that the Republican Party of 2000 shared little more than its name with the Republicans of the 1900s.
The modern Republican Party has morphed into an extreme party driven by religious fundamentalism.
The Republican Party that my parents joined was focused on traditional conservatism. The Republicans of old valued small and efficient government, deliberate dispassionate decision-making and a respectful toleration of the rest of the world's ideas and leaders.
However, the actions of the past two decades, particularly of both Presidents Bush, have made a mockery of their forefathers' conservatism.
The Republicans no longer stand for small government. They now favor theocratic government -- if their god says the Jews are his chosen people, it means we must launch unilateral wars with all the Jews' enemies immediately. If their god says substance abuse is bad, then we must throw millions of plant-smokers in jail.
The Republicans have also forsaken deliberate decision-making: just take a look at the passage of the Patriot Act.
This almost 1,000-page long monstrosity was passed in just a few days. Congressmen complained they didn't even have time to read the bill before voting on it.
The Republicans of old would have been ashamed to pass a bill that bad without thinking it over first.
Finally, the Republicans' foreign policy changed from cautious isolationism to reckless unilateral aggression.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
jimmy
posted 1/27/09 @ 6:19 PM MST
You are a moron!
I like how you claim the republican party has become theocratic, but you provide exactly ZERO examples of this claim. Your whole article is a non sequitur ramble about why idiot liberal morons like yourself dislike the republican party. (Continued…)
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