Dilemma
Here's the essential problem I run into when I try to define my political stance.
I believe that everyone should have access to healthy food, clean water, and safe shelter. I believe that the sick should be tended and children should be educated. I consider this the baseline of civilization as it should be.
I am unconvinced that the government is the best agency to achieve these goals.
It seems to me like these should be dealt with at the government level, because they're essentially problems dealing with the common good. It also seems to me that the solutions put in place by the government (and there have been many) are focused on assuring the quality of food, water, shelter, health care, and education for those who can afford them. That's essentially our version of capitalism, and I don't have a problem with capitalism; it's just incomplete.
I only see two paths that might lead to those ultimate goals: (A) Provide goods and services to people who can't afford them, or (B) Find ways to help everyone afford them. Our government tries both ways, with mixed success. Path A is problematic for several reasons, not the least of which is determining who foots the bill. Path B is difficult to approach without turning it into Path A (e.g., job training is providing a service). I suspect that nongovernmental approaches to both paths may ultimately be more successful and less controversial.
Now then, here's the dilemma: Am I a Democrat or a Republican? Because in our current system of government, those are the only two realistic choices.
I believe that everyone should have access to healthy food, clean water, and safe shelter. I believe that the sick should be tended and children should be educated. I consider this the baseline of civilization as it should be.
I am unconvinced that the government is the best agency to achieve these goals.
It seems to me like these should be dealt with at the government level, because they're essentially problems dealing with the common good. It also seems to me that the solutions put in place by the government (and there have been many) are focused on assuring the quality of food, water, shelter, health care, and education for those who can afford them. That's essentially our version of capitalism, and I don't have a problem with capitalism; it's just incomplete.
I only see two paths that might lead to those ultimate goals: (A) Provide goods and services to people who can't afford them, or (B) Find ways to help everyone afford them. Our government tries both ways, with mixed success. Path A is problematic for several reasons, not the least of which is determining who foots the bill. Path B is difficult to approach without turning it into Path A (e.g., job training is providing a service). I suspect that nongovernmental approaches to both paths may ultimately be more successful and less controversial.
Now then, here's the dilemma: Am I a Democrat or a Republican? Because in our current system of government, those are the only two realistic choices.