Eye Opening Conversion

[Lonestarblue]

25. I too tend toward fiscal conservatism, though I don't demand a balanced budget.

I look at our national debt the way I look at a mortgage. I could not have afforded to buy a home if I had to save all the money for its purchase price in advance. The more important aspect was my financial ability to make my mortgage payments. So too with the country. There are things we need to do that we can pay for over a number of years. The trick is not to get beyond our ability to repay our debts and not to spend the nation’s money on frivolous or counterproductive ventures.

But as a Democrat, I also believe in personal freedom that does not harm others, in the fairness of policies and laws, and in leveling the playing field so that those born to privilege do not prevent others from having opportunities to advance themselves. I am not anti-religion, but neither am I religious. I have a moral code that has nothing to do with a specific religion but rather with the idea that we all have the right to personal freedom and to live productive lives without interference from politicians who want to tell us how we should live according to their beliefs, not mine,

I truly fear for our democracy because I have observed the ever-more-radical changes in the Republican Party since the days of Ronald Reagan. Reagan is the one who began the anti-government nonsense, and he is the one who began the transfer of the nation’s wealth to the 1%. We are one of the most financially unequal economies in the world as a result. The US has declined significantly in the world democracy index, and Republicans are hurting democracy by making it more difficult for people to vote—and to have their votes fairly counted.

In addition, the outsized influence of right-wing billionaires on our country’s policies and our ability to address issues that require immediate attention, like climate warming, keeps our government in a perpetual cycle of stagnation as Republicans cut taxes when in power to starve the government while Democrats play catch up when in power but never seem to have enough time to make a big difference before voters want change. The reason FDR accomplished so much for the people was because he had over three terms in office. Though God forbid that someone like Trump could get even two terms in office!

We Democrats have been painted as screaming radicals who want a welfare state where no one works and everyone lives off the government, but that is far from the truth. We all have differing opinions of what we want our country to be, but mostly we want it to welcome diversity, to treat all people fairly and equally, and to allow people to live productive lives. So welcome to the Democratic Party because we genuinely want to hear other people’s sincere ideas.