Finding middle ground
Those to the right say the less government the better. Those the left says the same!
The main difference, apart from specific policies like guns and abortions, is that those on the right say the way to less government is to tell our citizens each is on their own, to solve their own problems and get ahead if they can, while those on the left say that the way to less government is for all of us to help others out of their respective problems and to help everyone maximize their inherent individual abilities so the nation prospers.
Thus the right says we should have policies that stop handouts, make the unfortunate find their own ways to improve their conditions, reward those who prove successful (incentivizing others to work harder), and remove as much regulation and social assistance as possible.
But meanwhile the left says we should have policies that draw upon the collective success of all of us to provide tools to the unfortunate and support efforts by them to improve their respective conditions and get off the “dole,” for example through free education, medical care and child care.
Since you generally get what you pay for, a resulting big difference is taxation. The right says to lower taxes so the successful will be able to retain more of their rewards. The left says that if we want a more successful nation, then all of us should chip in to raise everyone up through progressive taxation.
Taken to extremes, neither side is a good idea. The extreme right leads to autocracy, excessive wealth gaps, or even “fascism.” The extreme left leads to indolence, loss of individual incentives to better oneself, and even “communism.”
So how about sticking to the middle? Let’s vote for leaders who will find the middle way.
Parker Maddux
Basalt
