While I don’t enjoy the baggage that comes with the term, it would be difficult for me to argue that my political perspective is anything short of liberal. The Democratic Party does an excellent job of frustrating me to no end, but I am almost always in their corner when it comes to policy. That said, I think the US is currently in a political crisis driven by a lack of balance. Right now the Republican Party, a party with a rich history, is more or less destroying itself as a political entity as it morphs into a Right-Wing Christian Evangelical proponent of Theocracy.
There was a time when the rise of Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann would have been seen as the simple entertaining sideshow that Al Sharpton and Ralph Nader provided for the Left. But instead of being viewed as passionate zealots who inform, but should never be given the keys to, the national debate, they are somehow being viewed as legitimate, intelligent choices for the highest office in the land.
I really think this is bad for the Republican Party, which in turn is bad for the country. Because we are meant to be a two party system. Checks and balances is the concept that drives the whole idea behind American politics. But right now no one is rising up to handle the Republican responsibility for intelligent, logical arguments in favor of their policies. There seems to be a scorched earth wasteland from which no William F Buckley’s or George Will’s are walking out. It’s as though the Right has decided that they cannot win on merit, so they will instead manipulate the Bible to make arguments that, since they are faith based, cannot be refuted because true believers cannot be argued out of a belief.
This is why religion is such a dangerous poison to well constructed government. No matter what the faith. And even worse, it is unnecessary. Because despite the fact that I disagree with many of the policy perspectives of the Republican Party, I do believe there are legitimate arguments to be made in favor of them. Logical, well thought out, reasonable arguments.
So, in the interests of the balance I believe to be crucial to the health of our country, I’m going to tackle a series of essays where I make the case for the fiscal and social perspectives of the Republican party. I will do so without bringing God, or the Bible, or religion in general, into the discussion. Because the small but vocal minority of Right Wing zealots who shout down anyone who shows even a hint of common sense or diplomacy should never be allowed to dictate the destiny of a proud political party, not to mention the country in general.
