"Katt" <seruhshjaudn@dfhu.net> wrote in
news:%AIte.39553$8m5.5558@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net:

"Niels van der Linden" <n.f.l.vanderlinden@student.utwente.nl> wrote
in message news:d97fbh$9rt$1@netlx020.civ.utwente.nl...

Can you tell me what it really means to be a Republican? What

----------------------------
*Some helpful translations*:
----------------------------

Big business isn't evil.

'Big business isn't evil -- until it gets caught being evil. Then it
gets let off....'

Making a profit isn't a bad thing.

'Your boss *really really deserves* to be paid 40 times as much as
you....'

The free enterprise system is generally better than any other
system.

'...Which is why we fight tooth and nail to make sure it never comes
into existence here and takes all our *corporate welfare* away from
us....!'

Anybody can get ahead if they work hard, but there are no guarantees
of success.

'Anybody can get ahead if they work hard -- but who the ***** wants to
work hard, when grafting or having a rich family *makes you so much
richer*...?'

Old ideas aren't necessarily bad, new ideas aren't necessarily good.

'...But since we don't give a flying ***** about 'ideas' anyway, what
the hell do we care...?'

Freedom and democracy are good for everybody.

'...Which is precisely why we don't tolerate such things at home, and
have always actively worked to subvert them abroad....'

America doesn't have anything to apologize for.

'...Hell, I mean: those 4,000,000 Vietnamese would eventually have
died anyway....'

It is right to fight for what you believe is right.

'...But we, of course, simply choose to fight for what is
*profitable*....'

It is important that America be perceived as being strong.

'...Otherwise people might actually try and make us start living up to
the standards we preach at them when we want an excuse to steal what
they've got....'

----------

I trust that was helpful...

Yes, it goes right to the heart of why Democrats lose elections.

Fred Stone wrote:

Olrik <olrik666@yahoo_BACON!_.com> wrote in
news:AWMte.55650$Jk6.950588@wagner.videotron.net:

Fred Stone wrote:

"Niels van der Linden" <n.f.l.vanderlinden@student.utwente.nl>
wrote in news:d9782e$75g$1@netlx020.civ.utwente.nl:

You don't know what *any* Republicans think. That isn't
telepathy, it's just signal echo from your own thoughts.

Can you tell me what it really means to be a Republican? What
feature(s) do they all share?

Hmm.
The main thing they all share is that they're not Democrats. :-)

I'm asking you a serious question.

I'm trying to give you a serious answer. Both parties are very
broad, and there is a lot of overlap.

Some of what *I* think are Republican ideas would include:

Big business isn't evil. Making a profit isn't a bad thing.

In theory, no.

In practice too. Some people get all confused about what businesses
do with their profits.

Yes, but people often are ***** when they read about the excesses
of business persons.

The free enterprise system is generally better than any other
system.

Up to a point. It has to be restrained sometimes. That's why there
are thousands of laws regulating businesses (or, in fact, people
who run them).

Laws regulating criminal behavior are not a bad thing. Laws enabling
government interference are generally bad things.

Most of the time, laws regulating businesses are passed to restrict
"bad" (or unethical), but not illegal, business practices. They are
used to protect the public and employees.

Laws protecting the environment, the safety and work conditions of
workers, etc., are needed because businesses are run by people, some
of them being not very recommendable...

Anybody can get ahead if they work hard, but there are no
guarantees of success.

Sure.

Old ideas aren't necessarily bad, new ideas aren't necessarily
good.

And vice-versa.

;-)

True.

Freedom and democracy are good for everybody.

In theory, yes. The devil's in the details...

In practice too, and there's where the details get worked out.

America doesn't have anything to apologize for.

Sure you do. You don't have a "god-given" blanket immunity for
every stupid actions your country/government does. Slavery, for
example.

We shed rivers of our own blood to atone for slavery. "Brother
against brother" and all that.

Or Vietnam. Or Chili. Or Iraq.

We aren't wrong to be in Iraq.

Of course you are.

It is right to fight for what you believe is right.

In theory, yes. But "might makes right" is not always the way to
go.

"Right justifies might" is more like it.

It is important that America be perceived as being strong.

For whom?

For our enemies and rivals. Make them think twice, at least, before
they decide to use force against us or our allies.

Well, posturing is fun when your country is the most powerful one,
sitting on a pile of armament to scare the bejesus out of enemies,
real or perceived.