Not long ago, Republicans threw around the word “liberty” a lot. You would see it in their Twitter handles and in the names of affiliated organizations. You can recognize them by their Gadsden flag decal. They wanted government off our backs and the ability to act freely. They didn’t want anybody telling them what to do. Much of the party carried a strong libertarian streak.
Today, the GOP is the party that wants to tell us what we can’t do. If they don’t like something, they’ll make it illegal. That’s especially true for Republicans of the Old Confederacy. They have banned abortions after 12 weeks and inserted government into the process, imposing onerous restrictions. They’re pushing bills to prevent care for transgender people. They are telling schools and teachers what they can and cannot teach about history because we would hate to give our kids any ideas. They’re banning books in Florida and drag shows in Tennessee. This week, they’re rolling out legislation to restrict access to the ballot box. They are the party of heavy-handed government regulation, restricting our personal lives and interfering in our relationships with schools, medical professionals, and democracy.
After years of telling us that the government shouldn’t interfere with the development of new sources of carbon-based fuel like fracking and offshore drilling because we need energy independence, the party perpetually finds reasons to oppose the development of clean sources of energy. They tried to restrict solar farms but have largely given up that effort now that Duke Energy is a major player. They’re resisting wind farms for all sorts of reasons that they never cared much about in the past. They kill birds. They obscure views. They interfere with marine navigation. They’re in the flight path of naval jets. It’s almost like they believe climate change is good. Or maybe they still don’t believe it at all.
The GOP represents the new nanny state. They want to tell us what we can and can’t do. They only oppose government regulation if it protects the environment or people’s rights. They are fine with regulating the medical industry and the clean energy sector. They’re fine with government telling schools and teachers what they can teach. They are fine denying people easy access to the ballot. They are the party that adopts the Gadsden flag, telling us, “Don’t tread on me” while trampling on the rest of us. So much for liberty.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
The Republican party has become the poster child for hypocrisy. Granted this may appear to be illogical and childish, but it puts them in the office. Once in office they can pass laws that gift the fat cats with tax cuts, line the pockets of non-governmental business with your tax money whose personal interests are far more important than the rights of the everyday man. Moreover, it gives a politician a job, who may find gaining full time employment challenging or inconvenient.
To say Republicans and Democrats are anywhere near the same is ridiculous. We do not promote law and order, but back candidates who suffered two impeachment proceedings, found to have engaged in sexual misconduct by a jury of peers or are under arrest for felony charges or promote insurrection and try to encourage undermining constitutional principles. Fire teachers who teach the theory of evolution or Librarians who allow books discussing evolution as those ideas conflict with a biblical notion of creation. Shades of The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes.
We do not encourage state invasions into the private lives of women’s health care, nor peddle unscientific notions that life begins at conception and the earth is six thousand years old. Democrats do not draw voting districts that systematically disenfranchise voters who may disagree with us. Nor do we eliminate voting places forcing folks to travel extensive distances or impose precursors on voting such as voter IDs which should have been done at the time of registration.
If any party is the party of liberty and freedom, that party would be the Democratic party.
Thomas, you’re right on the mark as usual. But the thing that’s been bugging me about Democrats for the last few decades is that they never seem to SAY how much we love liberty. There’s something about our culture that keeps us – our politicians, anyway – from saying it, even as we struggle to let Americans travel freely (Dems are as bad as Repubs on that issue), communicate freely, obtain information about the products that corporations sell us (that’s a form of liberty IMNSHO), form businesses that compete freely against corporations, decide on when to die, use drugs legally without having to finance criminals, etc. etc. I’ve got a Gadsden flag decal in my pickup truck, too, because I believe in liberty. There’s also the “Soros is my co-pilot” decal to annoy those people who don’t!
This is an excellent point!
Except for the euthanasia part and the drugs, only because for every one person who can hold their drug use together there are 100 who can’t and here is too much societal and collateral damage to everyone around them. Look at Seattle, LA, and Portland. Unfortunately that is what you get.
I don’t know why they don’t talk about it more.
Does anyone beside me even bother to read your stuff anymore?
I prefer to call the democrats and republicans messing with our lives the uni-party. They only differ at the edges. In between is a continuum of progressives. Neither party is about liberty, government grows larger and more intrusive under both. Only the rate changes.
However this is a disingenuous article. Short on details to inform. But filled with “dog whistle statements” (for lack of a better term)
For instance. “They have banned abortions after 12 weeks and inserted government into the process, imposing onerous restrictions. (some details of the onerous restrictions would be nice.) and it can only be assumed you want it easy to commit murder?
“They’re pushing bills to prevent care for transgender people.” Details would be nice here. What care are you talking about?
“They are telling schools and teachers what they can and cannot teach about history.” Again, exactly are you talking about?
“They’re banning books in Florida and drag shows in Tennessee.” Which are issues in THOSE states not NC. And what books exactly? You must know. Why not mention it? And drag shows? well what kind exactly, all of them or only certain ones?
“This week, they’re rolling out legislation to restrict access to the ballot box.” Really? What exactly? I’ve not heard. Is it your long debunked racist view that “poor and starvin” blacks are too stupid to have an ID (which they aren’t) and too stupid to know where to get one? (Which they aren’t) or are too poor to get where they can get ( for free) an ID? (which they aren’t) No wonder Blacks are leaving the Democrats in droves. You insult them!
” It’s almost like they believe climate change is good. Or maybe they still don’t believe it at all….” Well its not real so… At least not the “man made” voodoo isn’t at least. We have evidence that the earth climate was much different before man was around so.
Thomas, I think you’ve unlimited space to write as much as you want. There are huge gaps here, and you’ve left the detail out for a reason. Why?
Inform don’t demagogue.
You really are dumber than dirt, aren’t you?
Anybody who has read a newspaper or watched a news show or is on social media knows what he is talking about. As does the writer of the comment.
I wouldn’t want to assume as you have., You know what happens when you assume. state it clearly and make your position known is best.
And no I don’t know. I can assume, and I don’t want to do that.
Thank you…I’ve been saying the same thing for years.