I was thinking the other day that far left liberals in this country have an odd view of the world, as if they completely rebelled against the things that they were taught as children. This is a general statement of course and is completely subjective, taken from my own experiences when I was a young child and the lessons that I was taught. I understand that there are many differences in the way that people are raised, but in general there are some values that are pretty widespread, dare I say universal, in this country. Let’s call these American values. I will enumerate some and give their leftist liberal counterparts.

“Work hard and you will be successful.” This was something that my parents instilled in me from a very young age and it applies to nearly everything in life. This was not a conservative viewpoint nor a political ideology, but a truism gleaned from experience… experiences such as the struggle against communism in Cuba where, despite having family members imprisoned for political reasons, my family earned a living, became educated, practiced their faith in defiance of the state, and ultimately came to this country against huge odds. What is interesting is that the leftist point of view is almost the polar opposite of this: “without government help, you can’t make it.” Just glossing through the Democrat party’s platform one reads thing like “giving people jobs,” “giving people health care,” and even a part where they say that they will “help” those who, and I quote, “no matter how hard they work - are seeing prices go up more than their incomes.” I always thought that the can-do spirit was part of the American character, not the idea that there is an upper bound to our success, a bound that only government can help you break through. Is it any wonder that conservatives sometimes brand liberals as un-patriotic or un-American when the left’s values are so out of sync with American values?

“Be your own boss” and “work in what you love.” These, to me, are related lessons that my family taught me. It affirms that one should seek independence, if possible, and that one should enjoy their vocation. It extols the virtues of owning a business, especially in an area that one loves. The leftists on the other hand believe that good jobs do not come from the independence of the citizen but rather through organizing unions to challenge companies. Don’t believe me? Just check out the “Good Jobs with Good Pay” section where, instead of talking about how entrepreneurship and innovation can spur job growth and good wages, they talk about ensuring the rights of unions. Their section on entrepreneurship was vague and probably the shortest in the whole document. This is because the leftists believe that “companies are evil.” No longer are businessmen considered “successful,” they are considered greedy and heartless… all of them. Democrats somehow believe that unions “pull people out of poverty” and “create a stronger middle class,” when in reality unions produce nothing, it is the entrepreneurs and a company’s employees that produce things, create wealth, and drive the economy. Unions only suck up membership fees from workers and make unrealistic demands of companies, making demands that do not reflect economic realities; just look at the auto industry. Furthermore, why is being a unionized worker the ideal status for Americans? Do we grow up thinking “man, when I grow up I want to be a SEIU member?” I, personally, am all for unions, I simply worry when they become big machines that usurp the rights of workers, instead of help protect them.

“Be responsible.” So simple and so true. It applies to everything, from the idea that one should not force others to take care of you (if possible) to facing the consequences of ones actions. Needless to say, the left finds this value to be complete nonsense. From their positions on health care to immigration to taxes, the left promotes a society where the few are responsible for the many. No longer is health a personal matter, all taxpayers, especially the wealthy, must contribute in order to “give” it to all. No longer is illegally crossing into the United States a crime according to the left, they say we must provide a path to citizenship… in essence rewarding them for doing something illegal. No longer are merit and actions important in our society, but rather the color of your skin or minority status influences decisions as varied as university acceptance or getting a job. The Democrats advocate the idea of “we will take care of you,” and whenever some political leader does not act like a nanny, they say that they are not doing their job, they are not taking care of you. Personally, I don’t want to be taken care of. I stand on my own two feet. I am an American and I will not be treated as a child. Sadly, not everyone shares this sentiment.

Just perusing through the Democrat platform, one finds a value system that seems alien and divorced from the American value system, as I was taught. To be fair, the document does say things like promoting competitiveness and the hard work is good and things like that, but these words ring hollow when you look at their entire agenda. Their brief mention of small businesses is drowned out by their tax schemes, emphasis on union power, and rich versus poor rhetoric. Their talk of the American dream is silenced by their insistence that only government can lead to a comfortable life, that no personal effort can achieve prosperity. They talk of “giving” Americans everything instead of letting Americans get it themselves, instead of freeing Americans… and dishonestly ignore the fact that in order to “give” something, the government must “take” something away, because the government produces nothing. There are many more examples of the disconnect between the far left and Americans in general, I simply outlined a few here. What I honestly believe is that regular Joe liberals do not agree with this stuff. I believe that they care about those who cannot do for themselves and worry that without some sort of safety net too many people will fail, many conservatives believe this too but they do not hold the opinion that government is the only answer. These regular Joe liberals ultimately flock to the party that seems to represent these views, when in fact the Democrat party has been hijacked by the far left and care only for power. If conservatives are to make a dent in the power and size of government, then we must make inroads among these regular liberals because many of them actually do share the American values that the Democrat party disdains.

-AG