Within the past few years, politicians, pundits, and pretty much everyone else with an opinion on the political landscape, has been using the word “polarized” with increasing frequency. That’s to be expected, because the Democratic majority that had control of Congress between 2007 and 2010 (and still controls the Senate) combined with the White House occupant who moved in after the 2008 elections are fueled by an aggressively liberal doctrine. Liberal extremists run amok have polarized American voters as never before.
The polarization extends far beyond the philosophical differences of the reigning political parties. Republicans and Democrats never agree on the best way to accomplish a goal, so differences in philosophy are to be expected, and have existed for decades. The current situation is unique in that the philosophical differences have gone to polar extremes. Compromise or even meaningful discussion is impossible because conservatives and liberals aren’t quarreling about the best way to achieve a goal, they have completely different goals. Witness the recent willingness of Democrats to ram their programs down the throats of the American people, in spite of obvious wide-spread objections on the part of voters of all persuasions, and Republican legislators.
One of the reasons that conservatives are vehemently opposed to these programs is that they are just the tip of the iceberg; the cost of funding them lurks well below the surface, and exists on a scale large enough to sink not merely a few ships, but an entire nation.
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