Monday, October 27, 2014

Should republicans fight social justice?

Some people say that in order for republicans to remain a viable second party is to support the liberal agenda, that includes the fundamental transformation of America from a melting pot to a salad bowl.

What do I mean?  Well, until the 1960s the United States was melting pot, whereby immigrants who came here voluntarily assimilated. They willingly studied American history and learned English.  They were proud to be here.

Today, we are considered intolerant and racist when we do this. So, instead of being a nation united, we are a nation divided.  So it's this divided nation that is the salad bowl.  Instead of being a nation of Americans (traditional America), we have become an America of Spanish Americans, African Americans, etc.

On June 12, Peter Beinart said that republicans either need to become democrats or they will lose viability.  That means that if they continue to hold on to their traditional American roots, they will cease to exist as a viable party.

He said that America today is no longer the America of WWII, that it is changing. He said there is nothing we can do about it, so we might as well accept it rather than fight it.  In fact, if we fight it, we will no longer be viable.

Beinart believes there is a demographic shift in America that includes a rising tide of immigrants, Hispanics, African-Americans, Native Americans, single women.

We as a nation need to be tolerant of different nationalities, as opposed to simply assimilating them. We need to be all for social justice and social change. 

The America of WWII is old news.  That country was racist, bigoted and homophobic.  That country was denying people their social justice. We were a superpower, but only because people got rich in this country at the expense of the poor and downtrodden in this country and everywhere else in the world.

He believed democrats are optimistic toward this.  He said: 
When grassroots Democrats look at the growing percentage of Latinos, African Americans, and young people, they see a growing constituency for tolerance and social justice.
Republicans, on the contrary, he believed are more pessimistic toward immigration.  He said:
When grassroots Republicans do, they see a growing constituency of takers, who want to turn America away from its exceptional nature.
In other words, he's saying the only thing we republicans can do to remain viable is to give up on our principles, give up on the American dream, and accept the fundamental transformation of America. Because if you don't, it's going to happen anyway.  If you don't join us, you will not be a part of us, and you won't be loved and adored as we will be.

There is a lot of truth in this.  There are a lot of republicans, or at least mainstream republicans, who are afraid to stand up for their principles and oppose Obama on amnesty, because they are afraid of just what Beinart was describing.

I honestly believe that the reason many members of a republican controlled congress keep trying to push for amnesty, even though most members of Congress, and most Americans, oppose it, is exactly because of what Beinart was describing.

I do not, however, think it is ever a good idea to give up on principle. America is always worth fighting for, even at the cost of losing elections. In this way, the only thing standing in the way of the republican establishment is the republican base, or the tea party.

Further reading:

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