Democratic and Republican principles - the difference, in just one silly pronoun
I've been a pretty active DUer since discovering it in a desperate search for internet sanity after the 2004 election. I will never say I've seen it all - even at 58, there are surprises in each day of life, never mind what gets posted here or anywhere on the web. But I spent a lot of time here - some days too much, but it rarely feels wasted. Whether it is the political stuff, or cooking tips, science articles - amazing astronomy stuff finds its way here - music - there is much here to enjoy and learn from.
But one thing that's consistent - at least from what I've lived, I believe, and what I see here - is a pretty consistent use of the term "us". Or, "we". It isn't about the impact on any single one of us - it is the effect on our family, our culture, our sex, peer group, state, country, planet. It means that greed doesn't come into things - or ego, or superiority. I realize this is taken to an extreme, and this "opposite of Ayn" type of sentiment may not resonate with everyone here. But, largely, Democrats - liberals - screw the label, you know what I mean - are mostly about the "we" or the "us".
And that is really what starkly distinguishes us from the other side, the "me" or "I" side. My taxes. My guns. My McMansion.
At least it's pretty damn clear to me.