Mike made a long and thoughtful post to my last post, and I would like to respond in two parts. First, I’d like to discuss what I believe the Green Party truly stands for, and how I think that differs from his view. Second, I’d like to look at the difference between government sponsored welfare programs and personal charity. The later I will save for another post.
Mike’s summation of the Green Party was as follows: “They (The Green Party) seek to change the current power structure of our Government, instead of top down control i.e. Nation then States, they propose we put more power back in the hands of our states, but more importantly our cities and communities.” I do agree they want to take back power from the Federal Goverment, but to say that is the Green Party in its entirety falls far short of what they really want.
For this post I will look at the 2004 Platform for the Green Party. The following excerpts are all taken directly out of the platform as decided upon by the Green Party. They are not my own ideas about the Green Party, but the official stance taken by the Green Party during the 2004 election. Below you will find the excerpts in black, and my comments in blue. The following are in no specific order.
1) Young people should be provided with education regarding their own and others’ sexuality at the earliest appropriate time.
- I don’t think the government has any responsibility to educate my future child about their sexuality, any other kid’s sexuality, or the moral judgements they would like to impose. I can almost assure you they would not be teaching a biblical perspective of homosexuality.
2) People of color in this country have legitimate claims to reparations in the form of monetary compensation for centuries of discrimination.
- This idea is riddled with problems. Who deserves money, and how is that decided? How much have they suffered, and what amount of money will compensate that? The hard truth is that the people that really suffered (slaves) have all passed on. While we’re at it, shouldn’t we just start throwing out money to every group of people that have ever been discriminated against? Native Americans, gays, women, children…on and on and it will never stop.
3) We oppose discriminatory English-only pressure groups. We call for a national language policy that would encourage all citizens to be fluent in at least two languages.
-So English shouldn’t be the language of the United States? How dare we ask that people who come to this country speak the language of our country.
4) Ending governmental use of the doctrines of specific religions to define the nature of family, marriage, and the type and character of personal relationships between consenting adults.
- This should be an EYE OPENER to any Christian. The Green Party would do away with marriage as we know it. Gay marriage, brother-sister marriage, the possibilities are endless. I happen to think the institution of marriage that has existed for the last several thousand years is a good thing for society.
5) All people have a right to food, housing, medical care, jobs that pay a living wage, education, and support in times of hardship.
- The key word here is right. I disagree, I don’t think people that are lazy, drug addicts, and alcoholics, have a right to those things. When you say someone has a right to a job, you have entered socialism. It’s no longer about effort because it’s now a handout.
6) We call for restoration of a federally funded entitlement program to support children, families, the unemployed, elderly and disabled, with no time limit on benefits. This program should be funded through the existing welfare budget, reductions in military spending and corporate subsidies, and a fair, progressive income tax.
- Ahh, more Socialism! Two big problems here: no time limit on benefits, and a progressive income tax. So you can be lazy for as long as you want, and the benefits will keep rolling in. And a progressive income tax (which we have now, though I’m sure it would be “improved” upon) does nothing but stifle the desire for wealth creation. The message that is being sent is this: the harder you work, the more money we will take. That is not the way to grow an economy and create wealth. (Note: wealth is not money).
7) We must take aggressive steps to restore a fair distribution of income. We support tax incentives for businesses that apply fair employee wage distribution standards, and income tax policies that restrict the accumulation of excessive individual wealth.
- Less government involvement Mike? This is Socialism at its finest. This is the government taking money from the rich, and giving it to the poor. I disagree that this is a “fair” distribution of income. I think a fair distribution is getting what you earn. Take a look at post WW2 Russia, China, and Cuba. It’s been tried and it has failed. Socialism puts more people into poverty, not less.
We support tuition-free post secondary (collegiate and vocational) public education.
- If someone wants to become a ballet dancer, or a rock guitar player, fine, but I don’t want to pay for it. Our public education system (K-12) teaches people basic skills they need to live in society. Anything beyond that is up to the individual. (Note: Our CSU’s and community colleges are massively government funded already, but affordable and free are very different.)
9) We oppose the arrest, harassment or prosecution of anyone involved in any aspect of the production, cultivation, transportation, distribution or consumption of medicinal marijuana. We also oppose the harassment, prosecution or revocation of license of any health-care provider who gives a recommendation or prescription for medicinal marijuana.
- To me, that sounds like no one can get in trouble for prescribing marijuana, regardless of whether or not the patient needs it. It also sounds like no one can get in trouble for having it also. Put those two together and you have the legalization of marijuana. However, if you think marijuana will make society more productive, I guess that makes sense.
10) A publicly funded health care insurance program, administered at the state and local levels.
- Ah Mike, here is your local control you were talking about. The only problem is publicly funded health care is one of the worst ideas ever, just look at Canada. Sometimes you have to wait up to 3 months just to get a special test because the system is so slow. Senator Phil Gramm said it best, “Do you really want the people at the DMV running this country’s healthcare?” I hope not.
11) We support day-care service offered at every workplace when feasible, or reasonably near-by when not feasible at the workplace.
- Sounds like more government control, not less.
12) We support the establishment of a reduced-hour work week and at least one month of vacation per year for all workers.
- Sounds like the government controlling private business. Know what this would do? The cost for companies to do business would sky rocket, profits would go down, and coupled with mandatory “living wages” our economy would turn to crap. Again, see Russia, China, Cuba, etc.
If you’re still reading this I’m very impressed, but I would like to clarify something. This post is not meant to be hostile to Mike in any way. I honestly don’t think you have a complete understanding of what the Green Party stands for Mike, and maybe the above was eye-opening. However if it was not, and you have in fact seen all these official stances of the Green Party, I would be curious to know why you agree with them. To everyone else that finished this post, I am very impressed. 
