Why the Republican Party feels so strongly against the concept of welfare for American citizens has always confounded me. Ever since early childhood I noticed the phenomenon of Republicans spending gazillions of dollars on foreign aid to other nations, annually, while they fought with every ounce of their strength against the Democrats who wanted to spend far less money on welfare for our own citizens in America at the poverty level. I always heard that “charity begins at home.”
I was fortunate to have met Republican President (General) Dwight David Eisenhower when I was only 17 years old and entering college. I asked him that question, as he was a champion of foreign aid and was against American welfare, but he declined to answer me, choosing instead to engage in a dialog warning against the dangers of the industrial complex dominating government in the future. (“Ike” turned out to be a visionary.)
Ironically, President (General) Charles DeGaulle of France was with him at the time, and he refused to speak English to me, only French, as his country was a recipient of American foreign aid at a time when many Americans were suffering from post World War II economics without benefit of welfare, thanks to the Republican Party being in power in America.
Modern day, we face another Republican onslaught against the middle class and the poor who are in dire need of affordable insurance and effective health care, as they fight every Democratic attempt to create a fair, viable health care system for Americans. But, while they continue to force the spending of trillions of dollars of our taxes to fight foreign wars and provide foreign aid, why is it that Republicans care more about people in foreign lands, while Democrats and independents care most about their own people in America? Why do some poor- and middle-class Americans without health insurance available to them continually vote Republican, against their own well-being? Why should I feel sorry for them when they do so?
Bill Baum
Kalispell