The real divide between Americans isn’t between blacks and whites, men and women, rich and poor or gay and straight. The real divide is between people who see government as a protector of inalienable rights, and those who see government as the provider of rights.
The difference between Protector and Provider doesn’t seem like a big deal. There is a lot of overlap between the two duties, which is why they’re often carried out by the same entity. But when that entity is government, the roles and responsibilities of being a protector or provider makes for wildly different forms of governance. When you have half the voting population who believes in government as provider of rights and the other as their protector, it will create a conflict because ideology drives what each group believes is the ideal size of government.
It doesn’t take a big government to protect inalienable rights. You don’t need millions of bureaucrats, and hundreds of programs to manage people who believe their rights existed before government. However, it takes massive amounts of government to provide you with rights and control access to the vast amount of resources needed in order to maintain them.
People tend to value what is owned vs what is given differently. Homeowners don’t need much external guidance to take care of their own property. On the other hand, renters need janitors, property managers and handymen or the property will become neglected and run down.
Conflict between groups with two different expectations of government is not only predictable, it’s inevitable.
Agreed. I don't know if there is a solution. I believe that we will always be divided by those who think that it is the Government's job to provide for them versus those of us who want limited government. I used to believe that our rights were "automatically" protected by the Constitution. The current regime has made me re-think that.
It has always been so to a degree. In 1776 only 1/3 wanted to leave Britain, 1/3 didn’t, 1/3 had no idea a revolution was going on. 3% did the actual engagement. Not too far from today. Today’s left think “engagement” is only sitting at home in their pajamas with their cats and saying mean things on social media.