P. J. O’Rourke explains American Politics to the Europeans in his “Letter to Our European Friends” posted at the Cato Institute.
The difference between American parties is actually simple. Democrats are in favor of higher taxes to pay for greater spending, while Republicans are in favor of greater spending, for which the taxpayers will pay. In foreign policy, Republicans intend to pursue the war in Iraq but to do so with a minimal number of troops on the ground. This is not to be confused with the disastrous Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld policy of using a minimal number of troops on the ground to pursue the war in Iraq. Democrats intend to end the war, but they don’t know when. Democrats are making the “high school sex promise”: I’ll pull out in time, honest!
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Think of America’s politicians as the Seven Dwarves. They’re all short — short on ethics, short on experience, short on common sense, short on something. But we keep thinking that one of these dwarves is going to save our snow white butt.
Thanks to my friend Sev for sending this one out.
