Democrats vs. Republicans What's the Difference?

Democrats talk about the different policies, positions, and priorities we'd see from the White House if Al Gore had been elected instead of George W. Bush.

But members of the Green Party say that most Democratic and Republican politicians - including Gore and Bush - hold similar positions on major issues - and that's why we need a new party that gives power to "We the People" instead of powerful corporations.

Which is true? Judge for yourself - and compare with Green positions :

Issue: Global Warming
Republicans: Bush withdrew the U.S. from the Kyoto Treaty to reduce greenhouse gases and fossil fuel use (oil, coal).
Democrats: Clinton and Gore sabotaged the Kyoto Treaty in November, 2000, demanding higher US greenhouse gas emissions. Clinton and Gore sought no improvement in automobile efficiency standards.
Greens: Support the Kyoto Treaty as a first step, higher efficiency standards, and conversion to renewable energy sources such as low-cost wind and solar power.

Issue: Universal Health Care
Republicans: Oppose guaranteed universal health care, support health policy based on corporate profits for insurance, HMO, and drug companies instead of human need.
Democrats: Clinton and Gore support health policy based on corporate profits; deleted plans for universal health care from the Democratic platform.
Greens: Demand real universal health care -- single-payer national health insurance, with guaranteed treatment and medicine regardless of age, ability to pay, employment, or prior medical condition, and with choice of doctors and hospitals.

Issue: Clean Water
Republicans: Bush wants to delay a 9 month order to reduce arsenic in drinking water.
Democrats: Clinton delayed action for 8 years before signing an order just before Bush took office.
Greens: Demand immediate arsenic reductions.

Issue: The Military Budget
Republicans: Bush wants increases and enactment of "Star Wars" National Missile Defense.
Democrats: Gore proposed even greater increases, supported Star Wars.
Greens: Call for sharp reductions in military spending, with funds redirected into social and environmental needs. Greens call Star Wars a proven failure and a boondoggle for defense fatcats.

Issue: The Death Penalty
Republicans: Bush supports it.
Democrats: Clinton and Gore supported it.
Greens: Oppose the death penalty, citing racial bias, failure to deter crime, widespread errors, and humanitarian objections.

Issue: Global Corporate Power
Republicans: Support Free Trade Pacts (WTO, NAFTA, FTAA).
Democrats: Support the same Free Trade Pacts.
Greens: Oppose, because of their anti-democratic power to overturn labor, environmental, and human rights protections.

Issue: Wages and Unions
Republicans: Oppose raising minimum wages and have worked to weaken unions.
Democrats: Support incremental minimum wages increases, claim to support unions but refuse to overturn Taft-Hartley Act restrictions on union organizing.
Greens: Demand a livable wage (pay that people can live on), democratic workplaces, strong unions, and repeal of Taft-Hartley restrictions.

Issue: Handouts for the rich vs. relief for poor and working Americans
Republicans: Bush proposed a $1.6 trillion tax cut favoring the rich. Passed the Bankruptcy Bill favoring credit card businesses over Americans whose budgets are destroyed by job loss or medical bills. Preach Welfare Reform that penalizes the poor.
Democrats: Proposed a $1.35 trillion tax cut, compromising with Bush, and helped pass the Bankruptcy Bill. Clinton signed the Welfare Reform Act, cutting aid to the poorest Americans.
Greens: Support progressive taxes (relief for low-income and working people); would move funding from military spending to environmental and social needs, including assistance for the poor.

Issue: Abortion
Republicans: Bush opposes abortion, ordered a ban on US funds for overseas agencies that offer abortion.
Democrats: Support abortion rights -- but Clinton signed the same ban in November, 1999. Gore favored outlawing late-term abortion in the US.
Greens: Support full access to abortion, with funding, for all women in the U.S. and around the world.

Issue: Money in Politics
Republicans: Accept big checks from corporations, including defense contractors, oil companies, insurance and drug firms, etc.
Democrats: Accept big checks from corporations. Chose corporate fundraiser Terry McAuliffe to head the Democratic National Committee.
Greens: Refuse to accept corporate contributions; demand an end to special rights for corporations.

Issue: U.S. Democracy
Republicans: No position on democratic reforms. Republican ideologues on the Supreme Court threw the 2000 election to Bush.
Democrats: No position, after initial anger over the 2000 Florida election scandal. The Clinton Justice Dept. refused to investigate obstruction of African American votes.
Greens: Call for major democratic reforms to strengthen citizen participation and minority representation, including proportional representation, instant run-off voting, monitoring of elections, and public financing of campaigns. (More information: www.fairvote.org)

Other issues on which most Republicans and most Democrats agree - and Greens disagree
· Plan Colombia
· The bombing of Iraqi civilians
· Refusal to ban landmines
· Privatization of prisons, other public services and resources
· The War on Drugs
· Severe penalties for marijuana
· Concentrated corporate media control (Telecommunications Act)
· Big corporate mergers and Wall Street bail-outs
· Forest logging giveaways
· Powerful agribusiness lobbies instead of family farms
· Uncontrolled bio-engineering
· Erosion of constitutional protections (Anti-terrorism Act)
· Increased wiretaps and other surveillance
· The Defense of Marriage Act

FACT: When the Senate confirmed Bush's victory, NOT ONE Democratic Senator stood up to support the Congressional Black Caucus's challenge to the vote count. FACT: Democrats gave Bush the margin of victory when the Senate confirmed Cabinet appointees like John Ashcroft, Gale Norton, and other rightwing activists.

Register Green - Vote Green

* End Global Warming: Convert to Renewable Wind and Solar Energy *
* Enact National Health Insurance: Fund Human Needs, Not Corporate Greed *
* Demand Justice and Democracy: Restore the Power of "We the People" *

 

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