The Republican Party is somewhat schizoid in its behavior. Ideally, it is supposed to be rooted in individual rights, free markets, and Constitutional laws. In practice, it has accepted most of the premises of the Left, not least of which is the basic moral acceptance of the redistribution of wealth by force, which in any other venue would be considered theft. In addition, it tends to dump its principles when required to win an election, usually by enthusiastically utilizing standard Democratic vote-buying techniques.

These basic conflicts will, in my opinion, eventually tear the party down. The dog's breakfast being made by the Bush Administration of U.S. trade policy is only one symptom of this. There are few pure Republicans left, mostly in the House of Representatives. The closest we had to one as President in recent years was Ronald Reagan.

Ayn Rand wrote the following:

...a few rules about the working of principles in practice and about the relationship of principles to goals.



The three rules listed below are by no means exhaustive; they are merely the first leads to the understanding of a vast subject.

1. In any conflict between two men (or two groups) who hold the same basic principles, it is the more consistent one who wins.

2. In any collaboration between two men (or two groups) who hold different basic principles, it is the more evil or irrational one who wins.

3. When opposite basic principles are clearly and openly defined, it works to the advantage of the rational side; when they are not clearly defined, but are hidden or evaded, it works to the advantage of the irrational side.



These principles are clearly at work in the conflict in the United States between the basic principles of individual rights and capitalism, and the principles of collectivism and socialism.

The Republican Party manages to fall afoul of pretty much all three of these rules. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, is making all three work in their favor.