I generally disagree with Republican’s conclusions and follow their reasoning relatively well. With the conclusions from Democrats, I usually agree with most of their conclusions but find their reasoning and rhetoric confusing.

For instance, on the issue of immigration there is a lot of information saying that it is positive for the economy or at least not negative. Going through the efforts of deporting people costs money, so it should only be done when there is a reason they must leave. We shouldn’t give people that didn’t go through the immigration process completely advantages, but sending them back to a place that either may be dangerous for them or at the least is not their home makes no sense on many levels.

The Republican thinking here is applied as “justice” instead of what is best for the economy. It is bigger government over smaller government. Why apply that reasoning in this case when you don’t in others?

For Democrats, I’ve seen a lot of reasoning about individuals and their stories. That is very compelling, but with public policy we need to understand the societal impacts. We need to pick the policies that lead to the most social good as well as the most economic good. We need to understand the consequences of those choices. Focusing on things from a social perspective only isn’t going to change anyone’s mind.

We need to learn to look at all facets of issues as a society. If we get minor economic good but large social harm, that is a bad policy.

This feeling that the right reasoning is being applied at the wrong times covers a lot of issues for Republicans for me. Every conversation about a free market in health care is just absurd.

The feeling that the conclusion is right but that the reasoning needs to be qualitative versus quantitative is consistent from the Democrats as well. Why are we arguing women’s health as a moral issue when we could be arguing it as an extremely costly public health crisis waiting to happen? Why aren’t the Democrats trotting out the coat hanger as a symbol again? Why aren’t they discussing this in terms of rich people versus poor people and access to that kind of healthcare? The desired Republican policy literally forces people in poverty to have kids that will be paid for by tax dollars. Also, this regulation increases the size of government, spending money on enforcement and putting more laws on the books.

Let’s think about arguments from all perspectives and then think critically about them. I find when I speak my mind to either a Democrat or Republican, both think I am completely against them and don’t understand them. I need to work on having that dialog in a productive way (to say the least) but I wish the rhetoric and team sport nature of this world wasn’t so barbed and heated.