Cass Ballenger: “I often hear from liberals that the labels ``liberal'' and ``conservative'' do not mean much anymore. I think that is…”

“I often hear from liberals that the labels ``liberal'' and ``conservative'' do not mean much anymore. I think that is total nonsense. One way to distinguish between liberals and conservatives is to look at how a liberal views taxes versus how a conservative does. A liberal will do everything in his power to make it difficult for others to become rich. A conservative will do everything in his power to help others become rich. A liberal will vilify the rich. A conservative recognizes the benefits to society that the rich provide and the benefits of having a society where people strive to become rich. A liberal believes, apparently, that the rich acquire their wealth at the expense of the poor. A conservative knows that Bill Gates and Michael Jordan achieve riches because they produce things that other people value. Our choice is to put obstacles in the way of those striving to become rich, or take away people's incentive to pursue that same course. For this American holder of public office who is proud to call himself a conservative, it is not a difficult choice.”