Motion: The Republican Party Is Morally Bankrupt

Republican support of defeated Senate candidate Roy Moore, despite credible accusations of pursuing and forcing himself on teenage girls, has elicited cries of moral bankruptcy of the party as a whole. Beginning with the election of Donald Trump, whose moral character has frequently been questioned and condemned, and building as political leaders and the Republican National Committee have failed to withdraw support from either man, the GOP has been seen as abandoning traditional values of sexual continence and respect for women and the family. Mr.Trump's pervasive dishonesty and the passage of a tax reform bill that appears to favor the wealthy has added to the outcry.

Those who describe the party as morally bankrupt accuse it of abandoning traditional conservative principles of economic, social and personal probity. They decry the perceived hypocrisy of what is often referred to as the party of “Christian values.” Its treatment of minorities, the oppressed and the disadvantaged is reflected in the increasing incidence of hate crimes and the growth of inequality in the face of Republican policies. They see its dismantling of Obama-era regulations as endangering vulnerable citizens and the environment; and its support of a president who has elevated a hostile power and attacked the press and most of the institutions of government as a threat to democracy.

Defenders of the Republican party argue that what appears to be an amoral indifference to suffering, inequality, and oppression is often due to their greater appreciation of difficult trade-offs, unintended consequences, the dangers of big government, and an ethic of personal responsibility. They point to the basic decency of the majority of its members and their devotion to foundational principles of traditional marriage, opposition to abortion, and patriotism. They see religious liberty as an essential moral good that is defended by the GOP.

So what do you think? Is the Republican party morally beyond redemption? Or does it remain a legitimate and vital force in the political life of the country? Come to the debate to hear the arguments presented and voice your thoughts in a lively and non-judgemental discussion.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/dec/04/the-moral-and-intellectual-bankruptcy-of-the-republican-party

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/10/29/the-end-of-the-conservative-republican/?sw_bypass=true&utm_term=.b82e38b5f64e

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/455041/divided-politics-armageddon-rhetoric-not-new

http://news.gallup.com/poll/212795/americans-say-parties-core-issue-strengths.aspx

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/us/politics/republican-economic-policies-business.html?_r=0&referer=

https://www.aei.org/publication/trumps-republican-party-is-bound-to-religious-right/