BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Full text: Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech "How do you know if you are a Republican? I'll tell you how.
"If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government - then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group - then you are a Republican!
"If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does - then you are a Republican! If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children - then you are a Republican!
If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world - then you are a Republican! And, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism - then you are a Republican!
"There is another way you can tell you're a Republican. You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people and faith in the US economy. To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie men!
"The US economy remains the envy of the world. We have the highest economic growth of any of the world's major industrialised nations. Don't you remember the pessimism of 20 years ago when the critics said Japan and Germany were overtaking the US? Ridiculous!
"Now they say India and China are overtaking us. Don't you believe it! We may hit a few bumps - but America always moves ahead! That's what Americans do!"
A related discussion going on this week on Dennis Prager's radio show is the notion that the worldview of the Democratic party is secular and that those that hold it put their faith in the law. This leads them to pursue acceptance by international bodies like the UN rather than opposition of evil, a concept in which they do not believe. On the other hand, Republicans ascribe, formally or informally to a traditional worldview that has concepts of good and evil. They believe that it is their duty to oppose evil where it is found and to do good, not blindly or patronizingly, but morally. Democrats, according to Prager, are morally confused. Republicans, especially conservative ones, are not.
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