Where I stand....

[Malice]

Greetings all. Please bare with me on this one, its a little long-winded.
(I typed this is a text editor, so I would not loose it while typing)

I wanted to type about how I got here.

I come from a very Republican family, very. I differ from my parents quite a bit nowadays.

As you all know I fall into the two basic categories:
Fiscally - I am somewhat "right" here. I am somewhat "republican-esque", the old version, not the current
Republican view of spend on everything. I personally believe the govt should not be doing half of what it does.

Socially - I am somewhat "left-center" here. I have some social or democratic views, but they tend to be tempered
completely with my Fiscal views.

Now, in the beginning I was routing for Romney, I frankly didnt give a crap about his religion, mostly about his
economic knowledge. Historically speaking, most huge empires didnt collapse from war or invasion, it was complete
economic meltdown of some kind, cause it to dissolve.

I thought Obama was intriguing, and lets not get me started on Hillary.

Now, here are my current views of each candidate:
Obama
Tax Policy - Frankly, I think he is dead wrong here. I think he will do more damage than he thinks.
Foreign Policy - I am a little worried with his stance. Now this does not mean he might not be good, I am having a hard
time seeing him be a rock against those who wish to do us harm (and no, I am not trying to cause fearmongering as some
put it)
Social Policy - I can support the idea, not the real issue, we cannot afford a single thing he wants to do, that is
going to kill the US (IMO) faster than his Tax Policy.
Eperience - Not that I am going to say he doesnt have enough to be president, because only a President can have enough
to be President
Overall - This man is a fantastic speaker. Wonderful in front of the camera. The question is, is he who he says he is?
Thru all the speeches and retoric, who is he? No I am not following the "republican party line here, just a realist"
This man could turn out to be a genuis and really do go, I can only hope that if he gets elected.

McCain
Tax Policy - I think his tax policy is a tad better than Obama's, but still not great.
Foreign Policy - I am worried that this warhorse will make things worse. I am secure that he would do what is needed to
defend us, but that is also what worries me.
Social Policy - His healthcare policy is worse than Obama's, but again for me, the Govt should not be involved.
Eperience - Not that I am going to say he doesnt have enough to be president, because only a President can have enough
to be President
Overall - This man is what I classify as a hero. I know people are tired of hearing his history, but to me it simply
shows an impecable character. Now, my biggest problem with McCain, and its a damn big one, his support of the Patriot
Act. To me this is a clear cut violation of the Constitution, which is unacceptable.

In summary, Obama could end up doing good if he wins, reagardless of the fact I dislike MORE of the policies than McCain.
McCain, just like Obama, could be good...or bad...we simply dont know till it happens, just like a football team, you
never know till AFTER the game basically.

What have I really learned from this years campaign.
1) Frankly, both parties need to be shoved in the toilet and flushed. I am hating them more and more.
2) The Media Outlets are biased more than ever, one way or another....
3) The US is really heading an economic meltdown in the many years to come. Yes, we may come out of our current
issues in a year or two....but the US cannot sustain it for long. The meltdown will kill us far sooner than an
"enemy" of the state.

 

[Malice]

This thread ended up a little different that what I started it as....oh well.

 

[gap5ewl]

I'm confused.. are we supposed to put up our political stances on here also or just talk about yours?

 

[Malice]

Post yours...
I originally was posting a timeline of my views,....but it became a pain...
Post your overall thoughts...

 

[UA-Archangel]

Post yours...
I originally was posting a timeline of my views,....but it became a pain...
Post your overall thoughts...

I agree with you that both parties are at a low point.

A large part of that is the unwillingness of the American people to make principled votes and punish parties absolutely when those parties are falling off the tracks.

If you want to fix the system, you need to fix voter apathy.

 

[gap5ewl]

Both my parents tend to lean to the left. My dad is a pretty hardcore radical liberal. But at the same time, both my parents are religious and really can't stand how their religion has been hijacked by political fundamentalism. I live in a very conservative area. So we feel a bit like black sheep in our neighborhood lol.

Social issues I'm pretty liberal. I personally find the big deal that is made over them trivial. Like this whole Prop 8 fiasco in Cali..


Economically ..More moderate I guess. I'll admit I'm not an economic genius (then again, I'm only 19). I do believe we should narrow the economic class gap and that it's disgusting how so many wealthy people get away with corruption but the middle class has to pay for their mistakes.

I do support Obama/Biden and will be voting for them. I really do like Obama's economic policy. I believe over 80% of middle class families will get a tax reduction while those earning over 200 grand will pay more. I'll admit Obama is full of some hot hair..he is a mainstream political candidate so I'm not expecting him to revolutionize Washington for the better. But I agree with most of his policies and think he could fix a lot of the mess Bushie left.

McCain/Palin has just become a disgrace. My biggest problem with McCain: Here's a man whose whole image revolved around being a moderate Republican who didn't always see eye to eye with his party. But now that he's running for president, complete ideaology reverse. He now denounces abortion rights, Supports the christian right (which he criticized back in 2000) and will continue the Bush tax cuts and much more Bush policies then he want's to admit. Furthermore, he has hired the players from Bush's smear campaign agaisnt him in 2000...wtf!?! It's sad to see someone sell out that badly. I really do hope the republican party will reform and get rid of this small town values, christian right crap and stop accusing anyone who isn't on their bandwagon as unpatriotic and such.

I think both parties are completely corrupt and corportations are really taking a hold on Washington. Greed at it's worse.

 

[Paradoxium]

I am a fiscal conservative, I veer much more towards laissez faire capitalism economically speaking. My belief is, economic boom and busts will always happen and there should be no safety net for it. Being economically prosperous forever is a fantasy. People need to fail to learn. The western culture as a whole indoctrinates people into thinking failure is unacceptable (look at how school curriculums are structured). Failure is what humbles you and makes you stronger. I would not say this if I had not experienced this myself.

In terms of social values - like Malice - is tempered by my fiscal and economic sides. I am socially liberal. But in practice of my everyday life, and in my hopes, I probably veer more towards conservatism (i.e. have a traditional family, instill more middle class values if I have kids, don't do drugs and don't **** anything with a hole).

The type of social liberalism and conservatism I am least comfortable with is hardcore (gov't) paternalism... you have tons of examples from the religious fundamentalists, but the lefty are culpable of this too. I think the liberals are absolutely wrong when they think all human behaviors / roles are artificial. Some differences are a result of nature. I am disgusted at the left's attempt to social engineer people on this premise, such as their attempts to mold people through countless laws and in the public school system. You simply can't change certain attitudes and instincts. Nor can you anticipate how they react or circumvent these laws. But again you get something similar from the right as well.

My International Relations belief derives from Realpolitik. Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Thuycidides are my influences. I do not subscribe to the Wilsonian ideas of spreading Democracy. I am a huge advocate of 4th Generation Warfare (4GW), I believe this is the "game" we are now entering into. If you don't accept it - the players of this game couldn't care less, since it will only put you at a strategic and tactical disadvantage. The American military are behind the times in this sense, but they have logistics to transition to 4GW (whilst retaining their 3GW resource advantage). This will save lives and achieve objectives much more efficiently, and ironically cut costs.

So in essence, I am a economic libertarian, fiscal conservative, social liberal (but not so in practice) and a realist. In another words, I am probably one of the hated political types on hype. t:

 

[UA-Archangel]

Fiscally - conservative. We should never run deficits, if they can be avoided. That doesn't mean I'm against deficit spending, but only for infrastructure and war. Never go into deficits for social programs.

Social policy - Mostly conservative here. Our focus should be on getting people to make good and solid decisions, but respect the decisions they make in life. If a person has chosen to make a bad decision, that is their choice and the consequences of that choice should be theirs to bear alone, not society. I am willing to help somebody, almost sacrifice myself, if they're trying to improve their situation through hard work and good choices, but I won't lift a finger if they're doing things to harm themselves.

International politics - It's been said that on the international stage, a country really doesn't have allies, but shared interests. Make no mistake about it, when a statesman from another country is praising the US or cursing the US, he is merely trying to get the US to do something so he has the advantage.

 

[StorminNorman]

Abortion: Pro-Choice; ban late-term abortions unless the mother's health is at risk.
Affirmative Action: Against
Domestic Oil Drilling: For.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Repeal.
Education: Short Term: Repeal NCLB, Utilize School Vouchers for any school.
Energy: Fund alternative energy programs; reinvest in nuclear energy while investing in solar, wind, and geothermal power.
ENDA: Must be passed and must include transgendered individuals.
Foreign Policy: Maintain a realist policy that relies on the use of diplomacy and sanctions before conflict.
Gay Marriage: Legalize.
Health Care: Open up Medicaid and set low premiums so citizens can buy into the program if they want to. Set up regional health care markets to direct citizens to health care within their financial bracket.
Marijuana: Legalize and tax exorbitantly; use taxes to fund schools and infrastructure repairs.
Social Security: Privatize social security for those who make more than $250,000 annually; gradually privatize it further over the course of twenty-five years.
War in Iraq: Withdrawal with victory. Removal of US bases.
Welfare: Needs to be reformed from the ground up. Get rid of free government handouts to those who don't want to work; laziness is not an illness. Require welfare applicants to perform community service work in order to receive a check every week.

 

[The Senator]

Abortion: Pro-Choice; ban late-term abortions unless the mother's health is at risk.
Affirmative Action: Support.
Domestic Oil Drilling: Against at all costs.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Repeal.
Education: Repeal No Child Left Behind; base class placement in public schools on grade performance so teachers can adjust each class's curriculum according to performance levels; distribute school vouchers for public schools only.
Energy: Fund alternative energy programs; reinvest in nuclear energy while investing in solar, wind, and geothermal power.
ENDA: Must be passed and must include transgendered individuals.
Foreign Policy: Diplomacy before war. No exceptions.
Gay Marriage: Legalize.
Health Care: Open up Medicaid and set low premiums so citizens can buy into the program if they want to. Set up regional health care markets to direct citizens to health care within their financial bracket.
Marijuana: Legalize and tax exorbitantly; use taxes to fund schools and infrastructure repairs.
Social Security: Privatize social security for those who make more than $250,000 annually; gradually privatize it further over the course of twenty-five years.
War in Iraq: Never should have been fought in the first place
Welfare: Needs to be reformed from the ground up. Get rid of free government handouts to those who don't want to work; laziness is not an illness. Require welfare applicants to perform community service work in order to receive a check every week.

 

[Paradoxium]

Think this thread should get a sticky, it makes life easier for people who post in here: as in knowing the POVs of other posters, or where they are coming from.

 

[Malice]

So in essence, I am a economic libertarian, fiscal conservative, social liberal (but not so in practice) and a realist. In another words, I am probably one of the hated political types on hype. t:

Are we brothers?

 

[UA-Archangel]

Are we brothers?

He would be your extremely little brother, because he can't do Jack, but squeak when somebody bugs him. You can annihilate your opponent in your little part of the world.

Paradoxium and I are on our collective selves when somebody goes after us, just like we like it.

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

I just find it funny that when Obama was a long shot candidate and I supported him, I felt like the only one here... Now I'm seeing some of the same people come around to support him I guess many of them were loyal to Hillary, but finally came to their senses

 

[Corey]

Independent voter.



Abortion: Pro-Life. Also, I really don't understand how someone can vote no on a ban for partial birth abortion, as it is extremely rare to have a case where the mother's health is in such dire risk that an intact dilatation and extraction is somehow the only option. Frankly, I can't think of a logical way such an event is even possible, but the AMA mentions off-handedly that it is possible--I just can't find any examples, though. To vote "no" because of that reason, is just bad cost-effective analysis, to put it lightly. Unwittingly or not, you're opening a giant loophole for people to "off" unwanted babies last minute, essentially. I realize the debate between what stage one might consider an unborn baby to be deemed "human", but to not understand that partial birth abortion is unequivocally murdering your child, is astounding and disgusting, to me.

Domestic Oil Drilling: Absolutely against. Alaska's biosphere is fragile, and eclectic.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: It never really made sense to begin with.

Education: Repeal No Child Left Behind; three tiered levels per grade year for math, reading, and science so kids can get the attention they need. Equally--if not more important--parents need to be called out and be involved more, somehow.

Energy: Fund alternative energy programs; solar, wind, geothermal. Also, give rewards/grants for architects that encourage clients both commercial and residential to design green in the PRELIMINARY design process (active and passive solar design, rain catchers, sun shelves, etc). There's honestly no reason why every home built can't be at least passively green, as it costs absolutely no extra money. Continue, and, ramp up investment in programs that convert our garbage and waste into energy/fuel. Etc, etc...

ENDA: Must be passed and must include transgendered individuals.

Foreign Policy: Diplomacy before war. Extenuating circumstances can include terrorists or those who murder on a massive scale, etc. Realistic, sensible, firm. Reach out more to the rest of the world.

Health Care: Open up Medicaid and set low premiums so citizens can buy into the program if they want to. Set up regional health care markets to direct citizens to health care within their financial bracket.

Social Security: "Privatize social security for those who make more than $250,000 annually; gradually privatize it further over the course of twenty-five years."--seems reasonable.

War in Iraq: It's a mess, and has been for a very long time. We should not have been focusing the war efforts so much in Iraq, but instead, in regions like Afghanistan--a country in which resided the very reason why we went to war in the first place. However, I will say that Suddam Husean had to be taken care of. He's been mercilessly torturing masses of people for way way too long without much resistance.

Welfare: Needs to be reformed from the ground up. Get rid of free government handouts to those who don't want to work; laziness is not an illness. Require welfare applicants to perform community service work in order to receive a check every week.

 

[Paradoxium]

bump

 

[Addendum]

Abortion - None of my business if a woman decides to get an abortion or not. The final decision rests with her.

Domestic Oil Drilling: Skeptical. There's no guarantee that all of the oil drilled will be kept exclusively for the American market, especially since it is a globally traded product and the companies are the business to make money. Plus it takes 5 years for the sites to be leased, and then another 18 years after the leasing for any impact in production.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: All Americans should be able to serve their country if they so choose, as long as they meet the weight requirements. Gay or straight. Straight people don't go after every single person of the opposite sex they see, neither do gay people.

Education: All public schools should be up to code and with working heat/air and with up to date material, no matter how they perform. However, the main problem is the lack of parental involvement in some areas. No amount of tax dollars can affect that.

Energy: The future of energy is in alternative fuels. If this nation can put people in space and free Europe from dictators, it certainly can fund R/D in alternative energy sources and make it feasible, instead of it being nothing more than a small scale fringe thing.

ENDA: The less discrimination, the better.

Foreign policy: Diplomacy. If all else fails, then war. However make sure the country is behind the war, and the reasons given for it are valid.

Health Care: Skeptical of government run, but the way it is now leaves much to be desired. Organ transplants are not "experimental and unproven procedures". Perhaps something in the middle can be reached, but there has to be changes with HMO policies.

Social Security: Still in favor of it, but saving some things on the side is wise.

War in Iraq: I remember a comment a few years back that "if the Iraqis want us to leave, then we'll leave". The Iraqi government wants us to leave, so why aren't we listening?

 

[The Chairman]

Abortion - Pro-choice. Ban late-term abortions unless the mother's healh is at risk.
Domestic Offshore Drilling - Against.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Get rid of it.
Education - Get rid of NCLB, give out vouchers for all schools
Gay Marriage - Legalize it
ENDA - Pass it. Must include Transgenders.
Foreign Policy - Diplomacy before Conflict, excepting terrorist attacks on our soil (a la 9 / 11).
Health Care - Universal Healthcare. It works in Canada.
War In Iraq - Aim for a mid 2010-early 2011 pull out. We should've never been there in the first palce.
Social Security - Privatize it for the $ 250K crowd.
Marijuana - Legalize it, tax the hell out of it, and put it towards good causes that will benefit the country.
Economic Issues - Like McCain, it's not a subject I'm well versed in. I like Obama's plan, though.​

 

[Schlosser85]

Economy: I guess you could call me a fiscal conservative. We need to rein in wasteful spending (whittling down the 10 billion spent weekly in Iraq would be a major step in the right direction) and do some major reforming of this entire ridiculous earmark pork barrel system...and reforms that actually have teeth and enforcement, not the token reform we've seen so far. I'm leery of 700 billion dollar federal government bailouts of Wall Street and even more leery of the government taking control of banks and companies, but under the extreme circumstances it might be necessary. They have to be handled with total transparency and accountability, though. No bailout money going to buy executives new houses and yachts, and they can afford to pay their own legal fees, vacations, spas, etc. I think McCain's idea to freeze all spending except defense was horrible. Defense is not the only thing going on in America at any given point in time. We won't be able to defend ourselves against outside enemies if we crumble from the inside (see Roman Empire).

Health Care: I think if less wealthy countries than ourselves can have universal health care, we should be able to have the same. But I'm not sure if it's practically possible in the current situation. I do think there should be mandatory coverage for children. At the very least, we should ensure our children are covered. I'm skeptical of it being taken over by the government. Seeing how the government has run other things doesn't fill me with confidence there.

Taxes: I think the graduated income tax, higher income=higher taxes, is only practical and fair. I don't like or support the notion of "punishing" people for being wealthy, but I don't see it as a punishment to pay more taxes according to a higher income. I support ending tax cuts for companies that send jobs overseas, and giving tax breaks to companies that invest in America and American jobs. McCain had a point about companies moving to Ireland because of Ireland's lower business tax. I also support lowering taxes on small businesses.

Foreign Policy: Diplomacy before war, every time, unless we are attacked first or there is no other option. War should always, always, always be the absolute last resort. The war in Iraq was completely unnecessary. We should have focused on Afghanistan after 9/11 and captured or killed bin Laden when we had a chance, instead of veering off into and getting bogged down in Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11. However, now that we are there, I support the phased withdrawal Obama is suggesting. The Iraqi government needs to start providing its own security and paying for its own needs. I support allowing more travel between America and Cuba for Cuban-Americans visiting relatives in Cuba, etc., but I do not support lifting the trade embargo until Cuba releases political prisoners and makes substantial efforts to improve human rights. In situations such as Iran, North Korea, Russia, Darfur, etc., the United States should act in conjunction with the United Nations to apply international pressure as far as nuclear weapon development, invasion of Georgia, genocide and ethnic cleansing, etc.

Illegal Immigration: I am against amnesty for illegal immigrants, but I might be open to a "road to citizenship" workers' program that would allow us to better document the 12 million illegal aliens in the US and help weed out and deport those with criminal records, child molesters, or those who don't want to work lawfully. I think the immigraton laws need to be enforced more stringently than they have been. I support raids, and harsh fines for companies and employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Gay Rights: I am gay, so obviously I support gay rights 100%, including full marriage rights. At the very least, we need civil unions to make sure gay couples are legally recognized as family to ensure hospital visitation rights and that things go where a deceased member of the relationship intends for them to go, etc. I do not believe the rights of law-abiding American citizens should be up for popular vote. I support full federal nationwide legalization of gay marriage. I think "don't ask don't tell" was a lame compromise to begin with. Straight people don't go after every straight person who crosses their path, so I'm not sure why people think gsys would run rampant making advances on every man in their unit.

Abortion Rights: I am pro-choice. I think abortion is a decision between a woman and her doctor. I would support bans on late-term and partial-birth abortion, however. You had months to get an abortion before it got to that point if you wanted one. I am against abstinence only education. Abstinence may be encouraged if the educators so desire, but sex ed must also be taught. If people are going to have sex, they're going to have sex. The way I see it, abstinence only is counterproductive, because neglecting to teach safe sex leads to more unwanted pregnancies and thus more abortions, not to mention more STDs. Putting unwanted babies up for adoption instead of aborting them should be encouraged.

Energy Policy: I think getting us off of our addiction to oil in favor of alternative green energy sources should be one of our top national priorities. I am completely opposed to drilling in wildlife reserves. We need to end our dependence on foreign oil as a national security issue, but turning to our own domestic oil reserves is not the answer, at least not in the long-term. We need a clean, eco-friendly, renewable alternative energy source, and we know this is entirely possible to achieve if we really WANT to achieve it.

Social Security: I am leery of SS being privatized. I believe streamlining and straightening out our economy would help with this situation, but saving as much as possible on the side is smart.

Education: Repeal "No Child Left Behind". All public schools should meet requirements of being up to date with basic heating/air conditioning/facilities, etc. Distribute vouchers for public schools only. Provide schools with more funding for teachers' salaries, facilities, investing in more computers and technology, etc. No passing of students just to be passing them without an understanding of the material. There needs to be some kind of national standardized requirement that stops people from going all the way through high school without learning basic reading skills, or if there is one, it needs to be better enforced, and curriculum adjusted to address the problem. Also, parents need to pay attention.

Welfare: Reform. Weed out those who simply refuse to work and spend generations living off government handouts. Require all receiving welfare to make efforts to find work (applying at at least three jobs a week, etc.). Require welfare recipients to perform community services to receive welfare checks. No handouts for people who do nothing and make no effort to get off welfare.

Affirmative Action: Repeal. Reverse racism. College admissions, employment, etc. should have everything to do with qualifications and nothing to do with race, whatever that race may be.

Marijuana: I have no problem with this. Legalize and tax marijuana exorbitantly, like cigarettes. People are going to do it anyway, so let it help pay for state projects.

Gambling: I have no problem with this either. Legalize gambling and tax the casinos heavily to help pay for state projects, road and bridge building, city renovations, schools investing in more computers and improving their facilities, etc.

Prostitution: I am against legalizing prostitution because of the dangerous behavior (spreading of STDs including HIV). However, some kind of regulations in place could help currtail infected individuals from prostituting, safeguard against violence, etc., but I don't know if this is possible without legalizing it.

 

[Paradoxium]

They have to be handled with total transparency and accountability, though

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aatlky_cH.tY&refer=worldwide

I warned about this, but I got called a fear monger or someone who conducting an exercise of speculative BS. Unfortunately reality has something else to say. Anyways at least when all this is happening now one can prepare, hope you do too.

 

[Schlosser85]

^ Hence why I was nervous about this whole bailout plan in the first place. I don't trust the government.

 

[The Senator]

Affirmative Action: Repeal. Reverse racism. College admissions, employment, etc. should have everything to do with qualifications and nothing to do with race, whatever that race may be.

It's racist to allow underprivileged minorities the same access to educational opportunities as affluent whites? Interesting...

 

[Addendum]

I apologize to bump an old thread, but I foolishly forgot to mention something in my previous post in this thread:

I'm proud to be a Marxist

 

[Malice]

Affirmative Action: Repeal. Reverse racism. College admissions, employment, etc. should have everything to do with qualifications and nothing to do with race, whatever that race may be.

I don't see it as racism....just hipocritical (sp?)