Notice how all the partisan pundits today advocate a centerist, moderate on both sides. Sort of blur's the whole two party system thing into oblivion. I would say they are so similar now that there is really very little difference. People that do align themselves with one party or the other, IMO, have a sort of perversed blind loyalty, perhaps that they were raised on, or some other factor.
What makes people vote republican
- Thread starter bombardier52
- Start date
I didn't understand the article that way. I don't think that he ever says that they are voting against their interests. He says that they "seem" to be voting against their interests. Through the lens of a liberal, is how I read that. I could be wrong though.
I think he thinks the working classes are voting in their interests, it is just that their interests are not what a liberal thinks they are. Wow, I'm not sure that came out clearly but that is how I read it.
Facetious
Moderated
What is the old saying about Washington DC ? -
"69 Square Miles Surrounded By Reality".
. . and they know how to beat the system with their law degrees.
Nice ! Study law for purposes of defying it.
Jerks !!!
Deep South Whites especially. Before 1964 Southern Whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic ,but LBJ(D-Texas) admitted to an assistant that when he signed the "Voting rights Act" & "Civil Rights Act" he had given the Republican party the Deep South vote for at least a generation. He was right as since 1964 Southern whites have only voted for but two Democaratic Presidents. And they were two Southern guys who came across as "good ol' Boy's" or "Bubba's".(Clinton & Carter) AL Gore (Tennessee didn't fit that image) & won not one Southern state including his own home state.
Southern Whites(who used to vote Democratic overwhelmingly) now see it as a party of Minorities,Feminist,Elitest,etc... while they see the Republican as a party that looks more like them(see the very WHITE RNC convention) & therefore will fight for their best interest which is not necessarily the case Basic Cultural & Identity politics.
In 45 years only two(2) White Democrats could even win at least a single Southern State & I don't seeing that change anytime soon unfortunately.
"Why in particular do working class and rural Americans usually vote for pro-business Republicans when their economic interests would seem better served by Democratic policies?'
First I might disagree with the usually vote for republicans.A large % of people pretty much of both groups everywhere voted for the dems in 2006 congressional races.And I don't read that at all that he is saying those groups when they vote republican are voting their interests especially when it comes to economic interests.What he is saying is its all those other issues,the flag ,guns, gays etc that motivate them to vote republican.When he says they are voting for pro-buisness republicans instead of the dems who would seem to serve their interests better he is talking about things like policys that favor the owners of companies over the interests of their workers.It's really impossible to argue IMO that the republicans and their policys are to the benefit of workers.The republicans try to sell people on the idea that what is good for the employer will end up being good for the workers,that is a snow job.Real wages have declined for decades for workers and they have lost all kinds of power and benefits.Just look at the biggest employer in the country which is walmart who was recently telling their employees they should vote republican.Walmart has enormous profits but pays poor wages and only gives 1/2 their employees health care and of course hates the idea of a union ever being introduced so that the workers might have some power to demand better.Might be in the interests of Walmart and the their owners and executives to have republicans who are anti-union (pro-buisness as the prof would put it) elected but it sure isn't in the interests of the workers.Almost every worker right people have today like the minimum wage,overtime is due to the blood and work of union members who fought for them.Those efforts are what made the middle class in america instead of just a rich ruling class and the exploited rest.The decline of unions has been whats led to things like the situation at walmart,they could eaily afford to do better by their employers but since they are not forced to ,they don't and that is and has been helped by so-called pro-buisness politicians.Time to promote unions and workers interests again to bring some balance back,and republicans and their policys are not seen as being friendly to that at all.
remember that the first republican was federalist abraham lincoln. The democrats were the dixie party, the klans party. when they all got outed as the racist robber barons that they were, no body would vote democrat. So they wised up and they all jumped ship and switched over to the republican party and were able to take control and dupe the people. that's why they do nothing but pander to Big government and big business, while parroting the same old lines about how they want to protect states rights and cut taxes (for the wealthy, not for the working man.) and they eat it up.
Yes that is interesting to see how the Republican Party was seen as a friend to Blacks & they voted overwhelmingly Repub from 1870 until 1930's when FDR managed to get practically everyone's vote. No matter how many times Repubs try to convince Blacks that they turned their backs on Lincoln's party
they are not fooled . That(today's Republican party) is NOT LINCOLN"s party!Blacks have been aware of the fact that all of those White Racists "Dixie Crats" who ran the Dem party switchced to the Rep. party after 1964. They were upset because LBJ passed the Voting Rights & Civil Rights Acts. Southerners found comfort in Repubs who are so called defenders of states rights.
Blacks have voted at least 80 percent or more(90 percent voted for Mondale & Gore) Dem since then.
Repubs foolishly try to counter that blacks are voting Obama because he is Black
,but fail to tell you that they(Blacks) have voted overwhelmigly DEM the past four(4) decades:'80(83% DEM) 84(91% DEM) 88(89% DEM) 92(83% DEM) 96(84% DEM)
2000 & 04(Blacks voted 90% & 88% Dem. so you cannot blame Blacks for Bush:1orglaugh)
Back on topic however. This has simply become Identity/Cultural politics. Working class Whites identifying with the republican party no matter if their policies are against their best interest & pandering/fear mongering.
Telling the Bible Thumpers /religious right that Dems are Immoral( Pro Gay rights/Pro Choice/Pro Sex education in school,anti school prayer, Pro family planning,etc,......), Hunters/Outdoorsmen that dems want to take their guns
& they fall for it hook line & sinkerSome of us vote republicans because as we have grown and learned, we have discovered that the Democrats just do not believe as we do. When I was 18 and registered to vote, I registered as a Democrat. As I grew older I realized that the people that believed as I did were the CONSERVATIVES and not the LIBERALS.
I was rewarded for my vote for Bill Clinton in 1992 with the biggest tax increase ever passed on the American Public. At 8 Bucks an hour I damn sure wasn't rich. Much Like obama is promising, it was supposed to be a tax increase on the "rich".
That was the last time I ever voted Democrat in a national election. I will not be a party to place that kind of burden back on the American public.
I voted for Bush in 2000, those taxes along with more were repealed, one of the 3 biggest tax cuts in history. THAT was an immediate difference I noticed, and if Obama gets in office, I can look forward to him sticking his hand back in my pocket. He has already said he will repeal the Bush tax cuts, that DIRECTLY affects me.
The guy that wrote that article has no clue what he is talking about with the economy and relationship to taxes and the common man. I am living proof that he has it exactly backwards. And I am definitely not rich.
I live in a Military City. A LOT of our economy depends on the military base here and the resulting employees. Obama is on a mission to destroy our national defense and military, including missile defense, which is VITAL to this country. Need anyone be reminded of threats by Iran, China and North Korea?
I really believe this plan by obama to be very fool hearty It is also incredibly short sighted. See threats above.
Democrats tax and spend. These people are so clueless that they are talking about another tax "rebate" check to the citizens of this country because the last one was a good boost for the economy.
THEN they are going to raise taxes when they take office (Which I PRAY is not going to happen!) THEY HAVE STATED THIS in no uncertain terms.
They don't realize that things are better when you leave people's MONEY in THEIR HANDS, RICH or POOR they WILL spend it. That is fact and has been proven time and time again.
Obama has shown how much he cares about your struggles and how hard things are for you. When asked about the gas prices his answer was "I would have preferred a more GRADUAL adjustment". THAT was his answer, so his opinion is basically, too damn bad, hate it for ya! I can afford it so, oh well.
What a nice young man.
NOBODY can argue that the world isn't a safer place with Sadam Hussein gone. With other countries gaining military strength, thanks in LARGE parts to deals made by one BILL CLINTON, we need a strong national defense, something that will not happen if democrats win this election.
Say what you want about the war, but we haven't had an attack on our soil in 7 years.
The economy went into the toilet when the democrat controlled congress was elected.
Obamas economic "Plan" that everybody is so happy about because it will tax those evil corporations, is an absolute pile of crap.
Of course it probably won't affect you unless you buy things like groceries, gas, clothes, utilities OR if you draw a paycheck from a company.
You vote for the democrats and you ARE putting your job in jeopardy.
The reason I vote Republican, is they tend to be more in line with what I believe and what I know to be true.
No Country has EVER taxed itself into prosperity. Socialism doesn't work, and socialized medicine doesn't work. The things he has said he will do, are absolutely not conducive to the way this country was founded and earned its place in the world.
The things he has proposed amounts to nothing more than socialism and collectivism.
Redistribution of wealth, which is a big part of this "plan" will cause the economy to stagnate and then fail.
I don't, nor will I ever agree with the way liberals think. I do not GIVE respect, it is EARNED. I can't respect someone who has shown himself to be a known associate of terrorists, racists and communists.
I will never be a party to electing someone who believes and acts as obama has.
The number of people who actually believe and agree with this guy is frightening.
If he gets elected, I hope we make it for FOUR years, but I really have my doubts.
I was rewarded for my vote for Bill Clinton in 1992 with the biggest tax increase ever passed on the American Public. At 8 Bucks an hour I damn sure wasn't rich. Much Like obama is promising, it was supposed to be a tax increase on the "rich".
That was the last time I ever voted Democrat in a national election. I will not be a party to place that kind of burden back on the American public.
I voted for Bush in 2000, those taxes along with more were repealed, one of the 3 biggest tax cuts in history. THAT was an immediate difference I noticed, and if Obama gets in office, I can look forward to him sticking his hand back in my pocket. He has already said he will repeal the Bush tax cuts, that DIRECTLY affects me.
The guy that wrote that article has no clue what he is talking about with the economy and relationship to taxes and the common man. I am living proof that he has it exactly backwards. And I am definitely not rich.
I live in a Military City. A LOT of our economy depends on the military base here and the resulting employees. Obama is on a mission to destroy our national defense and military, including missile defense, which is VITAL to this country. Need anyone be reminded of threats by Iran, China and North Korea?
I really believe this plan by obama to be very fool hearty It is also incredibly short sighted. See threats above.
Democrats tax and spend. These people are so clueless that they are talking about another tax "rebate" check to the citizens of this country because the last one was a good boost for the economy.
THEN they are going to raise taxes when they take office (Which I PRAY is not going to happen!) THEY HAVE STATED THIS in no uncertain terms.
They don't realize that things are better when you leave people's MONEY in THEIR HANDS, RICH or POOR they WILL spend it. That is fact and has been proven time and time again.
Obama has shown how much he cares about your struggles and how hard things are for you. When asked about the gas prices his answer was "I would have preferred a more GRADUAL adjustment". THAT was his answer, so his opinion is basically, too damn bad, hate it for ya! I can afford it so, oh well.
What a nice young man.
NOBODY can argue that the world isn't a safer place with Sadam Hussein gone. With other countries gaining military strength, thanks in LARGE parts to deals made by one BILL CLINTON, we need a strong national defense, something that will not happen if democrats win this election.
Say what you want about the war, but we haven't had an attack on our soil in 7 years.
The economy went into the toilet when the democrat controlled congress was elected.
Obamas economic "Plan" that everybody is so happy about because it will tax those evil corporations, is an absolute pile of crap.
Of course it probably won't affect you unless you buy things like groceries, gas, clothes, utilities OR if you draw a paycheck from a company.
You vote for the democrats and you ARE putting your job in jeopardy.
The reason I vote Republican, is they tend to be more in line with what I believe and what I know to be true.
No Country has EVER taxed itself into prosperity. Socialism doesn't work, and socialized medicine doesn't work. The things he has said he will do, are absolutely not conducive to the way this country was founded and earned its place in the world.
The things he has proposed amounts to nothing more than socialism and collectivism.
Redistribution of wealth, which is a big part of this "plan" will cause the economy to stagnate and then fail.
I don't, nor will I ever agree with the way liberals think. I do not GIVE respect, it is EARNED. I can't respect someone who has shown himself to be a known associate of terrorists, racists and communists.
I will never be a party to electing someone who believes and acts as obama has.
The number of people who actually believe and agree with this guy is frightening.
If he gets elected, I hope we make it for FOUR years, but I really have my doubts.
How can you keep spending trillions on the world stage, owing everyone, forcing the value of the dollar down without increasing taxes? They way ultimately do it is continue wasting resources, build an even bigger military and then threaten to kick the crap out of eveyone else as needed.
Last week they talked about a budget twice as bad as last year, and partly due to the well publicized tax rebates. Tax and spend? It's more like Spend and Spend.
Clinton was very close to balancing an out of control Reagan deficit and before the Bush out of control bigger deficit.
Obama said windfall profits from oil companies should amount to a rebate of $1000 each.
It seems most people feel the war was unjustified and Iraq not a target. Pretty clearly we were all lied to.
Bush's War
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/
Last week they talked about a budget twice as bad as last year, and partly due to the well publicized tax rebates. Tax and spend? It's more like Spend and Spend.
Clinton was very close to balancing an out of control Reagan deficit and before the Bush out of control bigger deficit.
Obama said windfall profits from oil companies should amount to a rebate of $1000 each.
It seems most people feel the war was unjustified and Iraq not a target. Pretty clearly we were all lied to.
Bush's War
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/
And just exactly WHO is gonna pay for those "windfall Profits"? That is a BS term by the way, no such thing.
ONE thing is for sure, The oil companies are NOT gonna take it lying down, you and I will pay for that with higher gas prices.
It's been proven over and over that LOWER taxes lead to a BETTER economy.
Say what you want about the war, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ATTACKED SINCE 9/11 2001! THAT is FACT.
ONE thing is for sure, The oil companies are NOT gonna take it lying down, you and I will pay for that with higher gas prices.
It's been proven over and over that LOWER taxes lead to a BETTER economy.
Say what you want about the war, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ATTACKED SINCE 9/11 2001! THAT is FACT.
Umm.. you pay upfront or you pay in other ways. Partisan bias aside.. Clinton raised taxes and made friendly (some say he was too soft) with our foreign friends. The rich paid a large amount, as he said.
Bush made huge tax cuts. Then proceeded to go to war with Afghanistan and Iraq. Those taxes you arent paying upfront, now you're paying after the fact through high oil/gas prices.. diminishing dollar value and the rest of the world thinks even less of us.
The point isnt that you have to pay either way. Clinton fucks you in the front, Bush fucks you from behind. You're always going to get fucked.. but it's your decision.. your responsibility to choose between the more intelligent of the two.
Raising taxes increases short term prosperity. Eventually consumer confidence drops, unemployment rises from companies worrying about their bottom line and in the end.. after the party... you cut taxes and let it even out again.
That's contradictory but it's not about Obama, Bush, Clinton, Kerry..
When you cut national defense spending.. the tax burden will always be lightened. When you you increase or maintain defense spending.. the tax burden is the same. But the burden is always passed on to the taxpayers. You cant point fingers at Obama because HE HASNT EVEN DONE ANYTHING YET! You can definitely point it at Bush because he engineered the Afghanistan/Iraq invasion and jumpstarted this oil price nonsense. Then to satisfy the 'incredibly short sighted' american psyche, he offers free money, tax cuts and tax breaks for buying big gas hog cars.
Printing out more money and giving it away for free devalues your dollar. The average white, blue-collar republican voter doesnt know that 1.00 dollar does NOT equal 1.00 dollar. They dont know the math, they dont know why food portions are getting smaller while prices are still going up. Gas prices? Must be Iraq's fault! Must be something wrong with anyone 'except' the current administration.
It boils down to demo's do actually want change, but you cant change an old system if you have to buy-into.. or sell-out yourself.. to get ahead. They fuck you in the front and then maintain their approval rating by not doing stupid things like bombing a country with zero WMD's and never actually finding the figurehead (Bin Laden) they set out to get.
Repub's want to censor new things and maintain a status quo. They cut taxes, throw money around.. and fuck you from the sides. They sneak their hands into your pocket and whisper poison into your ear that politicians are moral men.. god-fearing men.. they'll tell you tonight has 5 great points I need to make. They'll make 4 nice, down-home common sense points.. then throw in a big buttfuck at the end.
"We have to defend our way of life! YAY"
"We have to find this axis of evil and now I want y'all to pray wiff me. YAY"
"We need more edu.. educ..more teachin' YAY"
"You cannot harm our way of life! We're mighty and we'll stick a boot in yer ass! YAY"
"By the way, I'm gonna go disrupt two other countries oil pipelines.. bomb the shit outta them, give tax breaks to the corporations that wont trickle down to you, gas prices will go up and the corporations will still post record profit..but ah got this nice country'boy accent so I can just keep talkin' and make the 12% who're still approvin' of meh sleep soundly tonight while their sons and daughters are over their risking their asses and running up a national bar tab that y'all are payin'! HEE HEE!" YA..yay? No. No yay.
Yeah, and they'll pull out of Iraq. Dismantle outdated and money-pit bases and hopefully not rape this mortgage situation further. Sorry about your local base economy.. but you sacrifice the few for the many. Right now the many are suffering for the few. are you really any better off now after all those tax breaks, and the economic stimulus check or are you just still sore about ancient history? 1992? Sheesh. Move on. Gas was under 2 bucks a gallon back in the Clinton days, ya whiner!
Ugh, what is it with conservatives and guns? This isnt 19-friggin-42. Our military isnt a deterrent. It's a relic. If someone truly, truly wants to attack us.. THERE WONT BE ANYTHING LEFT! You cant defend against the next war.
Millions of troops, guns.. bombs.. it all means nothing. The moment the next war starts.. and I dont mean Afghanistan or Iraq.. that was just American being the overarmed, stupid bully of the world. Attacking another country for years. .. and Americans have the balls to say Russia cant do the same thing against Georgia! Of course it can, the bad part is that America.. being the same bully.. believes it has to be world police and maybe, just maybe come to its aid. ::sigh:: The next world war wont determine who is right, but who is LEFT OVER! Big friggin bombs.. endless destruction.. Mutually. Assured. Destruction.
You dont spend more to balance it out. There will be no 'balancing', no deterring the bad guys. If someone pushes that button.. that's it. With that said.. the short-sighted thing to do is elect Palin. She's.. unstable, inexperienced.. and she'll be the one to push the button when McCain's time to pass. That's thinking long-term. Intelligently.
Have you ever thought a democrat would push that button? lol Biden's got some balls on him, he knows the foreign game. I'd say he wouldnt do anything rash but he's got fire in his heart.
The right thing to do now is stop our current military action so we can focus on the people again.
It'll be a great day when education gets all the money it wants and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy bombers. ~Author unknown, quoted in You Said a Mouthful edited by Ronald D. Fuchs
Say what you want about the war, but we haven't had an attack on our soil in 7 years.
The economy went into the toilet when the democrat controlled congress was elected.
Obamas economic "Plan" that everybody is so happy about because it will tax those evil corporations, is an absolute pile of crap.
Of course it probably won't affect you unless you buy things like groceries, gas, clothes, utilities OR if you draw a paycheck from a company.
You vote for the democrats and you ARE putting your job in jeopardy.
The reason I vote Republican, is they tend to be more in line with what I believe and what I know to be true.
No Country has EVER taxed itself into prosperity. Socialism doesn't work, and socialized medicine doesn't work. The things he has said he will do, are absolutely not conducive to the way this country was founded and earned its place in the world.
The things he has proposed amounts to nothing more than socialism and collectivism.
Redistribution of wealth, which is a big part of this "plan" will cause the economy to stagnate and then fail.
I don't, nor will I ever agree with the way liberals think. I do not GIVE respect, it is EARNED. I can't respect someone who has shown himself to be a known associate of terrorists, racists and communists.
I will never be a party to electing someone who believes and acts as obama has.
The number of people who actually believe and agree with this guy is frightening.
If he gets elected, I hope we make it for FOUR years, but I really have my doubts.[/QUOTE]
Liberals give respect because we're all human and it's the PROPER thing to do to respect someone even if they dont deserve it. It's the wise thing to know of the past so you cant further it or repeat it any sooner than it inevitably will.. and to move on from dangerous beliefs and unnecessary traditions. Old traditions die hard when so many people respect the the past more than the liberals around them. Hmph.
Conservatives believe respect should be earned..but proudly declare "I will never respect someone who does this or associates with them!" Soo.. it's hypocrisy, IMO. They say people should earn it EXCEPT for those people, and these people.. and.. oh you cant do this. And that guy, he did this one time and that makes him a terrorist FOREVER! He smoked weed in high school, do you want a POTHEAD PRESIDENT?! He doesnt believe in jesus, WHY ELECT A SATANIC MUSLIM?!? I keep getting emails.. unsubstantiated, conservative emails.. Liberals give respect to undeserving conservatives because we've grown past the narrow halls of a cloistered conservative vision.
In my experience one of the biggest reasons poor rural people vote republican even when it might not seem economically good for them to do so is because a lot of them have a few, sometimes very few, but incredibly important issues that strongly matter to them. The people that vote republican ten to be on average more loyal to their party, or fanatical about an issue than democrats are even if they are outnumbered by moderate democrats.
While it might be the case that the democrats that they can vote for have a lot more issues that they agree with them on...the ones they don't agree with them on are absolute deal breakers to them. Things like religion with gays and abortion probably play an important part, but despite people out there thinking religion is the only reason that isn't the case. For example, one of the biggest issues where I can think of where this happens that doesn't involve religion is gun control. I know people that can think a democrat candidate is absolutely perfect except for that, and they could be up against Satan in an election, and the best the democratic candidate can hope for in that case is that they don't vote at all because there is no way they're voting for them just because of that one issue. I can remember my father once saying that if they would have just gotten off of that they probably would have taken over decades ago (I'm not stating that as fact but just telling what was his opinion on the matter). He hated republicans and there economic policies, but almost always voted for them for that single issue. Another thing I can think of are people out there with the libertarian economic mindset that view that economic philosophy as almost a religion within itself and will vote republican based of the fact they are closer to it. Finally, I will admit there are in fact people out there that will vote for one party or another because of what there families did in the past and that is what they have always done, but I find that to be less and less the case as time goes on.
While it might be the case that the democrats that they can vote for have a lot more issues that they agree with them on...the ones they don't agree with them on are absolute deal breakers to them. Things like religion with gays and abortion probably play an important part, but despite people out there thinking religion is the only reason that isn't the case. For example, one of the biggest issues where I can think of where this happens that doesn't involve religion is gun control. I know people that can think a democrat candidate is absolutely perfect except for that, and they could be up against Satan in an election, and the best the democratic candidate can hope for in that case is that they don't vote at all because there is no way they're voting for them just because of that one issue. I can remember my father once saying that if they would have just gotten off of that they probably would have taken over decades ago (I'm not stating that as fact but just telling what was his opinion on the matter). He hated republicans and there economic policies, but almost always voted for them for that single issue. Another thing I can think of are people out there with the libertarian economic mindset that view that economic philosophy as almost a religion within itself and will vote republican based of the fact they are closer to it. Finally, I will admit there are in fact people out there that will vote for one party or another because of what there families did in the past and that is what they have always done, but I find that to be less and less the case as time goes on.
Thanks for a good thread starter! I find Republican voters stand for 3 things; low taxes or gun rights or pro-life. Of course that is too broad a brush too really paint all people. But talking to many fellow friends who do not share my personal views, they seem to grab strongly one of the three and vote accordingly.
Very interesting point. I suppose that their are "deal breaker" issues on both sides that bring people to reject a party on platform alone. The three you cite make sense to me on the republican side. On the dem side I would guess that pro-choice and anti-Iraq war would be the "deal breakers."
Alright... I admit it. I vote Republican. But I don't consider myself the stereotypical right-wing Christian nutjob that you see on the news. A few examples:
1) My fundamental view on politics can be largely explained by something a teacher mentioned in high school: If you think people are basically good, and lots of people working together are even better, then you should vote Democrat. If you think people are basically evil, and lots of people working together are even more evil, then you should vote Republican. Call me a cynic, but I truly believe in "original sin" (or whatever you want to call it). People are born with an inclination to do evil. The greatest crimes of man have generally come when they tried to work together for what they considered the common good, and the greatest achievements of man have come from a single individual or minority group working alone. I will never believe that welfare, social security, the UN, or (god help us) socialized healthcare will ever result in something good because the more people that you put into it, the more corrupt and worthless it will become.
2) I hate George Bush. I hate him with a passion. He took all that was good in the Republican party and shit on it. We're supposed to have a strong national defense so that we don't have to use it... so that we can "speak softly and carry a big stick." We're supposed to put education into the hands of the local authorities who know what's wrong with their schools, not mandate worthless arbitrary standards from Washington and then punish the schools that need the most help. We're supposed to leave the legislation of moral issues like homosexuality up to the states, not write it into the Constitution. And most of all... we're supposed to REDUCE GOVERNMENT SPENDING, jackass.
3) There are a few platform issues on which I agree with the Republican party. For example, I'm Pro-Life. But I'm not Pro-Life because Pat Robertson tells me to be Pro-Life. I'm Pro-Life because I believe it logically inconsistent to be anything but Pro-Life. Our system of law is based on one fundamental premise: your rights end where another person's rights begin. That is, unless you can't speak for yourself. Then we can shit all over you. That's at least how I view legalized abortion. Choice is irrelevant. I don't have the legal choice to endanger your life by running a red light, even if it is convenient for me to do so. So why does a woman have the legal choice to kill her child because it is convenient for her to do so? Likewise, privacy is irrelevant. Domestic assault is illegal, even if it takes place inside someone's home and neither party - attacker or victim - admits that it occurred. Abortion is no more than legalized domestic assault. And don't tell me that we don't know if/when the child is "alive" or "a person". That may be true for the earliest abortions, but there are plenty of legal abortions after the first trimester when the infant is very clearly a distinct human being. But since it has no legal representation, and because we have legally defined it to be the property of its mother, it can be maimed, tortured, or killed at her convenience. You know, there was another time in history when we gave a group of people no legal representation and legally defined them to be the property of another person so that they could be maimed, tortured, and killed at another person's convenience...
4) There are also a few platform issues on which I disagree. For example, I not terribly Pro-Gun. I believe we have an inalienable right to keep and bear arms. Most governments that severely restrict the right of their citizens to own implements of self-defense eventually end up abusing that power to the detriment of their citizens. So some gun ownership is good. But I don't believe increasing gun ownership will in any way help the crime problems of this nation. And I believe a significant level of gun restriction is a common sense necessity for public safety (i.e. semiautomatic assault rifles, background checks, etc). So I suppose I'm a moderate on this issue.
5) Another platform issue on which I disagree is corporate regulation. Complete laissez faire economics don't always work. One of the best examples of this are limited source utilities. Capitalism doesn't work when there is only one major producer of electricity for a region, or one major supplier of oil, or a network of gas refineries functioning as a cartel. They must be regulated by someone. And since many of these function across several state lines, it is the Constitutional duty of the Federal government to regulate this form of interstate trade. Is it a great solution? No. But given the current energy market, its the best we can do.
1) My fundamental view on politics can be largely explained by something a teacher mentioned in high school: If you think people are basically good, and lots of people working together are even better, then you should vote Democrat. If you think people are basically evil, and lots of people working together are even more evil, then you should vote Republican. Call me a cynic, but I truly believe in "original sin" (or whatever you want to call it). People are born with an inclination to do evil. The greatest crimes of man have generally come when they tried to work together for what they considered the common good, and the greatest achievements of man have come from a single individual or minority group working alone. I will never believe that welfare, social security, the UN, or (god help us) socialized healthcare will ever result in something good because the more people that you put into it, the more corrupt and worthless it will become.
2) I hate George Bush. I hate him with a passion. He took all that was good in the Republican party and shit on it. We're supposed to have a strong national defense so that we don't have to use it... so that we can "speak softly and carry a big stick." We're supposed to put education into the hands of the local authorities who know what's wrong with their schools, not mandate worthless arbitrary standards from Washington and then punish the schools that need the most help. We're supposed to leave the legislation of moral issues like homosexuality up to the states, not write it into the Constitution. And most of all... we're supposed to REDUCE GOVERNMENT SPENDING, jackass.
3) There are a few platform issues on which I agree with the Republican party. For example, I'm Pro-Life. But I'm not Pro-Life because Pat Robertson tells me to be Pro-Life. I'm Pro-Life because I believe it logically inconsistent to be anything but Pro-Life. Our system of law is based on one fundamental premise: your rights end where another person's rights begin. That is, unless you can't speak for yourself. Then we can shit all over you. That's at least how I view legalized abortion. Choice is irrelevant. I don't have the legal choice to endanger your life by running a red light, even if it is convenient for me to do so. So why does a woman have the legal choice to kill her child because it is convenient for her to do so? Likewise, privacy is irrelevant. Domestic assault is illegal, even if it takes place inside someone's home and neither party - attacker or victim - admits that it occurred. Abortion is no more than legalized domestic assault. And don't tell me that we don't know if/when the child is "alive" or "a person". That may be true for the earliest abortions, but there are plenty of legal abortions after the first trimester when the infant is very clearly a distinct human being. But since it has no legal representation, and because we have legally defined it to be the property of its mother, it can be maimed, tortured, or killed at her convenience. You know, there was another time in history when we gave a group of people no legal representation and legally defined them to be the property of another person so that they could be maimed, tortured, and killed at another person's convenience...
4) There are also a few platform issues on which I disagree. For example, I not terribly Pro-Gun. I believe we have an inalienable right to keep and bear arms. Most governments that severely restrict the right of their citizens to own implements of self-defense eventually end up abusing that power to the detriment of their citizens. So some gun ownership is good. But I don't believe increasing gun ownership will in any way help the crime problems of this nation. And I believe a significant level of gun restriction is a common sense necessity for public safety (i.e. semiautomatic assault rifles, background checks, etc). So I suppose I'm a moderate on this issue.
5) Another platform issue on which I disagree is corporate regulation. Complete laissez faire economics don't always work. One of the best examples of this are limited source utilities. Capitalism doesn't work when there is only one major producer of electricity for a region, or one major supplier of oil, or a network of gas refineries functioning as a cartel. They must be regulated by someone. And since many of these function across several state lines, it is the Constitutional duty of the Federal government to regulate this form of interstate trade. Is it a great solution? No. But given the current energy market, its the best we can do.
Facetious
Moderated
fri. said:
The cost of goods and services (workers wages) is relative to availability. Wages have declined, in large part, due to too much immigration, legal or otherwise. The INS and the U.S. Bureau of Census, at one time in histories past, actually did a good job metering the proper number of individuals that this nation could sustain per year, then, like so many other bureaucracies it had become infiltrated with Subversive Trotskyites :laugh:
The rest is history
