What are your personal politics?

[Nightwish]

Okay, here it is. I know some of you have done this before, but it's probably been awhile since anything comprehensive has been done. Of course, I don't know how comprehensive this will be, either, but I thought I'd give it a shot, so we can get to know where each other stand a little better and give a little more perspective on just how liberal or how conservative given members are. I came up with several issues, but it's by no means an exhaustive list, so if someone thinks of an issue I didn't include, feel free to add it.

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? Against it.

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Against it.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Stay the course.

Abortion? Against elective abortion across the board. Against abortion in any case except to save the life of the mother. I am opposed to rape abortions, but I try to be as tenderly noncommital as I can when one comes up, because that's an intense question that's hard to pick a side on. I suppose I'm technically Pro-Choice, though, because I believe that only the prospective parents, and immediate family (if the mother is a minor), should have a say in the decision, at least until it is broadly legislated.

Welfare? Against it, but I don't favor it being done away with entirely, because there are some people who genuinely need it. But it needs a serious overhaul to significantly reduce the abuse that is rife in the welfare system. If you're able to work, then get off your arse and work!

Public Education? It needs to be overhauled. Smaller classroom sizes, smaller teacher-to-student ratios, stricter grading standards.

Home schooling? A good idea, but I am in favor of nationwide standards for certifying home school instructors, in order to insure that students are being prepared for advanced curricula that they can actually understand and keep up with.

Affirmative Action? A noble idea at its heart, but in practice it has become an exercise in unfair business practices. Employers shouldn't discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender or orientation (except in some special instances when the employer and job is specialized toward a specific race, creed, gender or orientation - a Catholic Cathedral shouldn't be required to hire a Muslim custodian, for instance).

Government involvement in social programs? Social programs should be first the bailiwick of the community. If a community desires a social program for which it lacks the resources and capital, then the government should be allowed to step in with aid, if requested. The degree to which the program should conform to government ideals should be proportionate to the amount of involvement the government has in the endeavor.

Legalization of marijuana? For it. It should be legalized, taxed and regulated. This will go a long way not only toward giving the economy a boost, but also reduce its threat as a "gateway drug."

The war on drugs? Undecided. So far it has been costly and rather ineffective. I would support having all drugs legalized, and heavily regulated. This wouldn't take the dealers completely off the streets, but it would significantly reduce their numbers, I think. But I'm not dedicated to that position. If they can come up with a method of controlling the drug problem by keeping them illegal, but that is less costly and more effective, I'd probably support it.

Prostitution? I think it should be legalized and regulated in much the same way as it's done in Nevada.

The war on terror? Somewhat undecided. I think we should be consistent in the war on terror, not ignoring a terror-sponsoring nation simply because they are our allies. At the moment, we're not fighting a war on terror, we're fighting a pick-your-terrorist war.

Environmental regulation? I am in favor of stricter environmental regulations.

Higher taxes? I don't like paying taxes anymore than anyone else. I think the government needs to be held more closely accountable for what it does with our tax dollars. And if the government does raise our taxes, then they should also raise the level of our participation in legislative processes.

Military/defense spending? I think it's out of control.

Gun rights? For them.

Gun control laws? For them, to a degree. I think concealed weapons should be allowed, but if they are, I would also support extending the cooldown time for purchasing a handgun.

Gay rights/gay marriage? For them. The arguments against gay marriage are silly.

Separation of Church & State? For it. However, I think people take it too far, especially people like Barry Lynn and Michael Newdow. Separation of Church and State, as they interpret it, is not provided for in the Constitution, nor does the phrase appear in the Constitution.

Faith-based initiatives? Against them. Stupid idea.

Government/Law and religion? As long as it stands the test of the establishment clause, I see nothing wrong with religion or religous expression being part of government proceedings or legal proceedings. In such settings, however, such expressions and inclusions should be unoppressive and inobtrusive.

The 1st Amendment? All for freedom of speech, religion, and all that stuff. However, people should understand that freedom of speech and religion do not afford you freedom from other citizens' speech or religion, nor from their reaction.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? Whatever floats your boat. I think it is silly to get offended over either. Secular merchants should be free to choose either expression, or no expression at all. Nobody should be forced to do one or the other. That said, if a religious organization, or a secularist organization wants to go through legitimate motions to try to pressure a business into doing things their way, sure it's silly, and sure it's oppressive, but it is their legal right to do so.

Global market? I haven't thought a lot about it. I have no problem with outsourcing jobs, as long as they aren't taking away American jobs, but I think America should come first in America.

Globalism/UN/etc.? I have no problem with it. We don't live on an island. We may be the superpower right now, but if we isolate ourselves from the world, we won't stay that way for long.

Immigration? I have no thoughts on the matter. I'm an immigrant (Northern Ireland).

Death Penalty? I have no thoughts on the matter.

[NewPhin]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? Wanted us to set a longer timetable and attempt to gather more global support, ever dwindling Coaliltion of the Willing notwithstanding. Wanted to see more solid evidence for many of the claims of the administration. Wanted the evidence to be such that the UN would have no choice but to support us. Did not see a reason to rush into it as, I feel, we did.

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Still feel the same.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Stay the course.

Abortion? I see them as a necessary evil. If we don't have them, the very ones that cried for their outlaw will fly their kids to Canada when they get knocked up, while others will not have that option.

Welfare? Dislike the current system and see a lot of room for reform. Would prefer a living wage as was discussed here in other threads.

Public Education? I'm a huge believer in the right of all Americans to a free, quality education. I recognize many problems in the system, as I'm a teacher, but I think that it is essential to our democracy.

Home schooling? If people want to do it, I'm for it, but I'd also like to see some national standards in place for home schooling.

Affirmative Action? Completely for it at its inception. I think, much like welfare, that it's since gone wrong. That being said, I recognize that there are still inequalities in our society due to race. I feel that there are greater inequalities currently based on class, though. I'd be in favor of shifting affirmative action away from race and basing it on socioeconomic background instead.

Government involvement in social programs? Recognize both the private and public sector's roles in social programs. I'm for continuing funding for social programs, though.

Legalization of marijuana? Completely for it.

The war on drugs? I'm a believer in treatment, not interdiction.

Prostitution? Undecided, as it's not an issue I feel strongly about. Knee jerk reaction is to be against it.

The war on terror? I hate to parrot TJ, but I'm with him on this one. Any "war" on a concept is a bad idea.

Environmental regulation? Probably one of the issues that makes me a true liberal. I'm hugely in favor of environmental regulation. I believe that capitalism and corporate entities encourage profit at any cost, as they should. I believe it is the government's job to ensure that they are reined in for the greater public good.

Higher taxes? Of course I don't want higher taxes. I'd love to see a streamlining of governmental waste. That being said, I'm not a big bitcher about taxes. I recognize and appreciate many of the benefits from our tax dollars.

Military/defense spending? Completely out of control. I laugh at all the conservatives who bitch about our tax dollars when this area of our government is the most wasteful and flagrant abuser, period.

Gun rights? For them, but I don't see some overwhelming conspiracy to remove guns from citizens and am not alarmist about the issue. I could care less if Joe Militia gets to keep his 50 assault weapons, but I don't see some slippery slopes between taking his M16s away and taking my shotguns away.

Gun control laws? See above.

Gay rights/gay marriage? I'm for civil unions. I could care less whether "marriage" stays the institution of religious organizations or not. I think it's ludicrous that gay couples can't enjoy the same benefits as married couples, though.

Separation of Church & State? Hugely for it and see it as one of the most frightening issues of our times.

Faith-based initiatives? I like faith-based charity/social work, but I recognize that there's a danger in government endorsed religion through them. It would take a heavy regulation agency to oversee these groups and ensure they aren't imposing their views on people in exchange for services, which would once again grow the government, which has its own drawbacks.

Government/Law and religion? As long as it stands the test of the establishment clause, I see nothing wrong with religion or religous expression being part of government proceedings or legal proceedings. In such settings, however, such expressions and inclusions should be unoppressive and inobtrusive. (ditto)

The 1st Amendment? Huge proponent and feel that this is another dangerous issue in our society because high school students, studies indicate, have very little understanding of the 1st.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? Stupid issue that I could care less about.

Global market? I'm for living wage here as well.

Globalism/UN/etc.? I have very little problem with it, and I would consider myself a proponent of it. Call me a utopian hippie, but I'm in favor of being good citizens of the planet. I have slight One World Order fears, but those are outweighed by the thought of people actually respecting each other and living in some semblance of harmony.

Immigration? Sympathize with both sides and see it as a very tricky issue.

Death Penalty? I was once firmly against. I still am against it for the most part. I see mankind's legal system as imperfect and fallible. Only God dispenses perfect justice. When our legal system kills someone, we are playing god and take the chance of snuffing out an innocent person's life. That being said, let the Ted Bundys of the world fry.

[jAZ]

Great thread... I don't have time for a reply tonight... maybe tomorrow.

[Fox River]

For the War in Afghanistan
Against the War in Iraq, should have gone into Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and or Pakistan.
I will not involve myself in an issue such as abortion. I do believe that it is wrong. I do not think that it should be illegal. I am not the one who has to answer to God.
The government should only assist the elderly and the disabled. It could loan money to people who get into binds. Also it could loan money for people to better themselves. The money has to be either worked or paid off.
School should be private.
Homeschool should be in a public setting that has been made private.
All forms of Affirmative Action should be done away with. That includes nepotism, or any other type of favoritism.
Most social programs should be made private.
All drugs should be made legal and produced in smaller doses by the pharmacutical companies.
We lost the war on alchohol. We are losing the war on drugs. We are now in a war on terror. We should either specify or stop declaring wars that can not be won or that can not end.
Legalize prostitution, tax it and regulate the hell out of it.
We should try to be smarter about protecting the environment. Stop polution. Stop allowing extremists to scare and run things.
State Tax. County Tax. City Tax. National Tax. All shoul be flat. All should be on things that are not needed for day to day life.
The National and State Militaries should be to defend our borders and ports. It does not cost as much as it has to do those things.
We should have the right to own guns for the protection of property and to hunt. I wonder if handguns are necessary.
Gun Rights have to come with some sort of responsibility and regulation.
If you would like to get married, then go to a church. If you would like to have the State recognize it then go before a judge. If you are a homosexual then that would apply to you also.
The Church and the State need to remain separate. This is to protect one from the other and the other from the one.
What the hell is a faith based inititive?
Freedom of Speech is very important. If you do not like what someone says then you can take care of it and pay the price of how it is handled. We need to know what the crazies are saying and who they are so that we can keep and eye on them nad be prepared for when they make their words come into action.
Merry Holiday and Happy Chrismass. I do not care either way.
A Unified Global Economy is a great idea. If we insource employees, then we should not outsource employers.
The UN is useless. Isolationism is a good thing. With the exception of the market.
We need to do something about immigration.
I am not for the death penalty. Prisons should have the prisoners work to pay for themselves and their facility.

[Mr. Kotter]

It's a lengthy quiz, but worthwhile....and gets past the easy, but often misleading labels we fling at one another.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

Economic Left/Right: 0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.95

[WoodDraw]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? Against it, although not as strongly.

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Very much against it. The botched execution of the war made it impossible to overlook the questionable reasons for war in the first place.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Change course but still stay until the job is done. Come up with a plan with tangible goals that leads to eventual victory and with withdrawl.

Abortion? I go back and forth but I'd be best described as pro-choice. It's a sickening thing, but I don't believe outlawing abortions is the way to fix the issue. Many of these people are in pretty shitty situations so who am I to judge them? Plus, I take a pretty wide view of the 9th amendment and the freedoms people have.

Welfare? Against it, although I think most don't understand wefare's true problems or the consequences of doing away with it. Still, the money could be better spent on things like education, health care, and child care that are less controversial and more helpful.

Public Education? Very much for but it needs serious reform. An improved cirriculum, higher teacher standards, smaller classes, better afterschool programs, and alternate vocational schools would be a good start.

Home schooling? No strong position

Affirmative Action? It's a nice idea but again it just doesn't solve the real problem. If everyone was provide an equal education up to college then there really would be no need for affirmative action. Even with afirmative action, it doesn't help those who need the help moost.

Government involvement in social programs? Government isn't inherently bad but needs to limit itself to true areas of need. I'm a strong believe in education and health care based programs when they are done correctly but less so when it gets to things like welfare. The specific programs aside, government involvement in general is doomed to fail with the current level of bureaucracy and corruption.

Legalization of marijuana? Yep, all for it.

The war on drugs? I'd stop short of legalizing all drugs but would stop the drug war in its current form.

Prostitution? Sure, although I doubt it could ever truely be regulated

The war on terror? I'm not convinced that there is truely a widespread war on terror to fight. There are obvious hotspots like Afghanistan that need(ed) to be taken care of but aside from that I think a lot of it is just widespread fear. I'm not sure bombing these countries is exactly the way to change the US' image in the area either.

Environmental regulation? Yes, although they have to be balanced with economic concerns.

Higher taxes? If we are going to fight multiple wars while spending insane amounts on domestic issues then yes. I'd rather have fiscal discipline though.

Military/defense spending? Needs to be both modernized and cut back.

Gun rights? For them, but I believe in common sense restrictions. I don't think a waiting period truely restricts anyone's rights.

Gun control laws? As I said, I'm for limited control laws. I support your right to buy a gun but I also support my right to make sure no one is buying a gun that shouldn't be.

Gay rights/gay marriage? For them.

Separation of Church & State? Very strongly for it.

Faith-based initiatives? No strong position. There is a delicate line that can't be crossed but simply giving money to organizations who are able to do a lot of good in a community doesn't go against the establishment clause.

Government/Law and religion? I just find it unneeded and stupid. When someone tries to put the ten commandments in a court house and then attemps to hide it under the "tradition" of our country and laws it just sounds stupid. It serves no purpose so why do we need the controversy?

The 1st Amendment? Yep, and I take a pretty wide view with this one.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? I'm not sure I could come with a less meaningful arguement. Who really cares? Happy Holidays includes everyone so it makes sense to me that it would be used for official government related things. Do I see any reason for outrage on any side? No.

Global market? I'm for it, but there is not reason that free trade can't include some type of enviornmental and social requirements in them. The government should also help train those who lose jobs due to outsourcing.

Globalism/UN/etc.? There is a responsibility that goes along with being a superpower and it would be nice if we would take that role a little more seriously. Our actions, like any other country's actions, have consequences that many times we like to overlook.

Immigration? I'm for a temp-worker program that would lead towards a streamlined citizenship process. Once that is set up, illegal immigration needs to be taken care of.

Death Penalty? Strongly against. There is no reason for it and it is applied unfairly.

And I'll add one:

Health Care? I believe everyone should be entitled to health care, but I don't know how to take care of that. All proposals have their issues but our current system clearly is not working.

[Nightwish]

Health Care? I believe everyone should be entitled to health care, but I don't know how to take care of that. All proposals have their issues but our current system clearly is not working.
Ditto. That's one I forgot to add, though I had thought of it earlier. Likewise, I don't know what to do about it, but it's not something I've really looked into very much.

[Fox River]

At Political Compass I was again Left Libertarian.

[Taco John]

It's a lengthy quiz, but worthwhile....and gets past the easy, but often misleading labels we fling at one another.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

Economic Left/Right: 0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.95



Just as I thought. I'm a cynical right leaning moderate Libertarian.

Economic Left/Right: 2.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.33

[Taco John]

oops

[CRONUS]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? For it
The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Now think it was a mistake because we had no post takeover plan and still don't

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Phased Withdrawal the occupation is a terrible idea and is failing

Abortion? Against elective abortion across the board. Think abortions should be allowed up to the point when Higher brain function begins and only in certain circumstances afterward

Welfare? Against it, but I don't favor it being done away with entirely, needs to be revised severely

Public Education? It needs to be overhauled. Vouchers should be allowed for attendance monetary credit at private schools

Home schooling? Indifferent I think it works well for many is not appropriate for some parents.

Affirmative Action? Against it

Government involvement in social programs? Social programs should be the bailiwick of the community/state. But there are some exceptions.

Legalization of marijuana? For it.

The war on drugs? Stupid useless waste of time and money, legalize it and then license and tax drugs

Prostitution? I think it should be legalized and regulated in much the same way as it's done in Nevada.

The war on terror? Somewhat undecided. I think we should be consistent in the war on terror, not ignoring a terror-sponsoring nation simply because they are our allies. At the moment, we're not fighting a war on terror, we're fighting a pick-your-terrorist war. (Agreed well stated)

Environmental regulation? I am in favor of loosening much of the environmental regulation

Higher taxes? Against them in general but they should be added for support of efforts such as the reconstruction after a natural disaster. Taxes raised could be higher and more fairly distributed if a Consumption tax replaced the Income Tax

Military/defense spending? I support it and it needs to be higher our capability is falling behind what it needs to be for our long term security

Gun rights? For them.

Gun control laws? I don't think someone needs an AK47, RPG, or a bomb (for god's sake) but shotguns, rifles and pistols should be unregulated. Regulation of certain type of ammo such as titanium hollow points etc should be done.

Gay rights/gay marriage? For them. The arguments against gay marriage are silly.

Separation of Church & State? For it.

Faith-based initiatives? A poorly implemented set of concepts that at their core could be done without breaking down the separation of Church and State

Government/Law and religion? Simple never violate the establishment clause ever and that should be the standard. No tax breaks for religious organizations

The 1st Amendment? Nothing about it should change.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? Stupid issue no matter what side you come down on, grow up people and get a life.

Global market? In favor of global market concepts we won't survive as a strong economy in the future without embracing this.

Globalism/UN/etc.? In general I abhor it, World is far to fractionalized for this to be practical.

Immigration? Personally I think we need to make immigration much, much easier and then those that do it illegally need to be shipped back once and prosecuted thereafter.

Death Penalty? In favor of it.

Morality? It needs to be loosened severerly, this country is filled far too full of uptight prudes.[/QUOTE]

[CRONUS]

It's a lengthy quiz, but worthwhile....and gets past the easy, but often misleading labels we fling at one another.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

Economic Left/Right: 0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.95http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/images/bothaxes.gif

Economic Left/Right: 3.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.26

[Nightwish]

It's a lengthy quiz, but worthwhile....and gets past the easy, but often misleading labels we fling at one another.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

Economic Left/Right: 0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.95Left Libertarian (economic liberal, social moderate)

Economic Left/Right: -5.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.62

I share nearly the same position with Ghandi and Nelson Mandela.

[Rausch]

Progressive Fascist...

[NewPhin]

Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.49

I'm somewhere around the Dalai Lama on that compass thingy, but I think that it's an extremely flawed quiz. I'll show why by examining a few questions:

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.

I agree that this is a significant advantage of a one party system, so I would have to say Strongly Agree. That being said, I feel the disadvantages of such a system far outweigh such an advantage. So, if I put Strongly Agree, does that mean the quiz moves me toward the Authoritarian pole?


It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals

Horrible question. Yes, it is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals (Ted Bundy, etc). Not everyone can be rehabilitated. That being said, it's not a waste of time to try to rehabilitate other criminals which could also be defined as "some" criminals. The word "some" is far too vague.

Those are just a couple of questions from one page, but I found them to be a little hard to answer.

[Nightwish]

Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.49

I'm somewhere around the Dalai Lama on that compass thingy, but I think that it's an extremely flawed quiz. I'll show why by examining a few questions:

I agree that this is a significant advantage of a one party system, so I would have to say Strongly Agree. That being said, I feel the disadvantages of such a system far outweigh such an advantage. So, if I put Strongly Agree, does that mean the quiz moves me toward the Authoritarian pole?


Horrible question. Yes, it is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals (Ted Bundy, etc). Not everyone can be rehabilitated. That being said, it's not a waste of time to try to rehabilitate other criminals which could also be defined as "some" criminals. The word "some" is far too vague.

Those are just a couple of questions from one page, but I found them to be a little hard to answer.I also found some of the questions to be too vague. On some of the questions, one could place the emphasis on more that one part of the question, thereby resulting in more than one possible answer. For instance, in the two questions you mentioned, a person could Agree that it would be an advantage of a one-party system if it did so, but disagree that it actually does that, and could answer either way. On the other question, one could emphasize "waste of time" or "some," and give multiple answers according to how s/he inferred it. It is a fairly good quiz overall, though. Anytime you come up with something like this, it is very difficult to come up with really concise questions, and they often end up going through several drafts as they receive feedback.

[Fox River]

I would have to agree about the quiz being too broad. The World's Smallest Political Quiz is similar only has fewer questions. Does anyone know of a better one?

[patteeu]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? Unsure, at first of why we would choose Iraq. As the case was made, I appreciated the bold goal of trying to change the dynamic of the Israel/Palestinian conflict as a key to draining the terrorist swamp. I appreciated the administration's determination to pursue our interests regardless of the opinions of France or the UN. I believed we would have no trouble winning a war with Iraq and because the cost appeared low I became a lukewarm supporter more in deference to the admistration I trusted with foreign policy than because I was gung ho to liberate Iraqis or anything like that.

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? It's caused us more trouble than I anticipated, but it has also coincided (led to?) a bunch of changes in the middle east that have been positive (e.g. elections in the region, Lebanon kicks out the Syrians, the Intafada seems to have died out, Israel and the Palestinians have made some huge strides in Gaza). I'd say at this point I'm still optimistic, but it is too early to make a definitive hindsight judgment because things could go either way. If we declare defeat and pull out, it will have been a huge disaster. If we stay the course and the Iraqi government becomes a stable friend of the west, it will have been well worth it.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Definitely STAY THE COURSE.

Abortion? Basically the same as Nightwish although maybe a little more agnostic about the whole issue. I think Roe should be overturned and the states should be allowed to legislate on the issue. I don't think abortion is a right, but I wouldn't want federal legislation or a constitutional amendment banning it either. Let each state decide.

Welfare? We need less government welfare and more private charity. Practically speaking, I realize we can't completely get rid of the safety net, but we ought to try to make it as small as possible.

Public Education? Get the federal government completely out of it. End the student loan program because it causes college tuition inflation. Privatize all education to the extent possible. I'm against school vouchers because it gives the government a reason to assume control over private schools.

Home schooling? It's a great idea, but it takes a special parent to be a good home schooler. No government standards are necessary.

Affirmative Action? Affirmative Action equals racism. The government should be a color blind institution both in terms of it's own practices and in terms of the practices it forces on non governmental institutions like businesses.

Government involvement in social programs? I'm against most social programs. The government should be small and should focus on things like keeping the peace, national defense, and perhaps some infrastructure development/maintenance and some minimal level of safety regulation and reseach into big science (ie scientific research that is too big or too esoteric for a business interest to do based on the likelihood of future profits).

Legalization of marijuana? Legalize it. It should only be taxed if it is part of a broadbased consumption tax. I don't belive in sin taxes or targeted taxes of any kind.

The war on drugs? End it. Legalize the drugs. End the prohibition-related crime.

Prostitution? Legalize it.

The war on terror? Continue to fight the war on Islamofascism. Don't focus narrowly on Al Qaeda but don't make the mistake of broadening the war to include all the unrelated regional terrorist movements around the world. Al Qaeda? Yes. Abu Sayyaf? Yes. Hamas? Yes. Chechnyans? Yes. Aryan Nation? No. Shining Path? No. Hizbollah? Yes. etc.

Environmental regulation? We have too much. Our air and water are clean enough. We don't need to protect the spotted fire lizard or the zebra-striped mosquito. The endangered species act is too restrictive. Save the bald eagle, but let the yellow-bellied slimeless snail go unless it has a redeeming quality that benefits man that I'm unaware of. The balance between land use and environmentalism is tipped too far toward protecting the environment right now.

Higher taxes? I'm more concerned with the structure of the tax code than the level of the taxes. I think we need a form of a flat consumption tax (ie. either something like the income tax where net savings are subtracted from income to determine annual consumption or something like a sales tax or VAT). The tax should be broad based meaning that it applies to all people including the poor and to all types of consumption including necessities. By making it broadbased, the rates can be kept low for a given level of target revenue and, more importantly, people all find themselves in the same political boat. When a proposal is made to raise or lower taxes, everyone can see that proposal from the same perspective as it will have the same impact on everyone. You won't have some who benefit from the proposal while others who get hammered. Having said all that, I think our tax level is plenty high right now and instead of thinking about raising taxes we should be thinking of ways to reign in the cost of entitlements and social programs. If after doing so, we find we need to raise taxes to support the war effort, I'll go along with it.

Military/defense spending? We need to spend what it takes to maintain the world's best military. This should be one of the top reasons for even having a government.

Gun rights? For them.

Gun control laws? I'm OK with bans on personal ownership of nuclear weapons.

Gay rights/gay marriage? Against special "gay rights." For gay marriage as a matter of good public policy.

Separation of Church & State? I'm for the 1st Amendment. I'm against the interpretation that a locally controlled school board who establishes a morning, nondenominational prayer for their schools is a violation of religious freedom. I'm against the interpretation that a local government who puts a nativity scene or a hannuka candle on the front lawn of city hall is in violation of that amendment. I'm against any suggestion that preachers should keep politics out of their sermons if those suggestions don't come from within their own congregations..

Faith-based initiatives? Against them. Like with school vouchers, this will just allow the government to get a corrupting level of influence over what should remain a private institution. Well intentioned, but a bad idea..

The 1st Amendment? I'm pro-pornography. That's what this one's about right? Flag burning is protected speech practiced by spoiled imbeciles. McCain-Feingold is an outrageous assault on it. IMO, it should be broadly construed.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? Whatever floats your boat. I think it is silly to get offended over either. Secular merchants should be free to choose either expression, or no expression at all. Nobody should be forced to do one or the other. That said, if a religious organization, or a secularist organization wants to go through legitimate motions to try to pressure a business into doing things their way, sure it's silly, and sure it's oppressive, but it is their legal right to do so.

Global market? There is no way to hold back the tide. It's a fact of life. We need to become the most productive nation to compete because we can no longer count on our domestic market driving the world economy.

Globalism/UN/etc.? We shouldn't cede our sovereignty to globalist institutions that treat the Ivory Coast as our equal. If the UN can't be used like a tool, we shouldn't be involved in it. We should never sign on to the treaty that would allow others to determine whether our soldiers/leaders are war criminals in the world court, that should be abundantly obvious by now. No to Kyoto.

Immigration? We should put Pat Buchanan in charge of designing our immigration system. We should control our borders and be selective about who we invite in. Preference should be given to skilled and educated people who can contribute and to people who speak English and to people who we think will find it easy to assimilate.

Death Penalty? Pro death penalty in theory. Concerned about the number of death row reversals we've seen since the advent of DNA testing.[/QUOTE]

[Sully]

Here's my attempt. It may be substntially more pedestrian than others, but I'm still in my political infancy, and learning. I am trying to not make statements that are above my pay grade...

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? For it

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Against it.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? I don't think these are the only options, but I lean toward finding the quickest, effective way out, without completely screwing those we have invaded.

Abortion? I'm anti-abortion, but understand that there are times when it is necessary. I would restrict it very much, so that it isn't used as a form of birth control.

Welfare? For it. I'm sure it needs changes to make it more of an incentive to get off of it, rather than a perpetual thing for people to use. But I think it helps a country to reach toward its poorest and less well-off.

Public Education? Education should be free to people as long as they can show that they are succeeding at it, and not using it as a way to put off adulthood.

Home schooling? I don't ike it for the simple idea that it seems that it could be socially retarding. At school you learn how to deal with those you don't like. You learn how to process ideas you don't agree with...

Affirmative Action? I know too little about this to make much comment. But I understand the idea, to end the "good ole boy" networks.

Government involvement in social programs? blank

Legalization of marijuana? For it.

The war on drugs? End it.

Prostitution? I think it should be legalized and regulated in much the same way as it's done in Nevada.-- I'll leave this one from Nightwish, as I agree.

The war on terror? Rather than a war on terror, I would rather have a war on what causes terror. To me, a war on terror sounds more like having a war on the sniffles, instead of fighting the flu. It seems many are completely against even trying to face the issues that cause these people t want to terrorize, or to try to find common ground. I know there will always be those who are unhappy with the powers of the world, but to reach a hand to them would help, I think.

Environmental regulation? I am in favor of stricter environmental regulations.-- leaving this one as well.

Higher taxes? I have no opinion on this. I think that if the money is being spent to better society, I'm happy to add to that. If it's being used for BS, then I want them lowered. This is where there should be more accountability.

Military/defense spending? I think it's out of control.

Gun rights? eh

Gun control laws? For them.

Gay rights/gay marriage? For them. The arguments against gay marriage are silly. -- ABSOLUTELY.

Separation of Church & State? Religion should not be any part of our government. If you want a 10 commandments on your front lawn, put one there. Make it as big as you can build one. If you want to pray in school, do it, on your own. But to have the government on any level showing to people that one religion is more accepted than another is wrong. .

Faith-based initiatives? Against them. Whose faith?.

Government/Law and religion? Those who wrote the constitution,a s they were writing it, made it a conscious point NOT to pray before all their proceedings, so as to keep religion out. This should be followed now.

The 1st Amendment? All for freedom of speech, religion, and all that stuff. However, people should understand that freedom of speech and religion do not afford you freedom from other citizens' speech or religion, nor from their reaction.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? If you are going to celebrate Christmas, with a day off, with prsents, with all the perks, then get used to the fact that it is a Christian holiday, and move on... That said, I don' give a damn either way how someone wishes me this...

Global market? Not enough knowledge to form an opinion.

Globalism/UN/etc.? ditto as above.

Immigration? Ditto, again.

Death Penalty? I am fully against it, in any instance.[/QUOTE]

[Fox River]

Patt,

Just a couple of things. A few questions about your policy and some more to add to my own.

I thought that the Lebanon-Syria situation was about a assassination and did not really have anything to do with us.
I do not have any problem with Roe being overturned. let it go to the states.
Homeschool should not have national standards but local ones.
Affirmative Action tried to equalize the Pursuit of Happiness. No one should get any special treatment. The most qualified should receive success. It should not go to a friend or family member just because of the relationship that is had with them.
We still should protect the environment. Not if it costs us jobs though. I agree that there is overegulation. Man before beast. Two legs good...
It is funny about immigration. Mexico has two small landlocked borders with Central America. They have their military at those positions. They shoot to kill men, women, and children who they catch trying to cross. Yet we could not get away with the same thing.

[patteeu]

Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.49

I'm somewhere around the Dalai Lama on that compass thingy, but I think that it's an extremely flawed quiz. I'll show why by examining a few questions:

I agree that this is a significant advantage of a one party system, so I would have to say Strongly Agree. That being said, I feel the disadvantages of such a system far outweigh such an advantage. So, if I put Strongly Agree, does that mean the quiz moves me toward the Authoritarian pole?


Horrible question. Yes, it is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals (Ted Bundy, etc). Not everyone can be rehabilitated. That being said, it's not a waste of time to try to rehabilitate other criminals which could also be defined as "some" criminals. The word "some" is far too vague.

Those are just a couple of questions from one page, but I found them to be a little hard to answer.

I completely agree with your criticisms of that particular quiz. I moved up and to the right from the last time I took it.

Economic Left/Right: 7.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.13

[patteeu]

Patt,

Just a couple of things. A few questions about your policy and some more to add to my own.

I thought that the Lebanon-Syria situation was about a assassination and did not really have anything to do with us.
I do not have any problem with Roe being overturned. let it go to the states.
Homeschool should not have national standards but local ones.
Affirmative Action tried to equalize the Pursuit of Happiness. No one should get any special treatment. The most qualified should receive success. It should not go to a friend or family member just because of the relationship that is had with them.
We still should protect the environment. Not if it costs us jobs though. I agree that there is overegulation. Man before beast. Two legs good...
It is funny about immigration. Mexico has two small landlocked borders with Central America. They have their military at those positions. They shoot to kill men, women, and children who they catch trying to cross. Yet we could not get away with the same thing.

Well, as I said, some of these things might just be coincidental, but I think there's a pretty strong case to be made for our invasion of Iraq having something to do with the Lebanese having the gumption to throw out the Syrians after the assassination you mention. Here is what the leader of one of the Syrian political parties had to say (and he has been traditionally a critic of the US):

"It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq... I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world... The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it." - Lebanon's Druze opposition leader Walid Jumblatt, talking to the "Washington Post"'s David Ignatius. Writes Ignatius: "Over the years, I've often heard [Jumblatt] denouncing the United States and Israel, but these days, in the aftermath of Hariri's death, he's sounding almost like a neoconservative."

Good comments.

[Adept Havelock]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? Opposed as a distraction from efforts in rolling back Al-Queda in Afghanistan. Felt then (as I do now) Hussein was thrown up as a strawman by an administration unable to catch the murderer of 3,000 Americans.

The war in Iraq, in hindsight? Just as much of a mess as I predicted it would be.

The war from here on out -- withdraw, stay the course? Give the Iraqis an Ultimatum. We are leaving by such and such a date. We will provide all the equipment, money, and training cadres you need. If you want democracy, get out there and fight for it. No more US blood should be spilled. We've done our part.

Abortion? Personally oppose, but strongly believe it's a personal decision. In favor of very limited govt. restriction (late 2'nd-3'rd trimester).

Welfare? I don't like it, and have never taken it even when it might have helped. However, I believe society needs a "safety net", one that should be reformed to help people quickly, and trains them to be a productive member of the economy. Otherwise, it should be strictly limited to Children, Elderly, and the Infirm IMO.

Public Education? Needs reform in class size, teacher certification, and administrative oversight. I oppose vouchers because I believe this would undermine these efforts.

Home schooling? Fine by me, as long as the students and teachers are measured by the same objectives the local school system requires, at a minimum. This will insure that home-schooled kids are on an equal or better footing after "graduation".

Affirmative Action? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Example A. Oppose.

Government involvement in social programs? OK by me, as long as 1)There is no way to do the same thing effectively on a local or state level, 2) It is something requested by the voters/citizens, and 3) The programs are subject to strong financial oversight and non-partisan cost-benefit analyses.

Legalization of marijuana? Legalize it, tax it, and use the revenues to help treat drug addiction and other issues.

The war on drugs? I'm not certain what we need to do here, but the current approach clearly doesn't work. Hell, anyone who studied prohibition in the 20's-30's could tell you that. It’s time for some new ideas here.

Prostitution? Legalize it, tax it. Adopt Nevada's system. Seems to work well enough.

The war on terror? Should continue to be prosecuted. Needs to be seen as both a Military and Criminal Justice exercise. Should be far more attention devoted to Homeland Security than the lip service paid by the current administration. We need to secure Chem. Plants, Power Plants, and our Ports for starters.

Environmental regulation? In favor of draconian penalties in egregious cases. Otherwise, I think the only regulation that should be forced on a business is to "clean up after yourself".

Higher taxes? In time of war, I'm OK with them. I definitely support a balanced budget and greater oversight of government waste by a truly independent bipartisan group.
"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Military/defense spending? The primary purpose of Government is to defend its citizens. I support it, and greater oversight as said previously. No more no-bid contracts, as well.

Gun rights? Support. I only have issues with private ownership of Automatic weapons, and see no reason anyone needs GPMG's or anything more powerful for "home defense". I prefer open-carry laws to concealed carry though. If someone is packing in my establishment, I think I have the right to know.

Gun control laws? See above.

Gay rights/gay marriage? Don't have a problem with Gays in a long-term relationship having the same property rights as a common-law marriage. Don't have a problem with "civil unions". I only object to making all churches allow them. Let each faith decide for itself, and leave the civil contract to the govt.

Separation of Church & State? As long as it passes the muster of the Establishment Clause, expressions of faith like opening congress with a prayer is OK by me. Should be generally inclusive, IMO.

Faith-based initiatives? As long as tax-dollars are not spent for proselytizing. As long as tax dollars are not spent by organizations that discriminate on the basis of religion.

Government/Law and religion? See Sep. of Church and State.

The 1st Amendment? You have the right to free speech. You also have the responsibility to be held accountable for it (i.e. yelling "Fire" in a crowded theatre").

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays? Irrelevant to me, except when someone gives me grief about saying one or the other.

Global market? I strongly support Capitalism, as long as it is subject to regulation. There needs to be a true international body with the ability to regulate multi-national corporations.

Globalism/UN/etc.? Want to see massive UN reform, but I generally see it as a good thing. This stems from my view that given our nature, Homo Sapien has two possibilities...Gradual Unification, or Extinction. While my bet is on the latter, almost anything that delays it is a good thing, IMO.

Immigration? Should be regulated more strongly especially border controls. However, it has always been the source of this nations greatest strengths. I am still uncertain about amnesty for Illegals already here.

Death Penalty? Support, provided there is incontrovertible evidence of guilt. If not, Life in Prison (Solitary Confinement in heinous cases) is an acceptable substitute.

[Nightwish]

The war in Iraq, in the beginning? The 1st Amendment? I'm pro-pornography. That's what this one's about right?
Not really. That's part of it, of course, but I meant it just broadly. Pornography, flag-burning, gag-orders on journalists (not so much a problem here, but they apparently have a law in Britain), etc.

Just a note, which I didn't think to add to my own, but which your post reminded me of: I have no problem with ministers including political statements or political prosyletizing in their sermons. However, I don't think they should be permitted to do so and enjoy tax-exempt status.

[Nightwish]

We still should protect the environment. Not if it costs us jobs though. I agree that there is overegulation. Man before beast. Two legs good...
Just to clarify my own position, I agree that there is overegulation in some areas. I'm mostly concerned with pollution standards, erring to the side of caution, just in case there is something to all this Global Warming stuff. Wetlands legislation and stuff like that I think is way out of hand. As far as protected species go, I think we should relax regulations on that a little bit. But at the same time, we shouldn't go out of our way to frivolously cause extinction. I have an idea on how poachers should be punished -- they should be treated exactly as the animals they poached. Hang them up, bleed them, skin them, and sell their hides to Satanic publishers to bind their Dark Grimoires, or whatever. Okay, the Satanic part was a joke.

[Fox River]

Good point Nightwish. When did the church in this country decide to become involved in politics. When did the government decide to start dabbling in science(Evolution v. ID(Creation)) or morality.

[patteeu]

Not really. That's part of it, of course, but I meant it just broadly. Pornography, flag-burning, gag-orders on journalists (not so much a problem here, but they apparently have a law in Britain), etc.

Just a note, which I didn't think to add to my own, but which your post reminded me of: I have no problem with ministers including political statements or political prosyletizing in their sermons. However, I don't think they should be permitted to do so and enjoy tax-exempt status.

I was just joking with the pornography comment, although I really am pro-pornography.

I don't like the whole "tax exempt" thing because that puts a weapon in the hands of the government to use against churches that they don't like. I'd rather have a tax system that was blind to churches and let the churches say whatever they wanted to as long as it didn't reach the level of inciting violence.

[recxjake]

I feel very strongly for a national health care system... I've mentioned it before, but my dad works for GM and they need some help! If they don't get that healthcare thing fixed 500,000 + could loose their pension and healthcare..... I am all for some sort of gov't run healthcare system that would make sure it stays top notch and still motivates docs and scientists to be the best

[Adept Havelock]

I feel very strongly for a national health care system... I've mentioned it before, but my dad works for GM and they need some help! If they don't get that healthcare thing fixed 500,000 + could loose their pension and healthcare..... I am all for some sort of gov't run healthcare system that would make sure it stays top notch and still motivates docs and scientists to be the best

Heh. Never thought I'd see you agree with Bill Clinton. :clap: