Stray from the flock?

[JackC]

On what issues do you differ in opinion from the group you associate? This question is for those who either consider themselves liberals or conservatives.

Let me start. Here are some issues where I don't/haven't agreed with the so called liberal position.

Taxes: I actually favor a flat tax

Trade: I was in favor of NAFTA and GATT

War: I'm in favor of planting WOMD if we have too.

I pretty much agree with the liberal postion on these:

Gun Control: The more regulation, the more better. I would even be for banning all hand guns.

Abortion: don't ask, I have some messed up views here

School Vouchers: Pay for private school yourself

Corporate Regulation: We need more of it.

[KevinthePRF]

Jack, we need to get DNA testing done one day, I think we're clones, politically anyway.

[Riggo-toni]

Can I play even though I'm neither Conservative or Liberal?

Libertarian

Eliminate Covert Spy Activities - Seems suicidal to me

Free immigration- I think legal immigration should be overhauled, with big allowances for guest workers in fast food and domestic services, but I'm not in favor of fully open borders.

Abolish the FDA, Fed, and SEC - I'm a huge supporter of the Fed. The FDA needs massive reform, but being on several prescriptions myself, I'm glad there's some oversight. I don't want the SEC abolished either.

Legalize Drugs - While I'd prefer this to our insane "war on drugs," I'd prefer something more along the lines of a British solution, where addicts are registered, allowed to use, but forbidden to drive or operate machinery.

[dchogs]

i'm quasi conservative, more of a independent/libertarian really, but registered republican:

Abortion: i wouldn't (and didn't) endorse an abortion personally, but do not want to mandate that everyone share my views

Gun Control: why do we need assult rifles and cop killer bullets in homes?

agree with:

Trickle down economics: an old term, but sound policy IMO. Help the business owners, help the customers.

strict border control: sure, allow immigrants, but for god sake at least stem the flood of illegal immigrants. really, making it easier for illegal immigrants to be legal immigrants would be tons better than where we currently are.

increased defense/military budget: the best offense is a strong defense. defense wins superbowls, doesn't it?

[Kilmer17]

2 views.

I consider myself a Libertarian. As such I can only think of 1 issue I disagree with from their platform. And thats trade. I support NAFTA wholeheartedly.

However, I will admit that I am on the right side of the fence if the board was divided in half. That being said, I would differ from the GOP on the following.

1- Im pro-abortion. I dont care what a woman does. I do, however, believe that Roe should be overturned. I also think those who have and perform aboirtions will face a greater jury than what I could present.

2- I think 'natural' drugs should be legal. Pot, 'shrooms, peyote whatever. IF not's a chemical, legalize it and tax the crap out of it.

3- Im against the death penalty in principle. I support it now because we lack a better alternative, but I think we could come up with one that is more severe and more deterrent than the death penalty.

[Golgo-13]

I pretty much fall on the right side of the fence. But I have a fews views that may fall more on the left-hand side of the road.

1) I support government funding for public transportation, ie Subways, busses, etc. There are just too damn many cars on the road and the better our public transportation systems get, the more people will use them. Look to Western Europe as an example for this.

2) Abortion-morally I oppose abortion as a means of birth-control. However, I feel that it needs to remain legal and safe lest we have people using coathangers in the alleys more than we already do.

There are probably a few more, but I can't think of them right now.

[Golgo-13]

Originally posted by Kilmer17

2 views.

I consider myself a Libertarian. As such I can only think of 1 issue I disagree with from their platform. And thats trade. I support NAFTA wholeheartedly.

However, I will admit that I am on the right side of the fence if the board was divided in half. That being said, I would differ from the GOP on the following.

1- Im pro-abortion. I dont care what a woman does. I do, however, believe that Roe should be overturned. I also think those who have and perform aboirtions will face a greater jury than what I could present.

2- I think 'natural' drugs should be legal. Pot, 'shrooms, peyote whatever. IF not's a chemical, legalize it and tax the crap out of it.

3- Im against the death penalty in principle. I support it now because we lack a better alternative, but I think we could come up with one that is more severe and more deterrent than the death penalty.

I'm pretty much with you on all of those.

[Riggo-toni]

Originally posted by Kilmer17

I consider myself a Libertarian. As such I can only think of 1 issue I disagree with from their platform. And thats trade. I support NAFTA wholeheartedly.

Dude, how can you say you're pro-NAFTA, but you disagree with libertarians on trade???? Do you not realize that Libertarians are DEVOUT free-traders? That we want to end all tariffs and quotas? Are you confusing us with Ross Perot's reform party or something?

(BTW, the Libertarian platform is anti-death penalty.)

[Kilmer17]

I stand corrected. I thought that Harry Browne had campaigned strongly against NAFTA.

That being the case, I guess I dont stray too far.

[Sarge]

This should be fun

I favor locking up criminals who commit crimes with guns...forever

I favor building more prisons for the above offenders.

I favor the death penalty

I favor a complete overhaul of the INS. Seal the borders and kick out everyone that isn't here by legal means. Then, start a legal immigration process that everyone would have to go through. If you want to work here, that's fine, just do it legally. Shoot anyone coming over the border with drugs, on the spot. It won't take long for word to get out that drug smuggling is a very dangerous business indeed.

I favor allowing the Coast Guard to sink boats with drugs or to shoot down planes that fly in a manner indicating they are carrying drugs

I don't agree with abortion, but I favor the right for a woman to have an abortion...to a point, and not for birth control. Partial birth abortion needs to be banned.

I favor a flat tax. Russia of all places is having a fantastic result with this

I favor a strong military

I favor a withdraw from the UN

I favor much smaller government

I favor outlawing all unions

Guess this makes me conservative, surprise surprise.

[Riggo-toni]

Sarge,

I think this was supposed to let you state where you don't adhere to your chosen ideology, as opposed to listing all your views.

p.s. Did I ever tell you about my Uncle who was in the Air Force in WWII? Only flew one combat mission, but it was the one that essentially ended the war...

[JimboDaMan]

Off the top of my head-

Drove me nuts every time somebody proposed using the budget surpluses of the Clinton years to expand some program or other. ‘Course, I wouldn’t have cut taxes either, not until we used every surplus dime to bring the national debt down to a manageable level. It ain’t “our money” until we pay off what we already owe. We missed a historic opportunity there.

Workfare not welfare.

Unions historically became necessary to combat arbitrary injustices committed by management and ownership. In many ways, today’s unions have simply reserved these powers for themselves.

I could do without government funding for the arts. Not just the “art” of guys peeing into glass vases, either, you can lop off subsidies for opera houses and sculpture gardens too. NPR, too, while we're at it.

More later.

[gbear]

I'm a liberal.

Points where I disagree with the liberal wing of the Dem party:

- death penalty (i'm for it)

- despite not flinching at the term socialist, I prefer a balanced budget or close to it.

- workfare over welfare too

[Sarge]

Sarge, I think this was supposed to let you state where you don't adhere to your chosen ideology, as opposed to listing all your views.

Ooops, misread. Do tell about the mission tough. Was he on Enola Gay or Bock's Car? History is a little hobby of mine:D

[codeorama]

I consider myself Independant so I'll just list my views:

-Pro Guns

-Pro Choice (escholz's view is closest to mine on the matter)

-Pro Death Penalty

-Pro Drug Legalization (Pro taxing the hell out of them)

-Pro Tax reform ( I favor the national sales tax)

-Pro Welfare reform (reduce it greatly, make them get jobs and cut off additional benefits for each additional kid)

-Against Private School Vouchers

-Against the US being the police force of the world

Did I miss anything?

[Riggo-toni]

Originally posted by Air Sarge

Ooops, misread. Do tell about the mission tough. Was he on Enola Gay or Bock's Car? History is a little hobby of mine:D

Enola Gay - He was the Electronics Officer in charge of actually arming the weapon. Last year he sold the only remaining pieces of the bomb, the plugs.

[Henry]

Like others have said, I don't identify with either side, but if you split the board in half I guess I'd be on the left, so:

- Pro-choice, but against federal laws on abortion. Should be decided on the state level.

- Against personal property tax.

- Pro death penalty.

- Stricter immigration control. This nonsense about allowing illegal immigrants who don't pay taxes to go to public schools on my dime has got to stop.

- I wouldn't say I'm pro guns, but I'm certainly not against legal possession of guns and I have no problem with the NRA.

[Art]

I'm more of a libertarian than a conservative but, as a registered Republican, where I stray from the party platform or leadership is:

-- Abortion. While I do not believe abortion should be a form of birth control, I can't work up much concern over a fetus unable to survive outside the womb being terminated for pretty much any reason anyone wants. I also am strongly against Federal guidelines on abortion. This is a classic states rights issue. Some states should be able to make it illegal if that's what the people in that state want. Others shouldn't have to if that's what they want.

-- Gun control. Again, I'm an odd bird. I hate the twist on the Second Amendment. It doesn't say everyone has a right to bear arms. It says the militia does. And, just so you know they knew the difference between the people and the militia, they use that word another time in the document to show there is a distinction. However, as long as bad guys have guns, I don't want to limit good guys having them, and the good guys are not just the police. My solution is simple. Let a person own all the arms he wants, but, tax for bullets at $10,000 a pop and give jail time to people with illegal bullets. If you want to bear arms, do it. No one said you had a right to ammo, and you strict constructionalists won't like that outcome .

-- Social security. I don't think that program should exist. Both parties do. I happen to think if it does exist the Republicans have a better idea on the future of it than the Dems do, but, as a general statement, it's not the government's responsibility to take care of people's retirement. It's the peoples' responsibility to do that. At the very least, get the money out of government hands and control. If you're going to take the money, deposit it in a ROTH or Traditional IRA in 5 percent interest earning bonds and tell a person they'll thank the government later.

-- Government spending. Sadly neither party has the right course to take on spending. The government isn't entitled to our money. Neighborhoods, and churches, and private organizations should be the groups responsible for much of the social welfare the government has taken over and therefore decided we must pay for. Give the money back to the people and let them be charitable as they see fit. If you can't just do that, then do this. Any person who donates a dollar to charity gets a dollar back on his federal taxes in April, up to how much he put in. If I'm taxed $30,000 a year and can afford to give $30,000 to churches or any other charity I wish, the government should just give my money back and thank me . One could argue the military spending necessity here, and that's cool, so, say you can get 66 percent of your money back .

-- Most morality issues. Here is where my libertarian ideals shine through. The government pretty much should be seen and not heard. If I want to hump a sheep, let me. If I want to marry 10 women, let me. If I want to do drugs, let me. If I want to do a prostitute, let me. If I want to gamble, let me. Figure out the way to limit the danger to the public, even if it requires a waiver of claim for support from the government if you screw up your life, and be done with it. While I may not be engaged in any of the "immorality" issues the fact is it may be my job to tell someone his lifestyle is dangerous and to try to help him or her out of it, but it shouldn't be illegal to do because people don't like it.

I can go on, but, I have to go for a while .

[Kilmer17]

Art, doesnt the second amendment read- A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Doesnt that say explicitly that the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear arms, not the militia?

I agree with your stance on it, just not the reasoning behind it. I agree with background checks, harsh penalties for lawbreakers and even a tax on bullets for handguns. Shotgun shells should be excluded from the tax.

[luckydevil]

As stated by many I'm more of a libertarian( classical liberal would be a better term to describe me) than a conservative as well

Problems I have with my party( republican)

-drug war is waste of money

- We are supposed to be the party of capitalism (well than please explain to me corporate welfare we seem to support)

- morality ( Art nailed it)

[Art]

Kilmer,

It says expressly the right of the people to bear arms if you ignore the part about the well regulated militia. Second Amendment readers don't just get to pick the half of the sentence they like. They have to take the whole of the statement.

The Amendment reads that a well regulated militia is necessary and the people -- clearly part of the militia -- must not be infringed upon in their rights to bear arms. Unless the militia is every citizen in the world, the Second Amendment does narrow who has the right. The well regulated militia I'm aware of is over in Iraq cleaning up, though, to be fair, some would argue the militia can't be the military as we know it.

However, being a part of a well regulated militia would be something more than three guys driving around in their Dodge Durango . Still love that line. And, oddly, the term regulated is used, which means some regulations were kind of expected of the people conprising the militia .

[luckydevil]

"Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense."

--John Adams

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms in his own lands."

--Thomas Jefferson

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun."

--Patrick Henry

:asta:

[Art]

LD,

Corporate welfare is a necessary evil for us. I agree that we shouldn't be supporting it. However, because the government not only taxes corporations, as it shouldn't, but also restricts free enterprise in many ways, the government must also step in to assist in many ways. Look at the airlines. After 9/11 the government imposed a security fee on each ticket sold but forbade the airlines from charging the passengers for it by raising ticket prices.

When an airline needs help, obviously, the government helped create the problem by not allowing the business to operate as it sees fit, and the government needs to step in. We can rid corporate welfare only when we rid regulations that help destroy infrastructure type business and we discontinue taxing corporations at all.

[Kilmer17]

You and I could buy guns and claim we are a militia. I interpret the amendment this way.

Common people may have to take up arms against an enemy. Therefor, as individuals, they have the right to bear arms. So if the need ever arises to form a militia, the people are already armed.

Is that the wrong interpretation? I need to pull out the federalist papers.

[luckydevil]

"We can rid corporate welfare only when we rid regulations that help destroy infrastructure type business and we discontinue taxing corporations at all."

Agreed Art