Active Users:1076 Time:22/11/2024 06:43:53 AM
Fair enough. rebelaessedai Send a noteboard - 07/01/2012 04:12:37 AM
Let's just say that if Santorum were the candidate I'd have no choice but to sit out the election (or, if it got really bad, donate to Obama). If Romney is the candidate I'll probably give money to his campaign because I think Obama is a terrible President who has done little more than give endless speeches with empty platitudes and signed everything that Congressional Democrats have vomited out, sometimes with his help (I guess he held the feather).

I think Obama has done a lot considering what he walked into. What George Bush left was a big fucking mess. At the end of the day, I do believe he saved us from a full-out depression. American politics are ugly and getting uglier all the time, and I can't see how anyone is going to get out of that mire alive.

Of course, I am liberal on social issues. Gay marriage? Of course. Abortion? Safe and legal. Porn? More, please. Drugs? One word: legalize. Consenting adults have the right to choose how to live their lives, and the only things that should be illegal are trespasses against the person or property of another (theft, arson, rape, murder, all the way down to simple things like noise pollution at unreasonable hours).

I knew you felt that way. That's why I don't dislike you for being, as you say, nominally a Republican. This is what really terrifies me about the party, and it's why no matter how much money I have, I will never vote for them.

It's just that when people start to say, for example, "we need universal health care", I start to ask - "What do you mean to cover, how much is it going to cost and who's going to pay for it?" Am I against putting an additional tax of 3-5% on that portion of personal income in excess of $1 million? No. I think that's fine. Am I against putting that same 3-5% on everyone making in excess of $250,000? Yes. In lots of urban areas families can be simply middle class at that level and it would kill the economy.

Do I like unions? No. In theory, they could be good, and some local unions are, but in general they're unreasonable and belligerent, in some cases criminal.

Does that make me a Republican?

I suppose it does. You lean that way, I would say. But it's upon those things that we disagree that I think a real discussion needs to be had, not by those idiots in Congress who are bought and paid for (on both sides) but by those of us who are thinking, rational human beings.
At the end of the day, it's a matter of priority. I strongly believe that people have a right to healthcare, that insurance is a service and not a business. I hate corporate culture. It's easy to see why I think these things- I come from a poor family. But I also understand that making $250,000/year can mean several different things, depending on where you live. It's hard to round up everybody under one roof and say "this applies to you" when it clearly might not. It takes people having rational discussions to fix the problems we face- I tend to lean a lot more towards the left than you would like, but I also respect your opinions because you're not a flaming idiot. That's more important to me than everybody agreeing with what I say.
And I do like that link, thank you.

I figured you would. I have not read Martin Scott, but I think "Fat Fuck Saves The Day" was my favorite.
Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position. - Bill Maher
Reply to message
Favourite authors. - 06/01/2012 07:03:35 PM 1198 Views
Re: Favourite authors. - 06/01/2012 07:27:01 PM 887 Views
Re: Favourite authors. - 06/01/2012 07:45:27 PM 857 Views
Re: Stover and Lynch - 06/01/2012 08:15:31 PM 931 Views
Ian C Esslemont ... - 06/01/2012 08:36:16 PM 937 Views
Matthew Stover. - 07/01/2012 01:05:24 AM 796 Views
I think the second book is out of print... - 07/01/2012 01:14:16 AM 783 Views
Yeah. - 07/01/2012 01:20:12 AM 750 Views
Re: Matthew Stover. - 07/01/2012 01:16:45 AM 830 Views
Re: Matthew Stover. - 07/01/2012 01:19:44 AM 865 Views
this is hard and it will change if you ask me again in 6 months - 06/01/2012 08:43:09 PM 858 Views
This is trickxsy. - 06/01/2012 10:37:40 PM 830 Views
I forgot about Stephenson. - 06/01/2012 10:47:35 PM 731 Views
I suck at choosing absolute favourites, I like far too much stuff for that, but okay... - 06/01/2012 11:38:30 PM 833 Views
You should read more scfi - 07/01/2012 12:08:21 AM 745 Views
I know. I do read some - but somehow it's usually one book per author. - 07/01/2012 01:03:19 AM 797 Views
Try reading Hamilton - 07/01/2012 05:47:51 AM 737 Views
yes, Pandora's Star is my favorite of his. *NM* - 10/01/2012 03:55:43 PM 340 Views
SF suggestion... - 07/01/2012 01:08:22 AM 867 Views
The questions get easier as I go from top to bottom for me. - 07/01/2012 12:31:24 AM 812 Views
You and I actually agree on something?! - 07/01/2012 01:09:37 AM 809 Views
I think you mean to be surprised that we agree about something book-related. - 07/01/2012 01:20:25 AM 826 Views
Well, yes, but you are a Republican, aren't you? - 07/01/2012 01:40:31 AM 961 Views
I'm nominally Republican - 07/01/2012 03:30:26 AM 875 Views
Fair enough. - 07/01/2012 04:12:37 AM 1080 Views
No one will share my answers, I'm sure. - 07/01/2012 01:03:35 AM 912 Views
Authors suck. I like books. *NM* - 07/01/2012 04:30:34 AM 335 Views
At first, I thought this said "boobs." - 07/01/2012 07:48:07 AM 833 Views
now authors who both suck and have boobs are the best *NM* - 07/01/2012 03:15:25 PM 345 Views
Re: Favourite authors. - 07/01/2012 02:20:52 PM 838 Views
Mine - 07/01/2012 03:55:58 PM 940 Views
Sanderson, no doubt.....Also..... - 07/01/2012 05:28:01 PM 810 Views
Re: Favourite authors. - 11/01/2012 03:38:53 PM 781 Views
Ok. I've finally decided on my answers for this. - 12/01/2012 08:46:55 PM 896 Views

Reply to Message