1. Abortion. Strongly in favor. I think it should be government-funded and mandatory.
2. Drugs. Legalize the hard stuff, e.g., heroin. It's the dangerous gateway drugs such as pot that should be illegal.
3. Government spending: We could cut taxes, go to Mars, and balance the budget if we just stopped funding all that Jesus-in-piss art.
4. Gun control: In order to protect your children, all families should have handguns in their homes. But you have to make sure your guns stay loaded at all times, because who wants to have to load up when your home is being raided by a gang?
5. Health care: To cut costs, we should get rid of all those silly new age wellness and preventive programs and instead focus our efforts on hi-tech stuff like MRI and superconducting supercolliders.
6. Education: One thing I know for sure, we have to stop throwing money at the problem! The less money they have, the better our education system will be.
8. War on Terrorism: Well, isn't it over now that we've got Saddam? They'll be no more 9/11s, that's for sure.
9. Gay marriage: Again, I think it should be gov't-funded and mandatory for all people.
1 ) Abortion: I don't think any woman looks forward to having one, but it's important that they are available and safe.
2 ) Drug Legalization: What drug? I have no problem with pot, but I do with crystal meth.
3 ) Government Spending: Pork, no. Keeping grandma able to afford her meds, yes.
4 ) Gun Control: Within reason, yes. Nobody needs an AK-47 to hunt. Across the board, no. Using a gun in the commission of a crime- throw the book at 'em.
5 ) Healthcare: We can pay for it now or pay for it later. I'd rather the government pay $50 to have a kid thoroughly checked out every year than $5000 to fix 'em up later.
6 ) Education: You can't spend enough on this as far as I'm concerned.
7 ) Immigration: I'd worry more about our jobs for skilled worker being sent to Mexico than our jobs mowing lawns going to Mexicans here.
8 ) The War on Terrorism: Not going real well.
9 ) Gay Marriage: Government has no place protecting "Sanctity". The sanctity of my parents marriage (which really was until-death-do-us-part) will not have been compromised by the idea that I might one day find someone to legally marry. "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" did more damage to the sanctity of the institution than any gay wedding ever could.
I can't believe the left-wing kooks on this board. Here's some moderate views:
1 ) Abortion - No murder of babies, no using their bodies for medical research. Use birth control, donÕt carve up a baby because you were too lazy.
2 ) Drug Legalization - Yes, with controls. If you want to smoke crack and PCP thatÕs OK, but donÕt do it while operating machines. If you get caught DUI you get shot in the head that same day.
3 ) Government Spending - reduce it. What good has this done, other than defense?
4 ) Gun Control - NONE! Reinstate the 2nd Amendment the US used to have. If you want a machine gun or a handgun, you buy it through the mail. No permits to carry any gun. No restrictions of where you can carry it. No limits on barrel length, weight, material, or magazine size. Want to hunt with an AK-47? ItÕs not powerful enough for deer, maybe it can kill rabbits. Legal to hunt with if you use the 5 round magazine. Save the 90 round drum for the punk who touches your car. The criminals donÕt wait or ask permission, why should their victims? Oh, and mlnjr, thereÕs no such thing as the Ògun show loopholeÓ, someoneÕs been lying and you fell for it.
If you commit a crime carrying a gun, go to prison for 10 years. If you fire it during your crime, 20 years. If you hurt someone, life in prison without parole. If you kill someone, death penalty within 24 hours using the electric chair, on live tv, with smell-0-vision.
5 ) Healthcare - If you want it, pay for it. CanÕt afford it? Sneak into Canada.
6 ) Education - Same as today. Want higher than 12th grade? Get a loan and pay for it yourself, like I had to. Mandatory testing of students and teachers, every year. Students: donÕt pass, donÕt move on. Teachers: donÕt pass, lose job for 10 years.
7 ) Immigration - Close the damm border NOW! Allow a small number in (less than 50k/year) who are skilled in tech, and willing to learn how to SPEAK AND READ ENGLISH! No more invasion from Mexico or Asia. No more Canadians with their funny accents (Peter Jennings, etc) . No more BOGUS amnesty, Òhey letÕs reward the criminals, so no new ones will come inÓ (heard in 1986, 1970, etc). No more overstaying your visa - we catch you doing it, deported and banned from entering US again for 20 years. No more housing alien criminals in our prisons. No more murderers escaping justice by fleeing to Mexico. No more ÒincursionsÓ on our southern border by the Mexican army. No more federal ignorance/deception of the real problems. Reform the INS so it has to do the job, or people get fired and banned from public office for life.
8 ) The War on Terrorism - Is this like the Òwar on drugsÓ. Waste of time. Nuke our enemies, we know where they are. WhatÕs the point of nukes if you are too scared to use them. That sad example over 50 years ago with low-yield weapons: pathetic. Who here for a good hydrogen cleansing of Iran, Syria, Vietnam, and most of Africa with modern weapons?
9 ) Gay Marriage - NO! Almost as offensive as legal beastiality (AKA interracial marriage). Want to marry your partner? One of you needs to get a sex change. I have no problems with that.
I have no problem with it, as I don't think the dignity and rights of a person should be extended to the embryo in gestation, the beast in the field (hence no problem with meat eating), or technological artefacts (hence no problem with designating a disk drive as ?slave?).
2 ) Drug Legalisation
Legalise it, advertise it, regulate it, tax it.
3 ) Government Spending
Depends on what it spends on. But not being stingy doesn't mean skipping on proper accountancy or accountability.
4 ) Gun Control
It is my opinion, that while personal ownership of firearms is not a problem in itself, lack of proper regulation of it, is. But if the government is too weak to provide reasonable public order (as Hassan noted about RSA), a more lax regualtion might be required then.
5 ) Healthcare
I am of the opinion the Polis exists to serve its population, and provide it with defence against external foes, against crime, hunger, ignorance, and disease. That means it should provide adequate health care to all those it exists to serve. Those who seek something better than adequate should seek private services.
6 ) Education
I am of the opinion it is among the duties of the Polis to provide adequate education: from kindergarten to university. Again, those seeking something better than adequate should seek private services.
7 ) Immigration
That depends on the capacity of the country in question to absorb it. A sovereign country is certainly within its rights to decide the extent of immigration it allows.
Nota bene, you cannot be an opulent country with a long porous border with a much poorer country, and not be an immigration magnet.
A solution could be to act toward making that nieghbouring country better off as well. Since Spain became a developed country, its people no longer emigrate all that much.
8 ) The War on Terrorism
Terrorism should be opposed rather than appeased. But intelligently so. The far-left terrorism of the nineteen-seventies and eighties was successfully opposed, although the final blow to it was the fall of its main backer, the USSR.
But terrorism has moved on from relying mainly on state backing, it's now mostly privatised; so terrorist organisations should be prevented from operating entreprises (from shipping, to construction, banking, retail, and whatnot), as well as from operating charities, as much as they should be prevented from benefitting from support and shelter of sovereign states.
So while police and military action is indispensable against terrorism, it's far from enough.
9 ) Gay Marriage
I'm indifferent to how a society chooses to define marriage.
Addendum: capital punishment.
It's the normal human trait to wish death upon somebody who brought death upon you and yours, which is why you shoud not be allowed to judge in the trial of such a somebody. Exacting revenge on behalf of the victim, its relatives, and the emphasising population, might provide some short-term satisfaction to many of us, but since I am of the opinion that bringing such and other satisfactions is not one of the duties of the Polis, there is no place, in my opinion, for the state-sanctioned revenge otherwise known as capital punishment.
1 ) Abortion -- Pro-choice. A woman bears the weight litterally and should have the right to not to if she doesnt want to -- male choice in the matter is moot until external uteruses are possible and the procedure for removing a fetus is no more invasive than the most advanced abortion techniques.
2 ) Drug Legalization -- Pro in limits. Drugs where there is a distinct and high probability of outsider harm should be illegal (ie crystal meth, cocaine, etc etc)
3 ) Government Spending -- needs to have a better review process within functional limits, somehow mega multimillion dollar coorporations find the lowest bidder, why can't the government and have them stick to a contract. Spending need not be balanced though, again within reason, if we need to pay for social services we need to pay for social services.
4 ) Gun Control -- guns should be allowed with a similar system as the brady bill but with more stringent requirements for id -- ie finger print match to fire and cataloging of shell marks/bullet marks.
5 ) Healthcare -- there should be a national health care system that provides preventative health care, and in special cases treatments for who cannot afford needed treatment.
6 ) Education -- national standards are crap. local/regional standards should be introduced and raised to a national standard over time. public schools should not be funded based upon local property tax but upon a distribution of money in the system spending it where needed most. children should have the choice in schools with the caveat that for each child moved from a school the funding for that school increases (a sort of negative feed back loop). nation wide class size should be set to below 30 and preferably below 20.
7 ) Immigration -- open the doors and ensure an integration into society english only education etc etc, and you will find most people who come add more than they take.
8 ) The War on Terrorism -- idiotic. its like a war on ghosts.
In terms of economic theory and when they were first written down, you're probably right since the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, but in terms of political / economic orthodoxy and practice, you're not.
America was founded on the principles of laissez-faire government. Dont' delude yourself.
a woman should be allowed to decide about her own body.
anything that is INSIDE her body IS her body as long as it cant live outside and without her body.
2 ) Drug Legalization
legalize mild stuff. that is less profit for the mobs. and you know what your kid is getting.
3 ) Government Spending
less bush please
4 ) Gun Control
more. if there is that @#$ gun registry, let it be used, not like after the 9/11 when checking if any saudi arabians in US had guns. FBI wasnt allowed to check that.
5 ) Healthcare
make it optional / opt-out. if you want health care, get insurance, if you think you won't need it, opt-out - completely opt-out, so spend your healthcare insurance and taxes (also for pension) as you want and then blame for YOURSELF if something you did not plan happens.
6 ) Education
teach something more usefel for life, and not for the purpose of passing the exams only
7 ) Immigration
legalize all aliens who want to be legal.
8 ) The War on Terrorism
war on terrorism? 19 saudi arabians attack world trade center > TERRORISTS attacked usa. if they were iraqis, it would have been IRAQ attacks usa. if afghans > AFHHANISTAN attacks usa.
why is saudi arabia > TERRORISTS attack usa?
why isn't saudi arabia attacked to "fight terrorism" but iraq? none of the hijackers were iraqis or from iraq.
the logic bush etc have used for that "terrorism" and "fighting terrorism" in iraq (when those terrorist were from saudi arabia) makes about 20 times less sense than ****ing for virginity.
9 ) Gay Marriage
people who love each other should be allowed to love each other. no matter what their sex, religion, skin color etc are.
1 ) Abortion. Pro-choice. I can imagine there are questionable practices (although very few), but they shouldn't b (ab)used to limit the majority's right to choose.
2 ) Drug Legalization. Pro. Ensure quality. Tax it Big Time. No-tolerance policy for driving under influence. Exclude addiction from healthcare.
3 ) Government Spending. Difficult. EU-citizen, and our farming policy (and i use that term loosely) is ridiculous. Also, as I?m from Belgium, I would invite all of you to check out the number of governments we have, for as few as 10-11 million people. First we have The Royal Family, then we have seven (7) federal and/or regional governments (each with an administration, a Chamber and in a few cases a Senate). Then we have 10 provinces, and finally you have your local government. Of course on top of that you have the European Council and the European Commission.
4 ) Gun Control. Pro. Again I cannot relate to the US situation, but over here many police officers don't even carry guns. Somehow I find that a more comfortable situation than any situation where someone who passes a few test can carry a gun.
5 ) Healthcare. Pro. Free for all.
6 ) Education. Pro, and quality education should be easier (cheaper) to obtain. It?s thé most important issue in our society, but a very difficult one to get right. I don?t know the magic formula, but I?m pretty sure there quite some room for improvements.
7 ) Immigration. That?s easy: some countries will benefit from it at certain points in time, others won?t. So it should be up to the individual country and could very well change over time. Illegal immigration is a bitch though, and even if I consider it inhumane, it should be fought with all means necessary. Also, it is obvious that it will become increasingly difficult to stop immigration (for example a huge country like Poland will join the EU shortly while there is virtually no control along it?s borders) and this will pose huge problems to the social systems in many (European) countries.
8 ) The War on Terrorism. Free trade. The (sometimes difficult) dialogue through international organisations. Tolerance and openness. One step at a time. You cannot ?fight? terrorism. Sure you can take out a specific threat (and sometimes you should), but it won?t solve the problem.
9 ) Gay Marriage. Well, my liberal me tells me ?what should I care, people should do whatever makes them happy?. However?(while I don?t like religion and hate institutionalised religion with a passion)?I realise that the terminology and the concept of civil marriage is derived from the Christian sacrament marriage, which is clearly defined as a union between a man and a woman. So I somewhat sympathise with those opposing the term ?marriage? for same sex unions, which makes me a supporter of the ?civil union?-camp I guess. Of course that?s all semantics?but?uhm?yeah
1) Abortion - Provide a compelling scientific explanation for when a fetus becomes alive. Allow abortions without questions asked before that. Only extreme emergencies afterward. A heartbeat seems more logical a measure than central nervous system activity, which is more gray area.
2) Drug Legalization - Ban smoking in all public locales (including sidewalks, streets). Legalize marijuana under the same super-strict tobacco smoking laws.
3) Government Spending - Efficient spending is keen. Collecting more taxes isn't going to make the government any more efficient.
4) Gun Control - It shouldn't be as easy to get non-specialized firearms (hunting rifles and such) as it is. It's also nearly impossible to backtrack and get all the guns out of here.
5) Healthcare - Medicare is f--ked up, but I have no idea how to fix it.
6) Education - Public schooling needs to accomplish more in the same amount of time, so summer and winter vacations should be dramatically shortened at all levels of education. Financially based affirmative-action should exist in the lower levels of education and taper off into non-existence by the time students are applying to colleges.
7) Immigration - Sexy ladies to the front of the line.
8) The War on Terrorism - Carpet bomb all foreign nations with ridiculously large amounts of laughing gas.
9) Gay Marriage - Sure, why not? I'm looking forward to watching Gay Divorce Court.
1 ) Abortion----Should only be allowed in cases of rape, incest, or medical necessity (danger to the mother, etc.)
2 ) Drug Legalization--Against. However, we should spend say 2/3 of our "anti-drug" monies on prevention and treatment, rather than criminal prosecution. Users should face mandatory rehab...as opposed to jail time. Dealers should go to jail.
3 ) Government Spending--We need to cut overall federal spending dramatically and bring the budget into balance. We need cuts in beaurocracy ...to the tune of entire departments being elminated. Most importantly, we need to end and cut many social programs which have made the problems of homelessness and poverty WORSE, not better. The government should only take care of those who do have the ABILITY to take care of themselves (mentally and physcially disabled, etc.). To limit spending, we need a line-item veto to cut the pork from appropriations bills. I would not make cuts in the military budget, but would not increase it either. A plan for eliminating the waste in the military industrial complex should be devised. The government should be spending money on maintaining the infastructure (highways, power grid, water system, etc), providing national defense, education, protection from terrorism, etc. It should not be involved in our lives to extent it is now.
4 ) Gun Control---I support a total ban on handguns and automatic weapons. Rifles and huntiing weapons should be legal, with background checks.
5 ) Healthcare---It is not a "right" and cannot be nationalized. If it is, costs will explode even further. The government should not be involved in healthcare, except for seeting limits on tort law and regulating the industry. Of course, those who are unable to provide for themselves (see "government spending") should have some sort of disability benefit. I am generally against the medicare prescription drug benefit.
6 ) Education---The No Child Left Behind Act is a decent concept, but needs to be revised. Accountablity targets (which rise until 2014 or so....up to 100% of students "passing") should be made more reasonable. I would greatly increase education spending...perhaps three fold.
7 ) Immigration---We must stop illegal immigration. Period. We should use the US Military to patrol and secure our borders. Illegals should be deported immediately. Immigrants should not qualify for social services for a period of time after they arrive.
8 ) The War on Terrorism---I support Bush's efforts, including in Iraq. I believe he has done a very good job on this issue. I have yet to see a better plan.
9 ) Gay Marriage---I'm opposed to it being legal. I don't necessarily support an Amendment though. I think "not recognizing" it at the federal level is better.
I'll add these issues:
Taxes: We need a total overhaul of the income tax system. We need to take the current code and burn it. We should elminate all deductions, other than for children and marriage (exemptions, actually) and in return drastically reduce rates. Interest income and capital gains should not be taxable. Neither should gifts or prize earnings. A total review of all federal taxations should be ordered, from "access charges" to the gas tax, to taxes on tobacco. The American people pay 50% of their incomes to a government agency. It must stop. No one should pay more than 25% of his income to a government agency.
Social Security: Though I don't support the concept of Social Security, it's not a program that can be done away with. Americans are paying through the nose for it, and yet it's going to go broke. The solution is to change the way we fund it, by implenting a national sales tax and eliminating all payroll taxes.
1. Abortion - banned after 8 weeks with exception for health; yes on stem cells and therapeutic cloning; my motto: if it is in a womb, it is life, if it is in a petri dish, it is a bunch of cells.
2. Drug Legalization - make marijuana a nice tax source, and at most, only prescriptions for the hard ones. As with alcohol, it should be illegal to be under the influence while doing certain stuff.
3. Government Spending - I like it, but don't waste it. Ie, spend it usefully and responsibly. And spend a lot more on science, R&D, big engineering projects. Note: I'm a gov't employee.
4) Gun Control - Citizens have the right to own all the guns they want except for the military ones. They'll need special special licenses for those, compared to just the regular license for regular hunting and hand guns et al.
5. Healthcare - The gov't should provide a rudimentary health service like a clinic, no surgeries, no special procedures, etc. If one wants more, go to the private hospitals.
6. Education - The only policy I would like to see is a well balanced education. Communities can have whatever school system they desire, but as long as they receive public money, they should follow a well rounded education policy.
7. Immigration - Increase the immigration quotas. Deport the illegals.
8. The War on Terrorism - Soft power with international policing is a lot better than the terribly misguided actions so far.
For the record, I am swedish, and we swedes are known for our liberal socialistic political beliefs.
1 ) Abortion - Yes, women have the right to decide over their own body.
2 ) Drug Legalization - No, I don't believe that drugs benefit anyone. We may never stop it by having it criminalized, but that doesn't mean that we should look the other way either.
3 ) Government Spending - In Sweden taxes are very high, much of that collected money goes into healthcare and social security. I am comfterable with that.
4 ) Gun Control - Yes, guns are very rare here in Sweden and I am quite happy with that. It is possible to own one legally, but you need a license and
from what I understand the demands are rather strict.
5 ) Healthcare - Yes, the right to treatment when you are ill is something I consider to be a human right.
6 ) Education - I'm not sure what you're getting at here so for the moment I choose not to comment.
7 ) Immigration - Yes, assuming that the recieving country has somewhere to put the people it recieves. That is to say, as long as there is homes, jobs and the government can afford the additional expences of new people moving there. People who flee war or oppression should be welcomed with open arms no matter what.
8 ) The War on Terrorism - Bombing Afghanistan and invading Iraq have done little to relieve americans of their fears. War will not stop terror, it only feeds it. Ask instead: why are people angry in the first place?
9 ) Gay Marriage - Yes, homosexuals should have the right to get married in church aswell.
Comments
1. Abortion. Strongly in favor. I think it should be government-funded and mandatory.
2. Drugs. Legalize the hard stuff, e.g., heroin. It's the dangerous gateway drugs such as pot that should be illegal.
3. Government spending: We could cut taxes, go to Mars, and balance the budget if we just stopped funding all that Jesus-in-piss art.
4. Gun control: In order to protect your children, all families should have handguns in their homes. But you have to make sure your guns stay loaded at all times, because who wants to have to load up when your home is being raided by a gang?
5. Health care: To cut costs, we should get rid of all those silly new age wellness and preventive programs and instead focus our efforts on hi-tech stuff like MRI and superconducting supercolliders.
6. Education: One thing I know for sure, we have to stop throwing money at the problem! The less money they have, the better our education system will be.
8. War on Terrorism: Well, isn't it over now that we've got Saddam? They'll be no more 9/11s, that's for sure.
9. Gay marriage: Again, I think it should be gov't-funded and mandatory for all people.
2 ) Drug Legalization: What drug? I have no problem with pot, but I do with crystal meth.
3 ) Government Spending: Pork, no. Keeping grandma able to afford her meds, yes.
4 ) Gun Control: Within reason, yes. Nobody needs an AK-47 to hunt. Across the board, no. Using a gun in the commission of a crime- throw the book at 'em.
5 ) Healthcare: We can pay for it now or pay for it later. I'd rather the government pay $50 to have a kid thoroughly checked out every year than $5000 to fix 'em up later.
6 ) Education: You can't spend enough on this as far as I'm concerned.
7 ) Immigration: I'd worry more about our jobs for skilled worker being sent to Mexico than our jobs mowing lawns going to Mexicans here.
8 ) The War on Terrorism: Not going real well.
9 ) Gay Marriage: Government has no place protecting "Sanctity". The sanctity of my parents marriage (which really was until-death-do-us-part) will not have been compromised by the idea that I might one day find someone to legally marry. "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" did more damage to the sanctity of the institution than any gay wedding ever could.
2 ) Drug Legalization- Legalise all drugs, good systems of supervision
are what's needed.
3 ) Government Spending - Generally smaller Govt is better. We need to
check what they are spending money on
before giving any more.
4 ) Gun Control- Complete control. There is no legitimate reason for a
civilised society to allow the purchase of assault
weapons, armour piercing rounds, semi/fully automatic
weapons. (Please don't cite the constitution - The USA
no longer relies upon a militia to keep the nation
secure or administration in check)
5 ) Healthcare- A basic, decent measure of society. (But let's not fund
life enhancing elective surgery whilst others still need
their lives saving)
6 ) Education- The more the better. One of the better reasons for govt
and best use of taxes; broaden the range and increase
the status of educators.
7 ) Immigration- A net gain.
8 ) The War on Terrorism- Like the 'War on Drugs' a phoney rallying cry
to distract our attention whilst those in charge
have their way. Terrorists are criminals,
despite the range of motivations they may
have they are not states, to talk of war makes
no sense.
9 ) Gay Marriage- It's no one else's business but theirs, good luck to
them.
1 ) Abortion - No murder of babies, no using their bodies for medical research. Use birth control, donÕt carve up a baby because you were too lazy.
2 ) Drug Legalization - Yes, with controls. If you want to smoke crack and PCP thatÕs OK, but donÕt do it while operating machines. If you get caught DUI you get shot in the head that same day.
3 ) Government Spending - reduce it. What good has this done, other than defense?
4 ) Gun Control - NONE! Reinstate the 2nd Amendment the US used to have. If you want a machine gun or a handgun, you buy it through the mail. No permits to carry any gun. No restrictions of where you can carry it. No limits on barrel length, weight, material, or magazine size. Want to hunt with an AK-47? ItÕs not powerful enough for deer, maybe it can kill rabbits. Legal to hunt with if you use the 5 round magazine. Save the 90 round drum for the punk who touches your car. The criminals donÕt wait or ask permission, why should their victims? Oh, and mlnjr, thereÕs no such thing as the Ògun show loopholeÓ, someoneÕs been lying and you fell for it.
If you commit a crime carrying a gun, go to prison for 10 years. If you fire it during your crime, 20 years. If you hurt someone, life in prison without parole. If you kill someone, death penalty within 24 hours using the electric chair, on live tv, with smell-0-vision.
5 ) Healthcare - If you want it, pay for it. CanÕt afford it? Sneak into Canada.
6 ) Education - Same as today. Want higher than 12th grade? Get a loan and pay for it yourself, like I had to. Mandatory testing of students and teachers, every year. Students: donÕt pass, donÕt move on. Teachers: donÕt pass, lose job for 10 years.
7 ) Immigration - Close the damm border NOW! Allow a small number in (less than 50k/year) who are skilled in tech, and willing to learn how to SPEAK AND READ ENGLISH! No more invasion from Mexico or Asia. No more Canadians with their funny accents (Peter Jennings, etc)
8 ) The War on Terrorism - Is this like the Òwar on drugsÓ. Waste of time. Nuke our enemies, we know where they are. WhatÕs the point of nukes if you are too scared to use them. That sad example over 50 years ago with low-yield weapons: pathetic. Who here for a good hydrogen cleansing of Iran, Syria, Vietnam, and most of Africa with modern weapons?
9 ) Gay Marriage - NO! Almost as offensive as legal beastiality (AKA interracial marriage). Want to marry your partner? One of you needs to get a sex change. I have no problems with that.
Disagree? Tough
Originally posted by guest
I can't believe the left-wing kooks on this board. Here's some moderate views:
Moderate? Wow. You make Strom Thurmond look like a hippy.
I have no problem with it, as I don't think the dignity and rights of a person should be extended to the embryo in gestation, the beast in the field (hence no problem with meat eating), or technological artefacts (hence no problem with designating a disk drive as ?slave?).
2 ) Drug Legalisation
Legalise it, advertise it, regulate it, tax it.
3 ) Government Spending
Depends on what it spends on. But not being stingy doesn't mean skipping on proper accountancy or accountability.
4 ) Gun Control
It is my opinion, that while personal ownership of firearms is not a problem in itself, lack of proper regulation of it, is. But if the government is too weak to provide reasonable public order (as Hassan noted about RSA), a more lax regualtion might be required then.
5 ) Healthcare
I am of the opinion the Polis exists to serve its population, and provide it with defence against external foes, against crime, hunger, ignorance, and disease. That means it should provide adequate health care to all those it exists to serve. Those who seek something better than adequate should seek private services.
6 ) Education
I am of the opinion it is among the duties of the Polis to provide adequate education: from kindergarten to university. Again, those seeking something better than adequate should seek private services.
7 ) Immigration
That depends on the capacity of the country in question to absorb it. A sovereign country is certainly within its rights to decide the extent of immigration it allows.
Nota bene, you cannot be an opulent country with a long porous border with a much poorer country, and not be an immigration magnet.
A solution could be to act toward making that nieghbouring country better off as well. Since Spain became a developed country, its people no longer emigrate all that much.
8 ) The War on Terrorism
Terrorism should be opposed rather than appeased. But intelligently so. The far-left terrorism of the nineteen-seventies and eighties was successfully opposed, although the final blow to it was the fall of its main backer, the USSR.
But terrorism has moved on from relying mainly on state backing, it's now mostly privatised; so terrorist organisations should be prevented from operating entreprises (from shipping, to construction, banking, retail, and whatnot), as well as from operating charities, as much as they should be prevented from benefitting from support and shelter of sovereign states.
So while police and military action is indispensable against terrorism, it's far from enough.
9 ) Gay Marriage
I'm indifferent to how a society chooses to define marriage.
Addendum: capital punishment.
It's the normal human trait to wish death upon somebody who brought death upon you and yours, which is why you shoud not be allowed to judge in the trial of such a somebody. Exacting revenge on behalf of the victim, its relatives, and the emphasising population, might provide some short-term satisfaction to many of us, but since I am of the opinion that bringing such and other satisfactions is not one of the duties of the Polis, there is no place, in my opinion, for the state-sanctioned revenge otherwise known as capital punishment.
Originally posted by Existence
Why is everyone avoiding the issue of Israel when giving their opinion on the War on Terror?
You're correct. Israel is terrorizing the Palestinians.
2 ) Drug Legalization -- Pro in limits. Drugs where there is a distinct and high probability of outsider harm should be illegal (ie crystal meth, cocaine, etc etc)
3 ) Government Spending -- needs to have a better review process within functional limits, somehow mega multimillion dollar coorporations find the lowest bidder, why can't the government and have them stick to a contract. Spending need not be balanced though, again within reason, if we need to pay for social services we need to pay for social services.
4 ) Gun Control -- guns should be allowed with a similar system as the brady bill but with more stringent requirements for id -- ie finger print match to fire and cataloging of shell marks/bullet marks.
5 ) Healthcare -- there should be a national health care system that provides preventative health care, and in special cases treatments for who cannot afford needed treatment.
6 ) Education -- national standards are crap. local/regional standards should be introduced and raised to a national standard over time. public schools should not be funded based upon local property tax but upon a distribution of money in the system spending it where needed most. children should have the choice in schools with the caveat that for each child moved from a school the funding for that school increases (a sort of negative feed back loop). nation wide class size should be set to below 30 and preferably below 20.
7 ) Immigration -- open the doors and ensure an integration into society english only education etc etc, and you will find most people who come add more than they take.
8 ) The War on Terrorism -- idiotic. its like a war on ghosts.
9 ) Gay Marriage -- no qualms.
Originally posted by Hassan i Sabbah
In terms of economic theory and when they were first written down, you're probably right since the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, but in terms of political / economic orthodoxy and practice, you're not.
America was founded on the principles of laissez-faire government. Dont' delude yourself.
Originally posted by BRussell
OK, to take this seriously:
1. Abortion. Strongly in favor. I think it should be government-funded and mandatory.
2. Drugs. Legalize the hard stuff, e.g., heroin. It's the dangerous gateway drugs such as pot that should be illegal.
[snip: I am BRussell]
at's for sure.
9. Gay marriage: Again, I think it should be gov't-funded and mandatory for all people.
Post of the year.
a woman should be allowed to decide about her own body.
anything that is INSIDE her body IS her body as long as it cant live outside and without her body.
2 ) Drug Legalization
legalize mild stuff. that is less profit for the mobs. and you know what your kid is getting.
3 ) Government Spending
less bush please
4 ) Gun Control
more. if there is that @#$ gun registry, let it be used, not like after the 9/11 when checking if any saudi arabians in US had guns. FBI wasnt allowed to check that.
5 ) Healthcare
make it optional / opt-out. if you want health care, get insurance, if you think you won't need it, opt-out - completely opt-out, so spend your healthcare insurance and taxes (also for pension) as you want and then blame for YOURSELF if something you did not plan happens.
6 ) Education
teach something more usefel for life, and not for the purpose of passing the exams only
7 ) Immigration
legalize all aliens who want to be legal.
8 ) The War on Terrorism
war on terrorism? 19 saudi arabians attack world trade center > TERRORISTS attacked usa. if they were iraqis, it would have been IRAQ attacks usa. if afghans > AFHHANISTAN attacks usa.
why is saudi arabia > TERRORISTS attack usa?
why isn't saudi arabia attacked to "fight terrorism" but iraq? none of the hijackers were iraqis or from iraq.
the logic bush etc have used for that "terrorism" and "fighting terrorism" in iraq (when those terrorist were from saudi arabia) makes about 20 times less sense than ****ing for virginity.
9 ) Gay Marriage
people who love each other should be allowed to love each other. no matter what their sex, religion, skin color etc are.
2 ) Drug Legalization. Pro. Ensure quality. Tax it Big Time. No-tolerance policy for driving under influence. Exclude addiction from healthcare.
3 ) Government Spending. Difficult. EU-citizen, and our farming policy (and i use that term loosely) is ridiculous. Also, as I?m from Belgium, I would invite all of you to check out the number of governments we have, for as few as 10-11 million people. First we have The Royal Family, then we have seven (7) federal and/or regional governments (each with an administration, a Chamber and in a few cases a Senate). Then we have 10 provinces, and finally you have your local government. Of course on top of that you have the European Council and the European Commission.
4 ) Gun Control. Pro. Again I cannot relate to the US situation, but over here many police officers don't even carry guns. Somehow I find that a more comfortable situation than any situation where someone who passes a few test can carry a gun.
5 ) Healthcare. Pro. Free for all.
6 ) Education. Pro, and quality education should be easier (cheaper) to obtain. It?s thé most important issue in our society, but a very difficult one to get right. I don?t know the magic formula, but I?m pretty sure there quite some room for improvements.
7 ) Immigration. That?s easy: some countries will benefit from it at certain points in time, others won?t. So it should be up to the individual country and could very well change over time. Illegal immigration is a bitch though, and even if I consider it inhumane, it should be fought with all means necessary. Also, it is obvious that it will become increasingly difficult to stop immigration (for example a huge country like Poland will join the EU shortly while there is virtually no control along it?s borders) and this will pose huge problems to the social systems in many (European) countries.
8 ) The War on Terrorism. Free trade. The (sometimes difficult) dialogue through international organisations. Tolerance and openness. One step at a time. You cannot ?fight? terrorism. Sure you can take out a specific threat (and sometimes you should), but it won?t solve the problem.
9 ) Gay Marriage. Well, my liberal me tells me ?what should I care, people should do whatever makes them happy?. However?(while I don?t like religion and hate institutionalised religion with a passion)?I realise that the terminology and the concept of civil marriage is derived from the Christian sacrament marriage, which is clearly defined as a union between a man and a woman. So I somewhat sympathise with those opposing the term ?marriage? for same sex unions, which makes me a supporter of the ?civil union?-camp I guess. Of course that?s all semantics?but?uhm?yeah
2) Drug Legalization - Ban smoking in all public locales (including sidewalks, streets). Legalize marijuana under the same super-strict tobacco smoking laws.
3) Government Spending - Efficient spending is keen. Collecting more taxes isn't going to make the government any more efficient.
4) Gun Control - It shouldn't be as easy to get non-specialized firearms (hunting rifles and such) as it is. It's also nearly impossible to backtrack and get all the guns out of here.
5) Healthcare - Medicare is f--ked up, but I have no idea how to fix it.
6) Education - Public schooling needs to accomplish more in the same amount of time, so summer and winter vacations should be dramatically shortened at all levels of education. Financially based affirmative-action should exist in the lower levels of education and taper off into non-existence by the time students are applying to colleges.
7) Immigration - Sexy ladies to the front of the line.
8) The War on Terrorism - Carpet bomb all foreign nations with ridiculously large amounts of laughing gas.
9) Gay Marriage - Sure, why not? I'm looking forward to watching Gay Divorce Court.
2 ) Drug Legalization--Against. However, we should spend say 2/3 of our "anti-drug" monies on prevention and treatment, rather than criminal prosecution. Users should face mandatory rehab...as opposed to jail time. Dealers should go to jail.
3 ) Government Spending--We need to cut overall federal spending dramatically and bring the budget into balance. We need cuts in beaurocracy ...to the tune of entire departments being elminated. Most importantly, we need to end and cut many social programs which have made the problems of homelessness and poverty WORSE, not better. The government should only take care of those who do have the ABILITY to take care of themselves (mentally and physcially disabled, etc.). To limit spending, we need a line-item veto to cut the pork from appropriations bills. I would not make cuts in the military budget, but would not increase it either. A plan for eliminating the waste in the military industrial complex should be devised. The government should be spending money on maintaining the infastructure (highways, power grid, water system, etc), providing national defense, education, protection from terrorism, etc. It should not be involved in our lives to extent it is now.
4 ) Gun Control---I support a total ban on handguns and automatic weapons. Rifles and huntiing weapons should be legal, with background checks.
5 ) Healthcare---It is not a "right" and cannot be nationalized. If it is, costs will explode even further. The government should not be involved in healthcare, except for seeting limits on tort law and regulating the industry. Of course, those who are unable to provide for themselves (see "government spending") should have some sort of disability benefit. I am generally against the medicare prescription drug benefit.
6 ) Education---The No Child Left Behind Act is a decent concept, but needs to be revised. Accountablity targets (which rise until 2014 or so....up to 100% of students "passing") should be made more reasonable. I would greatly increase education spending...perhaps three fold.
7 ) Immigration---We must stop illegal immigration. Period. We should use the US Military to patrol and secure our borders. Illegals should be deported immediately. Immigrants should not qualify for social services for a period of time after they arrive.
8 ) The War on Terrorism---I support Bush's efforts, including in Iraq. I believe he has done a very good job on this issue. I have yet to see a better plan.
9 ) Gay Marriage---I'm opposed to it being legal. I don't necessarily support an Amendment though. I think "not recognizing" it at the federal level is better.
I'll add these issues:
Taxes: We need a total overhaul of the income tax system. We need to take the current code and burn it. We should elminate all deductions, other than for children and marriage (exemptions, actually) and in return drastically reduce rates. Interest income and capital gains should not be taxable. Neither should gifts or prize earnings. A total review of all federal taxations should be ordered, from "access charges" to the gas tax, to taxes on tobacco. The American people pay 50% of their incomes to a government agency. It must stop. No one should pay more than 25% of his income to a government agency.
Social Security: Though I don't support the concept of Social Security, it's not a program that can be done away with. Americans are paying through the nose for it, and yet it's going to go broke. The solution is to change the way we fund it, by implenting a national sales tax and eliminating all payroll taxes.
2. Drug Legalization - make marijuana a nice tax source, and at most, only prescriptions for the hard ones. As with alcohol, it should be illegal to be under the influence while doing certain stuff.
3. Government Spending - I like it, but don't waste it. Ie, spend it usefully and responsibly. And spend a lot more on science, R&D, big engineering projects. Note: I'm a gov't employee.
4) Gun Control - Citizens have the right to own all the guns they want except for the military ones. They'll need special special licenses for those, compared to just the regular license for regular hunting and hand guns et al.
5. Healthcare - The gov't should provide a rudimentary health service like a clinic, no surgeries, no special procedures, etc. If one wants more, go to the private hospitals.
6. Education - The only policy I would like to see is a well balanced education. Communities can have whatever school system they desire, but as long as they receive public money, they should follow a well rounded education policy.
7. Immigration - Increase the immigration quotas. Deport the illegals.
8. The War on Terrorism - Soft power with international policing is a lot better than the terribly misguided actions so far.
9. Gay Marriage - Yes.
1 ) Abortion - Yes, women have the right to decide over their own body.
2 ) Drug Legalization - No, I don't believe that drugs benefit anyone. We may never stop it by having it criminalized, but that doesn't mean that we should look the other way either.
3 ) Government Spending - In Sweden taxes are very high, much of that collected money goes into healthcare and social security. I am comfterable with that.
4 ) Gun Control - Yes, guns are very rare here in Sweden and I am quite happy with that. It is possible to own one legally, but you need a license and
from what I understand the demands are rather strict.
5 ) Healthcare - Yes, the right to treatment when you are ill is something I consider to be a human right.
6 ) Education - I'm not sure what you're getting at here so for the moment I choose not to comment.
7 ) Immigration - Yes, assuming that the recieving country has somewhere to put the people it recieves. That is to say, as long as there is homes, jobs and the government can afford the additional expences of new people moving there. People who flee war or oppression should be welcomed with open arms no matter what.
8 ) The War on Terrorism - Bombing Afghanistan and invading Iraq have done little to relieve americans of their fears. War will not stop terror, it only feeds it. Ask instead: why are people angry in the first place?
9 ) Gay Marriage - Yes, homosexuals should have the right to get married in church aswell.