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An invitation: Why are you a Conservative, Liberal, Mod ....

So, I'm new here and I came here hoping to gain a deeper understanding of people who think differently than me politically. So far, I haven't quite managed to accomplish that so, I will try a more direct route. Would anyone care to share with me what their core political beliefs are, what party (if any) you believe best represents them and why?

TL,DR
Well, briefly (perhaps too), I support abortion rights, oppose (virtually) all gun control legislation, the immediate decriminalization of marijuana (and most, if not all, other drugs) and the immediate release of all non-violent drug offenders from prison, prison reform, and I oppose the death penalty. In theory, I support same-sex marriage, but I do not believe in marriage itself in any legal way. In terms of economics, I support the free market while allowing the government to interfere if there is a genuine human rights/ethics violation by a company, abolition of the income tax (in theory), dividing defense spending into "defense" and "offense" spending, and making significant cuts to it, reallocating that revenue to reform social security and medicare, incentivizing private retirement, and considering abolition of the minimum wage. In foreign affairs, maintain diplomatic relations and stay out of the business of other countries, while maintaining efficient intel correspondence.

In terms of party, I identify with the Democratic and Libertarian parties. I hope to see both mainstream parties incorporate more Libertarian views into their platforms. I consider myself a Libertarian in ideology, a moderate in practice.
 
What do you find so funny about that statement?
I'm not entirely certain. It caught me off guard, though. Good one, dude.
 
So, I'm new here and I came here hoping to gain a deeper understanding of people who think differently than me politically. So far, I haven't quite managed to accomplish that so, I will try a more direct route. Would anyone care to share with me what their core political beliefs are, what party (if any) you believe best represents them and why?

I don't specifically identify with a particular party. I would classify myself politically and philosophically as a Conservative, but in the classical Burkeian sense, not in the current political American sense of the term. This means I favour a constitutionally limited government, with respect for a community's traditions and individual freedoms. I oppose revolutions and do not believe it is the government's role to transform society or people's lives, but rather to create the framework within which society and individual people can flourish and reach their full potential.
 
I have a question for you. How do you feel about the tone of the conversations you see here between conservatives and liberals and when you have conversations with people your age who have different political views are they anything like what you see here?
On some social issues maybe things can get ugly fast but otherwise it's just a back and forth.
 
I'm not entirely certain. It caught me off guard, though. Good one, dude.

It's just simply the truth. I have little to no faith or trust in almost all human beings.
 
It's just simply the truth. I have little to no faith or trust in almost all human beings.
You're selling them short, but whatever. I tend to view people as neither trustworthy nor unreliable. All is circumstance and motive.
 
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You're selling them short, but whatever. I tend to view people as neither trustworthy nor unreliable. All is circumstance and motive.

Actually, I generally find that I'm giving people too much credit. I tend to find a half dozen people who I give more respect or faith to than they deserve for every one I find whom I have given too little. That's just my personal experience.
 
Actually, I generally find that I'm giving people too much credit. I tend to find a half dozen people who I give more respect or faith to than they deserve for every one I find whom I have given too little. That's just my personal experience.
Fair enough.
 
I believe in absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings. I'm also a firm believer in not making direct eye contact in most cases in political forums. These two beliefs seem to go hand in hand...
 
Philosophically, I am an anarchist. I realize humanity hasn't evolved to the point where an anarchist society would work. Maybe one day. But in the meantime I refuse to bend over for any government. I recognize their power, but not their authority.
 
I believe in absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings. I'm also a firm believer in not making direct eye contact in most cases in political forums. These two beliefs seem to go hand in hand...

Enjoying :coffeepap: and laughing at the eye contact reference! You are ornery this morning! :lamo

Good morning, humbolt! :2wave:
 
Enjoying :coffeepap: and laughing at the eye contact reference! You are ornery this morning! :lamo

Good morning, humbolt! :2wave:
I yam. Good morning to you as well. The rain has virtually ruined my gardens. Humidity problems abound. I want to genetically engineer trees for harvest that have no limbs and one big leaf at the top. Would save a lot of work. Such are the thoughts of a problematic conservative nut on a Thursday morning. How's that leg coming along?
 
I yam. Good morning to you as well. The rain has virtually ruined my gardens. Humidity problems abound. I want to genetically engineer trees for harvest that have no limbs and one big leaf at the top. Would save a lot of work. Such are the thoughts of a problematic conservative nut on a Thursday morning. How's that leg coming along?

I am up to my elbows in fantastic tasting peaches that I am processing into all sorts of delectables...Southern peach honey for slathering on toast, peach leather for munching on, and just plain old peach halves in jars. Whew! The trees have outdone themselves this year! I'm taking a bushel to the Food Bank cause there are just too many, and I don't want to waste the darlings. The veggies in the garden? Not too good! Too much rain, I guess. I'll have to go to a farmer's market for green peppers and tomatoes to make salsa, spaghetti sauce, juice, etc....sigh... The broccoli formed heads, then immediately bolted the next day...the cowards! What a tale of woe, huh?

Still doing the exercises the sadistic physical therapists mandated, but I'm able to run around very well now. Good thing, too, since time isn't going to stop just for me, and there is too much to be done.

In a nod to the thread, I am a conservative because I don't have the time to be a liberal, and think ponderous thoughts that might change the world. I'm just too d*** busy! :lamo:
 
I am up to my elbows in fantastic tasting peaches that I am processing into all sorts of delectables...Southern peach honey for slathering on toast, peach leather for munching on, and just plain old peach halves in jars. Whew! The trees have outdone themselves this year! I'm taking a bushel to the Food Bank cause there are just too many, and I don't want to waste the darlings. The veggies in the garden? Not too good! Too much rain, I guess. I'll have to go to a farmer's market for green peppers and tomatoes to make salsa, spaghetti sauce, juice, etc....sigh... The broccoli formed heads, then immediately bolted the next day...the cowards! What a tale of woe, huh?

Still doing the exercises the sadistic physical therapists mandated, but I'm able to run around very well now. Good thing, too, since time isn't going to stop just for me, and there is too much to be done.

In a nod to the thread, I am a conservative because I don't have the time to be a liberal, and think ponderous thoughts that might change the world. I'm just too d*** busy! :lamo:
I hear the peaches are good this year. Big. Had the very same experience with broccoli. Nice heads I waited one day - one day! - to pick only to find them flowering the very next morning. Glad to hear you're recovering well. I can't run much at all anymore - since the last back injury. Docs say I'm lucky to be walking, so I take any fast steps with some joy at proving them wrong. I'm just not smart enough to be a liberal, so I'm stuck being conservative, and that provides me with ample excuses not to overly engage with my intellectual superiors. I'm all about convenience. And there are very few apples here this year. Poor pollination, I think.
 
In my heart I'm an anarchist that has little respect for the idea of a ruling body and a system of governance that I never agreed to and be part of a society of people that I never agreed to be part of making rules on how I live my daily life. Even going so far as forcing me to do business with individuals I don't desire to do business with and more often than not forcing me to do business with the government itself that has a tendency to make claims towards what is mine.

I only consider myself a minarchist due to the shortcoming of the people and their inability to behave in a civil manner. Going further than minarchism is counterproductive as it promotes uncivil behavior into the ruling body itself and defeats the very purpose on why I made the compromise to permit the governments existence in first place.
 
Based upon what others call me, I think I might be a neocon Islamophobe right wing warmongering Jewish women who is also a gay bleading heart pointy headed intolerant liberal douchebag.

It all gets so confusing these days that I have stopped calling myself anything at all.
 
I am a Libertarian. The reasoning behind this is simple. I believe that everyone, given the right expectation and opportunity, can succeed. The expectation is not present nowadays, because too many things are just given to people. I believe that any necessary philanthropy should be done by the people. The opportunity is education, and our education system in my opinion needs to be put back into the hands of the people (teachers, parents, students) in order to improve, rather than all of these government mandated tests and common core that serve as stumbling blocks to true progress. Furthermore, I believe in true liberty for all, and that this is only possible with a limited government whose main goal is to protect the liberties of every citizen, even a 1% minority. This value is found in the Libertarian Party's "Non-Aggression Principle", in which they say that the initiation of force is wrong and shall not be done onto anyone. They will respond to any act of aggression, but will not commit any of their own. Being fiscally conservative and socially liberal, the Libertarian Party is the only place for me.
 
Based upon what others call me, I think I might be a neocon Islamophobe right wing warmongering Jewish women who is also a gay bleading heart pointy headed intolerant liberal douchebag.

It all gets so confusing these days that I have stopped calling myself anything at all.

Good morning, Gardener! :2wave:

Be thankful they opted not to be too negative in their comments! :lamo :lamo I mean, really.....
 
I believe in absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings. I'm also a firm believer in not making direct eye contact in most cases in political forums. These two beliefs seem to go hand in hand...

sarcasm?
 
Maybe. It does express conservatives views in the extreme, and sometimes that seems like what we're all about here. Extremes. I just wanted to hit the relevant high points. And no, I'm not looking directly at you. I really know my feet well.
 
In my heart I'm an anarchist that has little respect for the idea of a ruling body and a system of governance that I never agreed to and be part of a society of people that I never agreed to be part of making rules on how I live my daily life. Even going so far as forcing me to do business with individuals I don't desire to do business with and more often than not forcing me to do business with the government itself that has a tendency to make claims towards what is mine.

I only consider myself a minarchist due to the shortcoming of the people and their inability to behave in a civil manner. Going further than minarchism is counterproductive as it promotes uncivil behavior into the ruling body itself and defeats the very purpose on why I made the compromise to permit the governments in first place.
Minarchist. I like it. Doesn't work at all with conservative. How about minimalist conservative? Nah. Sounds like dwarf reactionaries, and besides, Bill Kristol has that all wrapped up. Gonna have to work on that a while.
 
I grew up in Eastern Europe, and by the age of 15 or so, it was clear to me that I am a liberal. Head-to-toe, dyed-in-the-wool, by instinct and by conviction. Freedom of choice, non-aggression, individualism, secularism, voluntary cooperation, market feedbacks instead of delusional central planning.... - all that stuff, from Bastiat to Hayek.

In America, I found myself first deeply confused, then rather outraged: We was robbed! Our proud name, "liberals", was stolen by the socialist demagogues somewhere in the mid-30s, and now we are supposed to be either "conservatives" (which we are not, in any logical sense), or "libertarians" (which immediately implies some kind of infantile radicalism, if not a dog-eared copy of "Atlas Shrugged" permanently lodged in your backpack).

So, what the heck am I? An "independent moderate libertarian", or some schizophrenic-sounding "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" type?

We had been edited out of existence!
 
I grew up in Eastern Europe, and by the age of 15 or so, it was clear to me that I am a liberal. Head-to-toe, dyed-in-the-wool, by instinct and by conviction. Freedom of choice, non-aggression, individualism, secularism, voluntary cooperation, market feedbacks instead of delusional central planning.... - all that stuff, from Bastiat to Hayek.

In America, I found myself first deeply confused, then rather outraged: We was robbed! Our proud name, "liberals", was stolen by the socialist demagogues somewhere in the mid-30s, and now we are supposed to be either "conservatives" (which we are not, in any logical sense), or "libertarians" (which immediately implies some kind of infantile radicalism, if not a dog-eared copy of "Atlas Shrugged" permanently lodged in your backpack).

So, what the heck am I? An "independent moderate libertarian", or some schizophrenic-sounding "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" type?

We had been edited out of existence!
So true bro just hang on a change is coming.
 
So, I'm new here and I came here hoping to gain a deeper understanding of people who think differently than me politically. So far, I haven't quite managed to accomplish that so, I will try a more direct route. Would anyone care to share with me what their core political beliefs are, what party (if any) you believe best represents them and why?

My core belief is the strengthening and advancement of the human race through empowerment and strengthening of the individual. I am against pretty much anything that is suppressive to the individual or the provides them a means to be dependent upon society instead of themselves.

Economically, lightly regulated free market/capitalism. Anti-socialism and anti-corporatism.

Authoritarian on law enforcement but trend toward libertarianism on what should be law.

Foreign Affairs, support your friends who share your values and don't give **** to those who don't. (well maybe some lead, high explosive and if necessary, plutonium) An enemy is an enemy, kill them before they harm you. Better to fight a war on someone else's territory than your own.

Whether something is "humane" or not depends on how many it affects. Better to be "inhumane" to an individual who harms society than to let society be harmed. It is more humane to let one lazy person die than to take from others to support him.

Governmental structure--Limited democracy. Read Heinlein's Starship Troopers for a general idea. (read the book, don't rely on the movie.)
 
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