Do you hold any views that differ from your overall leanings?

I'd call myself a libertarian, I hold a lot of conservative economic opinions, but I'm pretty liberal socially.

I am, however, in favor of border security, and anti-gun control. What issues do you have that don't always agree with your overall ideologies?

bigsmitty said:

I'd call myself a libertarian, I hold a lot of conservative economic opinions, but I'm pretty liberal socially.

I am, however, in favor of border security, and anti-gun control. What issues do you have that don't always agree with your overall ideologies?

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Non, I'm completely consistent

It's no matter of arrogance at all:mrgreen:

I'm a pretty far-left liberal (socialist type).
Where I've found myself in conflict with my fellow party-members has been mostly around freedom-of-speech issues.
I disagree, for instance, that websites that promote child molestation should be allowed to operate (although I may have argued for them, on some thread; I play devil's Advocate sometimes).

I also feel that disseminating nazi propaganda (including holocaust denial stuff), racist/sexist hate speech, etc, should be prohibited by law under certain circumstances.

I feel that in many cases this type of speech is incendiary and is only intended to inspire hatred and incite violence against an innocent population- which it often succeeds in doing.

I believe we should all have as many personal rights and freedoms as we possibly can, without intruding on other people's rights and freedoms (which are, after all, equally as important as ours).

But your right to swing your fist ends where somebody else's face begins.
I was once very much aligned with the goals of the ACLU, but in recent years have been disappointed that they've wasted valuable time and resources defended such rabble as White Supremist hate groups who want the right to hold marches and rallies in black neighborhoods, and things of that nature.

The right of White Supremist gangs to shout hate speech in minority neighborhoods is trumped, in my opinion, by the right of neighborhood homeowners and other law-abiding citizens to be protected- and to protect their children- from exposure to such hate speech and the potential violence that often accompanies it.

So, yeah, that's where I differ from a lot of other liberals.
I know that freedom of speech already isn't absolute. We don't have the freedom to shout "fire" in a crowded theater, to knowingly falsely accuse people of crimes they didn't commit, to lie under oath, to engage in libel and slander.
And I don't think hate speech- or pedophilia how-to sites- or other forms of expression that could result in needless and unwarranted physical harm to innocent people should be allowed by law.
We must use our rights responsibly. Those who refuse to should be made to.

bigsmitty said:

I'd call myself a libertarian, I hold a lot of conservative economic opinions, but I'm pretty liberal socially.

I am, however, in favor of border security, and anti-gun control. What issues do you have that don't always agree with your overall ideologies?

Click to expand...

Being anti-gun control is consistent with libertarianism.

Anywho...

I don't really think my "leanings" have any particular category, so it's hard to pick out views that differ from them. If I had to pick between liberal and conservative, I'd pick liberal, but there are lots of issues where I'm more conservative. For example...

- I think social security needs to be privatized, or at least completely overhauled.

- I am against deficit spending.

- I am against trying to use our military to change the world into democracies (I would categorize that as a liberal view that happens to be part of the GOP platform).

- I am against affirmative action in the public sector.

- I *strongly* support school vouchers/choice.

I'd say that the thanks I have received from various peopel here for postings has been fairly evenly split between those who are left of center and those who are right. I think I would be remiswere I to fail to point out that I can perturb those on both the left and right as well.

I'm not an idealogue by nature and form my opinons based upon my values instead of conforming to the dictates of some ready-made world view.

bigsmitty said:

I'd call myself a libertarian, I hold a lot of conservative economic opinions, but I'm pretty liberal socially.

I am, however, in favor of border security, and anti-gun control. What issues do you have that don't always agree with your overall ideologies?

Click to expand...

I want strong border protection and a strong military. I want spending controlled strictly.

But I have typically voted Democrat.

Our military should never have been sent into places like Vietnam and Iraq. But I was 100% behind the Afghanistan invasion, and would back more assistance in Darfur, even military help.

I'm very big on non-restriction of personal rights and freedom from all authority with certain exceptions (paying taxes, cooperating with police, following law that protects others from harm, etc.).

I'm pro-choice but think abortion should almost never be necessary.

I might vote for Rudy Giuliana, or John Edwards, or Arlan Specter, or Jim Webb, depending on who is running next year and what I learn about them between now and then. (Would definitely NOT vote for Clinton or Gingrich, and probably not Romney or Huckabee).

tryreading said:

I want strong border protection and a strong military. I want spending controlled strictly.

But I have typically voted Democrat.

Our military should never have been sent into places like Vietnam and Iraq. But I was 100% behind the Afghanistan invasion, and would back more assistance in Darfur, even military help.

I'm very big on non-restriction of personal rights and freedom from all authority with certain exceptions (paying taxes, cooperating with police, following law that protects others from harm, etc.).

I'm pro-choice but think abortion should almost never be necessary.

I might vote for Rudy Giuliana, or John Edwards, or Arlan Specter, or Jim Webb, depending on who is running next year and what I learn about them between now and then. (Would definitely NOT vote for Clinton or Gingrich, and probably not Romney or Huckabee).

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I am hard core Conservative and a lot of my friends on the left in this forum have called me a neo con..........I am neither a republican or a democrat and try and vote for the person that views mirror mine on the issues...........That said all the social issues pale compared to what we face today and that is the war on terror so I would vote for Rudy G, for president for that reason. I think he is by far the strongest candidate in either party on the war on terror......

I am a pacifist....Who seriously thinks some people need to be killed
I am a scientist....who believes there is more than we can see
I am an ex republican...who wishes he could be again
I am an optimist...who is losing the ability to be so

I hate Taxes...But think we need to raise them

I'm generally Democratic and liberal although there are a variety of things I disagree with the party on. On all personal & social issues I am 100% libertarian - drug usage, prostitution, gun control (I am a huge advocate of the 2nd Amendment), etc. Unlike 1069, I would tend to agree with the ACLU on speech issues such as those of white supremacists. The Bill of Rights & the Constitution cannot be trumped by anything short of additional Constitutional amending.

I also would consider myself to be slightly to the right of the mainstream Democratic Party on fiscal issues. Deficit spending should be illegal, & welfare and unemployment benefits should be cut. The government should spend more money funding abortion alternatives.

I lean conservative on every issue except for gay marriage. "Let them be as miserable as everyone else" Don't remember who exactly I'm quoting there, but I know I didn't think of it...

Interesting question. I am a pretty consistant border-line anarchist, ultra-libertarian. I guess one could say that I am a little more moderate on the gay marriage issue than some of my fellow "holy Christ, I can't believe you actually believe that!" libertarians in that I couldn't possibly care less because, in my ideal society, there would be no government involvment at all in the issue...which means no fiscal benefits or priveledges for the married.