Happy Independence Day!

Melchior · Jul 4, 2005

Hello, my name is Frankie but you can call me Melchior, or Mel. :2wave:

I'm turning 18 this month and I'm keeping my eye on US Politics, not as a career interest mind you, just because I think it's important.

I was raised in a family of Roman Catholic Democrats with a Republican for an uncle. My introduction to Politics was the 2004 election and I was a John Kerry supporter. I spent a lot of my free time on the Internet debating or studying and watching the news. I also became interested in Buddhism and spent my time studing that as well.

Since then my views have radically changed, except for my positions on a few core issues, and a few days ago I filled out a voter registration form and re-pre-registered as a Libertarian. I was not old enough to vote for Kerry but today I would never have voted for him in the first place, I am a Michael Badnarik fan now. I have always had a natural distrust for government or authority in general, whether or not this is healthy is subjective.

I now consider myself a Dhammic Geolibertarian! :mrgreen:

I am here as a student and mostly as an observer, I want to learn. You can ask me any questions and I will tell you about myself or whatever I left out.

So... how high is the traffic on these forums?

Schweddy · Jul 5, 2005

Welcome to Debate Politics!

What is it about the Liberitarian ideals that particularly draw your interest?

So... how high is the traffic on these forums?

We have on average about 100 users that visit daily and around 400-500 posts a day.
There are many more lurkers - our hits monthly are in the millions.

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

vauge said:
Welcome to Debate Politics!

Thank you! :smile:

vauge said:
What is it about the Liberitarian ideals that particularly draw your interest?

Like I said: I have a natural distrust of government, and it seems to me the Libertarian Party understands that we have to keep the government disiplined and in line or else we are doomed. I love the philosophy, that the government serves us because we created the government. It's as if libertarian philosophy revolves around preventing George Orwell's 1984.

The LP Platform is devoted to Constitutional Law, and it was Michael Badnarik and his Constitution class videos that made me realize how important this blueprint is. The Constitution is the greatest document ever written and 90% of what our government does today and of the laws we have today contradicts or violates it.

We have inalienable rights, our rights are equal to property and you cannot have one without the other. Our rights extend to the point of coercion and are protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, any law passed that violates this principle is not a real law. These are Libertarian principles and I love them, they are very clear.

I also love the variety in the party, because we all share a few core principles I would say we are the true "Big Tent"

For instance, I said myself that I was a Dhammic Geolibertarian. Dhammic means I am a Libertarian with Buddhist Ethics, and the word geo means I tend to differ on the Libertarian platform when it comes to land, wildlife, and the environment. (some things just shouldn't be private, some things just need to be protected by law).

vauge said:
We have on average about 100 users that visit daily and around 400-500 posts a day.
There are many more lurkers - our hits monthly are in the millions.

Wow, that's cool.

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

Yeah, the beauty of spiders (great thing for forum promotion).

Welcome, and like you, I turn 18 this month. Welcome to Debate Politics.

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

I saw that quiz in the US Politics forum (How conservative / liberal are you?).

I might as well post it here too:

Your Political Profile

Overall: 60% Conservative, 40% Liberal
Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal
Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

ShamMol said:
Yeah, the beauty of spiders (great thing for forum promotion).

Welcome, and like you, I turn 18 this month. Welcome to Debate Politics.

Thank you. Indeed with will both have the right to vote soon. :2razz:

When is your birthday? And what are spiders? (lurkers?)

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

Spiders are...how to put it basically...it gets you hits on a search engine because they pick up on words and then that translates to different results in search engines...basically, it gets the site promoted.

Lurkers are evil.

And I turn 18 on the 28th, doing a huge birthday bash that weekend. We are gonna start it off on friday night and continue to sunday with dodger or angels games, poker, booze and halo 2. Yeah, the crew will be out in full force (all 10 of us), which ironically is more gals than guys, lol. Whatever, it the choir way!

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

Your birthday is one day after mine! :mrgreen:

And I love Halo! :mrgreen:

But I'm not sure what I will be doing for my birthday...

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

Awesome, yeah, I always have a hard time on the 27th, that is when my grandfather died, but this year, I am probably not going to be too sad because I will be with my friends. But seriously, what can be better than drinking, playing poker and halo until 6 in the morning sitting just talking while it is all going on. That is what I am going to miss about college...just hanging with my friends...

Anyway, welcome to the forums my elder!

Lilith · Jul 5, 2005

Happy Birthday to each of you pending adults!
It's a pleasure to meet you.

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

Hey, where in Cali are you from lilith? You mean around san fran, or elsewhere?

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

I am older than ShamMol by one day. :lol:

I'm sorry about your grandfather, and I pay my respects. I hope you have a great time at that party. :2birthday

arty

I also thank you for the welcome Lilith. :2wave:

too many smilies...

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

there is no such thing as too many smilies as long as there is a coherent word in the post.

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

There are just so many smilies...

Okay, so, I can't edit a post that was replied to?

What about my signature, if I change it will it appear in all of my posts or only new ones?

Schweddy · Jul 5, 2005

Melchior said:
Okay, so, I can't edit a post that was replied to?

What about my signature, if I change it will it appear in all of my posts or only new ones?

There is a 10 minute window after posting that allows for editing. You can edit a post that has been replied to.

Yeppers, if you update your sig, it will reflect on every post you have made to date.

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

vauge said:
There is a 10 minute window after posting that allows for editing. You can edit a post that has been replied to.

Nice! That seems very fair to me, it keeps debate honest but lets me fix mistakes.

vauge said:
Yeppers, if you update your sig, it will reflect on every post you have made to date.

Great! :mrgreen:

Lilith · Jul 5, 2005

ShamMol said:
Hey, where in Cali are you from lilith? You mean around san fran, or elsewhere?

Monterey Peninsula, 80 miles south of San Fran.

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

Only three user groups? Where are the libertarians or constitutionalists?

ShamMol · Jul 5, 2005

Ah, that's cool, I haven't had the chance to visit up there as much as I would like to so I don't know it that well. Think that my cousins have a friend there though.

Lilith · Jul 5, 2005

Melchior said:
Only three user groups? Where are the libertarians or constitutionalists?

say , hmmm?

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

Lilith said:
say , hmmm?

This forum has three "usergroups" including liberals, conservatives, and independents.

Lilith · Jul 5, 2005

Melchior said:
This forum has three "usergroups" including liberals, conservatives, and independents.

oh! How discriminating for you. Well I don't belong to any, so I can hardly complain. (Oh heck that has never stopped me before...) HEY! Can Mel here get a user group? Huh? I mean even Green Party made it onto the ballot last go round... where's the Libertarian homies?

Schweddy · Jul 5, 2005

Melchior said:
This forum has three "usergroups" including liberals, conservatives, and independents.

Well, I guess we can create a new usergroup for Libertarians & Constitutionalists, but it's more of a "political leaning" than party. I would consider the above two Independant.

What would the rank gif be for Libertarians?

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

Haha, I don't even know how to join a usergroup or what it consists of. First I want to know what they are about and if I'm interested (I might be) I'll put libertarian in the suggestion box. :2razz:

Melchior · Jul 5, 2005

Rank Gif? You mean like these mascots I'm seeing? (Elephants and Donkeys).

Our mascot is the Statue of Liberty...

Schweddy · Jul 5, 2005

USER CP > Group Memberships to join one.

Basically, they are the rank gifs below your username and title - i.e. those elephants below my name.

Happy Independence Day!

New member

Benevolent Dictator

New member

Only Way Round is Through

New member

Only Way Round is Through

New member

Only Way Round is Through

Member

Only Way Round is Through

New member

Only Way Round is Through

New member

Benevolent Dictator

New member

Member

New member

Only Way Round is Through

Member

New member

Member

Benevolent Dictator

New member

New member

Benevolent Dictator