Poll: political leanings - poll

[The B]

howdy... very simple thread- just wondering where people's political leanings are on this board. i see posts that seem to go from far right to far left.. and if there is a dominant political leaning, it seems to be cross and conflicting types and styles of libertarianism.

so... please vote, tell us what number you voted, and briefly summarize WHY.

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i understand some of you will disagree with the way i've laid out the poll. this thread is NOT to debate how the poll should be laid out, but please feel free to express how you would have done it. seeing those responses would be just as interesting as seeing where people put themselves based on the way the poll IS laid out.

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[Pigdog]

I can't bring myself to click any of the boxes provided. I'm a democratic socialist and a social libertarian. That means that I want a democratically elected government that collects taxes from its citizens to provide services and security for its citizens with the goal of doing the most good for the most people. I also want the government to stay out of peoples personal lives. If my actions aren't hurting anyone, or infringing on anyone elses liberties than I want government to stay out of it.
What we have now is neither democracy or liberty. We have lawmakers on both sides of the isle doing their best to crush the middle class and oppress the poor while giving more and more power to faceless corporations. "Reverse Robin Hood" anyone?
Just my .02

 

[Artilleryman]

I voted "American independents" because I was having a tough time trying to figure out where my beliefs fit in to the options. I'm mostly conservative, although I can't call myself a republican since my views can greatly diverge from their party. Conservative fiscally and socially in most regards; however I'm completely pro abortion- ****, I'd go as far to say we almost need to require licenses for having kids because I've know waaaaaaay too many idiots who continue to procreate and have zero business doing so, especailly since in most cases it takes a chunk out of my tax dollars every time they do..plus I'm completely NON -religious, and don't want religious considerations factored into the decision making process for any laws, etc. But I also want to see an end to many hand out social programs, and to see the military better funded and fully believe in the necessity of stomping other countries flat when necessary. I'd like to see the death penalty implemented on a national scale for murder, rape, arson, enron scale white collar crimes, treason / sedition, large scale drug dealing / manufacturing, and any desecration of the American flag. I'd like to see mandatory drug testing for those receiving any free benefits that are funded by my tax dollars, and they need to be put to work of some type while they're on the dole. I'd like to see the border fence idea expanded to include a border minefield. I'd like to see Hooter's made the national restaurant. I'd like to see hillary clinton and nancy pelosi deported. etc, etc, etc.....

 

[absoluterik07]

I can't bring myself to click any of the boxes provided. I'm a democratic socialist and a social libertarian. That means that I want a democratically elected government that collects taxes from its citizens to provide services and security for its citizens with the goal of doing the most good for the most people. I also want the government to stay out of peoples personal lives. If my actions aren't hurting anyone, or infringing on anyone elses liberties than I want government to stay out of it.
What we have now is neither democracy or liberty. We have lawmakers on both sides of the isle doing their best to crush the middle class and oppress the poor while giving more and more power to faceless corporations. "Reverse Robin Hood" anyone?
Just my .02

Exactly. I like a happy medium so I chose "independent"

 

[Kimber Custom]

Libertarian: Milton Friedman makes a lot of sense to me. Check out his interview with Donahue on youtube. Stunning that our country faced the exact same issues in 1979 and nothing has changed.

 

[dmancornell]

The state is a criminal enterprise. Enough said.

 

[Redcap]

The state is a criminal enterprise. Enough said.

Yup.

 

[chris61182]

Libertarian: Milton Friedman makes a lot of sense to me. Check out his interview with Donahue on youtube. Stunning that our country faced the exact same issues in 1979 and nothing has changed.

I'll see your interview and raise you his TV program, Free to Choose, Free To Choose.tv: Streaming the Power of Ideas

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Communists should not have been in the same category as National Socialists for the purposes of this poll. They are diametrically opposed systems of government and natural enemies

 

[The B]

Communists should not have been in the same category as National Socialists for the purposes of this poll. They are diametrically opposed systems of government and natural enemies

i'm glad you posted this. if you look at the poll closely, you'll see the pattern, and if you see the pattern, you'll understand why they're in the same category.

while different in many ways, in usage, and "for the purposes of this poll," they're identical. those differences mean nothing.

i will, however, ask you where exactly you would put communism in this poll?

 

[The B]

and i'd be interested to hear from the anarchists...

 

[chris61182]

and i'd be interested to hear from the anarchists...

Not necessarily speaking for them, but they might have more in common with minarchists or anarcho-capitalists, than the fake-anarchistics you see on the evening news destroying other people's property.

 

[Pigdog]

I'm sure I'll be set straight for this. But, I'm surprised that Friedman's philosophies are still popular. It seems like the unregulated free market that he held so dear is ONE of the things that lead to the global financial meltdown. Since he had Regan's ear our countries middle class has dwindled, our countries poor have grown in numbers and the richest have gotten richer, way richer. His philosophies were geared toward building a thriving economy through the free market. And our economy has grown. But a big economy for its own sake, or a big economy that allows the elite to become richer while opportunities dwindle for the less privileged is, in my opinion is not what our country needs. The greater the gap between the richest and the poorest is the greater the gap in power is and, as a result, the less democratic and just our system is. That is why our government is seen as criminal. Philosophies like Friedman's have made it to easy for the rich to use the government as their plaything.

 

[chris61182]

I'm sure I'll be set straight for this. But, I'm surprised that Friedman's philosophies are still popular. It seems like the unregulated free market that he held so dear is ONE of the things that lead to the global financial meltdown. Since he had Regan's ear our countries middle class has dwindled, our countries poor have grown in numbers and the richest have gotten richer, way richer. His philosophies were geared toward building a thriving economy through the free market. And our economy has grown. But a big economy for its own sake, or a big economy that allows the elite to become richer while opportunities dwindle for the less privileged is, in my opinion is not what our country needs. The greater the gap between the richest and the poorest is the greater the gap in power is and, as a result, the less democratic and just our system is.

You've fallen to the falsehood that we have anything resembling an unregulated or free market.

That is why our government is seen as criminal. Philosophies like Friedman's have made it to easy for the rich to use the government as their plaything.

Not only are those two comments contradictory, but if you believe that Freidman was ever for the use of government to manipulate markets then you've been grossly misinformed.

 

[dmancornell]

I'm sure I'll be set straight for this. But, I'm surprised that Friedman's philosophies are still popular. It seems like the unregulated free market that he held so dear is ONE of the things that lead to the global financial meltdown. Since he had Regan's ear our countries middle class has dwindled, our countries poor have grown in numbers and the richest have gotten richer, way richer. His philosophies were geared toward building a thriving economy through the free market. And our economy has grown. But a big economy for its own sake, or a big economy that allows the elite to become richer while opportunities dwindle for the less privileged is, in my opinion is not what our country needs. The greater the gap between the richest and the poorest is the greater the gap in power is and, as a result, the less democratic and just our system is. That is why our government is seen as criminal. Philosophies like Friedman's have made it to easy for the rich to use the government as their plaything.

Firstly, the meltdown is entirely caused by US government meddling with the dollar via the federal reserve monopoly, as well as government manipulation of the US housing market for electoral/political purposes.

Secondly, the US does not have a free market system. The closest it got was the two decades after the American Revolution to the founding of the first national bank. And if you think Reagan deregulated anything, you are sorely mistaken. Reagan was arguably the first president who gave the federal reserve unlimited power to do as they please.

And lastly, if you've actually read Friedman's works, you'd know he was against state interference and a truly free market, which is nothing like the corporatist statism which the US has had for the last century.

 

[The B]

indeed... we have no idea what a truly free market is, nor anything even close to it. how can something we've never experienced have anything to do with what we're dealing with? if the government didn't legislate regulatory stumbling blocks to deliberately cause market monopolies, we might actually see the power of free enterprise.

maybe we wouldn't like it... but it'd be interesting to actually SEE this thing that gets blamed for so much by the left.

 

[chris61182]

indeed... we have no idea what a truly free market is, nor anything even close to it. how can something we've never experienced have anything to do with what we're dealing with? if the government didn't legislate regulatory stumbling blocks to deliberately cause market monopolies, we might actually see the power of free enterprise.

maybe we wouldn't like it... but it'd be interesting to actually SEE this thing that gets blamed for so much by the left.

While not entirely a free market, it's the closest thing to it and even is particularly close to it, one need only look at the tech industry.

One would think Oregon's largest employer would have a hard time making record profits, selling the best products in the market, and regularly deflating the value of their product. And to think it all happens without the government's intervention.
Intel Reports Record Year and Record Fourth Quarter
... or how that same company rapidly responded to a product defect to make it right for their customers, all without government regulation!

Then there's also been a few news reports about those other pesky companies making profits and sharing it with their employees, Google Gives All Employees Surprise $1,000 Cash Bonus And 10% Raise


Again, it's not a completely free market but it's as darn close as we're ever likely to see.

 

[Joe Link]

Sorry guys.

9. All political discussion must be directly related to firearms, gun rights, or the second amendment.

There are many different people here with many different viewpoints on various issues. Like religion, discussing these issues here is highly likely to offend and very little good can come of it. We need to be focusing on the things that bring us together (firearms), not the things that have the potential to divide us (politics).