[paladin]

everyone benefits from a healthy market. crime goes down, quality of every day life goes up, happiness goes up, etc

[Shinrei]

Optimus Prime;349773 said:

No. But I believe that rich people benefit (a lot do) from a healthy market supported by those in the lower and middle classes.

Sometimes you seem like a staunch conservative and other times you seem almost moderate....you sir, are an enigma wrapped in an eggroll

Heh.

Actually, I believe I'm pretty straightforward (but then again, don't we all). You probably just can't peg me into a particular defined party, that's all. I'm not a republican or a democrat. I'm more libertarian slanted but that's not even an accurate label.

In general, I just believe that the government is particularily inept and the less aspects of our life they are in charge of, the better. They've proven that they can't make Social Security, Medicare, and their own Congressional Food Service work, and we want to hand them our healthcare too? I'm against taxing the rich more to make up for revenue losses, because I don't have any reason to believe they won't fritter away that extra money too. When government has a cash cow (the people of the US) to whom they keep little accountability, the solution is NOT to up the cash milked from the cow.

But, I have my own pet issues and exceptions to that rule. For instance, I'm pretty far to the green compared to most conservatives. I've paid my membership donation to the National Wildlife Federation every year that I can remember, back to my days of receiving "Ranger Rick" magazine as a kid.

I'm also pro-choice and believed from the very beginning that Iraq was a mistake.

I am however pro-gun rights and take issue with other regulations the government has taken onto itself to control.

[Optimus Prime]

You sound like the third party we need to shake things up, honestly.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I'm not the flaming liberal I may sometimes come off as, but I feel ever more annoyed by the Republican agenda. I'm more conservative on some issues though.

[Shinrei]

Knight of High House 3rd Party?

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

The third party guys often seems too idealistic or crazy. I magine I'm like most reasonable people, fairly committed to one side of the spectrum but with certain things I slide towards the other side on.

[HoosierDaddy]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145737

Obama's 15 pt lead in Newsweek's poll of June down to 3 pt lead in July. An effect of his exit stage left onto stage center? Maybe. I for one am feeling a little disheartened by Obama's rush to the center. By the way, you may all paint me as a flaming liberal if you want. I take it as a complement

[Optimus Prime]

I'm proud to be a liberal, if that wasn't already obvious

[HoosierDaddy]

Optimus Prime;350085 said:

I'm proud to be a liberal, if that wasn't already obvious

Hooray for pinko-commie liberals who want all your tax money so that they can make government Big Brother!

[Optimus Prime]

HoosierDaddy;350087 said:

Hooray for pinko-commie liberals who want all your tax money so that they can make government Big Brother!

Yay!

We're also apparently a bunch of sissies who wouldn't fight in a war if you raped our mothers!

[HoosierDaddy]

Optimus Prime;350090 said:

Yay!

We're also apparently a bunch of sissies who wouldn't fight in a war if you raped our mothers!

You could rape my entire state and as long as you said "I won't rape another soul" I'll believe you and declare peace in our time! Yay!

[Shinrei]

Fisa bill passed congress with immunity for telecoms.

Travesty of justice.

[HoosierDaddy]

Shinrei no Shintai;350345 said:

Fisa bill passed congress with immunity for telecoms.

Travesty of justice.

Concur. Bad precedent? Errr... Yes! Allowing companies to go beyond the constitutional protections we all deserve is ignorant. Further, allowing said companies to continue to do so years after the event, even worse. Further, giving those companies the knowledge the no matter what, if your lobbyists are powerful enough, we'll forgive you anything is just a breeding ground for fascism.

[Optimus Prime]

Obama apparently voted yes to this so no, I don't approve of every move he makes. I think this bill is a big mistake.

[HoosierDaddy]

Optimus Prime;350390 said:

Obama apparently voted yes to this so no, I don't approve of every move he makes. I think this bill is a big mistake.

Note this statement and my earlier "Rush to the middle => possible massive drop in polls" coincidence. I'll still vote for him, but this is a big time let down. If Congress won't hold these companies responsible, who will? I swear, the U.S. is becoming more and more fascist, corporations control so damn much anymore it's depressing.

[Optimus Prime]

The more freedoms we give up, the more like our "enemies" we become.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I hate it when the corporations act all corporationy.

[Shinrei]

I'm confused, why are you blaming the corporations? This is the White House telling the telecoms to spy on the American people, probably fudging their explanation as to why. If you're the telecoms, are you going to tell the President of the United States "no"?

THEY SHOULD, but I can understand why they didn't.

What this does is makes it impossible to track back exactly how illegally the white house acted in its domestic spying program.

What the corporations did in not standing up to the president was wrong, but the issue here isn't lobbyists or corporate evil, but rather the executive branch of the government breaking the law and this namby pamby congress rolling over and granting immunity from ever finding out the truth.

And by the way, I checked the Senate voting record online: Obama apparently did not vote at all on this bill. Maybe that's his way of weaseling out of having to explain himself...

Kudos to Russ Feingold, the fine Senator from Wisconsin of whom I am very proud, for voting "Nay".

[Optimus Prime]

Ah then the news story was incorrect about Obama. At least he didn't vote "yes". Terrible bill. Fucking Bush.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Shinrei no Shintai;350465 said:

I'm confused, why are you blaming the corporations?

It was a joke, a Team America quote.