What is your political philosphy/ideology?
Fiscally conservative, socially meh - stay off my lawn do what you want to do just don’t expect me to care or pay for it.
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Center-left. Pragmatic.
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Kind of nebulous. Socially I’m almost entirely unconcerned with peoples personal choices, nor do I want them interfering with mine. Boundaries are to keep ones self in check, not imaginary constructs for others to abide by.
Fiscally, I don’t like to see politicians treat their constituents like a cash cow, but I know we also need schools, roads and bridges, some kind of social safety net for for the sick and injured etc.
I think I’m one of millions of monkeys in the middle that both parties think are simply a necessary evil for the time being, and I don’t agree with either of them.
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Based on what time frame and geographic area?
Socially conservative in the British style. If I restrain the market, it should be to keep communities together.
I think marriage is the bedrock of a functioning society, the family should be the primary educator of children and I think governments should run debts only in emergencies.
I believe cops should be locally accountable and be empowered to prevent crime, not just investigate it.
I think local control trumps central control, in crime and education especially.
I think the common law is better than a heavily legislated society.
I believe liberty should be the ultimate government goal, but that society should not condone behavior that perverts liberty.
I believe immigration should be limited and purposeful and it shouldn’t be pursued solely because GDP may increase as a result.
I believe that the onus should be on the attacker of a tradition as to why a tradition should be removed, and that any long standing tradition should stand as argument for its own existence.
So, in summation, small is good, and families/communities should trump government unless absolutely necessary.
That’s the broad strokes anyway.
Edited because my phone has deformed my sentences all day.
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Somewhere between minarchist and classical liberal on the libertarian spectrum. I believe that limiting government is paramount not just for securing individual liberty but far more importantly because humans with power over other humans will always abuse it given time, opportunity and a lack of accountability.
Government should have a very clear defined scope and operate only within those parameters. Not grow into some bureaucratic unaccountable regulation behemoth that runs everything.
Fiscally responsible (the phrase fiscal conservative has lost all meaning at this point). The govt should run a balanced budget and not invent fiat currency to run up stupid high deficits (taxing the holders of dollars through inflation).
Socially laissez faire on almost everything. Society/culture should encourage people to make good choices and build rewarding lives, but government shouldn’t legislate those choices. I take issue with abortion on libertarian grounds… At some point before birth that POC/fetus/baby is a viable human with a natural right to life the same as if they were outside the womb in a NICU.
Foreign policy: “If at all possible to avoid hitting, don’t hit. If you do hit, put the man to sleep.” Wars should be brief, with a defined mission, and involve utterly terrible and overwhelming force. No more spending decades in shithole 3rd world cesspools trying to nation build and maiming our boys and their people in the process. No more being the world police with hundreds of bases and saving everyone from themselves. The Pax Americanis has bought us little leverage or good will in the world. Protect our interests, full stop.
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I believe force is justified only in defense or retaliation.
Edit: I also believe each of us has a right to his life, and the right to do with that life what we wish goes along. We are entitled to that which we acquire through our use of that life and liberty. No one’s rights can infringe upon the rights of another.
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^^^ Pretty much this.
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This is me also.
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Thsi thread is worth the amount of time I just spent laughing at compass memes…
I mean, on a big enough timeline, everyone here is a liberal, full stop. There have been very few posters on this board that weren’t, and I don’t think anyone here now isn’t. Honestly I can only think of sexmachine that I wouldn’t classify as a liberal under any true definition, and even then I’m not sure he wasn’t trolling with his love for monarchy. (That timeline isn’t really all that big either.)
But yeah:
I typically score in the Greed box, but recently have been scoring on the Greed/Lust line more often than not. I’ve gotten “neo-liberal” on a couple different tests too. (a lot of these memes are hilarious, but if you can’t laugh at yourself, avoid with all costs before you create a new “pepe is a hate meme” crisis in the media).
I can’t really answer the question. I’ve been in a leftist bubble, and moderate left bubble, a “right wing extremist” bubble (American perspective for you across the pond), and I think I’m currently shifting more left, but not really sure. (The compass tests show me shifting left at least.)
Other people did the per-policy thing, so I’ll try that:
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America’s foreign policy sucks. It’s legit an embarrassment and a total stain on our supposed goals as a nation. Fuck me man. I feel so bad for the sheer volume of lives lost due to political choices that honestly, seem pretty damn poor in hindsight, and as they happened. That said, I kind of get it at the same time. The world is an ugly place, and if we didn’t play “world police”, someone else would, and that could very well be worse. Much, much worse. However we pick and choose what we get involved in, in a way that doesn’t really give me the warm and fuzziness. Maybe I’m wrong and it isn’t an embarrassment, and we’re doing what is actually the “best” human’s can hope for at this point in our development, but I someone don’t think so.
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Abortion? Much like the abolitionists at ratification, I’m aware we as a society aren’t ready to move on from it, so I’m not going to push any legislation against it. It is irrefutable biological fact that the human life cycle begins at conception, “personhood” arguments are hot garbage used by slavers and Nazis, and I believe in a fundamental right to life. So I’m inconsistent, better men than me have been in the past, so I have to jist learn to be okay here. It’s wrong, but we shouldn’t regulate it. You even want partial birth? Go ahead, that shit is on you.
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Fiscal policy? lmao. America is so far gone it’s over folks. I don’t even bother to call myself a “fiscal conservative” anymore, or any label. Because like Dan Carlin said: “once you start peeling back that spending here and there, I’m afraid you’re just going to find the reason we started spending it in the first place.” I don’t instantly assume everyone else is stupid. We got where we are for a reason, and no one is going to cut spending. It’s not happening, and no alternative to alleviate the debt is going to end any better than austerity. So, in long then I guess, I’m a fiscal realist, and we’re fucked. (Which means the vast majority of the world is fucked, but hey…)
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Guns? See #3.
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Same sex marriage? I found every single argument against it lacking. Honestly never understood why anyone gave a shit about who other people are into in my life. I think we as a society should be very careful about how we frame marriage as far as the state is involved, and avoid tying sexuality to it, but to not recognize same sex marriage? Plain dumb, wasted air space. (Thank god we’re a republic and not a democracy right?)
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The notion we as a society need government to tell anyone where they can or can’t take a piss is more embarrassing than trump getting elected, and that is hard to fucking beat people, but you did it. I mean holy shit. I understand reservations but the fear of some monster abusing social tolerance of letting people piss where they are comfortable isn’t based in any reality what so ever. Ultimately, trans people aren’t really all that different than body builders. People need to just get over themselves. You aren’t paying for their hormones or operations, and as long as there isn’t laws dictating what “pronouns” one has to us, they aren’t hurting a god damn thing. Fuck.
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Taxation is theft. Unless you consent to money taken out of your pay, it’s theft. Extortion might be a better word… I don’t know. But you can tax this dick homie. Anything over 20% is outrageous on it’s face, no matter how much you make, and everyone should have to pay in, if anyone can go to jail for not paying in. That said, taxation should be progressive, and those that make more pay more. I don’t have a problem paying reasonable taxes, but the current situation is unreasonable, except see #3… We’re fucked, so that means bye bye $$$ I earned.
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the only good communists have ever brought to the world is proof that communism doesn’t work, and we should avoid that shit at all costs. Sucks hundreds of millions of people had to die needlessly to show this (and it’s still ignored) but it is what it is.
I don’t know… Been drinking, could go on and on and on…
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Damn Beans,
I’m surprised I agree with you on all 8 points.
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Good man, good. I don’t know if that should scare you or not, but good.
Idealism that isn’t tempered by harsh reality never works, that’s why I generally find liberal arguments these days idiotic.
Yes, it would be great for everyone to be guaranteed their health (though, interestingly enough, access to healthcare=/=guaranteed good health or even guaranteed good care, but I don’t think anyone cares about that) and to not be discriminated against.
How do you plan on achieving those exactly without verging into a hardcore dictatorship?
And if you do plan on going all-out socialist and into communist territory, how do you plan on avoiding the things that occurred in the USSR and Maoist China?
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Over the past couple of years, my political philosophy has changed radically. I work for the USG and have spent the past 11 years in the Middle East and SWA working to stop the enemy, dealing with the brass and our glorious politicians. I have come to realize that it all means nothing. I despise politicians; almost to the level I hate ISIS. All political philosophy is bent, distorted, and only used to further their own agenda. Young people die in wars they create and then they don’t have the balls to finish. My country, America, is imploding from within, all because of fucking politicians, the MSM, and a paralyzed and corrupt US Congress and Senate.
My philosophy? No one or no government has the right to deny me the right of self-protection. I am fucking sick of paying the top percentage in taxes and watch it being given away by ass kissing politicans and stolen by corrupt nations. I cannot get into this without going ballistic, so, these are the 5 rules I live my life by:
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Rule 2 is key. I really wish more people lived by “If not me, then who?” Especially the guys I work with.
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By American current standards I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal, but those seem to have lost meaning recently.
When I say socially liberal I take it issue by issue, because I don’t think those things easily fall into buckets. For example, I am for gay marriage, but not a fan of SJW’s and postmodernism.
When I say fiscally conservative, I mean a balanced budget, not whatever the current GOP is doing, and very far from a lot of the things the Dems propose.
I’m not a fan of absolutes and believe that not everything fits perfectly into a Democrat or Republican platform, but unfortunately that’s our current political environment.
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Hey man, how you been?
Yeah, I’m a natural idealist myself, and spend a lot more of my thought energy on political philosophy than political reality, so I can understand where other people similar are coming from.
I sort of live in a constant state of cognitive dissonance, I have a natural unending hope, yet am paranoid the “other shoe is going to drop” at the same time because life has taught me that horrid shit happens, all the time. So I guess I’ve sort of gotten lucky in this regard.
Those are good. I’d like to hang them in my house, but my youngest is a wee bit too young for #4 lol. She’s only 5.
I’m sure the nuns at school would be thrilled if she went around repeating that one. lol
It really doesn’t. Each party is right on some stuff and dead wrong on others as far as I’m concerned, both have problems at the fringe, and both are utterly ridiculous in some areas…
[quote="countingbeans]
Hey man, how you been?[/quote]
I think I’m secretly tired of working and am in need of a short break. The holidays cannot come any faster.
[quote=“countingbeans, post:18, topic:235664, full:true”]
Yeah, I’m a natural idealist myself, and spend a lot more of my thought energy on political philosophy than political reality, so I can understand where other people similar are coming from.
I sort of live in a constant state of cognitive dissonance, I have a natural unending hope, yet am paranoid the “other shoe is going to drop” at the same time because life has taught me that horrid shit happens, all the time. So I guess I’ve sort of gotten lucky in this regard. [/quote]
Ha.
I seem to be living with the thought that things will always turn out right in the end if I have actual control over the outcome.
Anything that I cannot control? Full on pessimism and negative thinking.
Doesn’t help that I’ve pretty much conditioned myself to think about every possible negative for something before I consider the positives.
I have something similar to Idaho’s #2- You share some(could be 1% for all I care, doesn’t matter and you’re missing the point if you’re going to argue about that) responsibility for whatever happened to you.
Your life is your own. Take responsibility for it.
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Classical Liberal.
I used to describe myself as a Republitarian, before I came to the realization that both of our major political parties are a train wreck.
In terms of the very small number of people I get to temporarily govern? Teach them correct principles, and let them rule themselves. That’s all any of us can do.
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