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It struck me that the Stoner community, in general, may be in a different place than it used to be. So I thought I would ask the question...where R U, politically speaking:
Far Right
Center Right
Center
Center Left
Far Left
and if you want to add a comment or two defending your position, go ahead.:thumbsup:
I'm a liberal who has moved far to the right but still have liberal tendencies. I advocate people not being bigots which kind of goes against both parties sensibilities.
the right/left paradigm has little real meaning. i tend toward the center, but i find myself swinging toward what are usually considered far left and far right extremes on some issues. even the concepts of liberal and conservative ultimately fail and the baggage associated with both terms serves only to cause a rift where one does not need to exist.
better to judge a persons stance by the importance they give to such concepts as charity, morality, individualism and personal responsibility and the way in which they define those ideals.
Independent humanist like the Founding Fathers. :jointsmile:
I was raised by a baby boomer far left Howard Dean liberal mother, was a liberal, once I got married and had some kids and worked for a few years, I became much more centrist oriented with some conservative and some liberal views
This was sent to me on e-mail, and acording to this, I am conservative all the way.
Someone finally put it in simple terms.
If a conservative doesn't like guns, they don't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, then no one should have one.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, they don't eat meat. If a liberal is, they want to ban all meat products for everyone.
If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.
If a conservative is homosexual, they quietly enjoy their life. If a liberal is homosexual, they loudly demand legislated respect.
If a black man or Hispanic is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful. Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal wants any mention of God or religion silenced.
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that his neighbors pay for his.
it's a pity, but the term "liberal" really has become a euphemism for whiny little bitch. those folks of real conscience who wear that label proudly have lost credibility because of a leadership that betrayed their ideals.
by the same token, conservatism has been smeared by the prudery of a leadership too busy currying favor with the uber-religious and the corrupt within the business community.
we must develop new terms for the ideological bases of these two groups or quit labeling ourselves altogether and remember the art of compromise.
I'm a libertarian. I believe in limited government, personal accountability. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce summed my beliefs up beautifully. He said "Let me be a freeman: free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose; free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the teachings of my forebears; free to think and talk and do for myself- and I will abide by every law or submit to the penalty." I want the government out of my personal live as long as I am not hurting others. If people have problems they can solve it themselves whether it is collectively or individually. We have more power than we can imagine if we come together and actually take the time to utilize it. Screw the government! We need to take the time to help each other though to make it work.
I like to think of myself as a Libertarian.
But in general I like the idea of small government with the individual states having most of the power. I believe the federal government should be there for when the individual states need to band together, like at a time of crisis or war. And to print money and get taxes.
I believe in personal freedoms and don't think that the government should have a say about things such as gay marriage and marijuana. It's a personal choice, if you don't like it don't do it.
We should be following the constitution and the federalist papers more.
Less government involvement, in everything from trade to everyday life.
I swear to god my wife and I were discussing that about an hour ago...Quote:
Originally Posted by delusionsofNORMALity
:cool: :greenthumb: i like that. i like Constitutionalist, too. Ron Paul was the first person I ever heard use that phrase.Quote:
Originally Posted by gypski
take this test here. i just took it and knocked it right over the center field wall. :cool: i guess that would make me libertarian centrist on this scale. i'm guessing the vast majority on here are libertarian. once we all control the gov't things will be much better. :jointsmile:
Reb,
We should be following the constitution and federalist papers. There is a problem though. Most liberals or progressives I talk to discount the constitution and federalist papers as outdated and obsolete. They claim things have changed (they really haven't) and the government needs to change too. The states and the people have given their power and freedom to the feds and the feds won't give them back. A Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater is an excellent read to get an idea of libertarian ideas. Good luck finding the book. I have a copy in my limited library.
libertarian buffaloes vs statist lions
don't worry it has a happy ending. :jointsmile:
but they're right, things have changed and to meet those changes we must adapt the way we look at government. where their scheming fails is that they seem to think that it is the intent of government that should change, when it is only the mechanics of government that need to be altered. a powerful centralized authority cannot hope to meet the needs of a society as diverse as the u.s., in both population and environment. by trying to be all things to all people, our government consistently outgrows its own resources and is forced to steal from its citizens to make up the difference. thanks to the ignorance of the mob and the influence of the liberal establishment, our bureaucracy is in the midst of an unprecedented growth spurt and there seems to be no end to its greed for power.Quote:
Originally Posted by greeri
Why would you associate with a political party? Why would someone in this time of our culture confine in the current status quo? Our recent Government has taken advantage of you in every regards. With Cannabis, Policy, Law, and just about every facet of life. Culture will always overthrow Government. It is in human nature to abuse power and thus the cycle repeats. To believe in the current system in suicide. Government today is just a plague to mankind as religion.
they're right, things have changed and to meet those changes we must adapt the way we look at government.
I agree that government must change to an extent. The change should come from the state and local levels though. I don't feel that the federal government needs to change to the extent it has. The states originally had the power and ability to adapt. The government is more responsive to the people at the state and local levels too and have a better idea what the needs of citizens of the state/county/city than the feds ever could.
Reinstate the bill of rights. Stop the United Police States of America!
Constitutionalist :s4:
The constitution is what this country was founded on, and its ideals are part and parcel of what built the US into the greatest country in the world. The constitution is not obsolete, It has just been ignored, and trampled on over the last 16 years.Quote:
Originally Posted by greeri
This is what has brought the US to its knees, along with the simple facts;
no one company is too big to fail
you can't live beyond your means
if you can't pay cash you can't afford it
simple corporate greed
Then there organizations whos entire purpose in life is to create discord in the "minority" populations.
THe education system is broken (no child left behind act broke it)
The medicare system is broken
The welfare system is broken
The borders are wide open...
and on and on
the current batch of politicians are doing nothing but making it worse..
I could write a book on my opinions, and my solutions, but nobody would pay attention because it would make too much sense.
I figure that politicians should serve 2 terms.... the first elected, the second in jail.
Quote: " I figure that politicians should serve 2 terms.... the first elected, the second in jail. " - Mississippi Steve
we already have that process, in Illinois, and Louisiana :D seems to work :thumbsup: