What did your politics used to be?

We have a lot of articles here, so I thought this thread might be an interesting twist. What were your politics a while ago (for the older crowd)? How have the changed? Are you more liberal/conservative/neither? I'll be interesting to hear from the more vocal people/the regulars here who seem to be very opinionated! This is for pisshead, amsterdam, toroq (if he's still here) and everyone else...

I'm pretty young and have only been politically active for 4 or 5 years, but I have gotten less idealist. I used to be a pretty strict pacifist, but now I'm a bit more pragmatic. I'm deffinetly more liberatarian on the social issues, but I'd still call myself a liberal. For now at least.

What about you????

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Originally Posted by Awill3449

We have a lot of articles here, so I thought this thread might be an interesting twist. What were your politics a while ago (for the older crowd)? How have the changed? Are you more liberal/conservative/neither? I'll be interesting to hear from the more vocal people/the regulars here who seem to be very opinionated! This is for pisshead, amsterdam, toroq (if he's still here) and everyone else...

I'm pretty young and have only been politically active for 4 or 5 years, but I have gotten less idealist. I used to be a pretty strict pacifist, but now I'm a bit more pragmatic. I'm deffinetly more liberatarian on the social issues, but I'd still call myself a liberal. For now at least.

What about you????

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Howdy Awill,

Yup..I'm still here..lol,I just ain't felt like posting much since I have this possesion charge to deal with.

I've always voted republican,since I turned 18 in '77,but lately,I've been voting for libertarian judges in my area. Now with my recent troubles with the law,however,I'm actually thinking of voting for Kinky Friedman..!

I'm in the process of trying to git a public defender and I intend to tell the prosecutor,that I'm tempted to turn this whole mess into a medical marijuana issue,that NORML has already promised me that they would git a protest together and that many other medical marijuana activists and organizations,stand poised to jump into the fray. Someone has just offered to write a motion alledging that my freedom of religion has been denied,and I intend to take em up on their offer. As much as I can't stand what the ACLU does most of the time,I'm even thinking about working with them..! I'm about ready to re-think my whole political position,and stop supporting those who insist on the war on drugs..!

Heck,pisshead already says that I'm a liberal socialist for supporting Bush..lol.

What say you ?

Have a good one ! :stoned:

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Originally Posted by Torog

Howdy Awill,

Yup..I'm still here..lol,I just ain't felt like posting much since I have this possesion charge to deal with.

I've always voted republican,since I turned 18 in '77,but lately,I've been voting for libertarian judges in my area. Now with my recent troubles with the law,however,I'm actually thinking of voting for Kinky Friedman..!

I'm in the process of trying to git a public defender and I intend to tell the prosecutor,that I'm tempted to turn this whole mess into a medical marijuana issue,that NORML has already promised me that they would git a protest together and that many other medical marijuana activists and organizations,stand poised to jump into the fray. Someone has just offered to write a motion alledging that my freedom of religion has been denied,and I intend to take em up on their offer. As much as I can't stand what the ACLU does most of the time,I'm even thinking about working with them..! I'm about ready to re-think my whole political position,and stop supporting those who insist on the war on drugs..!

Heck,pisshead already says that I'm a liberal socialist for supporting Bush..lol.

What say you ?

Have a good one ! :stoned:

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LOL about the liberal socialist...well, good luck with your charge. Make it a big deal in the news and all, it'll but some pressure on the system, hell, we need to put all the pressure we can.

I'm a member of the ACLU:D, and they do some good things, even though everyone doesn't agree with everything. I'm sure they'd help you out. Give them a try...what do you have to lose? Don't give up on them just because of a pride issue. They're good people (for the most part). Good luck!

I used to be a Marxist. Not of the Leninist/Trotskyist/Stalinist/Maoist variety, but a Marxist nonetheless. I was introduced to Marx and Engels back in the 7th grade and for many years I read them avidly and even wrote some political tracts with a comrade back in high school. However, over time I gradually came to disagree with a lot of what Marx said and had to just kind of vaguely refer to myself as a revolutionary socialist for a while. I continued to agree with Marx's fundamental economic theories, but his authoritarian political stance I found completely incompatible with socialism since it will eventually lead to a form of capitalism in which everything is just owned by the state, as the Soviet Union showed us. It took me a while to realize that there were many other people with exactly the same objections to Marxism, namely the anarchist communists. It was such a delight for me to discover such great writers as Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin and Alexander Berkman, who so eloquently expressed what I had thought for years: that mankind needs to do everything it can to liberate itself from the oppressive chains of capitalism, state and religion if it is ever to achieve anything like peace or equality.

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

I used to be a Marxist. Not of the Leninist/Trotskyist/Stalinist/Maoist variety, but a Marxist nonetheless. I was introduced to Marx and Engels back in the 7th grade and for many years I read them avidly and even wrote some political tracts with a comrade back in high school. However, over time I gradually came to disagree with a lot of what Marx said and had to just kind of vaguely refer to myself as a revolutionary socialist for a while. I continued to agree with Marx's fundamental economic theories, but his authoritarian political stance I found completely incompatible with socialism since it will eventually lead to a form of capitalism in which everything is just owned by the state, as the Soviet Union showed us. It took me a while to realize that there were many other people with exactly the same objections to Marxism, namely the anarchist communists. It was such a delight for me to discover such great writers as Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin and Alexander Berkman, who so eloquently expressed what I had thought for years: that mankind needs to do everything it can to liberate itself from the oppressive chains of capitalism, state and religion if it is ever to achieve anything like peace or equality.

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I can't say I agree, but that is really interesting. That's not a POV that I hear from too much around here.

I hate politics---I've always had a strong belief that the demopublican were greedy bastards but now i see em as greedy servants bastards for the powers that be... i voted for klinton and voted for the monsterinchimp back in 2000(shame on me i know)Now i really know better to never vote for demopublicans again.....

I sure would like to see more independents running for congress and the whitehouse, but with this left-right mind-set, that the american people hold on to i see no independent views or candidates, just the same ol demopublicans

We need more constitutional minded people in the whitehouse and congress, instead of greedy muppets out to serve the muppet master....Actually what we need is an overhaul of our government, if we ever get an honest government the first thing they need to do is void all laws that were made after the yr 2000(actually we need to void all laws from 1913 to now)..and start the fuk over....:thumbsup: :stoned:

Believe it or not I was a die hard liberal until I traveled the world for two years and saw the middle east,asia, and all of europe. When I came home I was a changed person.

I've been leaning toward Libertarianism for politics, based in part on a limited knowledge of Objectivism.

I was more "liberal" when I was younger - but the actual practices and parameters of this once-noble notion and political stance have been drastically changed - some would say corrupted.


http://www.whatisobjectivism.com/

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Originally Posted by Breukelen advocaat

I've been leaning toward Libertarianism for politics, based in part on a limited knowledge of Objectivism.

I was more "liberal" when I was younger - but the actual practices and parameters of this once-noble notion and political stance have been drastically changed - some would say corrupted.


http://www.whatisobjectivism.com/

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You are almost a Republican if you are a Libertarian. Not much seperates them.

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Originally Posted by amsterdam

You are almost a Republican if you are a Libertarian. Not much seperates them.

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How true.....abortion rights and foriegn policy are the major issues as far as I can see.

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Originally Posted by amsterdam

You are almost a Republican if you are a Libertarian. Not much seperates them.

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Originally Posted by Psycho4Bud

How true.....abortion rights and foriegn policy are the major issues as far as I can see.

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The Republican party, which I have voted for (Reagan, Bush II, and local elections) has been hijacked by the religous right to a large degree.

I remember when there was a such thing as the "Liberal Party", and they often endorsed Republican candidates that were like-minded. Nelson Rockefeller, former governor of New York State, was such a politician - very "liberal" in his domestic policies.

I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. The right are an important segement in this country and they should be taken seriously. They don't run the Republican party thought, but they are valued.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Rockefeller
"Compared to other Republicans, Rockefeller was a liberal in domestic policies such as spending and civil rights, and Republicans who hold views similar to his are often referred to as "Rockefeller Republicans". Indeed, a hard core of New York Republicans viewed him as being so socially liberal that they formed the right-wing Conservative Party."

The Conservative Party was a pre-cursor to the religious right. William F. Buckley, and others, were very influential in the Conservative Party - but I do not blame them for the extremism and bad politics of today.

I saw Buckley at a book signing in the 1990's - he's a nice guy - and an excellent harpsichordist, as well! A great mind like his, influenced by his religion (Catholic), is a shame. If he'd only been a freethinker, he'd be much brighter. As many of us know, he supports legalization of drugs.

Bizzump...It seems like there are a few new people around...or at least new avatars