On Politics
I think one thing that has come from maturity with me is to not write off or look down upon people simply for having a different political view than I do. I have many things I agree with libertarians on, but can't call myself a libertarian becuase I have other beliefs that border on being socialist. Also, although I haven't read enough of her to be the greatest judge, Ayn Rand's ideas are mainly a bunch of crap in my eyes. She hits on a good point or two, but the big picture just has too many holes for me, only benefits or respects on aspect of society, and just completely leaves out certain key issues of human reaction, motivation and psychology. Maybe people should read her to know what she is about at least, but I advise against worshiping her like she is some kind of goddess for capitalist athiests. I also take exception to one of the key axioms of libertarian thought involving property rights.
Not that socialism is the extreme sence is any better, since people who do work harder sometimes do deserve more rewards of their own than someone who just does as little as they can to get by. Anyway, that much oppression is just not worth it to me, even in the name of everyone being equal. I think of the Soviet Union, a place my relatives emigrated out of to escape around the time of the revolution. I think of how bad minimum wage is here, but realize that our minimum wage still can lead to a better standard of living than the average worker in the USSR for the most part, not counting the crime problems of most low income neighborhoods in the country. To the majority of the Russian people, communism did sound far better than serfdom under Czarist Russia though.
Relating to mainstream American politics, I still support the Democratic party for the most part, but don't blindly stand by everything they do. Yes, until I see a more viable and stable solution, I do want to protect social securtiy, I do support gay rights, and the rights of all minorities, although I don't always agree with the ways they go about this. Public housing was a great example of a democratic blunder. We boxed poor people who needed homes into enclosed areas and concentrated them, then essentially neglected them and the building maintenace. The government became a slumlord and tore apart many historic neighborhoods to do so. To some living in the projects were better than no home, but there were better ways of going about this, like vouchers for low income people who can't afford rent to rent from the private sector, wherever they want to live as long as it's affordable. Due to neglectful or even corrupt police protection, the areas around housing projects always tended to become crime ridden. I also think that most of the time, the democrats do just fine running military matters, depsite neocon objections. Two of our most important wars in history were won with Democratic presidents, and since I am more likely to vote democrat and am fond of past democratic presidents like FDR and Kennedy. Despite all this, I do know that their are still douchebags in the party and you should always research your canidates rather than just checking the box with the D or the R after the name.
On to the Republicans, although I don't agree with them on many issues, once in awhile they do come up with a good idea or two. Earned Income Credit was an idea from them based on the idea of a negative income tax. I also don't mind school choice, since if you live in an area where the government isn't doing it's job and the public schools are that bad, and not all but some definitely are, you should be able to take the money that would have been spent on a public school and be able to send your child to a school that does provide a decent and safe education. I'll even applaud Reagan on some of his foreign relations skills, although I really dislike most of his domestic policies.
On to our current president, Obama. I supported him and am happy we finally show the world that not all people in power have to be white males, but as everybody should, I'm judging him by his actions and descisions and not by his skin color. This new cigarette tax is something I object to for one. It may seem small to most people, but to the people addicted to cigarettes, that are chemically altered to be even more addictive than they would be than tobacco is in it's natural state, in fact, proven to be more addcitve but not as intoxicating as herion, this is a very high, regressive tax. Sure, Obama can still afford to smoke all he wants. The rest of us will take a severe hit in the pocketbooks, and of course struggle to quit, but not all of us will and will be stuck paying a very high tax that could be going to our food and shelter or at lest some other aspect of the economy. I'd understand the tax if I knew that if I found out I had lung cancer tomorrow, the goverment would take care of me, and for this and the extra health risks of smoking, I pay that tax, but this isn't the case. If I actually got lung cancer, I'm still on my own, so essentialy you are taxing victims. Yes, I fully knew how bad cigarettes were when I started at a young and stupid age, but I don't think anyone can understand the nature of addiction until they have one. Hopefully, to make up for this, we may get some type of nearly universal health coverage. Seriously, if your party has control of the White House, House, and Senate, and still can't get something worthwhile through, that's it, and I'll assume the party has changed to much and will consider finding another canidate or just not voting altogher. I'd like to see a reversal of most of Bush's polices, but haven't seen much of that either yet.
Anyway, despite this long post, my point is that I am no longer as judgemental of people with differing political views, and it's really more a matter of what motives as to why you vote the way you do. As long as the reasons for your descisions are informed, I will at least respect them. Hell, we may even want the same things but simply differ on our opinions to the best means to acheive that end.
Not that socialism is the extreme sence is any better, since people who do work harder sometimes do deserve more rewards of their own than someone who just does as little as they can to get by. Anyway, that much oppression is just not worth it to me, even in the name of everyone being equal. I think of the Soviet Union, a place my relatives emigrated out of to escape around the time of the revolution. I think of how bad minimum wage is here, but realize that our minimum wage still can lead to a better standard of living than the average worker in the USSR for the most part, not counting the crime problems of most low income neighborhoods in the country. To the majority of the Russian people, communism did sound far better than serfdom under Czarist Russia though.
Relating to mainstream American politics, I still support the Democratic party for the most part, but don't blindly stand by everything they do. Yes, until I see a more viable and stable solution, I do want to protect social securtiy, I do support gay rights, and the rights of all minorities, although I don't always agree with the ways they go about this. Public housing was a great example of a democratic blunder. We boxed poor people who needed homes into enclosed areas and concentrated them, then essentially neglected them and the building maintenace. The government became a slumlord and tore apart many historic neighborhoods to do so. To some living in the projects were better than no home, but there were better ways of going about this, like vouchers for low income people who can't afford rent to rent from the private sector, wherever they want to live as long as it's affordable. Due to neglectful or even corrupt police protection, the areas around housing projects always tended to become crime ridden. I also think that most of the time, the democrats do just fine running military matters, depsite neocon objections. Two of our most important wars in history were won with Democratic presidents, and since I am more likely to vote democrat and am fond of past democratic presidents like FDR and Kennedy. Despite all this, I do know that their are still douchebags in the party and you should always research your canidates rather than just checking the box with the D or the R after the name.
On to the Republicans, although I don't agree with them on many issues, once in awhile they do come up with a good idea or two. Earned Income Credit was an idea from them based on the idea of a negative income tax. I also don't mind school choice, since if you live in an area where the government isn't doing it's job and the public schools are that bad, and not all but some definitely are, you should be able to take the money that would have been spent on a public school and be able to send your child to a school that does provide a decent and safe education. I'll even applaud Reagan on some of his foreign relations skills, although I really dislike most of his domestic policies.
On to our current president, Obama. I supported him and am happy we finally show the world that not all people in power have to be white males, but as everybody should, I'm judging him by his actions and descisions and not by his skin color. This new cigarette tax is something I object to for one. It may seem small to most people, but to the people addicted to cigarettes, that are chemically altered to be even more addictive than they would be than tobacco is in it's natural state, in fact, proven to be more addcitve but not as intoxicating as herion, this is a very high, regressive tax. Sure, Obama can still afford to smoke all he wants. The rest of us will take a severe hit in the pocketbooks, and of course struggle to quit, but not all of us will and will be stuck paying a very high tax that could be going to our food and shelter or at lest some other aspect of the economy. I'd understand the tax if I knew that if I found out I had lung cancer tomorrow, the goverment would take care of me, and for this and the extra health risks of smoking, I pay that tax, but this isn't the case. If I actually got lung cancer, I'm still on my own, so essentialy you are taxing victims. Yes, I fully knew how bad cigarettes were when I started at a young and stupid age, but I don't think anyone can understand the nature of addiction until they have one. Hopefully, to make up for this, we may get some type of nearly universal health coverage. Seriously, if your party has control of the White House, House, and Senate, and still can't get something worthwhile through, that's it, and I'll assume the party has changed to much and will consider finding another canidate or just not voting altogher. I'd like to see a reversal of most of Bush's polices, but haven't seen much of that either yet.
Anyway, despite this long post, my point is that I am no longer as judgemental of people with differing political views, and it's really more a matter of what motives as to why you vote the way you do. As long as the reasons for your descisions are informed, I will at least respect them. Hell, we may even want the same things but simply differ on our opinions to the best means to acheive that end.