Right v. Left
This is a response to Trent's most recent post.
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I think you need to get off your high-horse and look at things from a realistic perspective.
1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that homosexuality is inherently sinful, and even if it's true that a majority of Republicans believe so, that's a problem with the people, not the party.
2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
Saddam's role in international relations has changed over the years because our relationship with the country has changed over the years. Mistakes have been made -- I'm not saying that they haven't. But it's clear now that Saddam is a violent and self-destructive individual, and the world would be better off without him. Bin-Laden is no exception, and it's a shame that we let him get away. But stopping terrorism involves more than picking out the leaders; we need to eliminate their points of harbor and turn public opinion away from "West = evil" -- something that the war is doing and Hollywood is not doing.
3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
The global market needs trade with large countries like China. Also, if we don't trade with them, they actually have the power to do something about it. We're not supporting communism by trading with them, we're supporting peace and protecting the best interest of everyone involved (including ourselves). If there's a way to break Cuba from communism by prohibiting trade, then they, as well as we, will be better off in the long run.
4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.
The United Nations does some good -- don't get me wrong. But the fact that public opinion has been swayed by countries like Iran -- countries that have proven themselves to be unstable, dangerous, and anti-American in every respect -- proves that they aren't going to be able to do everything that they should. I would much rather win them over than leave the U.N. all together, since doing so would turn every nation against us, but it's difficult to tell how that will work out.
5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
Hello? Are you aware that drugs are illegal? We already don't allow people to do whatever they want to their own bodies -- why in hell would we allow women to take an innocent life, just because some people think it's just another part of her body? And even if you don't believe that a fetus is an individual, it is going to develop into an individual, so preventing it from doing so is no different than murder. Saying that it can't survive on its own is bullshit, too -- could a new-born child survive on its own? Could a two-year-old survive on its own? Of course not -- but we don't justify the mass-murdering of them, do we? Your argument is total bullshit -- I advise you get your shit together before you even think about talking to me about abortion.
5.5 Oh, and I'm not justifying what corporations do. We should have preventative measures in place to ensure that the top execs aren't getting paid too much and the lowest-paid employees are getting paid well enough to survive on. Something like Japan has -- the top-paid employee can only make a certain percentage more than the lowest-paid employee. Raising minimum-wage would be too detrimental and cause way more problems than it would fix. But as for making decisions that affect all of humanity -- it's called trade, and, believe it or not, every country does it, not just us.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
Since a veteran is someone who is no longer fighting, I fail to see how doing anything to a veteran would have an effect on those still in the military. Those in the military need our support as much as possible, and morale-boosting speeches helps remind them that we support what they're doing and wish them the best. Maybe we shouldn't cut veteran benefits, but we have to cut something. Would you rather we cut education funds? Didn't think so.
7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
Not teaching kids to use condoms in schools is not going to help -- they can learn plenty of other ways. If condoms were banned altogether, well, that could very well help. How many kids are likely to have sex if they have no means of contraception? Not nearly as many as are having sex now. I've written an argumentative essay on the subject and I've checked my facts, so unless you know what you're talking about, don't step to me on this one, either.
8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
We have screwed up in the past. I'm not saying that we haven't. But what we're doing now is in everyone's best interest, and we do need support. We should have stepped in long before now, but we are there now, and we're doing everything we can. Any help will simply expedite the process and bring more order and peace to the world.
9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.
Iraqis need more health care than we do -- have you ever been there? They don't have anything close to what we have in terms of living conditions. If we want to provide free healthcare for everyone in the United States, we will have to significantly raise our taxes. It works for Canada, but will it work for us? Well, we have 250-million people to worry about. How about instead of raising the taxes, we first worry about eliminating poverty? There are more important things on the list that we should worry about first, you know. And as for the Iraqis -- what we're doing now is temporary. Once they are a stable nation, they can take care of themselves. We only babysit until the kids have grown up.
10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
Creationism is a religious matter and therefore should not be taught as science. Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has firm roots in science and takes claim to no religion. You don't have to be religious for Intelligent Design to make sense. It's clear that cigarettes cause cancer. Nobody is going to debate that. But global warming? Please. I've never seen any evidence that global warming is a threat, or even that it exists. It's clear that the temperature has risen at the poles, and that's why CFCs were banned. But honestly, if global warming is real, it's most likely saving us. We're supposed to be in an ice-age right now. Betcha didn't know that.
11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
Bill Clinton lied under oath. That is an incredibly grievous offense, and I fully support his impeachment for it. George Bush not only did not lie under oath, but we don't even have evidence that he did lie. True, no weapons of mass destruction were found. Does that mean there weren't any? Hell no. Let's look at the evidence: Saddam Hussein repeatedly denied weapons inspectors access to parts of his estate. We know for a fact that he had chemical weapons, because he used them -- against his own people, no less. However, when we finally could inspect for weapons, not even those were found. When weapons like that are destroyed, obvious traces are left behind. No trace was found -- even the destruction that would have been caused by them was not found. Clearly he went to great lengths to cover up the existence of weapons we already knew he had; who's to say he didn't have more? And just as a side note -- even though I would prefer that no lives be lost, the U.S. death total over the span of this operation is well under the death total of any previous overseas military operation. Fewer lives have been lost over the course of this campaign than were lost in a couple days of WWII. This "war" is the best-run war in the history of this country.
12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
The founding fathers knew that cases would come up in the future that they could not foresee -- this is why it is possible to amend it. You are aware that the internet was not around when the Constitution was written, right? How exactly could they write anything about it, then? Besides, since when is "banning gay marriage" a power? How about "banning anything"? The Government has a right to prohibit things in this country -- otherwise every drug known to man would be legal, murder would be legal, thievery would be legal; I think you get my point.
13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
Anything that is deemed public record by any government agency, the police, et cetera, should be available for anyone to see. But does it matter what Bush's driving record looks like? Does that actually say anything about his ability to lead? And can you honestly sit there and tell me that you've never done anything stupid in your life? If you can, you're either a saint or a lier, and I would have a hard time believing the former.
14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
I don't even know where this one came from, but I agree that it's bull. I don't agree, however, that it matters whether the radio host is conservative or liberal -- quite frankly, if you have the money, you can do whatever the hell you want. Take a look at Hollywood -- actors do stupid stuff all the time that normal people would be arrested for. Do they get arrested? No. Oh, and in case you aren't aware, most actors are even further left than you are.
15. You should support "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)
What the hell are you even talking about? Executive Privilege has nothing to do with one's political affiliation. It protects the President and members of the Executive Branch from certain search warrants and other similar things in the pursuit of national security. It is largely defended as a part of the separation of powers (checks and balances), and does not only benefit Republicans.
16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
Bill Clinton is no longer President, so I don't see how anything he's ever done would be considered "vital national interest". I don't think that things Bush has done in the past are irrelevant, but I think we should look more at what he's done recently. If he's proven himself to be a responsible man and a strong leader, which he has, I think we can forgive him for his "wild days". As I said before, haven't you ever done something wrong? Does the fact that you've screwed up in the past mean you will screw up again in the future? No, it doesn't. It should be taken into consideration until you prove yourself, but once you have done that, I think we can safely put it aside. Clinton screwed up while in office, so I think he proved that he hasn't learned from his past mistakes.
17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.
You know what that was? An accident. Accidents happen. Since it wasn't a threat to national security, I hardly see why it matters so much. Does the fact that he accidentally shot his hunting partner mean he's unfit for his position? Does it mean that we can't trust him? Of course not. Get over it.
All-in-all, I'd say you should get a new soap box, 'cause yours is covered in bullshit.
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I think you need to get off your high-horse and look at things from a realistic perspective.
1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that homosexuality is inherently sinful, and even if it's true that a majority of Republicans believe so, that's a problem with the people, not the party.
2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
Saddam's role in international relations has changed over the years because our relationship with the country has changed over the years. Mistakes have been made -- I'm not saying that they haven't. But it's clear now that Saddam is a violent and self-destructive individual, and the world would be better off without him. Bin-Laden is no exception, and it's a shame that we let him get away. But stopping terrorism involves more than picking out the leaders; we need to eliminate their points of harbor and turn public opinion away from "West = evil" -- something that the war is doing and Hollywood is not doing.
3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
The global market needs trade with large countries like China. Also, if we don't trade with them, they actually have the power to do something about it. We're not supporting communism by trading with them, we're supporting peace and protecting the best interest of everyone involved (including ourselves). If there's a way to break Cuba from communism by prohibiting trade, then they, as well as we, will be better off in the long run.
4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.
The United Nations does some good -- don't get me wrong. But the fact that public opinion has been swayed by countries like Iran -- countries that have proven themselves to be unstable, dangerous, and anti-American in every respect -- proves that they aren't going to be able to do everything that they should. I would much rather win them over than leave the U.N. all together, since doing so would turn every nation against us, but it's difficult to tell how that will work out.
5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
Hello? Are you aware that drugs are illegal? We already don't allow people to do whatever they want to their own bodies -- why in hell would we allow women to take an innocent life, just because some people think it's just another part of her body? And even if you don't believe that a fetus is an individual, it is going to develop into an individual, so preventing it from doing so is no different than murder. Saying that it can't survive on its own is bullshit, too -- could a new-born child survive on its own? Could a two-year-old survive on its own? Of course not -- but we don't justify the mass-murdering of them, do we? Your argument is total bullshit -- I advise you get your shit together before you even think about talking to me about abortion.
5.5 Oh, and I'm not justifying what corporations do. We should have preventative measures in place to ensure that the top execs aren't getting paid too much and the lowest-paid employees are getting paid well enough to survive on. Something like Japan has -- the top-paid employee can only make a certain percentage more than the lowest-paid employee. Raising minimum-wage would be too detrimental and cause way more problems than it would fix. But as for making decisions that affect all of humanity -- it's called trade, and, believe it or not, every country does it, not just us.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
Since a veteran is someone who is no longer fighting, I fail to see how doing anything to a veteran would have an effect on those still in the military. Those in the military need our support as much as possible, and morale-boosting speeches helps remind them that we support what they're doing and wish them the best. Maybe we shouldn't cut veteran benefits, but we have to cut something. Would you rather we cut education funds? Didn't think so.
7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
Not teaching kids to use condoms in schools is not going to help -- they can learn plenty of other ways. If condoms were banned altogether, well, that could very well help. How many kids are likely to have sex if they have no means of contraception? Not nearly as many as are having sex now. I've written an argumentative essay on the subject and I've checked my facts, so unless you know what you're talking about, don't step to me on this one, either.
8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
We have screwed up in the past. I'm not saying that we haven't. But what we're doing now is in everyone's best interest, and we do need support. We should have stepped in long before now, but we are there now, and we're doing everything we can. Any help will simply expedite the process and bring more order and peace to the world.
9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.
Iraqis need more health care than we do -- have you ever been there? They don't have anything close to what we have in terms of living conditions. If we want to provide free healthcare for everyone in the United States, we will have to significantly raise our taxes. It works for Canada, but will it work for us? Well, we have 250-million people to worry about. How about instead of raising the taxes, we first worry about eliminating poverty? There are more important things on the list that we should worry about first, you know. And as for the Iraqis -- what we're doing now is temporary. Once they are a stable nation, they can take care of themselves. We only babysit until the kids have grown up.
10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
Creationism is a religious matter and therefore should not be taught as science. Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has firm roots in science and takes claim to no religion. You don't have to be religious for Intelligent Design to make sense. It's clear that cigarettes cause cancer. Nobody is going to debate that. But global warming? Please. I've never seen any evidence that global warming is a threat, or even that it exists. It's clear that the temperature has risen at the poles, and that's why CFCs were banned. But honestly, if global warming is real, it's most likely saving us. We're supposed to be in an ice-age right now. Betcha didn't know that.
11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
Bill Clinton lied under oath. That is an incredibly grievous offense, and I fully support his impeachment for it. George Bush not only did not lie under oath, but we don't even have evidence that he did lie. True, no weapons of mass destruction were found. Does that mean there weren't any? Hell no. Let's look at the evidence: Saddam Hussein repeatedly denied weapons inspectors access to parts of his estate. We know for a fact that he had chemical weapons, because he used them -- against his own people, no less. However, when we finally could inspect for weapons, not even those were found. When weapons like that are destroyed, obvious traces are left behind. No trace was found -- even the destruction that would have been caused by them was not found. Clearly he went to great lengths to cover up the existence of weapons we already knew he had; who's to say he didn't have more? And just as a side note -- even though I would prefer that no lives be lost, the U.S. death total over the span of this operation is well under the death total of any previous overseas military operation. Fewer lives have been lost over the course of this campaign than were lost in a couple days of WWII. This "war" is the best-run war in the history of this country.
12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
The founding fathers knew that cases would come up in the future that they could not foresee -- this is why it is possible to amend it. You are aware that the internet was not around when the Constitution was written, right? How exactly could they write anything about it, then? Besides, since when is "banning gay marriage" a power? How about "banning anything"? The Government has a right to prohibit things in this country -- otherwise every drug known to man would be legal, murder would be legal, thievery would be legal; I think you get my point.
13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
Anything that is deemed public record by any government agency, the police, et cetera, should be available for anyone to see. But does it matter what Bush's driving record looks like? Does that actually say anything about his ability to lead? And can you honestly sit there and tell me that you've never done anything stupid in your life? If you can, you're either a saint or a lier, and I would have a hard time believing the former.
14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
I don't even know where this one came from, but I agree that it's bull. I don't agree, however, that it matters whether the radio host is conservative or liberal -- quite frankly, if you have the money, you can do whatever the hell you want. Take a look at Hollywood -- actors do stupid stuff all the time that normal people would be arrested for. Do they get arrested? No. Oh, and in case you aren't aware, most actors are even further left than you are.
15. You should support "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)
What the hell are you even talking about? Executive Privilege has nothing to do with one's political affiliation. It protects the President and members of the Executive Branch from certain search warrants and other similar things in the pursuit of national security. It is largely defended as a part of the separation of powers (checks and balances), and does not only benefit Republicans.
16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
Bill Clinton is no longer President, so I don't see how anything he's ever done would be considered "vital national interest". I don't think that things Bush has done in the past are irrelevant, but I think we should look more at what he's done recently. If he's proven himself to be a responsible man and a strong leader, which he has, I think we can forgive him for his "wild days". As I said before, haven't you ever done something wrong? Does the fact that you've screwed up in the past mean you will screw up again in the future? No, it doesn't. It should be taken into consideration until you prove yourself, but once you have done that, I think we can safely put it aside. Clinton screwed up while in office, so I think he proved that he hasn't learned from his past mistakes.
17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.
You know what that was? An accident. Accidents happen. Since it wasn't a threat to national security, I hardly see why it matters so much. Does the fact that he accidentally shot his hunting partner mean he's unfit for his position? Does it mean that we can't trust him? Of course not. Get over it.
All-in-all, I'd say you should get a new soap box, 'cause yours is covered in bullshit.
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