Bush: Thoughts?

[Bez]

1 - for, no reason against it
2 - real mess
3 - against, destroys family values
4 - good (overpopulation)
5 - agree, heavily
6 - no more than 25%
7 - no
8 - no/no

[Bez]

With regards to question 6, I think you may want to reconsider with regards to the real world.

[ACPlayer]

I wont' go deep into this, but speaking as someone who's cousin volunteered to go to Iraq (and is missing my wedding in a week) and who's father may be heading over soon, I am for it

All good reasons to be for the war!

[nothumb]

This one's hot so I'll bite.

1. For it, since Nancy Reagan is too. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Seriously, I think the medical benefits are potentially great, would be against creating stem cells specifically for research though.

2. Against the war from the start. Did not buy the WMD line then, not the least bit surprised now. As a student of history I have a little insight on occupying Muslim countries and it's generally about as effective as sticking your cock in a beehive looking for honey. Also, don't buy the arguments that it's improving life for Iraqis, don't believe this was ever the reason Bush and company undertook the project. Don't trust 'em, period.

3. Personally I support full marriage rights but I think that's a state issue. I do think that civil unions or some sort of legal recognition are necessary; beyond that it is a local issue.

4. Very good thing, and I disagree with Kurn that it's not our problem. Issues like exploding population, and having developing nations running populations that are disproportionately young, male, and poor, is a major threat to our strategic interests and geopolitical stability in general. Also, I think most of us agree that abortions are bad (whether you think people should be allowed to get them or not) and that anything that helps prevent them is good.

5. I think we should enforce current policies far more aggressively and take serious steps to make an economically viable transition to green energy. The big money is currently in oil and is therefore resistant to change.

6. This is tricky for me since I'm an anarchist and inherently distrust our current government to do anything with anyone's money. I think some portion of the wealth of a community should go towards mutual aid - not necessarily charity, but investment in the mutual benefit of all. A specific system of property rights and currency, in my opinion, should be determined on a far more local scale than it currently is. I'll admit that my thoughts on this are rather murky, however.

7. No.

8. I was very religious growing up (Quaker) and it influenced my ethical beliefs and my notion of a good governing structure/decision making process. However I am not currently religious and have deviated significantly from Quakerism in several important ways.

NT

[cowboyzfan]

I like this post. You are actually trying to hear opinions other than those you hear every day. Here are responses from an actual Republican.

to your first point i say this: there is a famous political joke/qoute that says "How did Clinton/Bush win, i don't know ANYONE who voted for him? Yes, we tend to hang out with people that think like us and then we think our world is the norm.

1) i am for stem cell research as long as the stems are not "harvested". Basically this comes down to a sanctity of life argument. Many say the data we have now is enough to do research. I have no idea what the truth is. I just hope this isn't just another front in the abortion war.

2. Saddam signed a cease fire a decade ago that said he would disarm and prove that to us. He did nothing but obfuscate for a decade, he proved nothing to us other than he was hiding something. Demos like to say the war was unjustified because we have found no WMD's, but that is not the point. It was Saddams job to "prove" he had not WMD's by alloying the inspectors to go anywhere they wanted, he fought them for ten years and now he is in jail.

3. Marriage is a religious act, not a municipal act. If gays want to bind themselves legally, then fine, just don't call it marriage and don't use a minister. But this issue is not high on my issue list either way.

4. Good thing, 99 percent of Repubs would agree

5. We have been policing violations. Corporations that pollute more than their fare share must pay an extra tax. I hope it goes to helping the environment. However, i doubt this is the case. The Democrats who fought so hard to suck the tobacco companies dry certainly do not spend that tax money to end smoking, it is used to fund pork barrel projects that get them re-elected.

6. The top 50 percent earners pay something like 90 percent of taxes. Many poor people proudly file a tax return, but they don't actually "pay" income taxes. They may pay into their social security or medicare, but they don't pay a red cent in income taxes. Yet the Dems say we should give more "tax cuts" to the poor, the ones who pay no taxes at all.

7, the two greatest war time presidents, Lincoln and FDR were never in the military

8. Yes, not really. Those that try to say Bush has used religion in speeches and policies more than any other president know ZERO about history, and i mean very recent history.

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4. Good thing, 99 percent of Repubs would agree


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Not 99% of those in Congress. Waaaaay less.

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4. Good thing, 99 percent of Repubs would agree


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As far as I know Kerry's platform advocates tax relief for the middle class, not the poor.

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The Democrats who fought so hard to suck the tobacco companies dry certainly do not spend that tax money to end smoking, it is used to fund pork barrel projects that get them re-elected.


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You say this as if the lawsuits and taxes on cigarette companies are payable directly to the DNC. They go into government coffers, so both parties can waste the money on pork.

In fact, if you believe Massachusetts Republicans, the GOP is actually better at getting pork to the people now that they control both houses. Republican senate and house candidates here have been known to argue that MA doesn't get its fair share of pork because all our pols are on the losing side. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

NT

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The personal income tax in the US amounts to about 35% of all tax revenue. Return the size of the federal government to its constitutional level and the income tax can go away and we have more than enough money to run the federal government. The funding of wars would be a bit of a problem, but since WWII was the last constitutionally legal war in which the US was involved, that might not be a bad thing.

[The Dude]

1) Stem Cell Research: I'm still open to discussion.
2) Iraq War: From a humanitarian's perspective, it's a bloody shame Saddam was allowed to be in power for so long. The way it went down was terrible. There's no excuse for the mistakes Bush made.
3) I'm in favor of allowing it. I would support a constitutional ammendment protecting that right for same-sex marraiges. "Civil Unions" just feels like a second class marraige, a "separate but equal" kind of thing that would offend me greatly if I were gay. I don't see any reason to regulate morality as long as it doesn't infringe on others' rights. For example murder and theft should be illegal, but homosexuality not.
4) Birth Control in 3rd World: I see only good things resulting from this.
5) The Environment: It's just plain stupid to live at an unsustainable pace. Stupid. The current administration is blowing it.
6) Taxes: I strongly support changing our taxation system from an income tax to a consumption tax. I'm also in favor of dumping many government programs to reduce the total amount of taxes required.
7) Military Experience Required: Absalutely not. I think it'a a good thing when a candidate has served, but certainly not required.
8) Relegion: I am devout Christian. I don't think it has so much directly shaped my politics as it has indirectly. My basic values and worldviews are centered around my faith, but I tend to disagree with a lot of the general Christian population's political stances. For example, I'm pro gay marraige and anti death penalty, among others.