How would you define your self politically

[Epidemic]

Are you:

Liberal
Conservative
Fiscal Conservative(Social Liberal)
Moderate (some of all above)
Communist
don't Know

I am for the most part conservative. I believe that you basically cannot help people other than helping them to help themselves.

I do believe in the right to keep and bear arms.

I feel Federal government is designed to do as stated in the constitution.
Regulate trade between the states
Deal with international community
Provide for the common defense
Provide a judicial system
Provide a police force to protect us from preditors.
Note: The gun is a great addition to this with over
2 million defensive uses of guns annually. I
believe that the police generally are there to
prevent further predidation. The first defense
is you because the police are not there at the
time of the crime. (I don't mind background checks)

I believe that government should not be in the following
Welfare
Internation aid except where it serves our interests (oil, and
industry)
Abortion (allthough it may be wrong) It is not governments
place to render moral judgements. (God will take care of that)


We should have strong boarders and should not provide assistance to illegal aliens. They are illegal therefore not eligable
for welfare, education, or even civil rights.

Legal immagrants are required and valuable. If you feel that we should allow more in than just up the quota. But illegals should be deported and the avenues of entry should be guarded alot better.

Oh yea legalize drugs for the following reasons
Drugs are cheap (the war on drugs make them expensive)
Were they legal there would be no crime in it.
it would be nice if no one used but not practical to enforce.

It is a moral judgement therefore not for government to
regulate.

The temptation that leads good people into the sale of drugs
Is the potential riches. Were there no value in drugs there
would be no dealers.

Guess I am just mean though

Liberal.

[Skywalker[TSG]]

Conservative

[daveleau]

Libertarian (much closer to conservative than liberal)

[Epidemic]

I usually think of myself as a libertarian but they are too extreme in there no government approach. They believe in completely open boarders and wealth caps. So the purest form of libertarian is a scary lot. So I have to say that I am a modified Conservative.

[Knothead]

Good post, Epidemic.
I can see that a political debate between you and I would get boring pretty fast, as I would tend to agree with you on most of your list; only thing is, I don't mind international aid, I happen to believe that with all the riches we enjoy in America, a bit of "payback" is fine by me.
I don't know what label would be accurate, as I am all over the map, and I think you are, too!

[daveleau]

Yeah, I agree. The no government idea is the idea that you stated above. The US Gov is there to protect us and not do things as menial as regulating education, since I believe that is the states' job. I am undecided on the death penalty which is a fairly big issue, so I can't say I am straight conservative.

[Sohgin]

I'm liberal with some conservative tendancies. (note I'm american so my viewpoints reflect my country's politics)

I advocate the right to have guns although there needs to be much stricter laws on this. The only guns I think should be allowed are shotguns. These allow for hunting of food and for defense of your home and family. All other guns need to be outlawed as their primary purpose is the killing of other people. They should also be locked up at all times when not being used. You have to remember when our founding fathers wrote the second amendment they were thinking of muskets. Guns that took half a minute to load if your were fast. Not automatic or semi-automatic weapons.

I'm pro-choice. If someone cannot think or cannot live without mechanical help then they are simply not alive. I'm talking about breathing and pumping blood through your body and things of that nature not walking or such.

The government has a right to make laws that keep us from harming other people and to keep other people from harming us. I believe that they should have a limited ability to protect people from themself however. This is being stretched and so forth.

Civil liberties are a right to all humans whether they are citizens of the US or not. The borders should not be completely open but it should be easier to get in than it is. This would help stop the flow of illegal immigrants IMO.

While I don't advocate making all drugs free, I definitely think the government needs to loosen up about it. Put that money into things like education. A better educated country would be less likely to kill themselves or others using drugs and would be better all around.

I like the idea in welfare, but there needs to be more effort put into helping people improve their lives instead of just giving them money. Put more money into the welfare program but don't give it directly to people, hire others who can help those people find a job and put their kids through school.

I'm for the death penalty, but only in cases where the guilt is known to a degree where there can be no question. A signed confession MIGHT be enough.

I have lots of other views on politics, as I'm sure everyone here does, but these are the major ones that come to mind.

[aldtech]

Fiscal Conservative Socially Liberal

Vote them all out of office and start over with out the "good ol'boy" network. No lawyers, no offence intended but lawyers are always trying to find ways to get around the law. We need people there who will follow the law/rules meticulously and if the laws/rules are wrong or bad then throw them out.

We have too many politicians trying to re-interpret the law to their benefit or their parties benefit or some special causes benefit but not the peoples.

One of the first things that need to be done is campaign finance reform because without restricting this then only money and big business will do the talking instead of the people. Look at Enron, they have paid so much money to politicians and their parties. What has been done to them? Not much but their accounting firm seems to be in more trouble than they are! I wonder why. ;-)

And look at M$, tell me they are not getting off light.

Sorry for the rant folks but politics and politicians piss me off, all the money we the people pay into the system just so we can get walked on by the special interest groups and big busines.

AL

[Epidemic]

Sohgin,

I just don't understand your statement about long guns for protection and food. So you do not believe that the woman being assaulted by 5 strapping youths armed with bricks in central park should have been able to defend herself against these thughs.

However if somone is in your house you can defend yourself.

Do you think that criminals need guns to require a gun for defense.
In other words if three assailants attack you and you are a man you will be able to defend using your fists against baseball bats.

Simply put Criminals will have guns and victims won't. Criminals are Criminals do you think they care about laws.


As for the founding fathers they were saying you could use the latest technology "a muskett". If they were not they would have given you knives swords and arrows. and kept the musket for the military.

Do you know that I probably could carry several period pistols in the waste band of my pants and get relatively rapid fire action.