[Alpha9]

What part of the political spectrum are you? Right? Left? Center? or Far left or right? Tell us.

I am far left marxist kind of commie <-- pinko commie

[alcimedes]

you were missing an option.

[Brad]

A word of preemptive warning: we refuse to let AO become grounds for political bickering. Let's be sure to keep this light-hearted, ok? TIA.

[Naderfan]

I've always been a commie at heart, although I know realistically the utopia will never happen. But lately, I have found myself leaning towards libertarian, except I just don't share their faith in capitalism. So I'd label myself as a liberal. Which I think may have gotten me in trouble today. I just got a new job as a sales rep for this company and almost everyone there is staunch Republican. So today, our sales manager took us all out to lunch and while we were eating, he turns and asks me "So, do you find yourself leaning more Democrat or Republican?" And without missing a beat, I say "Liberal. I'm disgusted with both parties at this point." He didn't really talk to me the rest of lunch. But this isn't my dream job, so I'm not too worried. I just wonder what he would've done if I had said communist....

[Alpha9]

Originally Posted by alcimedes you were missing an option.

what option?

Edit: Nevermind, I saw the edit.

[Luca]

The last one on the list. Which I added a clarification to, in case anyone here doesn't know what a Libertarian is .

[staph]

Pinko-lefty baby!

I don't really have enough faith in human nature to be a full-blown anarchist, however... an open, egalitarian communist state is more my speed (and no, that's not an oxymoron).

[Chinney]

Originally Posted by Brad A word of preemptive warning: we refuse to let AO become grounds for political bickering. Let's be sure to keep this light-hearted, ok? TIA.

Political bickering, no, but how about articulately and passionately reasoned political discourse? Just what threads are allowed? I think that we are all still feeling our way. That being said, I have been happy with .org/AN since being here, so I guess I am not missing the political debate all that much.

[Alpha9]

Note: I, by no means, meant for this thread to turn out into a flamefest, I created this thread in order to see what part of the political spectrum people are to get a broad idea of the general views of this forum. Thank you.

[xionja]

Did we leave the right thinking people at .com? In a very nice and joking way . . . while perhaps making a mild connection between apple computer society and politics . . . :smokey:

[autodata]

Definitely center. Big-time capitalist while at the same time big-time socialist. History shows that some combination works the best. Want very socially liberal government while I am socially conservative. Not religious but I practice vipassana and do all religious ceremonies (weddings, etc) in my Catholic tradition. Regarding the US, I recognize that the republican party has totally lost its way and that, although kerry is a total douche, an administration consists of 20-30 people and those likely to make up a kerry admin have a far better grasp of what our foreign policy needs (recognition that state vs. state model is totally and utterly unrealistic) and likely will not operate solely through propaganda, deception and domestic manipulation. I also do not like radical, quasi-authoritarian regimes in my country, although some, like Mexico's PRI, have created great stability and prosperity.

[Kickaha]

And here I thought it was a poll on which way our trousers fit.

Color me disappointed.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Kickaha And here I thought it was a poll on which way our trousers fit. Color me disappointed.

That's exactly what I thought, when I first read the title.

[alcimedes]

we're going to need [irony] tags for your custom title Carol.

[stevegong]

Originally Posted by Naderfan I've always been a commie at heart, although I know realistically the utopia will never happen.

Who said it will never happen? (That that it will never happen is what they teach you in schools in America...you've been brainwashed too!)

[Luca]

Yeah, obviously the American education system is totally fucked and brainwashes students

I've kind of arrived at my own conclusion that there can't be a utopia. It just isn't possible.

[DMBand0026]

I'm a righty

Republican. Not a fence sitter at all, I know where I stand.

Anyone want to fight about it?

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by alcimedes we're going to need [irony] tags for your custom title Carol.

[aggiemacster]

i am a righty and not ashamed of it.

(but not one of the religious righty kind of things. i am asian so i don't agree with western religious philosphies)

i have much more faith in capitalism, and i am kinda shocked that u guys r so untrusting in it.

anyways, i believe the best way for an economic system to survive is to find a balance. and its important to know the time for which system thats most important.

btw, just out of curiosity, what do you find most wrong with capitalism?

[trailmaster308]

Originally Posted by aggiemacster btw, just out of curiosity, what do you find most wrong with capitalism?

We don't understand it, so we put it in the "axis of evil"

[psmith2.0]

I'm right (upper and lower case...)

More conservative than any particular GOP fan/flag-waver (I think most of them are idiots and not truly conservative...I can't think of one Republican politician that truly represents me, or "gets it").

I'm a registered Republican, but that's like saying I'd buy a Molly Hatchet 8-track before I would a Slim Whitman one.



As for the "far right/Bushist" crack, please.

[Luca]

Well, he IS pretty far right. But I think there's a big difference between the reactionary conservatives who want to get rid of the New Deal's legacy and ban any and all forms of "indecency," and reasonable and level-headed conservatives who simply think that the government should be small and non-obtrusive to the people. Just as there's a difference between bleeding-heart liberals and those who think that the government should play an active role in assisting the people. Too often, people on one side will stereotype people on the other.

I could live with a conservative president, but Bush and his cabinet seem to transcend that and go into the arena of government control of everything. Ashcroft is targeting people like Larry Flynt and Howard Stern and trying to censor them. Now, aren't conservatives generally supportive of SMALLER government? And wouldn't that naturally mean that the government wouldn't get involved in such matters? See, it just doesn't make sense to me. Although my personal philosophy is pretty liberal and left-wing, I have a lot of respect for conservative viewpoints, as long as they're reasonable. Things like the "Patriot" Act and the Defense of "Decency" Act seem blatantly hypocritical to me. Of course, that's the liberal side of me saying that the government shouldn't legislate morality, but on the other hand, shouldn't a typical conservative be outraged that the government is trying to work their way into every facet of our lives?

I'm actually not really sure. I haven't talked to many conservatives about such issues. Just to make it clear, I'm really not trying to attack anyone, I'm just geniunely curious about what some of the conservatives here think about the points I've mentioned. Am I seeing it the wrong way? Or are you too disappointed in those aspects of the Bush administration?

[thegelding]

put left liberal...almost far left, but i don't have the time and energy to be as wild as i would like these days

i too outgrew the ideals of "utopia", just would like a nicer world, a little more courtesy and some degree more of imagination and exploration and self-discovery...instead we are getting lazy, fat and bitter (and i'm not just talking about my mother-in-law)

g

and i still like pscates even while hoping rush lapses into a drug induced coma and the bush twins have unwed pregnancies and are caught going in the back door of planned parenthood


ps...took me awhile to read this thread...i just thought it was going to be another "which hand to you masterbate with" thread...i believe the far right leads that poll (pole?) with a "firm" majority

thegelding gently reminds himself that the pun is the lowest form of humor

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by thegelding and i still like pscates even while hoping rush lapses into a drug induced coma and the bush twins have unwed pregnancies and are caught going in the back door of planned parenthood

You LOVE me. Don't ever forget it.

And while I'd be bummed at the loss of entertaining radio (because the rest of conservative talk radio is really, really horrible), I'd manage to move on. As for the Bush twins, they don't even register with me.

They could appear in "College Gangbang Amateurs, Vol. 27" and it wouldn't change anything about me, or what I believe and think. I'm probably laugh my ass off, along with most of you.



Rush, like Keith Richards, is going to outlive us all. Get used to it...

[Chinney]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 [...] And while I'd be bummed at the loss of entertaining radio [Rush] (because the rest of conservative talk radio is really, really horrible).... [...]

We were driving back from our Nova Scotia vacation last week – cutting through Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire – and we were flipping through the radio stations and came across a show with a strong signal called “Savage Nation” – a U.S. national radio talk show hosted by someone named Michael Savage. Holy comeoloy. I had never heard this guy before, or even heard of him. I did not know whether to laugh at him or to take him seriously. If he is to be taken seriously…and he represents any more than a tiny proportion of U.S. public opinion, then the world should be very worried. I am thinking though, that he was largely just trying to joke/shock and/or that he represents the loony fringe. Anyone have any perspective on the guy?

While it was interesting – in an extremely aggravating way – to listen to the guy rant (and it was the best signal we were getting on some of those upstate roads), we eventually turned it off when he kept referring to Arabs as “dirty nightshirts”. Once again, I don’t know if he was serious or trying to joke/shock, but racial comments like that really are not acceptable.

[Luca]

He's for real.

www.MichaelSavage.com

But nutjobs like him comprise a very tiny portion of the population here. There are very, very few people quite that insane. He and Ann Coulter would get along splendidly.

[psmith2.0]

Helloooo? That's why I said what I said. Told you. Savage, Hannity, Boortz, Liddy, etc. Unlistenable. I can't listen to someone with no humor (that automatically includes Al Franken, who's never been funny a day in his life).

That's why Rush and Phil Hendrie are the only things I'll consider listening to on the radio, that isn't music.

[Luca]

I thought Al was kind of funny in Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot, but I couldn't read his Lying Liars book. I think he's gone way downhill, and moved from being ironically funny to not being funny at all. See, in his older book, it seemed like he was trying to play an obvious role as a liberal nutcase in order to make fun of the conservative nutcases he talked about. But in the new one he's just an ass. Couldn't stand it.

[Chinney]

Originally Posted by Luca He's for real. www.MichaelSavage.com But nutjobs like him comprise a very tiny portion of the population here. There are very, very few people quite that insane. He and Ann Coulter would get along splendidly.

I had actually found the website when I returned home, so I knew that Savage was for real. What I did not know – and still do not know - is whether he was serious about what he was saying in the portion that I heard. I got the feeling that that some of it was intended at least half in jest.

That being said, the “dirty nightshirt” comments really bothered me. Even in jest, that sort of thing would not be allowed on Canadian radio. I know in the U.S. they are trying to strengthen broadcasting codes to prevent the errant breast from being revealed or to prevent people from saying words like “crap”. I think that they are concerned about the wrong things. Sex, nudity and the occasional incidental profanity is not a ‘problem’ in any way. The promotion of hatred against racial or ethnic groups is, however, a problem, IMO.

[kretara]

I'm a Liberal Republican who is very much against Bush and his Corporate Religous and Corporate Business owned ideology.

For: small government, gay rights, abortion, well funded and very strong military, the environment and personal and business accountability

against: bloated government, affirmative action, discrimination, religion in government, special interests, partisanship, unions