JohnJohn said:
1) National Defense
2) Tax cuts for the rich fawkers (trickle down eco works)
3) Capitalism > Liberalism. Republicans = Capitalists
4) Gun Control (ps: I don't own one)
5) Iraq: Saddam needed to go, I'm with Bush
6) Foreign Policy: Condi runs circles around Albrecht
7) Unions: Do flight attendants REALLY need one? The rule should be, while at work, if something you breath can kill you, or something larger than a small car can fall on you, you need one. Grocery workers, Teachers, and Flight attendants can look to capitalism to solve their issues.
8) Immigration (I side with republicans not my President, YES he is my President)
9) Abortion: I don't like it but, It's not my duty to tell you what to like.
10) Gay Marriage: Nah: Civil Unions, better option, if Steve wants to get health coverage for Gary, I really could care less
OK...
1) National Defense. I'd much rather have a smaller, yet better-trained, -equipped, and -motivated fighting force than an 800-pound gorilla; like we've got now. I don't give a damn about "retention" and "recruitment" figures - since it seems that most of the people we're "retaining" and "recruiting" aren't worth a damn. Military training should be designed to fail people, or make them DOR (Drop On Request.) Period. Full Stop. If it's not hideously difficult, we're doing it wrong. Frankly, not only would I like to see a "failure rate" among trainees, but I don't think a "mortality rate" of 5% or so would be out of line - have them sign a waiver when they sign the enlistment contract. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
2) Tax cuts PERIOD. Reducing the overall tax burden will effectively revalue the dollar in an upward direction, simply because buying power will improve. For this reason, I am also not an advocate of the "Mandated Minimum Wage" - increasing it drives up the costs of production and devalues the dollar, and therefore makes the poor poorer (because, although they're getting a few more dollars, that is more than offset by the reduced purchasing power caused by increased costs of production. The only people who win when FMW goes up is the people collecting the taxes, and they've bullshitted everyone else into thinking that it's a good thing. Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.)
3) Capitalism may be greater than Liberalism, but I have a hard time equating most Republicans with Capitalism. If they were capitalists, I don't think we'd be in the economic CF we are now - reference my other posts on the subject.
4) Gun control means using both hands. There should be no restrictions on the ownership of small arms - eliminating them would effectively eliminate people who should not own them, since their actions would catch up with them. In that vein, we should work on getting rid of "Let 'Em Loose, Bruce" in the black robes - if you screw up badly enough, you should be cast out of society. I favour the Vermont model - we're not going to issue you permits to exercise your rights. Carry what you want, how you want, when you want, and where you want, and we're only going to bother you when you use it, to make sure you didn't do anything wrong...
5) Mixed feelings here. I was over in 1991 as part of "Sound and Fury," and I don't see why we didn't finish the job. Once 2/5 Marines were in, we remained in the area, and had Saddam nailed down to within 24-48 hour lag. I could have had his head in DC withing 60 hours of getting a "go" order. The worst thing you can do to a mortal enemy is
almost kill him...
6) Foreign policy. Look out for American interests overseas, and work to eliminate the "trade deficit" we've been carrying for the last 15-20 years.
7) Unions. They had their time and place, but I don't think that's extended to "here and now." The NLRA and OSHA are doing (quite!) enough in the workplace, y'ask me. Granted, with all the "profit motive" going on, collective bargaining can be useful - but if we had a truly "free market," the problems would be self-correcting. It would just take a little longer...
8) Immigration. If you want to come over here, there are ways to do so legally. Come over illegally, and get sent back. While we're about it, stop sending them to TJ - since that makes it all the easier for them to come back (especially illegals from points south of Mexico.) Drop them off at Tierra del Fuego... I don't care if they "just want to work" - let them come over the right way. If you don't have a Green Card and/or aren't a citizen, you don't get social services of any particular version, either.
9) I have a disagreement with abortion as a means of "retroactive birth control," when condoms are far cheaper. However, it's also a "privacy" issue, and I don't see where I'd get off telling anyone what to do with their body that they haven't agreed to in return. Besides, you can't "uninvent" something - it's around, and it's GOING to be around. Let the AMA see about putting a stop to abortion willy-nilly - I'd like to see it reduced to "medical or psychological necessity," but I'm not going to hold my breath, and it's not my place to say.
10) Gay marriage - why all the fuss? Granted, I sometimes wonder about the proliferation of the "gay lifestyle" (face it, it's biologically self-defeating!) but gay men simply meant more women for me. Lesbians were a small stumbling block, but not something I couldn't try to work around...
So, RATE ME! Where do I fall on the scale...?
5-90
atriot:
