Conservatives, what is your most liberal aspect(s)? & vice versa

[MarkDel]

As a moderately conservative Republican, my most "liberal" issues are as follows:

1. I'm pro-choice provided the procedure occurs in the First Trimester.

2. I believe in the concept of Welfare, but feel that once a person accepts Welfare, they give up certain rights to privacy that others are guaranteed. Essentially, Welfare is a moral concept, but by accepting state sponsored charity, the person on Welfare should essentially become a ward of the state.

3. I'm somewhat skeptical of trade agreements like Nafta.

4. I am completely opposed to the "morality police" attempting to censor radio, television and movies.

5. I am in favor of legalizing many of the so-called Vice Crimes. I would legalize Prostitution, Casino and Sports Gambling and some forms of drugs.

Those are about the only issues where I'm "off the reservation" as far as the Republican Party goes.

[MarkDel]

Angus,

Well, free trade on a conceptual level is obviously a positive. But in practice, it has been less than stellar for the US over the past decade. We have essentially transformed from a manufacturing economy into a service economy, and while that may be a necessary change over the long haul, it has caused a great deal of short term pain for blue collar workers, and even white collar workers in fluid industries. We are asking American workers to compete for jobs with foreign workers who often make only a fraction of the salary....and they're elated to make that much, plus the environmental regulations in the US drive up costs on all levels and forces businesses to go abroad where the environmental policies are less restrictive. Obviously this is a complex issue that I could argue both ways, but I think we as Americans need to do a better job of looking out for our labor force.

[MarkDel]

Yeah, Ross Perot may have been a lunatic, but he was a BRILLIANT lunatic, about many, many things.

[MarkDel]

Angus,

I think BOTH parties are guilty of major infractions when it comes to censorship and related abuses of freedom. The big difference is that the Republican threat to freedom is so flagrant, that the American people can easily detect it, and just as easily reject it. Hence the "intolerant right wing" is at best a minor threat to our liberties.

On the other hand, the "politically correct left wing" is a VASTLY greater threat to our freedom because their attacks on our basic rights are far more sublte and not as overt in terms of rapid detection. The left also uses paternalistic issues to mask their oppression...pretending that they are "looking out" for people's safety...things like cigarette lawsuits, hate crime legislation, environmental extremism, smoking bans, hunting bans, etc, etc....

The far right is too overt, so they are rarely successful in their attempts to control your life, but the left is much more clever, and they seek to control your mind rather than your body.

[MarkDel]

Angus,

Department of Peace...Kucinich is funnier than any Saturday Night Live skit.