Summary of political beliefs (user search)

Updating this. Some planks were taken from another user.

Ideology
Social: Civil libertarian
Economic: Social democrat
Foreign Policy: Civic nationalist/Non-interventionist/Anti-Wilsonian

Social Policy
Abortion: Pro-choice, especially for the first two trimesters. Oppose mandatory counseling/waiting periods. Oppose the Hyde Amendment. Neutral on late-term abortions; abortions that are performed past the second trimester are so rare that they are hardly worth legislating against... Women generally would not abort at this stage in this pregnancy unless there is a severe fetal abnormality or if the woman's life is in danger.

Same-Sex Marriage: Strongly support. I'm generally against laws that force religious businesses to cater or service weddings, but I can see justification if the clientele are without local alternatives.

Conversion Therapy: Ban it entirely. Conversion therapy is complete pseudoscience and should be treated the same way as any other illegitimate and dangerous 'health remedy.'

Transgender Issues: This is an issue that's way overhyped by the media but the conservative backlash against RESTROOMS is ridiculous. Support nondiscrimination laws and ordinances and oppose so-called "religious freedom" laws. I also believe that sex and gender are separate concepts.

Drugs: Legalization of marijuana and LSD; decriminalize the possession, but not sale, of other drugs. Decriminalize the selling of small amounts of cocaine. Abolish the DEA.

Death Penalty: Oppose.

Gun Control: Oppose bans on assault weapons and gun registries. Neutral on magazine/clip limits. Support open and concealed carry. Support mandatory gun safety features, background checks, and closing the gun show loophole. Ban armor-piercing bullets.

Ideally, I would support mandatory firearm safety courses, but I'm resigned to the fact that guns are part of American culture and that such a requirement would be met with fierce resistance. I also believe that states and localities should set their own gun laws; what works for Chicago probably wouldn't work for places like Alaska and Montana. Illegal gun transfers and sales should be prosecuted and existing laws should be strictly enforced.

Affirmative Action: I oppose mandatory quotas.

Prostitution: I am very opposed to prostitution on moral and personal grounds, but I don't think government should ban the practice, especially since porn is effectively prostitution with a camera. Regulate prostitution and mandate that contraceptives be used. I don't believe in shaming sex work, but I don't support glamorizing it, either.

Euthanasia: Strongly support, provided that the patient is of sound mind. I believe that a person has the fundamental right to end his or her own life for any reason.

Immigration: Create a pathway to citizenship for all non-violent undocumented immigrants. Deport or imprison violent undocumented immigrants. Require immigrants to assimilate into the culture regardless of religion or country of origin. Offer free English courses and require fluency as a prerequisite to full citizenship, but oppose making English the "official language" of the United States. Prosecute businesses that hire and exploit illegal immigrants out of good wages.

Police Issues/Black Lives Matter: I strongly support the goals of BLM and police reform. Require body cameras and accountability. Allow for community policing and downgrade police firearms. The justice system should be reformed so that officers are held accountable - no more "blue shield."

Free Speech/Political Correctness: Political correctness is cancer. I am a free speech absolutist and I'm completely against government censoring controversial opinions. Stigmatizing discussion of certain topics is anti-liberal and impedes social progress and personal growth. At the same time, college campuses and student bodies have the right to not entertain public speakers and to hold peaceful protests; nobody is entitled to a platform.

School Prayer: Support voluntary, non-led prayer. I also believe students should be allowed to form private religious and Bible Study groups if they desire.

Muslim Ban: Islamaphobia is wrong and so are religious litmus tests period. Anyone who's willing to assimilate into the culture and be a productive member of society should not be disqualified from entering the United States.

PATRIOT ACT/NSA Spying: Completely opposed to warrantless wiretapping.

TSA: Abolish it. Let airports manage their own security in accordance with federal standards.

Economic Issues
Minimum Wage: Establish a national living wage of $15 per hour set to rise with inflation.

Welfare: Safeguard and expand the welfare state. Ensure food security for all Americans, provide adequate living assistance, paid maternity and paternity leave of at least 1 year each, paid sick leave, 2 weeks guaranteed paid holidays, and subsidized childcare and universal pre-k.

Social Security: Lift the taxable income cap. Social Security is solvent until 2033 and there is no “crisis.” Ideally, the retirement age would be lowered so as to expand job opportunities for young people.

Healthcare: I would support a single-payer/Medicare-for-all program although I am unsure if this would be the best model for the United States. I think that single-payer should be tested first in states like New York or California before adopting a national model. Currently I’m most in favor of a nationwide “public option” or Medicare buy-in program, as well as co-ops or Germany-style “sickness funds,” to compete with private insurance companies.

Allow drug imports from Canada and countries which tightly regulate their drug markets for safety. Subsidize families that spend more than a certain portion of monthly income on prescription drugs, either through reimbursement or tax credits.

Globalization/Trade: I don’t much like globalization itself but I don’t believe that protectionism is the solution to the drawbacks. International institutions and corporations have used globalization purely for self-enrichment at the expense of the environment, human rights, labor protections, indigenous cultures, and civil liberties. I support alter-globalization and fair trade as opposed to neoliberalism and corporate-friendly trade deals.

Deficit/Debt: Maximize efficiency, streamline all governmental agencies, consolidate agencies and eliminate redundancies, abolish the NSA, slash the military and defense budget, focus on implementing cost saving technologies, and make it publicly available and readily accessible to see where all funds are going, the budgets of every agency and department, and who voted for what funding.

Campaign Finance Reform: Pass a Constitutional amendment that would repeal Citizens United and require transparency.

Unions: Strongly support. Completely overturn the Taft-Hartley Act, strengthen public and private sector unions, and abolish all right-to-work laws.

Energy: Invest heavily in green energy with the intent of revolutionizing our energy sector. Incentivize businesses and individuals to go green with tax breaks, implement cap and trade, partially nationalize all companies exploiting our natural resources, and begin reducing fracking and offshore drilling. Retrain coalminers and help them transition to safer jobs in the energy industry.

Job Creation: Invest in a massive infrastructure redevelopment program and fund public projects that use American-made steel and resources. Incentivize businesses to create jobs in underprivileged areas, both rural and urban. Expand broadband to rural areas.

Education: I favor the Finnish model on education. Replace “drill, kill, bubble-fill” testing and promote innovative learning. Allow teachers more autonomy over class material and give students say in the curriculum.

I believe that higher education should have a much smaller role whereas high school should have a more lasting impact on a student’s learning. (Ideally, college would only be geared toward STEM students and aspiring lawyers, but we’ve reached the point where that’s impossible.) I do not favor incentivizing STEM degrees at the expense of the humanities as I believe that disciplines such as art and philosophy are undervalued in society.

However, I support tuition-free public universities and refinancing student loan debt as well as universal pre-k.

I strongly oppose bans on homeschooling.

Taxes: Taxes in the United States are among the most progressive in the world yet poverty and inequality remain high because money is not redistributed progressively. I would support higher taxes across the board only under the condition that welfare is more generous. Otherwise, I support lowering taxes for low-income people and support drastically reducing if not eliminating state sales taxes. I also favor slashing the Corporate Tax.

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