I'm not sure I've written anything about my political philosophy in a while.
On social issues, I would be considered far-left. I am very weary of undue religious influence on government and am generally skeptical of preserving policies if I perceive the only basis for their continued existence to be tradition. I believe in equal rights, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and I think affirmative action can still be an appropriate tool, when used judiciously, to alleviate some of the inherent discrimination that some members of society are more likely to face. I see any efforts to limit access to abortion or euthanasia as an affront to privacy, and oppose providing contradictory definitions of the fetus in the law (think 'Unborn Victims of Violence Act') and various other political tricks that seem to be hurled at this issue by conservative legislators. Capital punishment should never be practiced. Prison conditions are neglected and the fact that abuse and rape are tolerated is a tragedy. Felons should be allowed to vote. Nobody should be imprisoned for recreational substance abuse, and the double standard that exists with alcohol and other drugs is ridiculous. I am also generally opposed to restrictions on alcohol or tobacco (public smoking bans, sin taxes, Sunday/late-night sales laws, etc.) as well as gambling and prostitution.
The government should guarantee a minimum living income for all of its citizens. Workers are not provided with reasonable protections and benefits; we should be looking at a 35-hour work week, mandating businesses to provide maternal and paternal leave, guaranteeing adequate paid holidays for full time workers, better pensions, etc. Wealth is far too concentrated and recent actions by the United States government have only accelerated this trend. The entire system of health maintenance organizations and endless trails of subsidies and red tape should be removed entirely and replaced with a single-payer system, which would cover optional preventative health care services as well as other basics like dental. I believe in funding abortions for low-income women as a means of offering greater access to equality. I am highly skeptical of selective education and would be open to its banishment; certainly no government assistance should be provided to private schools whatsoever.
A perfect world would have no borders. My foreign policy is very idealistic, with a pacifist lean, and it stems from the inescapable observation that people are largely the same wherever you may go, motivated by the same joys and concerns, and that the average person has no influence on the actions of their government or military. Obviously, the Cuban embargo is nonsense. Nobody should be producing nuclear weapons. The very concept of 'illegal immigrants' or, for that matter, illegal people strikes me as intrinsically offensive. I believe in free trade. Every willing government should be engaging in an active and united effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bearing all of this in mind, I am also realistic about what sort of progress can be accomplished, so I approach my political support pragmatically (that is, for the do-nothing dirtbags residing in the Democratic Party, and the generic left-wing equivalent everywhere else).
