Summary of political beliefs

[Dr. MB]

Ideology: Populist Left-libertarian

Abortion: Up to 1st trimester only

Climate Change: Is real.

Same-Sex Marriage: Support. The government shouldn't be involved in marriage.

Drugs: I support legalization of recreational marijuana, magic mushrooms; decriminalize all others (except for krokodil and fentanyl/other highly

Death Penalty: Oppose except for those convicted of genocide, war crimes, and mass murder

Euthanasia: I don't agree with it and think it should be legal only for completely aware people with absolutely no chance of survival.

Gun Control: I support the 2nd amendment and some background checks. No bans.

Affirmative Action: Oppose

Political correctness: Don't agree with it. It's your right to free speech, so you can be as politically correct or incorrect as you want.

Immigration: Pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and long-term illegals.

Muslim Ban: It's not the worst thing in the world but I wouldn't implement it if I was POTUS.

Minimum Wage: Increase $12 minimum, higher in some states

Universal Basic Income: Decently good idea, but I'd prefer other options first

Energy: Support hydroelectric, geothermal as priorities, wind somewhat and nuclear/fossil fuels/coal as a last resort.

War/Foreign: Non interventionist

Healthcare: Support a universal plan

Trade: Support fair trading policies and prevention of outsourcing.

[Dr. MB]

Foreign
NATO: I think we should renegotiate as it benefits Europe more than it benefits us.

ISIS: ISIS was created as a result of the invasion of Iraq along with disastrous foreign policy since. Thankfully it seems to be getting smaller, but I do support strikes on their bases (not on civilian targets however).

China and Russia: Both are corrupt dictatorships that we need to be allied with. It would be disastrous to have a war with either of them. We should continue trade and build better relations.

Cuba: End all aspects of the embargo and build good relationship.

Israel: I support a two state solution.

Syria/Refugees: "Extreme vetting" as proposed by Trump. Admit a select number (no more than 5–10,000) every year and prioritize families over single men.

Electoral Reform
Electoral College Reform: Abolish it and include the territories in a popular vote.

Gerrymandering: Nothing should be taken into account besides population when drawing districts.

Term limits: Oppose

Voter ID: Oppose, and make all voting by mail.

Primaries: Get rid of the delegates and choose the nominee by a direct popular vote held on one day. Allow anyone to vote in either party's primary.

Statehood: Support D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico as states. Also I think some should be split.

Voting age: Lower to 16

Corruption/Lobbying: Ban all corporate lobbying.

[Dr. MB]

Here's a slightly updated one. I doubt it's changed much from the last time, I just like doing stuff like this.

Social Policy

Abortion
– I personally oppose abortion, and see it as morally wrong.
– I don't care a whole lot about abortion politically. It's a non-issue for me.

LGBT Rights
– Support equal rights as heterosexuals. Simple as that.
– Ban conversion therapy, unless it's consensual (for whatever reason).

Guns:
– Don't support banning any certain type of gun.
– Support allowing gun possession for medical marijuana users.
– Support enforcing the laws we have.
– Support universal background checks.

Drugs
– Marijuana, mushrooms, LSD, other soft drugs should be legalized.
– There should not be a limit on amount of marijuana you are allowed to possess, or number of plants you can grow.
– Hard drug use should be decriminalized and the sentence should be rehab.
– The DEA should only be focused on smuggling of hard drugs.

Death Penalty
– I oppose the death penalty, with the exception of war criminals.

Prostitution
– I support legalizing all forms of prostitution.

Immigration
– Support amnesty for all non-criminal illegals.
– I oppose a wall as it wouldn't be effective.
– I also oppose an open-border policy.

Term Limits
– I support limits on number of consecutive terms, but not lifetime limits.

Affirmative Action
– I oppose affirmative action.

Confederate Flags/Monuments
– It should be up to the town or county, not the federal government.
– Statues that are removed should be put in museums, not destroyed.
– Right to display the confederate flag falls under the 1st amendment.

PATRIOT Act and NSA Surveillance
– The PATRIOT Act should be repealed.
– The NSA should be abolished and all its necessary functions transferred to the CIA.
– Whistleblowers should be constitutionally protected.

First Amendment
– The First Amendment should be absolute and should apply everywhere.

Economic Issues

Minimum Wage
– The minimum wage should depend on the cost of living, but should not be lower than $12 anywhere.

Trade
– Renegotiate NAFTA, withdraw from the WTO.
– Don't enter the TPP.
– I am skeptical of free trade agreements.
– I oppose outsourcing of jobs. Corporations that outsource should be severely punished.

Taxes
– I support abolition of the income tax for anyone making under $30,000 a year.
– Taxes should be much higher than they are now for anyone making over $1,000,000 a year.

Social Security
– I strongly support social security. No raising the retirement age and no privatization.

Healthcare
– I support universal healthcare.

College tuition
– College tuition should be affordable or free. Student loan debts should be forgiven.

Foreign Policy

Russia/China
– U.S., China, and Russia should be very strong allies.

Military Spending and Foreign Aid
– Spending on both should be decreased.
– No foreign aid to dictatorships or corrupt states.

Syria
– Withdraw from Syria and let the problem sort itself out.

Afghanistan
– Withdraw from Afghanistan and let the problem sort itself out.

Environment

Renewable Energy
– Renewable energy should be preferred. Geothermal especially should be explored.

Elections

Reform
– Support limits on campaign contributions.
– Institute ranked-choice voting and multi-member districts.
– Abolish the electoral college.

[Dr. MB]

Overview:
Social: Left
Economic: Left
Foreign: non-interventionist
Party Affiliation: Democratic

Social Policy:
Abortion: I can't really justify it, but at the same time I can't really justify banning it, so pretty neutral I guess. Not an issue I care about that much.
Same-Sex Marriage: Strongly support, obviously.
Drug Laws: FREE THE WEED (and everything else!). Pardon everyone convicted of drug offenses.
Death Penalty: Usually oppose as I can't justify giving our justice system that power, but there are a few people who I wouldn't be sad to see go.
Gun Control: Nope.
Religious Freedom: Too broad and vague, if you're talking about the dogwhistle then no but if you take it literally then of course
Affirmative Action: Not a fan, instead we should implement reduced/free tuition, especially for low income people
Political Correctness: Who cares? People who obsess over it are dumb@sses.
Euthanasia: See abortion.
Prostitution: Arresting prostitutes is a bad move. Legalize it I guess.
Immigration: Just leave people be. They came, they're here, so what?
Criminal justice: Ohh boy. Yeah, basically take the most left wing view on everything related to this and I have it.

Economic Policy:
Minimum Wage: It's good to have a minimum wage. Preferably one that's high enough for people to actually be able to afford basic needs.
Right to Work: F**k you, Scott Walker
Taxation: Higher taxes on the rich, lower on everyone else
Healthcare: Universal healthcare is the only way to go (and with that, single payer).
Education: As someone who's part of the American education system, it's...bad. But going in and teaching people to be good little obedient workers ain't good either. Obviously increase funding to the underfunded schools (which really need some funding). For college, make it reduced cost or tuition free. Also, waive all student debt.
Free Trade: Unrestricted free trade is bad, mostly cause I really, really can't trust a lot of the multinational corporations. But, protectionism and tariffs don't work either. I'm good with it as long as the people on both sides of it are benefiting and performing fair labor (no sweatshops for example).

Foreign Policy and National Security:
Most of the time we try to go to war, it, well, just doesn't work. Also, antagonizing countries is a bad strategy, as is supporting sh!tty dictators (supporting and supplying the Saudis now is just like supporting Pinochet or the Contras during the Cold War). Just, respect everyone that's respectable.

If we could ever get true bilateral nuclear disarmament that would be great, but sadly it ain't happening anytime soon.

I'm pro-privacy and oppose surveillance state measures disguised as "national security". Also, the 1st amendment is great.

Environment:
Climate Change: It's here and it's bad. Ideally we'd switch as soon as possible to purely renewable energy but again that ain't happening.

Electoral and Political Reform:
Term limits: Nah.
Electoral College Reform: Get rid of it
Voter ID: Nationwide vote by mail

[Dr. MB]

. I think we've gotten way too permissive and libertarian as a society and we let far too many things go un-checked in the name of unlimited individual autonomy.

bro that’s what freedom is all about

[Dr. MB]

Looks like I haven't done one since 2018. Time for a bit of an update I guess.

Overall: left, not a giant fan of restrictive ideological labels

Social Policy
Abortion: conflicted
Same-Sex Marriage: I support same sex marriage as someone who may one day get same sex married.
Drugs: Legalize marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, etc. And cocaine. No limits on possession amount either. Decriminalize other drugs (nobody should be in prison for drug possession) but crack down on cartels.
Alcohol: lower the drinking age to 18
Death Penalty: Now I'm not opposed for certain people but those circumstances are pretty rare. I also don't really trust the gov with the power to kill its own people.
Gun Control: Against most restrictions besides base-level (background checks). Opposed to weapons bans or limits on number you can own.
Affirmative Action: not completely against but should be phased out eventually
Euthanasia: can't say I'm a huge fan, violates doctor's responsibility
Prostitution: legal prostitution is safer than illegal prostitution, still it's exploitative
Pornography: should be legal
Immigration: Give amnesty and citizenship to everyone here illegally. Also make immigration an easier process in general. Wages should be fair for all immigrants as well.
Criminal justice: instead of mandatory minimums we should have pretty low maximum sentences, also take a lot of crimes off felony and make them misdemeanor as well as let felons vote. Prison conditions should also be improved and prisoners should be paid a fair wage if they work. Also end private prisons.
Surveillance: get rid of most outdoor security cameras, ban red light cameras, end government surveillance of private citizens and repeal the Patriot Act
Police: generally have too much power, they shouldn't be militarized. When you walk by a police officer you should be able to feel safe and not afraid even if you've done nothing wrong and sadly afraid is what too many people experience. Low level crimes shouldn't be strongly enforced as this usually just serves to mess up people's lives in the future.

Economic Policy
Minimum Wage: Raise to $15 and raise it periodically afterwards
Right-to-Work: against
Tax Rates: should be very high for the richest and very low for the poorest
Healthcare: make all health services free and cover everybody
Social Security: keep as is
Trade: oppose outsourcing, only sign trade deals that have worker protections and fair wages and don't cost American jobs
Environment: transition to nuclear/renewable energy
Education: reform the school system so it's actually useful, put more focus on college as not the only option but make it free for those who choose to go
Transit: light rail for all urban areas, high speed rail linking cities too
Nationalization: nationalize transit and energy companies as well as Amazon and some others

Foreign Policy
Foreign intervention: I'm not against US intervention. In fact I support it when it's done smartly and against people I don't like. But sadly in our past one or both of the two have almost universally been true. I wouldn't exactly be against a coup against Bolsonaro or similar idiots if it had a good chance of succeeding but it would also be a pretty dumb move and war should always be avoided.
Russia: not a Russia fan but people acting like they're the bigger problem vs. China are idiots
China: you can add Xi Jinping to the "similar idiots" from a couple questions up
Israel: it's a sh*tshow and always will be, don't really care
NATO: don't care
UN: don't care
Defense budget: cut it and focus it on health/education

Electoral Reform
Electoral College: get rid of it, put in RCV. Get rid of the delegate system for primaries too.
Gerrymandering: expand the size of the House, abolish the Senate, and draw unbiased districts
Term limits: against for everything
Voter ID: just have vote by mail
Voter registration: Automatic registration
Voting age: probably lower to 16 but also decrease the age to run for president/any other office
Mandatory voting: not a bad idea but I'd rather do some type of incentive to vote and increase turnout
Statehood: admit DC and every territory as a state
Supreme Court: all federal judges should be appointed for 10 years instead of for life, also the power of the courts should be dramatically decreased. It's ridiculous that some random judge has the power to block an entire law from being implemented.

[Dr. MB]

ECONOMIC STUFF

• Freedom of business is the best practical way a society can prosper. DISAGREE
• Charity is a better way of helping those in need than social welfare. DISAGREE
• Wages are always fair, as employers know best what a worker's labour is worth. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• It is "human nature" to be greedy. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Exploitation" is an outdated term, as the struggles of 1800s capitalism doesn't exist anymore. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Communism is an ideal that can never work in practice. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Taxation of the wealthy is a bad idea, society would be better off without it. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• The harder you work, the more you progress up the social ladder. DISAGREE
• Organisations and corporations cannot be trusted and need regulating by the government. STRONGLY AGREE
• A government that provides for everyone is an inherently good idea. AGREE
• The current welfare system should be expanded to further combat inequality. AGREE
• Land should not be a commodity to be bought and sold. DISAGREE
• All industry and the bank should be nationalized. AGREE
• Class is the primary division of society. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Economic inequality is too high in the world. STRONGLY AGREE

IS THIS CIVIL RIGHTS?

• Sometimes it is right that the government may spy on its citizens to combat extremists and terrorists. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Authority figures, if morally correct, are a good thing for society. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Strength is necessary for any government to succeed NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Only the government can fairly and effectively regulate organisations.  DISAGREE
• Society requires structure and bureaucracy in order to function. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Mandatory IDs should be used to ensure public safety. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• In times of crisis, safety becomes more important than civil liberties. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• The government should be less involved in the day to day life of its citizens.  STRONGLY AGREE
• Without democracy, a society is nothing DISAGREE
• Jury nullification should be legal. STRONGLY AGREE
• The smaller the government, the freer the people NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• The government should, at most, provide emergency services and law enforcement. DISAGREE
• The police were not made to protect the people, but to uphold the status quo by force. STRONGLY AGREE
• State schools are a bad idea because our state shouldn't be influencing our children. DISAGREE
• Two consenting individuals should be able to do whatever they want with each other, even if it makes me uncomfortable. AGREE
• An individual's body is their own property, and they should be able to do anything they desire to it. AGREE
• A person should be able to worship whomever or whatever they want. STRONGLY AGREE

"SOCIAL" AND "CULTURAL" ISSUES

• Nudism is perfectly natural. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Animals deserve certain universal rights. STRONGLY AGREE
• Gender is a social construct, not a natural state of affairs. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Laws based on cultural values, rather than ethical ones, aren't justice. NEUTRAL/UNSURE
• Autonomy of body extends even to minors, the mentally ill, and serious criminals STRONGLY AGREE
• Homosexuality is against my values. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Transgender individuals should not be able to adopt children. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Drugs are harmful and should be banned. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• The death penalty should exist for certain crimes. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Victimless crimes should still be punished. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• One cannot be moral without religion. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Parents should hold absolute power over their children, as they are older and more experienced. STRONGLY DISAGREE
• Multiculturalism is bad. STRONGLY DISAGREE

[Dr. MB]

I don't like to identify with a specific political/ideological label, but most would consider me an esoteric, moderate-on-some-issues social democrat. I excluded all of my political beliefs that relate to topics that aren't viewed as 'normal' political issues, which are a big part of the 'esoteric' part of that descriptor, because I don't know if this thread is only for your beliefs on mainstream issues or not.

Nah those are the most interesting ones. Go on...

[Dr. MB]

test

[Dr. MB]

using same template adding some new ones

I realized a lot of these positions fall outside the realm of realistic options in American political discourse so this is tailored a lot more to my ideal society than the present political situation.

Social Policy
Abortion: abortion should be legal
LGBT Rights: support
Drugs: all drugs should be legal, doesn't mean it's a good idea to do all of them though, it's up to you. But weed and psychedelics are beneficial to a point.
Alcohol: abolish the drinking age and no restrictions on sales/consumption
Death Penalty: some people deserve it but the ones who do most will never see their day in court, opposed on principle
Gun Control: however well-intentioned it is I'm very skeptical of especially as it entrenches the state's monopoly on violence
Affirmative Action: irrelevant
Euthanasia: creates a culture of death, prioritizes saving money over the rights of the patient, and a living (dying?) example of the slippery slope turning out to be true
Prostitution: shouldn't exist ideally, a nasty aspect of consumerism, but should be legal as long as it's out there
Pornography: see prostitution
Immigration: borders are a social construct
Criminal justice: punishment for the sake of punishment isn't justice, the majority of criminal disputes should be solved outside the hands of courts and the number of laws people potentially can break needs to be reduced bc as it stands nearly everyone commits several crimes every day
Surveillance: a startling expansion of government and corporate power over peoples' lives, infringes individual rights and experiences, and should be combated by any means necessary
Police: at the end of the day they serve an unjust master and enforce unjust laws
Eminent domain: not a huge fan
Covid-19: increasingly irrelevant but not on the side of restriction

Economic Policy
Minimum Wage: for now it's gotta be high, much higher than it is now, long-term abolish the wage system entirely in favor of worker-owned establishments
Right-to-Work: takes power out of workers' hands, unions need to be supported as strongly as possible
Tax Rates: most people shouldn't pay taxes, only those who profit off the labor of others
Healthcare: should be run as a necessary service instead of a for-profit business
Social Security: wouldn't be necessary in a society which already took care for the elderly into account instead of running what amounts to a pyramid scheme (however justified it might be)
Trade: local production is definitely the best option here but beyond that see my immigration position
Environment: we need not only to switch our energy consumption and rampant consumerism but take a step back and reconnect with nature
Education: put more emphasis on creative potential and students determining their destiny rather than being boxed into a category and drilled with repetitive material
Transit: I support all of the above when it comes to this category
Nationalization: creates more unnecessary bureaucracy, worker co-ops are preferable

Foreign Policy
Foreign intervention: illegitimate
Russia: oppressive state with an oppressive leader
China: oppressive state with an oppressive leader
Israel: not like the Palestinians are much better ethically but self-determination is always the right course of action when it comes to a conflict like this
NATO: don't particularly care
UN: powerless
Defense budget: way too high of course

Electoral Reform
Electoral College: get rid of it
Gerrymandering: end it
Term limits: against
Voter ID: no
Voter registration: everyone should be registered to vote
Voting age: lower than it currently is
Mandatory voting: violation of individual rights
Statehood: should be put up to a vote everywhere it's an issue
Supreme Court: should have far less power and term-limited

[Dr. MB]

Affirmative Action: irrelevant

Why is state-sponsored racism "irrelevant"?

I don’t think any society which actually addresses the root cause of injustices would have any sort of need for a policy like that. It’s not worth time and effort caring about.

[Dr. MB]

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: Against; marriage is between one man and one woman. Children are better off having a mother and a father than two moms or two dads. Most people who end up LGBT+ were abused as children; they need HELP, not perpetuation of mental illness.

Where do you get your data bro