Summary of political beliefs (user search)
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« on: June 05, 2011, 09:28:44 PM »

I am very socially conservative and that more or less defines my political outlook. However, if I ever were to run for office I would not run on social issues because I think running for office should be treated more as a job interview than a place for grandstanding. Rather, I would emphasize a center-right economic approach of balancing the budget and seeking consensus whenever possible. My foreign policy views are more vague and I am still seeking out an identity on that front.

Social Issues:
Abortion: I am pro-life, even in the case or rape or incest. I believe abortion is murder. This is the single greatest issue I base my vote on for national elections.

Death Penalty: I believe it is only morally justifiable to take a life if doing so it required to ensure the health and safety of others. In virtually all cases in the US, I believe capital punishment is an instrument of revenge rather than justice.

Drugs: I vehemently oppose any further legalization efforts because I think doing so will just cause more people to use drugs. I would like to see the drinking age either changed or enforced.

Euthanasia: I believe that human life has a certain value that cannot be compromised out of depression and selfishness. I do not accept the idea that other people are not harmed by a suicide. The legality is largely unimportant but I would like to see it remain illegal in all forms.

Gay Marriage: I think the entire reason marriage has a place in civil society is because it is the traditional environment to produce and raise children. I think legal recognition of marriage is a form government social intervention for the purpose of promoting an environment to produce and raise children. Gay relationships are clearly incapable of producing children, so no governmental recognition is necessary. That being said, I don’t think the government should go around and look for sterile people or anything of that sort.

Gun Rights: I think people should be allowed to own and carry guns with proper background checks. I think it should be illegal to carry a gun under the influence of alcohol.

Immigration: We are a nation of immigrants and immigration should be encouraged by raising the number of people we let into this country legally. I support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants current in the US, provided they have no criminal background and have a job while giving preferential treatment to those with families. However, I don’t believe this alone is enough without better border enforcement in the future.

Prostitution: It is disgusting and should remain illegal where it is currently illegal. It is not the answer to economic desperation.

Separation of Church and State: I believe that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” should be taken to mean that Congress cannot favor one religion over another or force people to join a particular religion. I think this is an area where the government should not be very involved, but that the level of secularization currently being discussed (ie. Deleting “Under God” from the Pledge of Alligence) is asinine.

Stem Cell Research: I support adult stem cell research and oppose embryonic as it is currently practiced. A professor (who does embryonic stem cell research) told me once that we could get embryonic stem cells from live embryos inside their mother rather than aborted embryos if we really wanted to but that this is not the way research is currently conducted. If this practice was changed to remove abortion from the equation, I would support it. Just to note, I do not support outlawing embryonic stem cell research as practiced, but would not like to see government funding of it. This is a funding issue, not a law issue.



Economic Issues:
Affirmative Action: I consider this an economic issue rather than a social one and am more or less neutral on it.

Education: Education is mainly a state issue and one that no blanket nation policy can be effective on. I think that classroom size has a greater effect on quality and success than does technology or textbook quality, or the building itself. The necessary components to a good education are: parent who discipline their children, students who want to learn, and a qualified teacher who cares.

Environment: The environment can best be approached by researching better, more cost-effective technologies to address environment problems. The strictness of the EPA is both a blessing and a curse, since it helps to improve American quality of life but also hurts businesses.

Fiscal Policy: I think that Ricardian Equivalence is correct, such that increased spending today is just a way of stealing from tomorrow.

Health Care: I support a fully private healthcare system with a safety net for those who cannot afford it.

Social Security: Something that will end long before I see a dime.

Taxation: Taxes should be kept as low as reasonably possible to promote economic growth; however, they must be raised now, in addition to spending cuts, to avoid budgetary disaster.

Unions: This is a personal issue for me since my mother is a union member who went on strike when I was in high school. Thus, I do think union have an important place in American society although I dislike the way most of them serve as blanket funneling organizations for socially liberal agendas.



Foreign Issues:
Iraq: It was a poor decision to enter but we must stay to make sure a stable government that doesn’t completely hate us can be formed. It’s almost over now, anyways.

Israel: A part of me deeply respects Israel because they quite frankly don’t care what the world will think when they do something. They aren’t trying to be popular; the world already hates them. That being said, the only possible answer to their issues with Palestine is a two-state solution.

Military: I greatly respect all the sacrifices made by our soldiers and support them. I do agree that the military is not above our budget problems but that special care should be taken to ensure the safety of our service men and women.

Intervention: If I’ve learned anything from the Iraq mess, it’s that great care must be taken when making a decision to go to war. Still, I almost always oppose withdrawal in the middle of a war.

Nuclear Weapons: I don’t like nuclear weapons a whole lot and would oppose using them in just about any circumstances I can see happening. But, I also think a worldwide disarmament is a fairy tale because there really are evil people out there who want to kill us.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2011, 10:56:34 PM »

TJ proves how useless the political matrix really is once again.

In what way? I think my matrix scores are about right: social conservative, economic center-right.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2011, 11:13:40 PM »

Perhaps part of it is that being from Ohio, immigration is pretty much irrelevent as a political issue. I honestly don't think I've ever even considered it when voting. We haven't had significant immigration to this state in over 50 years, especially in Northern Ohio where I am from.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2011, 09:03:57 PM »

It’s been a while since anyone has used this thread but I'd like to revive it and add some detail to what I posted back in June when I was really new to this site. I mostly changed the economic and foreign policy parts since those were skimpy:


Social Issues:

Abortion: I am pro-life, even in the case or rape or incest. I believe abortion is murder. This is the single greatest issue I base my vote on for national elections.

Death Penalty: I believe it is only morally justifiable to take a life if doing so it required to ensure the health and safety of others. In virtually all cases in the US, I believe capital punishment is an instrument of revenge rather than justice.

Drugs: I vehemently oppose any further legalization efforts because I think doing so will just cause more people to use drugs. I would like to see the drinking age either changed or enforced. I also do not believe that drug legalization would lead to a reduction in violence because most violent drug dealers aren’t in it to express an act of civil disobedience, they’re in it for a greed that cannot be satiated by their capacity to earn money otherwise.

Euthanasia: I believe that human life has a certain value that cannot be compromised out of depression and selfishness. I do not accept the idea that other people are not harmed by a suicide. The legality is largely unimportant since it is not likely a major concern of anyone considering suicide but I would like to see it remain illegal in all forms.

Gay Marriage: I think the entire reason marriage has a place in civil society is because it is the traditional environment to produce and raise children. I think legal recognition of marriage is a form government social intervention for the purpose of promoting an environment to produce and raise children. Gay relationships are clearly incapable of producing children, so no governmental recognition is necessary. That being said, I don’t think the government should go around and look for sterile people or anything of that sort.

Gun Rights: I think people should be allowed to own and carry guns with proper background checks. I think it should be illegal to carry a gun under the influence of alcohol.

Immigration: We are a nation of immigrants and immigration should be encouraged by raising the number of people we let into this country legally. I support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants current in the US, provided they have no criminal background and have a job while giving preferential treatment to those with families. However this alone is meaningless without better border enforcement in the future.

Prostitution: It is disgusting and should remain illegal where it is currently illegal. It is not the answer to economic desperation.

Separation of Church and State: I believe that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” should be taken to mean that Congress cannot favor one religion over another or force people to join a particular religion. I think this is an area where the government should not be very involved, but that the level of secularization currently being discussed (ie. Deleting “Under God” from the Pledge of Alligence) is asinine.

Stem Cell Research: I support adult stem cell research and oppose embryonic as it is currently practiced. A professor (who does embryonic stem cell research) told me once that we could get embryonic stem cells from live embryos inside their mother rather than aborted embryos if we really wanted to but that this is not the way research is currently conducted. If this practice was changed to remove abortion from the equation, I would support it. Just to note, I do not support outlawing embryonic stem cell research as practiced, but would not like to see government funding of it. This is a funding issue, not a law issue.



Economic Issues:

Affirmative Action: I consider this an economic issue rather than a social one and am more or less neutral on it. On one hand, I want the best person available to get the job. On the other, I find it irritating that many white kids use affirmative action as an excuse for their own failures. Every person should strive to not only meet the standards of acceptance (if to colleges) but to exceed them.

Education: Education is mainly a state issue and one that no blanket nation policy can be effective on. I think that classroom size has a greater effect on quality and success than does technology or textbook quality, or the building itself. The necessary components to a good education are: parent who discipline their children, students who want to learn, and a qualified teacher who cares. I do believe standardized testing has a place in education but that place is not the central purpose.

Environment: The environment can best be approached by researching better, more cost-effective technologies to address environment problems. The strictness of the EPA is both a blessing and a curse, since it helps to improve American quality of life but also hurts businesses.

Fiscal Policy: In general I think that Ricardian Equivalence is correct, such that increased spending today is just a way of stealing from tomorrow. There are some circumstances where increased government spending over a short period of time can provide a needed boost to the economy. I oppose the hijacking of fiscal stimulus to serve ulterior motives such as funneling resources to environmental causes that are not a cost effective means of job creation.

Health Care: I support a fully private healthcare system with a safety net for those who cannot afford it. I am not necessarily opposed to an individual mandate though I have some question about its constitutionality. In any case, the government needs to look carefully at whatever proposal enacted to ensure it does not force small businesses to cut employees’ healthcare by making the minimum standards so high that a fee is cheaper. I oppose a single-payer system because I believe such a system will inevitably lead to euthanasia in the mid-to-distant future.

Monetary Policy: I mainly take the side of the Rational Expectations school of economics, thus placing me primarily on the side of the Republican establishment and somewhat opposed to the Tea Party. I am opposed to an audit of the Fed on the grounds that doing so would lead to a loss in the fiduciary trust in our current system. I am also opposed to the idea of Congress running the Federal Reserve. I also oppose the gold standard because the purpose of it is that gold supposedly has an “objective value” when it really doesn’t and it’s worth is decided by the market just like anything else.

Social Security: In many ways, this is the key budgetary issue set between the US and long-term fiscal sustainability. The system was created for an era where the average person had four children and lived just past the retirement age. Now, the average person has 1.8 kids and lives to be 77. We have a few tough options: dramatically increase the retirement age, privatize the system, cut it, increase the payments demanded, or cut the benefits received.  Social security may be politically untouchable but we will soon face the reality that it must be reformed.

Taxation: Taxes should be kept as low as reasonably possible to promote economic growth; however, they must be raised now, in addition to spending cuts, to avoid budgetary disaster. I am not necessarily opposed to a flat tax, but would rather see something along the lines of an exponential decay function used to eliminate discontinuities in the derivative of the overall tax rate.

Unions: This is a personal issue for me since my mother is a union member who went on strike when I was in high school. Thus, I do think union have an important place in American society although I dislike the way most of them serve as blanket funneling organizations for socially liberal agendas. I do, however, support right to work legislation.



Foreign Issues:

American Exceptionalism: In short, I do not accept the idea of American exceptionalism that the US is somehow morally superior to other nations or that we are predestined for some kind of greatness as the world’s last superpower. I see the US as a country looking out for its interests like any other country would do. Many policies the US enacts will be the right thing to do and many will be wrong.

China: There are some serious issues remaining in the relationship between the US and China from currency manipulation to religious freedom, but I still see China as an odd sort of ally to the US in the long term. Too much of our economic futures are linked to each other’s success to become enemies.

Diplomacy: Unlike many in the GOP, I have no problem with the president talking with terrorists, or anyone else for that matter. If President Obama wanted to meet with the Kim Jong Il or any of the various rouge Middle East dictators, I’m not sure what he could possibly have to say that will make a difference, but I don’t mind them talking.

Iran: This is an incredibly tough situation because the United States cannot afford another military conflict at the moment and our “sanctions” don’t seem to be doing very much. This is a common theme throughout our handling of the Middle East.

Israel: A part of me deeply respects Israel because they quite frankly don’t care what the world will think when they do something. They aren’t trying to be popular; the world already hates them. That being said, the only possible answer to their issues with Palestine is a two-state solution.

Military: I greatly respect all the sacrifices made by our soldiers and support them. I do agree that the military is not above our budget problems but that special care should be taken to ensure the safety of our service men and women.

Intervention: If I’ve learned anything from the Iraq mess, it’s that great care must be taken when making a decision to go to war. Still, I almost always oppose withdrawal in the middle of a war.

Nuclear Weapons: I don’t like nuclear weapons a whole lot and would oppose using them in just about any circumstances I can see happening. But, I also think a worldwide disarmament is a fairy tale because there really are evil people out there who want to kill us.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2011, 09:32:43 AM »

I oppose a single-payer system because I believe such a system will inevitably lead to euthanasia in the mid-to-distant future.

I don't understand the reasoning here.

In the US today, most people will oppose the legalization of things like physicial-assisted suicide. I suspect that if the government is paying for healthcare, it will provide an incentive for more people to support physicial-assisted suicide because it saves them money. This is purely speculation on my part; I don't pretend to know the future. But, I think most people view things a bit differently if there is a financial incentive to do so. Of course you can make the argument that it already is more expensive for everyone to keep people alive, but the perception is more important than the effect in determining how it shapes public opinion. Having the government pay for healthcare would make it inherently obvious that the government would be shelling out money to keep patients alive against their wishes.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2011, 09:41:24 AM »

@ Free the Weed: Why do you hate fundies so much? Most of the founders were fundies.

it's not obvious? lol. I'm a libertarian on domestic issues. I'm only fundie on abortion, and immigration.

Otherwise, I'm very much so a social libertarian and oppose the ideology of ignorance.

It seems to me you picked a strange issue to be a “fundie” on while calling “fundies” an “ideology of ignorance”. (I use quotes around “fundie” because I don’t know what a “fundie” is, nor do I particularly care.) How far are you going here as a “fundie” on immigration? What does it even mean to be a “fundie” on immigration? Does it mean loving your neighbor even if he’s here illegally? Does it mean believing that the US is divinely ordained to rule the world and only Americans born here legally are entitled to a part in that vision? Something in between?
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2011, 02:39:41 PM »

I oppose a single-payer system because I believe such a system will inevitably lead to euthanasia in the mid-to-distant future.

I don't understand the reasoning here.

In the US today, most people will oppose the legalization of things like physicial-assisted suicide. I suspect that if the government is paying for healthcare, it will provide an incentive for more people to support physicial-assisted suicide because it saves them money. This is purely speculation on my part; I don't pretend to know the future. But, I think most people view things a bit differently if there is a financial incentive to do so. Of course you can make the argument that it already is more expensive for everyone to keep people alive, but the perception is more important than the effect in determining how it shapes public opinion. Having the government pay for healthcare would make it inherently obvious that the government would be shelling out money to keep patients alive against their wishes.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923323/ns/health-health_care/t/americans-still-split-doctor-assisted-suicide/#.TqBSLd6a9tM

No exactly.

Okay then, even more reason why I would want to oppose a single payer system. If most people think it should be legal, making healthcare tax payer funded will only increase their desire to legalize it in more places.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2011, 06:52:36 PM »

I oppose a single-payer system because I believe such a system will inevitably lead to euthanasia in the mid-to-distant future.

I don't understand the reasoning here.

In the US today, most people will oppose the legalization of things like physicial-assisted suicide. I suspect that if the government is paying for healthcare, it will provide an incentive for more people to support physicial-assisted suicide because it saves them money. This is purely speculation on my part; I don't pretend to know the future. But, I think most people view things a bit differently if there is a financial incentive to do so. Of course you can make the argument that it already is more expensive for everyone to keep people alive, but the perception is more important than the effect in determining how it shapes public opinion. Having the government pay for healthcare would make it inherently obvious that the government would be shelling out money to keep patients alive against their wishes.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923323/ns/health-health_care/t/americans-still-split-doctor-assisted-suicide/#.TqBSLd6a9tM

No exactly.

Okay then, even more reason why I would want to oppose a single payer system. If most people think it should be legal, making healthcare tax payer funded will only increase their desire to legalize it in more places.
Good example of strawman argument.

How would you test that argument then?  Let me know when you've perfected the art of time travel.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2012, 10:20:05 PM »

Social Issues:

Abortion: I do not morally support abortion, however, I believe it should remain legal. I do not support having taxpayer money go to abortion and believe it should only be legal for cases of rape, incest, mother's life or severe deformity.

Cheesy
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2013, 03:47:52 PM »

Interesting read, Snow. I have to say I found it illuminating and agree with a lot more of what you wrote than perhaps may be expected. I read this simultaneously with some of G. K. Chesterton and they're sounding strangely similar. More so than one might think at least. A lot of the themes are the same, although Chesterton hasn't discussed economics nearly as much. Granted he was long before the 1980s. I still don't agree with most of your conclusions as they relate to politics, of course, but find the sentiment admirable.

I apologize for assuming you were actually Ted Strickland all this time; now I can see you're Jim Trafficant Tongue
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2013, 11:58:33 PM »


  • Reduce Senate terms to four years instead of six


So there are going to be two electoral classes of 50 Senators each?

So, that would mean that half of the U.S. Senate would always stand for re-election the same year as presidential elections...not gonna fly with ardent defenders of the Senate's status as the "upper chamber". 

Maybe we could do odd years?
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2014, 08:37:26 PM »


I know there's no way it's realistically happening but I'm a Mormon and I don't drink caffeine.

Along those lines, are alcohol and caffeine considered equivalent in Mormonism? All the Mormons I know seem to be uncomfortable around people drinking alcohol but not bothered by coffee. Why is this?
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2014, 09:16:36 PM »

Stem Cell Research:Absolutely opposed

Do you mean embryonic stem cell research or literally all stem cell research? If all, please explain as I've never encountered anyone with that view before.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2014, 11:44:10 PM »

SOCIAL POLICY
Abortion: I'm pro-choice except in the third trimester.  If it's third trimester, I think it should only be legal in the cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is in danger.
Stem-Cell Research: I am morally conflicted on it, but at this point I support it, assuming its research helps save lives in the future.

What leads someone to be morally conflicted over stem cell research and pro-choice at the same time? Generally people who have doubts about the morality of stem cell research are referring to embryonic stem cell research and have a problem with destroying embryos. I haven't really encountered anyone who has unambiguously voiced moral qualms about induced pluripotent "adult" stem cell research. What are your concerns here?
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #14 on: August 26, 2015, 08:30:02 PM »

It's been a few years since I've made one of these, so here goes:

Social Policy:
Abortion: Ban abortion, with only an exception when necessary to save the life of the mother (using the the word 'abortion' to mean in this case removing portions of the Fillopian tube containing an ectopic pregnancy).
Gay Marriage: Personally oppose, but accept that the law is settled. Oppose any efforts to require private citizens to participate in gay wedding ceremonies.
Drugs: Against legalization. We ought to focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment, but still against legalizing.
Stem Cell Research: For stem cell research unless it uses embryonic stem cells, which is less and less common as we've made significant improvements with induced pluripotency in recent years.
Death Penalty: Oppose except for the exceedingly rare scenario where it is necessary to protect the public.
Gun control: Generally oppose in that I believe every adult without a criminal record and with a clean bill of mental health should be permitted to own one. I support property owners' rights to forbid people from bringing guns on their property. Support background checks if done reasonably. Oppose AWB.
Affirmative Action: Oppose but think it's a low priority. I grow weary of whites complaining about it, but do still think the job ought to go to the most qualified individual.
Prayer in School: I certainly support optional prayer and/or a moment of silence. Teacher-led prayer in public schools is a bridge too far and problematic in a ton of ways.

Economic Issues:
Minimum Wage: A system like the current one is the right setup: a federal minimum and states being permitted to set their own. Somewhere in the vicinity of $10/hr is about the right figure in most places. Understandably, loaded areas may set higher.
Right-to-Work: I'm torn on it. On one hand, I don't like the unions being able to require dues for all employees if the employee does not believe the union represents their interests. On the other hand, if the union bargains collectively, non-paying employees would be free-riders, which also isn't fair.
Taxation: Support progressive income taxation. I think the curve should be a continuous logistical function rather than brackets now that calculators have been invented. Would work to eliminate the sales tax.
Healthcare: Support the general idea of exchanges, not so thrilled with the individual mandate, and oppose the contraceptive mandate. Not sure what else can be done to reduce the cost without sacrificing quality, perhaps incentivizing medical schools to increase their acceptance rates?
Social Security: Raise the retirement age. Would support adding a privatized option in parallel, though the public portion may need to be subsidized from the privatized part.
Education: Oppose common core if federal money is attached, otherwise support it. I think testing needs to be rewritten to be sensible and actually challenging, particularly in math and science. I think we've dumbed things down too much be focusing so heavily on the percentage who pass and fail. Support voucher programs for impoverished areas.
Balanced Budget Amendment: Nominally support, but it's probably a pipe dream.
Personhood Admendment: Support (more than nominally Tongue), but also probably a pipe dream.
Term Limits Admendment: Oppose. I really don't think term limits accomplish much of anything, except for executive office since that is just too powerful.
Gold Standard: Oppose. The gold market is even more screwed up than currency if that's even possible. Support independent centralized banking. Oppose congressional audits and scrutiny. The last thing we need is Congress trying to run the Fed.

Foreign Policy and National Security
Iran: All options are bad. Would try to put tough sanctions to stop them from gaining nuclear weapons, which probably won't work, so we are again left with bad options.
Iraq/Syria: Again, all options are bad. There's just no one left for us to arm in this one.
PATRIOT Act: Support but only in the strictest possible interpretation. Oppose warrantless data collection.
NSA Spying: Oppose if done without warrants.
Israel/Palestine: "Support" Israel (whatever that means), but does not mean agreeing and backing up Israel's every decision. Israel needs to either recognize the legitimacy of a Palestinian state or make the Palestinians Israeli citizens.
Immigration: Secure the border and begin a worker program for those already here illegally and who haven't committed any other crimes. After the mass normalization of those already here begin actually enforcing immigration law.

Environment
Climate Change: Incentivize nuclear power and alternative energy research. Allow research on nuclear waste reprocessing. Incentivize wind.
Green Energy: See above.
Keystone XL Pipeline: Grant approval, if anyone still wants it with fuel prices where they are now.

Electoral Reform
Electoral College: Leave alone.
Gerrymandering: Commissions are probably the answer, but require supermajorities to prevent rogue commissioners. Try to figure out what the heck the VRA actually requires and what it doesn't.
Presidential term: Keep as is.
Public Financing: Don't waste the money. With elections as they are it is irrelevant.
Voter ID: Push for a national non-required voter ID. Let states then decide their regulations.
UN: Continue as a member, but do not surrender actual power to the organization. Keep the US as a democracy.
DOE: Keep but reduce their duties. End the tying of federal funds to state education policies.
EPA: Keep. The EPA serves a necessary purpose in protecting the US from catastrophies such as what happened in China last week. Chemicals can be very dangerous things when treated improperly. Respect that.
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TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2018, 12:27:57 AM »

Redoing because it's been forever.

Overview:
Social: Conservative
Economic: Traditionally conservative, but not necessarily free market
Foreign policy: Lean non-interventionist but not overly so

Social Policy:
Abortion: Oppose. Overturn Roe and ban with an exception to save the life of the mother.
Same-Sex Marriage: Oppose. I wouldn't attempt to re-ban it though.
Drug Laws: Keep the hard stuff illegal. Recreational marijuana should be illegal with fines and/or community service as the punishment. Medical marijuana should be in principle permissible, but subject to the usual FDA drug regulations.
Death Penalty: Oppose in practice in the US.
Gun Control: Okay with background checks but none of the "ban random feature" trendy moves.
Religious Freedom: RFRA more or less. Higher scrutiny on governmental religious interference for attempts to compel people to do things than for outlawing things.
Affirmative Action: Oppose. Open to an economic-based alternative for education only.
Political Correctness: Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be charitable and try to give your opponents the best possible interpretation.
Euthanasia: Oppose. Keep it illegal.
Prostitution: Oppose. Keep it illegal where banned and ban it where legal.
Pornography: Oppose. I wouldn't attempt to actually ban it though.
Immigration: Crack down on illegal border crossings combined with one-time amnesty opportunity for illegals who haven't done anything wrong except come here illegally. Mandatory jail time for hiring an illegal alien after the amnesty window is up.

Economic Policy:
Minimum Wage: Somewhere in the $10ish range is probably about right. Add a governmental subsidy to small businesses who employ unskilled workers to prevent them from being driven out.
Right to Work: Oppose. Unions bargain for all workers, so all have to pay. I support banning unions from making political donations.
Taxation: Almost certainly needs to increase to pay for our current programs without adding more.
Healthcare: Require hospitals to charge the same price for the same procedure regardless of the patient's insurance. Allow medicare/medicaid to negotiate prices.
Education: Allow for greater state and local control of curriculum and content. Ban multiple choice math questions in standardized testing.
Free Trade: Deals should be bilateral and ensure that cheap labor costs don't allow goods only flow in one direction.

Foreign Policy and National Security:
Iran: Continue sanctions unless nuclear program is stopped.
Syria: Try to negotiate a peace between Assad, the Kurds, and US-backed rebels that doesn't end up with any side getting arrested/executed by whatever government replaces the current mess. Push for an independent Kurdistan if the Kurds want one.
Israel/Palestine: Two-state solution ideally, but good luck.
Russia: Deal with on a case-by-case basis. Russia can be a strategic partner sometimes, but don't really trust them.

Environment:
Climate Change: Build nuclear power plants, the only plausible non-fossil-fuel option for our base load.

Electoral and Political Reform:
Term limits: Oppose.
Electoral College Reform: Oppose. Changing the rules is a sure sign of losing.
Voter ID: Support, as long a provided for free by the government.
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