What are your politically unpopular views?

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Another one for me is requiring parental licenses to have children.

how would this be enforced?  Sorry let me rephrase that, how in the hell could this be enforced without trampling on every adult (or if you want to be really sexist about it, half of adults) rights, and some very intimate, important rights.

It would be required for both parents regardless of gender. In order to get a license, you would have to pass a sort of mental competency test, so the would be child would be less likely to have a parent that is abusive or doesnt care about their wellbeing.

right right right, but how would it work?  Lots of forced abortions on the ignorant and dumb?  Lots of forced (and not 100% working and not 100% reversible) temporary contraception?  Forced adoptions?

The mental competency tests wont be a measure of intelligence, but rather a measure of whether you have a mental illness or not, whether you have a past criminal record that has to do with children (i.e. child abuse, sexual assault on a child).

If you manage to get pregnant but dont have a license, than yes would be forced to get an abortion.

If you have a child without a license, the child would be taken to an adoption center and the parent be charged with a fine.

If you agree to take the test and you pass, neither will happen.

It sounds cruel, but imo its necessary.

Forced abortion is a crime against humanity, my dude. At least equivalent to government sponsered rape. Banning those with mental illnesses from having children isn't going to stop much abuse, and will stop many kids from being born into loving, healthy families. I can understand wanting to prevent child abuse, but rape and authoritarianism is not the answer. increased enforcement/broadening of child abuse laws that protect childrens rights and giving children more rights(especially teenagers) is a better way to go.

2. Parents should have the final say on whether their child decides to transition

This is extremely popular, sadly.

You make a good point. I'm gonna rethink my position on that.

Congrats. I did a lot worse than this when I espoused this position 7 years ago

[PSOL]

1. Ex-felons are human beings and 99.999999% of them being treated like untouchables is bull••••.
2. No transition program
3. priveliged Liberals who endorse immigration but then expect the newcomers of being their pawns and servants of them in their inevitable servitude in creating their utopia (Antonio V is especially guilty of this) should be shamed, and are not distinguishable for the scratched types who become reactionary (Windjammer is especially guilty of this)
4. Mass migration and nonsense of "they are heading for better pastures" in relation to colonized people like Appalachians should not exist. The middle class professionals, economic migrants, and LGBTQ refugees should be made to stay in place and the central government should seriously ensure the @$$holes preventing progress should be eliminated.
5. The megacity and certain suburbs and rural retreats is and will always be a concentration of where exploitation is. Capitalist and professional flight should not be a thing and there should be reasonable accommodation to make sure human capital is equitably spread out.
6. Homes are for living, not speculation or to use as collateral.
7. Any leftist who does not want to get rid of the Ponzi scheme that is the stock market as a goal is both a bad person/virtue signaler no worse than those saying they are a pious person yet still be an @$$
8. Factual history should be taught, myths are not as spectacular as the truth
9. There are children who must taught to be adults, ideally through their families with assistance, and adults. Enough of the garbage that is being a teenager and that is the only time one is expected to be free. Your inability for you to stand happy people is not important for most people suffering through bull••••.
10. You don't need space, you need liberation
11. Most people are very gullible and unable to properly process information, there needs to be a balance between an easily replaceable leadership and representation in government.
12. Laziness and being hardworking/having merits are not real things on a macro level and should not be a thing anywhere in society
13. Most of you are sheep participating in this for attention as part of a weird voyeur, I am not even trying to be mean, but calling me crazy for consistency is a problem of your slave mentality.
14. Toxic wannabes deserve to be prevented from wrecking revolution

[Antonio the Sixth]

lol

[Antonio the Sixth]

Congrats. I did a lot worse than this when I espoused this position 7 years ago

I hope this doesn't come off too parasocial, but as someone who was involved in the OG flame wars, your growth as a poster has been a genuine ray of hope in an otherwise perpetually disappointing place.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Congrats. I did a lot worse than this when I espoused this position 7 years ago

I hope this doesn't come off too parasocial, but as someone who was involved in the OG flame wars, your growth as a poster has been a genuine ray of hope in an otherwise perpetually disappointing place.

Thanks!

ETA: it's very heartening to hear this from you. You're one of the best posters on this forum. It's not too parasocial, or at least if it is it's a two way street.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Abortion should be completely prohibited nationwide  from the moment of fertilization without any exceptions.

And, yes, I support banning hormonal contraception and in vitro fertilization (assuming more embryos are fertilized than will be immediately implanted) too.

[PSOL]

4. Mass migration and nonsense of "they are heading for better pastures" in relation to colonized people like Appalachians should not exist. The middle class professionals, economic migrants, and LGBTQ refugees should be made to stay in place and the central government should seriously ensure the @$$holes preventing progress should be eliminated.

4. Mass migration and nonsense of "they are heading for better pastures" in relation to colonized people like Appalachians should not exist.

in relation to colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

I fail to see the error in my statement, the central government has been trying to tame these hills for centuries.

[Conservatopia]

4. Mass migration and nonsense of "they are heading for better pastures" in relation to colonized people like Appalachians should not exist. The middle class professionals, economic migrants, and LGBTQ refugees should be made to stay in place and the central government should seriously ensure the @$$holes preventing progress should be eliminated.

4. Mass migration and nonsense of "they are heading for better pastures" in relation to colonized people like Appalachians should not exist.

in relation to colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

colonized people like Appalachians

I fail to see the error in my statement, the central government has been trying to tame these hills for centuries.

This sounds like it should be said by Harrison Ford, looking off into the distance.

You're a legend.

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

Ideally, religious institutions would be suppressed by the state. Though I would be opposed to violent methods being used to do this or trading away the right to vote to get this done. I hope to see this view become popular in 50 years.

[Xing]

Depends on the context. In the U.S., my views on gay rights are pretty mainstream and my views on guns are fringe, but in a global context, it’s sort of the opposite.

[Reactionary Libertarian]

Unmarried women receiving Medicaid or other welfare programs who become pregnant, should be forced to get an abortion or lose all access to benefits, and unmarried men should not have to pay child support to unmarried women.

[KaiserDave]

Unmarried women receiving Medicaid or other welfare programs who become pregnant, should be forced to get an abortion or lose all access to benefits, and unmarried men should not have to pay child support to unmarried women.

[Reactionary Libertarian]

Unmarried women receiving Medicaid or other welfare programs who become pregnant, should be forced to get an abortion or lose all access to benefits, and unmarried men should not have to pay child support to unmarried women.

Lol, it’s not Nazism for me to not want to subsidize and encourage bad behaviors that cause harm to society. They can still have babies, but taxpayers shouldn’t fund it.

[PSOL]

Unmarried women receiving Medicaid or other welfare programs who become pregnant, should be forced to get an abortion or lose all access to benefits, and unmarried men should not have to pay child support to unmarried women.

Lol, it’s not Nazism for me to not want to subsidize and encourage bad behaviors that cause harm to society. They can still have babies, but taxpayers shouldn’t fund it.

You know, I’ve been wavering on this myself recently but I’ve come to the conclusion now that most people—especially men—need to have higher levels of expectation in getting sexual partners and making sure to avoid the consequences. Ideally this should be taught at a young age in which republicans don’t like to not sleep with the wrong type of partner and to be prepared to avoid the consequences of possible STD’s and pregnancy. Hookup culture and not having conversations on the others they may wish to sleep with about next steps is a two way street. Furthermore, if anything the federal government should do more to care for kids moreso than the elders who do vote and are enjoying the money paid in by someone else if the government are going to treat social security like a piggy bank and pay Peter with Paul’s money.

It’s not ideal that some people do have unfortunate situations with a failure of protection or a bad partner of any sex or gender, but that’s ultimately a personal decision influenced by the failures of our current society shying away from serious discussions on sexual relations, when and where to have them, and how to go about through the motions and emotions.

Abortion should be destigmatised and made free and easily accessible if you want to avoid this problem.

[John Dule]

Parents who are aware that their child will be born with down syndrome or another serious genetic disease and do not abort the fetus are acting selfishly and cruelly. I would never support a forced abortion, but I do think they shouldn't receive any government welfare whatsoever.

Racist humor, when used in the correct context, can serve as a trust-building bonding exercise for people of different cultures or ethnic groups. We should build towards a future where we are able to laugh at each other's stereotypes and differences, not one where those differences are ignored.

The value of any given object is completely contingent upon the time and location in which it is sold. Those who complain about "unfair prices" or "price gouging" do not understand this basic concept.

Any attempt to give Americans universal health care will fail if it isn't accompanied by a cultural change towards exercise/nutrition and away from car dependency and mindless fast food consumption. Our health care costs aren't just high because of our system's design. It's also because most of us make terrible choices about what we put in our bodies, and not a single politician has the guts to tell their lethargic constituents the truth about it.

Immigrants to the US are generally more patriotic than native-born citizens and have a greater appreciation for this country because they understand what it's like to live without freedom and prosperity. People who think native-born citizens deserve anything more than immigrants are entitled provincial losers with no marketable skills who want freebies from the government just for the accident of their birth.

Property rights are too strong in this country. Homeowners should not be able to prevent the development of new apartment complexes due to noise complaints, whining about traffic, or "changes to the neighborhood character." None of these should be recognized as legitimate concerns to hold up construction.

Private religious schools should probably be illegal.

Infant circumcision should definitely be illegal.

For most of recent American history, our workplaces and institutions were aggressively masculine and actively hostile to women. We are not being cognizant enough of the fact that we are currently going too far in the other direction. Male-dominated and female-dominated offices/schools/businesses have their own unique pathologies, and neither is really desirable.

Finally, Americans are generally much too concerned with obtaining the results they want and do not seem to care at all about building efficient or long-lasting incentive systems to achieve those results. When confronted by a problem in our society (for example, a housing shortage), the question always seems to be "How can we give housing to people who need it?" rather than "How can we construct a system that incentivizes people to provide housing at a lower price?" Aligning people's incentives in a desirable way is how you create self-sustaining systems that don't need constant handouts to perpetuate themselves. However, in our modern society anyone who doesn't endorse throwing free money at a problem is labeled a monster-- even if they want the same outcome. A system that relies on people's charity is not reliable. A system that relies on their self-interest is.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Not falling for this trap.

[PSOL]

Parents who are aware that their child will be born with down syndrome or another serious genetic disease and do not abort the fetus are acting selfishly and cruelly. I would never support a forced abortion, but I do think they shouldn't receive any government welfare whatsoever.

Racist humor, when used in the correct context, can serve as a trust-building bonding exercise for people of different cultures or ethnic groups. We should build towards a future where we are able to laugh at each other's stereotypes and differences, not one where those differences are ignored.

The value of any given object is completely contingent upon the time and location in which it is sold. Those who complain about "unfair prices" or "price gouging" do not understand this basic concept.

Any attempt to give Americans universal health care will fail if it isn't accompanied by a cultural change towards exercise/nutrition and away from car dependency and mindless fast food consumption. Our health care costs aren't just high because of our system's design. It's also because most of us make terrible choices about what we put in our bodies, and not a single politician has the guts to tell their lethargic constituents the truth about it.

Immigrants to the US are generally more patriotic than native-born citizens and have a greater appreciation for this country because they understand what it's like to live without freedom and prosperity. People who think native-born citizens deserve anything more than immigrants are entitled provincial losers with no marketable skills who want freebies from the government just for the accident of their birth.

Property rights are too strong in this country. Homeowners should not be able to prevent the development of new apartment complexes due to noise complaints, whining about traffic, or "changes to the neighborhood character." None of these should be recognized as legitimate concerns to hold up construction.

Private religious schools should probably be illegal.

Infant circumcision should definitely be illegal.

For most of recent American history, our workplaces and institutions were aggressively masculine and actively hostile to women. We are not being cognizant enough of the fact that we are currently going too far in the other direction. Male-dominated and female-dominated offices/schools/businesses have their own unique pathologies, and neither is really desirable.

Finally, Americans are generally much too concerned with obtaining the results they want and do not seem to care at all about building efficient or long-lasting incentive systems to achieve those results. When confronted by a problem in our society (for example, a housing shortage), the question always seems to be "How can we give housing to people who need it?" rather than "How can we construct a system that incentivizes people to provide housing at a lower price?" Aligning people's incentives in a desirable way is how you create self-sustaining systems that don't need constant handouts to perpetuate themselves. However, in our modern society anyone who doesn't endorse throwing free money at a problem is labeled a monster-- even if they want the same outcome. A system that relies on people's charity is not reliable. A system that relies on their self-interest is.

You’ve provided something to love and hate for everyone

Not falling for this trap.

Baak Baak

[mileslunn]

Many of these may be popular elsewhere, but these are views I hold which would not be popular in my own country Canada even though many popular in US or elsewhere.

-  Retirement age should rise to 70

-  Those who wish to pay for private health care should be able to, it shouldn't be illegal like is in Canada (allowed everywhere else, we are only developed country to ban it).

-  Where top marginal tax rates on high income earners are at or above 50%, top rates should be cut to bring them below 50%.  Right now in Canada 8 of 10 provinces exceed that.

-  Unless you are a farmer with livestock that can be attacked by predators, work at a dangerous job, or live in an area where hunting for sustenance cheaper than going to grocery store, it should be illegal to own any type of firearm.  Mind you this probably has lots of support in Canada but unpopular in rural areas.

-  Alcohol taxes should rise to cover full cost of policing and health care.  Any liberalization in where it can be sold, which I generally support, should involve minimum price increases as a counter mechanism.

-  GST should rise to 10% on non-essential goods and we should shift taxation towards higher consumption taxes offset by lower income and corporate.

[mileslunn]

Abolish speed limits.

Actually done on sections of autobahn in Germany, although not everywhere.  And ironically fatal accidents are lower in Germany than in most countries.  However, they have all kinds of other rules like maintain 2 second separation, no passing on right.  But legally if you want to drive 200 MPH (320 km/h in Germany as they use metric) you are free to do so and won't get ticketed.  Off course some sections have speed limits (usually urban), others have variable depending on conditions (so only none if good weather and no traffic).

[mileslunn]

While not American, for US here are mine.

- Repeal the 2nd amendment

- Introduce a national VAT and raise cigarette and alcohol taxes significantly

-  Grant DC and Puerto Rico full statehood while for presidential elections, let Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa residents vote for president but until electoral college abolished (which I favor abolishing) electoral votes would be fractional not whole numbers.

-  Get rid of 2 senators per state.  Instead do based on square root of population so not perfectly equal like now but not entirely by population either.

-  Allow free mobility of labor between Canada and US (not Mexico) like Australia and NZ do but still maintain border controls and those with criminal records or unable to financially support themselves would be denied entry.  Those exercising such right however could not become citizens.  Canadians or Americans wishing to move and become citizens would still have to go through normal procedures.  This would be more like TN visa but expanded to all jobs.

-  Abolish interior immigration checkpoints and instead put those officers at actual border as you shouldn't have to go through border checkpoints when traveling in own country. 

-  Reform Social Security whereby have an investment board that invests funds in the stock market to make it solvent in long run.  Otherwise similar to reforms to what Canada did in mid 90s.

-  Make medicaid available to all while still allowing those to stick with their private plan if they so choose.  On health care I oppose both US predominately private system and Canada's monopoly on basic health care.  I support a dual/mixed system.  Taxes would not go up as those enrolling in medicaid would pay premiums based on income while those who have private health insurance would not have to pay such premiums.

-  Privatize US postal service or at least end its monopoly completely and allow competition without restrictions you have now that severely limit it.

-  Scrap SALT deduction completely (this is quite popular in most states, but in some blue states very unpopular).

[MarkD]

Just two main views that are unpopular with most other people:
1) There should not be any minimum wage laws. Not all workers are equally in need of a "living wage," and all workers do not have the same minimum economic needs. See this video. (It was produced by the Libertarian Party.)
2) There have been MANY TIMES that the US Supreme Court has struck down laws as "unconstitutional" which were not truly unconstitutional, even though it was true that those laws were pernicious -- somebody should have gotten rid of those laws, but it was not truly the duty of the SCOTUS to get rid of them. Because many people do not like those laws, they assume that the Court did the right thing to strike them down.

See this video. (It was produced by the Libertarian Party.)

Um, what was the point of your post?

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Unmarried women receiving Medicaid or other welfare programs who become pregnant, should be forced to get an abortion or lose all access to benefits, and unmarried men should not have to pay child support to unmarried women.

Least evil reactionary.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Parents have no right to stop their children from transitioning.

Farm animals such as chickens and cows deserve the same level of moral consideration as humans

Disabilities such as down syndrome should continue to exist.

Autism is highly valuable to society and any attempts to discover ways to "cure" it or abort it out of existence should be illegal and possibly criminal

One of the biggest problems with American society is our horrible neglect of disabled people. It should be possible to live comfortably off disability benefits if you can't do enough work to provide for yourself while still preserving your mental and physical wellbeing.

[Del Tachi]

Gerrymandering is cool.

[NYDem]

There should be no differential in punishment for murder and attempted murder, or between any other pair of attempted and actual crimes, as long as the actual act was committed in both cases. If the purpose of prison is to separate dangerous criminals from society and punish them for their actions, it seems stupid to make a distinction. An attempted murderer won't be less dangerous in the future just because they happened to fail, and a successful murderer won't be more dangerous because they got 'lucky'.