I Will Not Go Quietly!

NetsNJFan wrote: It funny I consider myself a fairly moderate democrat, especially on religious and environmental issues, but this board makes me want to register as a Republican in a week (my 18th birthday) more and more........ People in my class consider me very liberal, but you Europeans make me look like a Neo-Con. I hate President Bush and hate the war in Iraq, but not once have I thought that the 18 year olds in the U.S. Army are on the wrong side, fighting against terrorists in Iraq who are willing to kill their own children to get at our soldiers. And as for the searches on the subways, I'd be very very happy to be searched, to know that the NYPD is doing it's job and working to help keep the city safe.  The only way I would protest is if I was carrying an illegal substance, in which case I should be arrested anyway.  People on this board speak of totalitarian police states, and if the CIA was conducting the searches, I might be somewhat nervous, but it is the NYPD, normal, honest people, who are just doing their job, who aren't looking to impede anyone rights, they are just looking for anything suspicious.  Better someone gets illegally searched than people die in my opinion.

Actually, very few people consider me a liberal anymore (as you can probably imagine), but there was a time once long ago when I wore that mantle proudly.  As I matured (something some of the people on these boards could really afford to do), I realized the world was not all that rose-colored and that the liberal point of view had more flaws than positives.  One of the major problems with the liberal agenda that I see has to do with the fact that liberals are extremely interested in equality, which may not at first seem like such a bad thing.  However, instead of bringing about equality by bringing those at the bottom rungs of society up, they try to push the higher rungs of society down.  One only need to look at the feminist agenda and the likes of the racial activists for proof of that.  Yet, by default I am still a democrat and really dislike Bush myself (I'm a democrat only because there is no real libertarian presence in the U.S., my dislike of Bush goes a bit further). 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.  One of the problems I have with most of these posters (or is that poseurs?) is that to them American lives are apparently very cheap when contrasted with the much more important rights of the Arab community.  How dare we as Americans value our lives over the "rights" of a particular group, most of which are not even citizens of this country.  We are somehow supposed to value their rights to be free from hassle over our right to live.  But I guess in Europe, American lives aren't worth much.  Great to know who your friends are.  Of course, there are some in our very own country who care less about the rights of Americans to live than of the rights of Arabs to be hassle free (can you say ACLU...those people really irritate the sh** out of me).

I tell you, pretty much in line with what you said, the more I read the posts on this board the further to the right I shift.  I used to think that the U.S. should be concerned with the opinions of the international community.  Now I say, screw the international community before they screw us.  Apparently, I was born in the wrong culture.  I'd love to kill at will (you'd know this if you were ever in a car with me on the jersey turnpike) and be applauded for my efforts and have the international community stand behind me.  Damnit all to hell, I was born white and American.

Please excuse my moment of Star Wars geekiness:

Luke could never have wielded that kind of power that early in his training even if he did turn to the dark side.In the books that continue the story from the end of Return of the Jedi he is able to wield power like that about 25 years later.He ripped the engines out of a Star Destroyer and closed a mini black hole by using the force.But he never could have done it back then.

TheProgtologist wrote: Please excuse my moment of Star Wars geekiness: Luke could never have wielded that kind of power that early in his training even if he did turn to the dark side.In the books that continue the story from the end of Return of the Jedi he is able to wield power like that about 25 years later.He ripped the engines out of a Star Destroyer and closed a mini black hole by using the force.But he never could have done it back then.

Nice to see someone else reads the books following Jedi!

NetsNJFan wrote: ^ I think THE DOCTOR and I are on the same page. I am definitely in the Democratic party camp, as oppose to my earlier statements.  The Republicans are way to Christian, way to tricky, and show way to much disregard for nature and ecology for that to be my party.  However on some Issues I am starting to agree with them.  I'm sure THE Doctor agrees with me it is time we said F.U. to international approval, no matter what we do they just get pissed off, and booted the UN out of NY.  All they do is pass resolutions against the US and Israel, I really despise them.  After all, this is the organization with Sudan on the humanitarian council.

I agree.  The republicans are far too christian for me (my god, this is the 21st century, the blue laws should be gone for christ's sake, and don't get me started on abortion rights - of which i am fully in favor, or prayer in school).  They have a self-righteousness about them that I truly despise.  And yes, they have much more regard for big business than they do for the ecology.  However, while fairly liberal on a lot of domestic issues (minus feminism, affirmative action, the welfare state, etc. - basically i think the government should stay out of the lives of individuals, but not necessarily corporations), I'm becoming more and more conservative regarding international policy.  And I'm beginning to think maybe it is time we kicked the U.N. out of New York.  Tis a blight on my home, it is.  There is no reason the U.S. should continue to house what is starting to amount to an enemy of the U.S., at least not in my home city.

stonebeard wrote: Cygnus X-2 wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: Please excuse my moment of Star Wars geekiness: Luke could never have wielded that kind of power that early in his training even if he did turn to the dark side.In the books that continue the story from the end of Return of the Jedi he is able to wield power like that about 25 years later.He ripped the engines out of a Star Destroyer and closed a mini black hole by using the force.But he never could have done it back then. Nice to see someone else reads the books following Jedi! took my advice, eh Cygnus?

It was a minor influence.

stonebeard wrote: Cygnus X-2 wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: Please excuse my moment of Star Wars geekiness: Luke could never have wielded that kind of power that early in his training even if he did turn to the dark side.In the books that continue the story from the end of Return of the Jedi he is able to wield power like that about 25 years later.He ripped the engines out of a Star Destroyer and closed a mini black hole by using the force.But he never could have done it back then. Nice to see someone else reads the books following Jedi! took my advice, eh Cygnus?

I believe I have read every star wars novel published.  Hell, I think I've even read all the comic books.  I must say though that I prefer the prequel era to the original era, both in terms of novels and movies.  

Yeah, I'm a nerd.  What's it to you? 

NetsNJFan wrote: The Doctor wrote: NetsNJFan wrote: ^ I think THE DOCTOR and I are on the same page. I am definitely in the Democratic party camp, as oppose to my earlier statements.  The Republicans are way to Christian, way to tricky, and show way to much disregard for nature and ecology for that to be my party.  However on some Issues I am starting to agree with them.  I'm sure THE Doctor agrees with me it is time we said F.U. to international approval, no matter what we do they just get pissed off, and booted the UN out of NY.  All they do is pass resolutions against the US and Israel, I really despise them.  After all, this is the organization with Sudan on the humanitarian council.    I agree.  The republicans are far too christian for me (my god, this is the 21st century, the blue laws should be gone for christ's sake, and don't get me started on abortion rights - of which i am fully in favor, or prayer in school).  They have a self-righteousness about them that I truly despise.  And yes, they have much more regard for big business than they do for the ecology.  However, while fairly liberal on a lot of domestic issues (minus feminism, affirmative action, the welfare state, etc. - basically i think the government should stay out of the lives of individuals, but not necessarily corporations), I'm becoming more and more conservative regarding international policy.  And I'm beginning to think maybe it is time we kicked the U.N. out of New York.  Tis a blight on my home, it is.  There is no reason the U.S. should continue to house what is starting to amount to an enemy of the U.S., at least not in my home city. I agree with (limited) Affirmative action based primarily on economics, not race.  I go to a very affluent school, and we are much more advantaged than poorer kids when it comes to college entrance. But I think welfare is a mainly a failure.  I'm a New Dealer, but now we have these families in the slums that have been on welfare that have been on assistance for three generations etc, that is so wrong, however I do agree with unemployment, medicare, social security. And I am really conservative on foreign policy.

I'm also a New Dealer.  My parents grew up in the time of FDR, and I still think that Roosevelt did a lot for this country.  I also believe that we as a society have an obligation to take care of those who are unable to care for themselves (therefore, I believe in SSI, disability and unemployment), but I do not believe that we have a responsibility to those who are unwilling to take care of themselves.  That's one of my problems with the two party system in this country, the democrats (at least as they are now) think we should take care of everybody, and the republicans don't think we should help anyone.

A limited affirmative action based on income may not be so bad (hell, we sort of have that now with the college financial aid system), but it should not be based on race.