How do you identify politically?

ClemofNazareth wrote: Is there an 'Appalled and Disgusted' party?

The Dark Elf wrote: I am a political schizophrenic, both liberal and conservative: 1. I'm a gun owner who seeks gun control (let's start by renewing the ban on automatic weapons and requiring registration for weapon purchases at gun shows and private sales). 2. I'm pro-choice and pro-death penalty. 3. I believe in reducing the national debt and having government being fiscally responsible, but doing so with higher taxes and ending corporate subsidies. Let's end the trickle down lie that's been perpetuated since Reagan. When 1% owns the vast majority of wealth and land, there is no real freedom for the rest. 4. Welfare should not be a perpetual benefit for the able-bodied. Switch it to job training, and if you don't go, you don't eat. 5. In relation to #4, give government scholarships to students willing to get STEM degrees. 6. Stop giving aid indiscriminately to countries who spit on the flag. 7. Send condoms and birth control pills to famine areas. Stop making kids while you starve. Or, to paraphrase Sam Kinison, send them Samsonite luggage, because food doesn't grow in the desert. 8. Stop wasting money on the United Nations. 9. I'm pro-police, anti-BLM. 10. Term limits for Congress. 11. Eliminate PACs and corporate political donations (thus eliminating both Koch and Soros).  12. Cap the amount of campaign contributions at $1000. That's it, that's all you get. 13. And as a true conservative, I believe in conservation. Eliminate the need for fossil fuels. Plant a few trees. I'll get off my soapbox now.

aglasshouse wrote: ClemofNazareth wrote: Is there an 'Appalled and Disgusted' party? Depends on what you're 'appalled and disgusted' with.

For me, with most French politicians since I was born, no matter the party

They're still reasoning the 20th Century way, and haven't "updated" their political mindset to address the issues of the 21st Century yet.




Edited by Modrigue - July 31 2016 at 01:46

^ I class myself still, in spite of everything, as a socialist, and most certainly not a liberal.

What I will say is that It is nice to state that Dean's analysis above is absolutely spot on, one of the best analyses of the situations we face I have seen on the site.

All political parties are, in effect, coalitions. Most coalitions have a limited shelf life, and I genuinely believe that the political systems that the Western nations have in place are now going to change. Certainly, the political parties within them. The Labour Party is now right in the middle of an existential crisis. Whether Corbyn wins, or not, I cannot see it surviving in its present form for long.

In spite of the ramblings of many on the left, there are, actually, some genuinely intelligent and caring people in the Tory party. I know, I have had to work with some of them in the past. I rather hope that the future direction we take is that like minded individuals and groups collaborate on specific ideas, projects, crises, etc., but retain their individual viewpoint, rather than carrying on this political party charade we presently have.

Political skeptic.

Skeptical socialist, pessimistic communist (in the original meaning, not the fanclub of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro and the whole gang), etc...
Anarchism raises some interesting points, but I tend to think that every utopia thinks too much good of the manking: the more we're having access to informations, new ideas, exchanges from one part of the planet to another... the more we're claiming borders, privileges, we stick to insane "traditions" or we turn our angers towards people more miserable than ourselves.

Oh, and I'm also somewhat of a "Regionalist": being born in Provence, having Breton and Occitant ancestors, I don't consider the dissolution of France as a great disaster (if only it means that there won't be nuclear plants or stupidly gigantic airports set up in rural areas, for example).

lazland wrote: ^ I class myself still, in spite of everything, as a socialist, and most certainly not a liberal. What I will say is that It is nice to state that Dean's analysis above is absolutely spot on, one of the best analyses of the situations we face I have seen on the site. All political parties are, in effect, coalitions. Most coalitions have a limited shelf life, and I genuinely believe that the political systems that the Western nations have in place are now going to change. Certainly, the political parties within them. The Labour Party is now right in the middle of an existential crisis. Whether Corbyn wins, or not, I cannot see it surviving in its present form for long. In spite of the ramblings of many on the left, there are, actually, some genuinely intelligent and caring people in the Tory party. I know, I have had to work with some of them in the past. I rather hope that the future direction we take is that like minded individuals and groups collaborate on specific ideas, projects, crises, etc., but retain their individual viewpoint, rather than carrying on this political party charade we presently have.

Edited by Dean - July 31 2016 at 06:36

I consider myself a "libertarian socialist," though my views are very idiosyncratic.

In a nutshell, though, when it comes to "moral" issues, I'm basically in favor of minarchist/extreme laissez-faire libertarianism.

However, when it comes to socio-economic issues, I think that everyone should be guaranteed basic food, shelter, health care, education, transportation, etc. simply because they're alive, and I'm in favor of the "official" economy being controlled by the government to this end.   The way I'd structure things would be completely different than they're presently structured.  It would be a huge thing to go into all of the details.  But basically, the economy would be oriented towards providing things that people want (needs hinge on wants in my view), which would be determined by regularly polling people.  Motivation to provide for others would be maintained via competitiveness where scarcer resources are acquired via a combination of working hard and working intelligently to provide the things that people want.  In other words, competition would be centered on giving the maximum number of people in the world the maximum amount of goods and services that they desire, in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.  Competition wouldn't be centered on putting other people out of business or crippling anyone else in any way; it would instead be centered on making everyone's lives better (per their own assessments, based on what they desire).


Edited by Terrapin Station - July 31 2016 at 14:55

^the only "Triumvirat" I believe in is the band.

Just a bit left of the center, rather conservative and an anti-EU extremist.