# Am I Republican or Democrat?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 27, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886 "2009-08-27T07:50:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/61 "2009-08-29T00:10:39Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> The Republican looks at this and says the guy with the job “is doing well…everyone should be hard working like him. He’s contributing 50K in taxes too. The other guy, on welfare, is a parasite, basically, contributing nothing.”
'Who cares if he doesn’t have any legs and only one hand! Let the parasite starve!"
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> The democrat looks at this and says “guy no. 1 is taking in 150K per year…guy no. 2 is taking in 50K…that’s not fair!” In a democrats’ mind all money really belongs to the gov’t. Anything they let you keep is a “gov’t expenditure”.
No; the Democrat looks and realizes that the guy “on welfare” is probably there because he was crippled by his employer, or because there are no jobs, or because he’s sick, or because health expenses ate his life savings. And the Democrats probably barely look at the 150K guy at all.
You seem to be confusing Democrats with Communists; in fact, the Democrats aren’t even left wing.
---
### Author:  [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/62 "2009-08-29T00:16:51Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> 'Who cares if he doesn’t have any legs and only one hand! Let the parasite starve!"
> No; the Democrat looks and realizes that the guy “on welfare” is probably there because he was crippled by his employer, or because there are no jobs, or because he’s sick, or because health expenses ate his life savings. And the Democrats probably barely look at the 150K guy at all.
>
> You seem to be confusing Democrats with Communists; in fact, the Democrats aren’t even left wing.
OK, I guess I should have specified that the guy on welfare is a freeloading, alcoholic (oops that makes him a victim) who is a convicted child molester (out on parole due to some kind hearted Democrat judge) and makes meth in his trailer.
Dems look at a guy like that and say “he’s a victim…of something…a patriarchal society..racism…capitalism! whatever!”. Republicans looks at him and say “get your act together”.
Here’s another one. Republicans find out that the CIA has been “torturing” terrorists and that said torture uncovered numerous plots and saved many American lives. Torture included things like threatening people with physical harm, blowing smoke in their face, yelling at them, etc.
The republican says “these are nasty people…I guess some good came of it if lives were saved. Wish we didn’t have to do it, but I’ll give the CIA the benefit of the doubt.”
Democrats take it as a blight on America, free the terrorists in question, buy them new airplanes loaded with dynamite and direct them to blow up anything they want because “we deserve it.”
---
### Author:  [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/63 "2009-08-29T00:19:13Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> and that said torture uncovered numerous plots and saved many American lives.
It’s a little hard to tell _how_ people would react if this happened, wouldn’t it? There’s so little actual data.
---
### Author:  [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/64 "2009-08-29T00:26:51Z")
Here’s another one.
Student A studies his but off, works hard, does homework every night because he wants to make something of his life. He is respectful and courteous.
Student B is a bully, class clown, total jerkoff, doesn’t study at all and ridicules people who do. He brags about date raping girls and is disdainful of authority.
If the teacher is a republican he appreciates student A’s efforts, wishes he had more students like him. He doesn’t understand student B’s attitude and wishes he didn’t have to deal with him. He fears student B is in for a rude awakening some day.
If the teacher is a democrat, he hates student A. Student A is stealing Student B’s good grades and making him feel bad. Student A represents that hard work can lead to academic success and the teacher can’t have that. Student B is a victim who is naturally acting out his frustratin at a racist, homophobic, patriarchal, pattently unfair society.
---
### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/65 "2009-08-29T00:36:50Z")
> [@begbert2](#):
>
> Didn’t they start a _war_? Keep in mind, he didn’t just say the torture was the problem, he’s talking about the people, presumably including all their actions.
Nice conflation. His original claim said “torturers”.
> [@begbert2](#):
>
> Sounds like support to me. I count shrugging and nodding at it support enough - what more do you want?
Reread and respond taking into account what I’ve written. If you’d rather repeat what you’ve already done, it’ll be a waste of typing and will not elicit a response.
> [@begbert2](#):
>
> Um, he did. The course of action selected indicates which motive inspired it. Alledging that there are better methods for gathering information, and they knew it, were using them, and _then_ switched to torture suggests strongly that gathering information wasn’t their goal.
Nope. again. See his original claim.
> [@begbert2](#):
>
> He responded.
See above.
---
### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/66 "2009-08-29T00:51:02Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> When the torturers are working for the government on orders from the highest levels, of course.
You might want to by a book on set theory. You need it.
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> I suggest to go look up the Holocaust to see what such people can do given free reign. And 9/11 was small compared to what we did to the Iraqis, who weren’t even involved.
There you go again… Iraq has nothing to do with this. Military action has nothing to do with this. Again, here is your claim:
“The people who engage in and support torture ARE my enemies, and more dangerous than any terrorist.”
I can understand you wanting to defend words other than your own, but that’s not the way it works.
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> No, I don’t. 55% qualfies as “many ( probably most )”.
Very good. Now, try responding to what I wrote.
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> You are the one claiming that it has another purpose, despite what the experts say. You are asking me to prove a negative.
Again, here is what you wrote:
“Torture is cruelty for the sake of cruelty, and the extraction of lies to support our own agenda. It’s not about fighting back against anything.”
Try supporting that claim, as I have asked of you. Now for the third time.
But it seems you’re saying that the “torture” and the interrogators having no other goal other than the act of torturing" are one and the same? Well, then it would follow that IF it could be shown that an interrogator engaged in a questioning technique that you would consider torture and was, in fact, trying to actually gather information, that it would NOT then be torture. Do you see a problem with that? Just a little one maybe?
---
### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/67 "2009-08-29T02:54:43Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> Here’s another one. Republicans find out that the CIA has been “torturing” terrorists and that said torture uncovered numerous plots and saved many American lives. Torture included things like threatening people with physical harm, blowing smoke in their face, yelling at them, etc.
Also drowning them, beating them, raping them or their children, and so on. And all with no evidence they actually ARE terrorists.
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> The republican says “these are nasty people…I guess some good came of it if lives were saved. Wish we didn’t have to do it, but I’ll give the CIA the benefit of the doubt.”
>
> Democrats take it as a blight on America, free the terrorists in question, buy them new airplanes loaded with dynamite and direct them to blow up anything they want because “we deserve it.”
No; Republicans are sadists who don’t care that they’ve had innocent people tortured, and Democrats are cowards who won’t punish the people responsible. No one has been saved; many have been endangered by it.
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> Here’s another one.
>
> Student A studies his but off, works hard, does homework every night because he wants to make something of his life. He is respectful and courteous.
>
> Student B is a bully, class clown, total jerkoff, doesn’t study at all and ridicules people who do. He brags about date raping girls and is disdainful of authority.
>
> If the teacher is a republican he appreciates student A’s efforts, wishes he had more students like him. He doesn’t understand student B’s attitude and wishes he didn’t have to deal with him. He fears student B is in for a rude awakening some day.
No, it’s more likely he recognises Student A as more likely to become a Democrat and therefore Evil; and Student B as proper material for the Republican Party. Either as a foot soldier if poor, or as a political leader if rich. A bully who mistreats women, ignorant, drunk, and a thug; perfect Republican material.
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> There you go again… Iraq has nothing to do with this.
:rolleyes: Iraq was where much of the torture was happening.
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> Very good. Now, try responding to what I wrote.
I did.
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> Again, here is what you wrote:
>
> “Torture is cruelty for the sake of cruelty, and the extraction of lies to support our own agenda. It’s not about fighting back against anything.”
>
> Try supporting that claim, as I have asked of you. Now for the third time.
I already did. YOU are the one making the claim it has another purpose.
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> But it seems you’re saying that the “torture” and the interrogators having no other goal other than the act of torturing" are one and the same? Well, then it would follow that IF it could be shown that an interrogator engaged in a questioning technique that you would consider torture and was, in fact, trying to actually gather information, that it would NOT then be torture. Do you see a problem with that? Just a little one maybe?
The problem being that if he wanted information he wouldn’t be using torture, any more than he’d try to get information by juggling.
---
### Author:  [@HellsAngel21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HellsAngel21)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/68 "2009-08-29T03:50:49Z")
Oh, okay. so, What you’re saying is that it is not okay for the government to limit negative individual behavior. So you are saying that it would be perfectly okay for your mother or girlfriend to be raped?. So it is perfectly alright for anyone to do anything they want? huh. funny. and furthermore, all government programs are wrong. So what about the fact that I know your girlfriend recieves food stamps, I heard it from a mutual friend, then you’re a total hypocrite. That doesn’t make sense. so you’re saying that student loans should not exist, which you may need one day. That schools should be shut down and only allowed for the wealthy. That everyone should be allowed weapons, and weed should be legal. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
That’s Anti-Patriotic.
> [@McLuhan's Thunder](#):
>
> I guess I had a bit of a mental breakdown, I meant anarchist, opps!
>
> As Robert Nozick wrote in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Chapter 7, “the minimal state is the most extensive state that can be justified, Any state more extensive violates people’s rights.”
> On this side of Praxis, What this means in relation to application is that Government programs are big, ineffective, inefficient, and unjustified. The best way to remedy the situation is to rely on the private sector. Be it from private insurance that would, via competition, ensure the best price for health care. Encourage people to take responsibility and shop around for their health care to get the best price.
> As to what kind of bills, although not strictly Libertarian in origin, the [Fair Tax](http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer) (HR 25, S 296) is one example of limiting governmental power over the individual. If I get started explaining it, it will probably take a while…
>
> Besides, becoming a member of the Libertarian party entails that you sign a card that say,“I certify that I do not advocate the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals.”
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/69 "2009-08-30T00:34:39Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#):
>
> No Republican nor Conservative supports torture. But strong tactics to get live-saving information from our enemies was and is a good idea. Or maybe we should let the islamofascists come to your house and rape your women and behead you. I mean, fighting back in a fight for your life is clearly not on your agenda.
Ah, so it’s their innate cowardice that leads them to support torture. Yes, I see the truth of it. Had you not missed that in your list of Republican traits I’d have guessed it was the basis for Republican support of torture straight away.
Don’t try to scare me into supporting torture. It will not work.
You have my permission to “let” the islamofascists (hahahahaha) come to my house to rape my women. Oooo, I’m so scared now.
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### Author:  [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/70 "2009-08-30T17:34:01Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> Here’s another one.
>
> Student A studies his but off, works hard, does homework every night because he wants to make something of his life. He is respectful and courteous.
>
> Student B is a bully, class clown, total jerkoff, doesn’t study at all and ridicules people who do. He brags about date raping girls and is disdainful of authority.
>
> If the teacher is a republican he appreciates student A’s efforts, wishes he had more students like him. He doesn’t understand student B’s attitude and wishes he didn’t have to deal with him. He fears student B is in for a rude awakening some day.
>
> If the teacher is a democrat, he hates student A. Student A is stealing Student B’s good grades and making him feel bad. Student A represents that hard work can lead to academic success and the teacher can’t have that. Student B is a victim who is naturally acting out his frustratin at a racist, homophobic, patriarchal, pattently unfair society.
You are just so full of shit it’s pathetic. If you want to look at Republican vs Democrat morals look at Obama, Clinton, and Carter’s children vs W’s and Palin’s who are drunken sluts. My liberal friends all have nicely behaved children, my conservative fiends are out fucking around on their spouses.
W fit your descriptoon ocfchild B pretty well BTW.
---
### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/71 "2009-08-30T23:00:51Z")
> [@DanBlather](#):
>
> You are just so full of shit it’s pathetic.
Not in Great Debates.
Take this sort of remark to the BBQ Pit.
[/Moderating]
---
### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/72 "2009-08-30T23:07:39Z")
I would send this stupid mess to IMHO as a poll, but there is so much acrimony and nonsense that the more appropriate place, (short of oblivion), is the BBQ Pit.
Bye.
[/Modding]
---
### Author:  [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/73 "2009-08-30T23:22:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Really, we are talking about _ **Republicans** _. What did you expect? Compassion? Mercy? Human decency? Ethics? From _ **them** _?
Do you know anyone at all who’s a republican? Like, in real life?
---
### Author:  [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/74 "2009-08-30T23:25:38Z")
Der Trihs,
You know, I’m done with you. Not only do you continually spew cartoonish stupidity, you can’t even track your own fucking conversation. You cannot/will not address the specific points raised directly. You always duck and bob and weave and deflect. You really are a fucking moron. That’s in addition to being hateful and Son of Sam fucking nuts. How did you get so fucked up? Did your old man used to rape you wearing an Uncle Sam costume, giving you a crucifix to bite so you wouldn’t make your mother? Or was she in the room dressed in a red, white and blue nun’s habit singing It’s a Grand Old Flag as she wiped away your tears?
---
### Author:  [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/75 "2009-08-30T23:32:04Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> Here’s another one.
>
> Student A studies his but off, works hard, does homework every night because he wants to make something of his life. He is respectful and courteous.
>
> Student B is a bully, class clown, total jerkoff, doesn’t study at all and ridicules people who do. He brags about date raping girls and is disdainful of authority.
>
> If the teacher is a republican he appreciates student A’s efforts, wishes he had more students like him. He doesn’t understand student B’s attitude and wishes he didn’t have to deal with him. He fears student B is in for a rude awakening some day.
>
> If the teacher is a democrat, he hates student A. Student A is stealing Student B’s good grades and making him feel bad. Student A represents that hard work can lead to academic success and the teacher can’t have that. Student B is a victim who is naturally acting out his frustratin at a racist, homophobic, patriarchal, pattently unfair society.
Have you ever actually met a democrat before? You know, like in real life?
---
### Author:  [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/76 "2009-08-31T00:09:02Z")
> [@magellan01](#):
>
> Did your old man used to rape you wearing an Uncle Sam costume, giving you a crucifix to bite so you wouldn’t make your mother? Or was she in the room dressed in a red, white and blue nun’s habit singing It’s a Grand Old Flag as she wiped away your tears?
You were just losing an argument on a message board before. Now you’ve made Der Trihs look like the better person. Congratulations.
---
### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/77 "2009-08-31T00:26:05Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> Here’s another one.
>
> Student A studies his but off, works hard, does homework every night because he wants to make something of his life. He is respectful and courteous.
>
> Student B is a bully, class clown, total jerkoff, doesn’t study at all and ridicules people who do. He brags about date raping girls and is disdainful of authority.
>
> If the teacher is a republican he appreciates student A’s efforts, wishes he had more students like him. He doesn’t understand student B’s attitude and wishes he didn’t have to deal with him. He fears student B is in for a rude awakening some day.
>
> If the teacher is a democrat, he hates student A. Student A is stealing Student B’s good grades and making him feel bad. Student A represents that hard work can lead to academic success and the teacher can’t have that. Student B is a victim who is naturally acting out his frustratin at a racist, homophobic, patriarchal, pattently unfair society.
Here’s another one.
Person A works very hard for a company, so that he adds a lot of value and the company’s stockholders and executives do very well. The company’s executives, however, are inept and/or immoral, and take away benefits and the pensions of unretired employees. In the short term, those changes increase stock prices, but the company makes its employees angry and nobody new wants to work for the company. Person A needs major surgery, but the health benefits don’t cover it, and he’s unable to work any more.
Person B was sent to private school by his rich parents, gets gentlemen’s C’s at Yale, and keeps getting kicked upstairs in jobs even though he’s incompetent. He helps drive company stock prices up in the short term, but destroys the companies at the same time. Also, he kills people for fun.
A Republican doesn’t know which one to hate, because I have withheld which one is an immigrant brown person and which one is all northern European stock.
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/78 "2009-08-31T00:57:25Z")
Simpler test, guaranteed to work:
Trace your fingertips across the top and back of your skull. Feel a pair of bony protrusions? You’re a Republican.
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### Author:  [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/79 "2009-08-31T01:01:33Z")
Trace your ears. Are they long? Do you have a tail? Yes? You’re a jackass. A jackass is a donkey. You’re a democrat.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-republican-or-democrat/507886/80 "2009-08-31T01:03:25Z")
> [@tomndebb](#):
>
> the more appropriate place, (short of oblivion), is the BBQ Pit.
Having not opened the thread until it reached the appropriate forum, I am surprised how _long_ it took to get here.
Is not “guess my real political leaning” one of the _oldest_ bits of trollery on the web?
For heaven’s sake the guy even claimed he ‘might’ be a Libertarian, but didn’t know what that meant!
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