What are your political beliefs? (*please read before posting*)

In My Humble Opinion
1

It occurred to me while reading recent GD and Pit threads that it might be interesting to see folks lay out their political convictions plain and simple, without trying to defend them, or attack others’ beliefs. I see lots of folks who shall remain nameless throwing around a lot of rhetoric against their respective opposition, without really stating what they themselves stand for.

My reasoning for starting this thread is:[ol]
[li]I’d like to see if we are willing to put our convictions out there without the crutch of antagonistic rhetoric. [/li][li]I’m personally curious as to the specific political beliefs of my fellow Dopers, and where I might fall on the political spectrum, though I can guess.[/li][li]I’m also curious if this thread can last more than three posts - I’m hoping so.[/li][li]It’s late and I’m bored.[/li][/ol]
This being an IMHO thread, there must be rules:
[ol]
[li]Posts must be an affirmation of the posters political convictions - ie, “I believe that marriage should be only between a man and a woman”, or “I believe that marriage should be available to all regardless of sexual orientation”. [/li][li]Something like “I believe it is wrong to deny rights based on religious teachings” should not be posted - I’m not saying this isn’t a valid viewpoint, I’d just like to keep it a statement of personal political goal rather than an opposition to another’s belief. [/li][li]I know there might be a fine line here - I guess the guideline would be to avoid words like “wrong”, “not”, “oppose”, etc., but we’ll play it by ear.[/li][li]Posts should be bulleted (if you can’t bullet with the “list” command, for some reason, enter a blank space between lines) and must include at least five, and no more than ten, separate statements covering the political beliefs that are most important to you - no political one-trick ponies here, so please don’t make them all variations of the same thing. Each separate statement can be no longer than two lines - be succinct, and use preview if you are in doubt.[/li][li]No bolding, italics, all caps, or visual emphasis of any kind in your bullets. We’re not making arguments here, we’re just making statements.[/li][li]Do not respond to another poster in any way. Do not quote, do not rebut. Unless you need to make a correction after the edit window, you should only be posting once. All we’re here to do is to lay our cards down - there are no winners or losers in this thread. Well, if nobody posts, I guess I’ll be the loser.[/li][li]Regarding the above rule: three strikes and we’re done. If there are more than two posts challenging or questioning another poster (even if it’s “don’t you mean ‘Gold Standard’, not ‘Glod Standard’?”), I ask a mod to shut it down. Just watch me, I will - I’m crazy like that.[/li][li]Be respectful. If someone comes in threadshitting with partisan attacks, even if not responding to another poster, I will also ask the mods to shut it down. [/ol][/li]
Let’s see how long this lasts, shall we?

I’ll kick it off:

[ul]
[li]I believe that any two consenting adults have the right to enter into a monogamous marriage, and receive all rights and benefits currently conferred to married couples.[/li][li]I believe that women have the right to choose how and when they reproduce.[/li][li]I believe that the US has an obligation under the Constitution to prevent the passage of laws derived solely from religious beliefs, in order to preserve the rights of all citizens regardless of their beliefs.[/li][li]I believe that the US should make reparations of some kind to the descendants of former slaves, including some combination of discounted secondary education tuition, monetary settlements and/or small business loans and incentives.[/li][li]I believe that the death penalty should be abolished.[/li][li]I believe that the profit motive is in direct conflict with privatization of most government services, including entitelements, educational and correctional, and that all such services should remain solely under the purview of the public sector.[/li][li]I believe that all financial services deregulation acts passed in the previous 25 years should be rolled back to a pre-1985 state.[/li][li]I believe that providing reasonable and affordable health care to all US citizens can increase our economic productivity and ability to compete, and should be an obligation of the federal government.[/li][li]I believe that the wealthy in this country accrue their wealth at the expense of those less advantaged citizens, and thus bear a greater burden in supporting our nation’s debt to care for said citizens.[/li][li]I believe that corporations found hiring illegal immigrants should be severely punished, with financial and criminal penalties applied on a sliding scale based on how far below labor market value the wages paid to illegals were.[/li][/ul]

I’m going to bed soon, so tomorrow morning will either provide some good reading, or a lockdown. ::fingers crossed::

2

I should add - while my example is very US-centric, don’t let that stop you folks from over yonder from chiming in!

3

I’m socially liberal. I believe that whatever consenting adults want to do that doesn’t harm the property or person (directly) of other consenting adults should not be illegal. People should be able to have whatever kind of relationships they want and ingest whatever substances they desire. Certainly abstract morality should not be legislated.

Economically not sure. I’m keen on universal health care but also not fond of huge government expenditures. Whatever the case, I’d like to see economic policy based on actual scientific modeling (or at the very least study of other nations’ results) rather than vague ideology.

4

I guess I should have bulleted. But I think my beliefs were better explained in paragraph format. You can extrapolate more specific bullet points from my general principles.

5

I believe in
[ul]Individual rights
x
[li]Personal responsibility[/li]x
[li]Free markets[/li]x
[li]Limited government[/li]x
[li]Textual interpretation of the Constitution.[/ul][/li]
Regards,
Shodan

6
  • I believe in the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms, despite my increasing concern about armed citizens fighting on behalf of a tyrannical government instead of against it.
    *I believe in ending the War On Drugs.
    *I believe abortion should be legal, discouraged and rare. All types of contraception should be legal and freely available.
    *Secure borders. Illegal immigration discouraged.
    *A powerful Environmental Protection Agency, erring on the side of conservation if there is legitimate scientific debate about the threat to the environment.
    *Universal Health Care
    *A powerful Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
7
  1. I am against abortion and because of that I am also a strong advocate of contraception education/access to contraception.
  2. I am a strong advocate of free speech. I believe that protecting even ‘offensive’ speech from censorship is critical to having a free society.
  3. I believe that religion should be left out of discussions of political policy (note that my opposition to abortion is based on non-religious reasons).
  4. I am in favor of reforming the way the death penalty is applied, but I do believe there are certain cases where the best way to protect society from a violent anti-social predator is to humanely euthanize the offender, just as you would euthanize a dangerous dog. Torture or acting out of a desire for “revenge” should not have any role in this in my opinion.
  5. I believe a critical part of immigration reform should be to enforce significant punishments for the companies that employ illegal immigrants. I feel that both illegal immigrants and the Americans who work in industries that employ illegal immigrants are exploited by the current situation.
  6. I believe that both political parties in this country are in bed with Big Agriculture and that it leads to tolerance for inhumane treatment of farm animals and unsafe food quality standards.
  7. I believe that America does still offer significant opportunities for social mobility to those who have the drive to work hard and look for opportunities. For this reason, I believe that if someone earned their money legally, they are entitled to spend it the way they please even if I can think of better ways to spend it.
  8. I believe that people generally rise to meet the expectations that are set for them, whether those expectations are low or high. I believe a significant factor in why inner city school-age children are so troubled is because of society and our education system not expecting much from them. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If every child were taught in an environment of self-respect and discipline, instead of excuses simply being made for why they can’t be expected to do better, then I think our society would be better off.
8
  1. I believe that people of majority should have the right to enter into any marriage arrangement they consent to, and that the government shall only recognize the Primary two persons for purposes of taxes. Other partners should be able to legally enter into covenants allowing them to visit in hospital, make medical, financial decisions at their discretion.
  2. I believe that contraception should be freely available and encouraged.
  3. I believe that abortions should be legal and rare.
  4. I believe that a well regulated, slower growing, stable economy is preferable to a wildly swinging one despite the great rewards such a system reaps during the good times.
  5. I believe in a federally mandated minimum living wage.
  6. I believe that the necessities of life, (water, food, clothing, basic shelter and medical care shall be available to all citizens.
  7. I believe that generally speaking, it is better to err on the side of caution when discussing environmental matters until we can be reasonably certain of our impact.
  8. I believe that the constitution as it stands is overly vague, and should be subject to a review for the purposes of going forward.
  9. I believe in the freedom of speech for individuals only. Groups should be held to a fair standard of factual statements.
  10. I believe that the idea of corporate personhood is disgusting, offensive, and absurd and should be stricken from our legal system as quickly as it is feasible.
  11. I believe that significant portions of our legislative and judicial system are irrevocably broken and need to be redefined to force them to function.
9
  • Government should provide services and maintain institutions that a majority of its citizens will use (education, infrastructure, healthcare).
  • Corollary, government should provide services and maintain institutions that are beyond the means of individuals to provide for themselves.
  • Government should put society’s long-term interests ahead of short-term interests.
  • With regard to families, I believe the government’s role is to recognize family relationships as legal relationships (marriage, adoption) according to the wishes of individuals, preventing only abuse (incest / underage / etc.).
  • Government should offer some protected space for minority languages and cultures, particularly indigenous ones.
  • Foreign policy: government should engage in positive outreach (infrastructure, medicine, education) in other countries.
  • A military should be maintained for defensive purposes only.
10

I agree with the OP’s bullet points, except for the reparations. And I’m a little ambivalent about the last point.

11

I believe that all illegal immigrants should be walked to the nearest exit (yes, even the canadians and good looking french guys). If the result is that some jobs go undone because “no Americans will do them” then they should remain undone until the pay rate goes up enough that a citizen is willing to do the work.

I believe that a college education should be free to any citizen, but that it must be completed in four years and that that the standards for earning a degree should be much higher than they currently are. You shouldn’t have to go broke to get a degree, but you’re going to have to work hard to earn it.

I believe that health care and public transportation should be free and available to all citizens.

I believe that instead of sending food to third world countries we should be sending birth control.

I believe that welfare (TANF, food stamps etc) should be a one time bulk payment so people can get back on their feet, rather than a slow drip of not enough assistance to do anything but remain poor.

I believe that anyone should be able to marry anyone, as long as both parties are legally adults.

I believe that violent physical combat is outdated and moronic and any legal ability for our government to declare war on another country should be abolished.

12

I believe
[ul]
[li]in abolishment of the hierarchical state of career politicians to be replaced by an anarcho-syndicalist direct democracy model.[/li][li]in no death penalty.[/li][li]corporate personhood should be abolished - only individuals should have the right to hold patents, sue for defamation etc.[/li][li]in universal, state-provided: education up to university level, basic housing, basic sustenance and primary health care.[/li][li]no non-violent crimes should be punished with prison.[/li][li]in strong environmental protection, including action on climate change.[/li][li]in a small, no, a tiny, military, and a large, largely-unarmed police force of the “Bobby on the beat” type.[/li][li]in public broadcasting after the BBC model.[/li][li]in the removal of all restrictions on drugs, prostitution and gambling.[/li][/ul]

13

[ul]
[li]That the free market should be the first choice,[/li][li]And that govt should regulate businesses to insure a level playing field,[/li][li]And that pragmatically, health care should be a govt service like roads and education.[/li][li]Abortion: legal, safe, and rare[/li][li]Prayer has no place in schools or Congress[/li][li]We are the most religious country BECAUSE of SOCS not despite it[/li][li]Progressive tax rates are good[/li][li]Rich people are not evil[/li][li]Aid should not be aimed at havng well fed and housed poor people, it should try and eliminate poverty[/li][li]Much higher minimum wages[/li][li]Get rid of designated hitter rule[/li][li]Job creation is #1 priority[/li][li]Teachers should be paid more but have higher standards[/li][/ul]

14

*I believe that the standard by judging any political policy is whether it works not whether it is ideologically correct.
*I believe we should have a much broader interpretation of the right to free speech.
*I believe that gay adults should have the same rights as straight adults, including marriage, adoption, and civil rights.
*I believe that personal ownership of firearms is a constitutional right and any honest program for gun control should start with a repeal of the Second Amendment.
*I believe the government should guarantee minimal standards of living for all people in the country, including food, shelter, education, and health care.
*I believe that the best method for fighting illegal immigration is opening a path for legal immigration.
*I believe we should be reducing the deficit by a realistic program that includes higher tax revenue.
*I believe that income taxes should be equalized by including all forms of income under it.
*I believe there should be a major decrease in laws against victimless crimes such as drug use, gambling, and sex work.
*I believe only people should have civil rights.
*I believe businesses should be regulated by the government to minimize economic crises and environmental damage.
*I believe access to birth control and abortions should not be restricted by any level of government.

15

Sorry, I dont want to come off as a dick, and I totally understand that you made this comment by way of explaining your own beliefs. Ordinarily, I have no problem taking personal criticism - but for this exercise, I want to avoid opening the floodgates for others to come in and offer open criticism. I absolutely trust your motives, Johnny, it’s a select few other posters I’m thinking about, whom I can imagine are just itching to find a loophole.

How about a new rule?

  1. If a poster has previously posted a belief you agree with, you can cite it, as in “I believe in CPoI’s points 1-3 and 5-9”, but with no additional commentary. And no, “my beliefs are the exact opposite of everything XYZ posted” doesn’t count.

Otherwise, thanks everyone for participating!

16

I believe

[ul]
[li]In education for its own sake.[/li][li]That provision of higher education outside of university should be extended.[/li][li]That the payment of tax is a social duty.[/li][li]That tax should only be paid on earnings above the minimum wage.[/li][li]That complicated tax avoidance schemes are as bad as evasion.[/li][li]That libel and slander actions should only be brought by humans.[/li][li]That the movement of people between countries should be totally unrestricted, with the exception of fugitives and, in some instances, the previously convicted.[/li][li]That comparable contracts should be offered throughout organisations: Bonus schemes, Better pension schemes, Share options etc should not be restricted to the top brass.[/li][li]That policies should be required to have checking mechanisms in their implementation[/li][/ul]

(And lots more)

17

I believe:

  • corporate financing of politicians/political campaigns should be illegal. This includes lobbying already elected politicians.

  • healthcare, education (including university), housing and simple infrastructure (water, sewer, electricity) are basic rights that should be provided by the government should an individual be unable (not unwilling) to do so themselves.

  • in a progressive tax rate, placing a heavier tax burden on the wealthy. Similarly, I believe tax loopholes and other methods of tax circumventing should be abolished. Tax credits and many deductions should likewise be stricken from the tax code.

  • the legal definition of a person should not apply to non-living/non-human entities.

  • every adult, regardless of sexual orientation, has the right to have a legal marriage, recognised by the federal government.

  • Abortions should be illegal, except where the survivability of the mother or baby is in doubt. Contraceptives of all types should be free, readily accessible, and their use strongly encouraged by all levels of society, including politicians and religious leaders.

  • firearms should be legal but have increased regulations. Children under 16 or so should not have access or be allowed to use guns, for any purpose, at any time, period.

  • no community, town, city or state should have any right to restrict religious expression or worship. This includes allowing any and all houses of worship to be erected in any community, even if members of another religion object. Prayer should be allowed by any given student in a public school; teachers should be required to refrain from participating in any religious expression by students.

  • no federal, state, county, city, etc. law should be passed based on the religious beliefs of one group of people. Laws should be passed with the aim of bettering all citizens, not one fraction of them.

18

Your list is a nice starting point, I agree with many of them so I’ll start with that

[ul]
[li]I believe that any two consenting adults have the right to enter into a marriage, and receive all rights and benefits currently conferred to married couples.[/li][li]I believe that women have the right to choose how and when they reproduce.[/li][li]I believe that the US has an obligation under the Constitution to prevent the passage of laws derived solely from religious beliefs, in order to preserve the rights of all citizens regardless of their beliefs.[/li][li]I believe that the US should make reparations of some kind to the descendants of former slaves, including some combination of discounted secondary education tuition, monetary settlements and/or small business loans and incentives.[/li][li]I believe that the death penalty should be abolished.[/li][li]I believe that the profit motive is in direct conflict with privatization of most government services, including entitelements, educational and correctional, and that all such services should remain solely under the purview of the public sector.[/li][li]I believe that health is a right, so we should all have Universal Health Care[/li][li]I believe that most of the wealthy in this country accrue their wealth at the expense of those less advantaged citizens, and thus bear a greater burden in supporting our nation’s debt to care for said citizens.[/li][li]I believe that corporations found hiring illegal immigrants should be severely punished, with financial and criminal penalties applied to make it financially painful to do so a 2nd time.[/li][li]I believe that climate change is real, and as such, we need to pay any price and bear any burden to reverse it.[/li][/ul]

19

Sorry if that came off as criticism. I meant none. I was getting ready to go out and meet some people, and couldn’t take the time to post a list. All I meant was that except for what I mentioned, I share your beliefs.

20

Oh, no worries at all - it’s just that I can think of a poster or two who would see that as an excuse to start criticizing wholesale.