general Liberal or Conservative?

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

Also, if drugs money feeds thr Taliban, legalizing it would end that, as you stated.

 

All of the poppy grown in Afghanistan would simply appear in the black market at prices undercutting the legitimate (and therefore taxed and regulated) producers.  When you have an addictive product, people will get addicted (funny that), and they will look for the cheaper option.

 

Regulating the producers may reduce crime, but wouldn't eliminate it, just look at the millions of dollars made selling counterfeit and/or smuggled cigarettes.

 

Anyway, this is kind of slewing off-topic so I'll say no more on the subject, save to add that drug enforcement and the continued criminalisation of drug offenders is one area in which I am fairly conservative.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Concerned Bystander

[Ted Cruz 177]

I'm pretttty liberal. However, I used to identify as libertarian. I looked more into it, I didn't quite agree.

[geartree 33]

All of the poppy grown in Afghanistan would simply appear in the black market at prices undercutting the legitimate (and therefore taxed and regulated) producers. When you have an addictive product, people will get addicted (funny that), and they will look for the cheaper option.

 

Regulating the producers may reduce crime, but wouldn't eliminate it, just look at the millions of dollars made selling counterfeit and/or smuggled cigarettes.

 

Anyway, this is kind of slewing off-topic so I'll say no more on the subject, save to add that drug enforcement and the continued criminalisation of drug offenders is one area in which I am fairly conservative.

This is NOT the case, AT ALL. Heroine sold legally would be much cheaper, because it could be grown legally in the US (poppys that is) and formed from morphine to heroine here. There would have to be no smuggling, and therefore prices would be cheaper. This is obvious, since if you payed attention, in just the four states weed has been legalized, this has cut huge profits out of the cartels money.

 

Also I said before, the war on drugs is against human rights, and giving people a legitimate way to get it, they would not have to serve years in jail. You're fighting for a lost cause, and you yourself are protecting and feeding illegal growers by keeping it illegal.

 

You told me addicts would look for a cheaper alternative. You know what the percentage of drug users are addicts? Only 10-20%. See how much profit that would cut from their sales.

 

If you believe alcohol should be legal, and you think heroine should be illegal, then I would righly believe of you to be hypocritical.

 

 

And also, heroine is only one drug, and the only drug that would feed the Taliban. And now that I think of it, I literally do not get your reasoning. You said the reason it should be illegal is to not feed terrorists. But you yourself said that people would look for cheaper alternatives. So you rather not cut their profits, not make any money on the taxed product that will be legal, then to make it legal, and now that I think of it, it would probably almost elminate their profits in the US. They'll see it's legal here, and choose to just sell it in other countries rather than risk being caught for little to no sales.

 

I know you said you would not talk about it anymore, but I wanted to ask you(don't answer if you don't want to obviosuly) do you think its fair to lock up people for their whole life for growing a little weed?

Edited March 5, 2016 by geartree

[Anneal 2,197]

While I have a strong interest in politics, I am neither Liberal nor Conservative.

 

I make my own decisions on what is right and wrong, and what should be done, rather than joining up with a political party, letting personality politics sway me, and letting others do the thinking for me.

I said that I was bit of a center-left progressive (but have ideas that sway on both ends), but I feel a same way as well. I don't dislike politics and political parties, but it recent years both sides have lost their bipartisanship and compromise far less, which means far less is being done as well (just look at Obama's second term against a very Republican-dominated Congress).

 

Politics should be about arguing both sides, yes, but sometimes people need to set aside their "us vs. them" mentality, negotiate, and compromise. And that doesn't go to national politics, but to the people here too, because let's face it: we really do resort to dividing ourselves. "Whoever supports this policy is an idiot and deserves to be slapped", or "Your idea is wrong and you should change your ideas to the right side". Just read some pages in the Debate Pit and it gets pretty obvious.

[Shanks 10,816]

I said that I was bit of a center-left progressive (but have ideas that sway on both ends), but I feel a same way as well. I don't dislike politics and political parties, but it recent years both sides have lost their bipartisanship and compromise far less, which means far less is being done as well (just look at Obama's second term against a very Republican-dominated Congress).

That is all for show, there is plenty of bi partisanship, just not the kind that is actually best for this country. Both parties voted to take us into an ill advised war in Iraq and both parties are lying about our continued presence there, both parties voted for the wall street bailouts, both parties support freedom destroying policies like the Patriot Act, spying on American citizens without warrants ect... Both parties are taxing and spending our country into the poorhouse, both parties support the Federal Reserve fraud of printing unlimited amounts of money and backing it with nothing which is causing the dollar to become more and more worthless. The debate is about left verses right when it should be about liberty verses tyranny as both sides are united in their war against the constitution and bill of rights.

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

I'm socially libertarian: people should be allowed to do pretty much whatever as long as they aren't harming others, but I am fiscally conservative: no one, be they an individual or the federal government should spend more money than they bring in.

This is NOT the case, AT ALL. Heroine sold legally would be much cheaper, because it could be grown legally in the US (poppys that is) and formed from morphine to heroine here. There would have to be no smuggling, and therefore prices would be cheaper. This is obvious, since if you payed attention, in just the four states weed has been legalized, this has cut huge profits out of the cartels money.

Also I said before, the war on drugs is against human rights, and giving people a legitimate way to get it, they would not have to serve years in jail. You're fighting for a lost cause, and you yourself are protecting and feeding illegal growers by keeping it illegal.

You told me addicts would look for a cheaper alternative. You know what the percentage of drug users are addicts? Only 10-20%. See how much profit that would cut from their sales.

If you believe alcohol should be legal, and you think heroine should be illegal, then I would righly believe of you to be hypocritical.


And also, heroine is only one drug, and the only drug that would feed the Taliban. And now that I think of it, I literally do not get your reasoning. You said the reason it should be illegal is to not feed terrorists. But you yourself said that people would look for cheaper alternatives. So you rather not cut their profits, not make any money on the taxed product that will be legal, then to make it legal, and now that I think of it, it would probably almost elminate their profits in the US. They'll see it's legal here, and choose to just sell it in other countries rather than risk being caught for little to no sales.

I know you said you would not talk about it anymore, but I wanted to ask you(don't answer if you don't want to obviosuly) do you think its fair to lock up people for their whole life for growing a little weed?

Hasn't crime gone up in the 4 states that legalized marijuana too?

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-a-sabet-phd/crime-is-up-in-colorado-w_b_5663046.html

 

I don't like the Huffington post, too liberal for me, but they were the most liberal source I could find. Normally those who are left leaning are pro-legalization.

[geartree 33]

I'm socially libertarian: people should be allowed to do pretty much whatever as long as they aren't harming others, but I am fiscally conservative: no one, be they an individual or the federal government should spend more money than they bring in.

 

Hasn't crime gone up in the 4 states that legalized marijuana too?

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-a-sabet-phd/crime-is-up-in-colorado-w_b_5663046.html

 

I don't like the Huffington post, too liberal for me, but they were the most liberal source I could find. Normally those who are left leaning are pro-legalization.

Crime rates from one year isn't enough data to really tell us if it is directly related, only time will tell if the trend continues. I haven't seen this anywhere except in this single article, and could be bullshit, could be true. I am not convinced however it had anything to do with legalization, since crime rates always go up and down. Like I said, only time will tell.

Denver was the only example given too, and it is not the only place it has been legalized.

 

#feelthebern. Am I right, or am I right?

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

Crime rates from one year isn't enough data to really tell us if it is directly related, only time will tell if the trend continues. I haven't seen this anywhere except in this single article, and could be bullshit, could be true. I am not convinced however it had anything to do with legalization, since crime rates always go up and down. Like I said, only time will tell.

Denver was the only example given too, and it is not the only place it has been legalized.

 

Here are some sources I found after just 5 minutes of looking. There is a lot of data from both sides of the debate, and both sides are also admittedly cherry picking date.

http://www.westword.com/news/marijuana-study-is-rise-in-denver-crime-linked-to-pot-6839696

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/09/15/feds-release-marijuana-stats-to-show-negative-effects-of-legalization/

http://www.ibtimes.com/colorado-marijuana-legalization-2016-denver-crime-increase-not-related-pot-data-shows-2312672

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/09/15/marijuana-legalization-report.html

[Zyrael 1,471]

Liberal, because I care about LGBT rights and the health of our planet.

[SRN 146]

Well i'm from Germany, you know who is "right-wing" here. ^^

[Roughshod 719]

I don't think my views align with either side very well. I'm politically pragmatic and progressive but in a way that doesn't really translate to liberal or conservative.

[geartree 33]

Here are some sources I found after just 5 minutes of looking. There is a lot of data from both sides of the debate, and both sides are also admittedly cherry picking date.

http://www.westword.com/news/marijuana-study-is-rise-in-denver-crime-linked-to-pot-6839696

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/09/15/feds-release-marijuana-stats-to-show-negative-effects-of-legalization/

http://www.ibtimes.com/colorado-marijuana-legalization-2016-denver-crime-increase-not-related-pot-data-shows-2312672

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/09/15/marijuana-legalization-report.html

Seems like the stats are probably normal, and people are just reading to deep to find a correlation.

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

Well i'm from Germany, you know who is "right-wing" here. ^^

Hasn't Merkel basically made it impossible for there to be any meaningful opposition?

Despite all the protests from German citizens, she continues to allow more rapefugees into their country.

Liberal, because I care about LGBT rights and the health of our planet.

>Implying you have to be liberal to support both of those things.

[Zyrael 1,471]

>Implying you have to be liberal to support both of those things.

 

From my experience, the average conservative:

 

1. Is against gay marriage

2. Doesn't believe in global warming

 

Now, even if you are conservative, and don't agree with those two statements, you'd be hard-pressed to deny they apply to your average conservative. So yes, that is exactly what I'm implying, sorry to say.

[Unr3alGamer 230]

I am an ever so slightly left-winged independent.

 

AKA I'm fiscally conservative, socially moderate liberal.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Unr3alGamer

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

From my experience, the average conservative:

 

1. Is against gay marriage

2. Doesn't believe in global warming

 

Now, even if you are conservative, and don't agree with those two statements, you'd be hard-pressed to deny they apply to your average conservative. So yes, that is exactly what I'm implying, sorry to say.

I would argue that you can still be a conservative without agreeing with those statements, but fair enough.

[Shanks 10,816]

Now, even if you are conservative, and don't agree with those two statements, you'd be hard-pressed to deny they apply to your average conservative. So yes, that is exactly what I'm implying, sorry to say.

There is a lot of truth to that, but the republican party does seem to be in a civil war of sorts and much of hinges on exactly what it means to be a "conservative" and perceptions over who is and isn't in the establishment. Ted Cruz who is the leading candidate behind Trump has said that gay marriage should be left up to the states which is a bit different than saying it should be outright banned. Donald Trump has advocated a protectionist trade policy which amounts to threatening countries with high tariffs if the jobs that are being shipped overseas don't come back.Then there is Rand Paul and his father Ron Paul who represent a libertarian insurgency in the republican party who have much more in common with the late senator and 1964 presidential candidate "Mr Conservative" Barry Goldwater who strongly supported gay rights and frequently criticized the religious right than the more modern right wing hero Ronald Reagan.

 

The democrats are also in a similar civil war though the battle lines in that case are a bit more clear though Hilary Clinton has adopted much of Bernie Sanders talking points due to how popular he has become which is a testament to how much an influence he now has.

[Kagami-sama 320]

Conservative all the way!

[Krampus 197]

From my experience, the average conservative:

 

1. Is against gay marriage

2. Doesn't believe in global warming

 

Now, even if you are conservative, and don't agree with those two statements, you'd be hard-pressed to deny they apply to your average conservative. So yes, that is exactly what I'm implying, sorry to say.

 

 

Gonna play the devil's advocate for a quick second, don't mind me. Generally, those kind of conservatives are the older, last-generation types who are trying to hold on to their past with an iron grip. Actually, this generation's of conservatives seem to be more liberal, if you'll pardon the pun. Most of the time people are dealing with old farts who are near their deathbed.

[Pez 106]

I'm neither one. Both have some things I don't really agree with, but I respect opinions, I just have different opinions. Well... Maybe I might have mixed opinions. (Nothing negative towards certain groups of people.)

[Jest (Inactive) 875]

I would lean more towards conservative. 

[AoruWarlord 3]

Moderate. There are several aspects of both my social and fiscal viewpoints that could be described as either, but generally I lean towards conservatism on both ends of the spectrum, at least by society's modern definition. 

 

For the record, I do believe in global warming.

[Lisa 5,553]

I'm predominantly conservative. I have a few liberal views but most are right-wing views.

[Anneal 2,197]

Doing a total count, I got:

 

Conservative: 18  (17.14%)

Liberal: 52 (49.52%)

Libertarian: 14 (13.33%)

Moderates / Centrists: 10 (9.52%)

Independent: 7 (6.67%)

No Opinion: 4 (3.81%)

 

Total: 105

 

This isn't totally accurate, by the way; I couldn't get a good chart for fiscal alignment as much less have mentioned it (though based on the posts, "fiscal conservatism" gets a better percentage than conservative in general). And I had to base this off what they appear more inclined towards. A decent amount of people called themselves liberal and libertarian at the same time, so I had to go with the alignment they stuck with more.

 

But the people here are overwhelmingly liberal if we mixed up the statistics a bit to include libertarians who were liberal and moderate liberals. Which kind of makes sense considering the demographic; most teens and young adults are liberal in the Western world and Australia. If we included some more Generation X people in here then it's going to be a bit more mixed.

[Slice0Pie 815]

Personally, I am an Independent. I just do not agree with political parties in general, I feel they do more harm than good. But hey, that's just me