Tuesday, July 22, 2008
A brief moment of indulgent navel-gazing
The fact that there is a fair amount of political discussion recently on the razor has probably resulted in some people concluding that I am either liberal or conservative. In a way, both would be right-- I don't fit comfortably into either camp. Plus, part of it is contextual: At my conservative college (William and Mary), I came off as a liberal, but at a liberal law school (Yale) I was perceived as conservative. Part of this is because many of my core beliefs are formed by my Christian faith, and explicit discussion of faith sometimes causes people to categorize me as conservative, even when the result is a liberal position (ie, against war).
Here are some of my core beliefs:
1) I am for a much smaller, less intrusive government.
2) I am against government regulation AND bailouts of businesses, except for environmental regulations.
3) I am for states rights, which would include Oregon's right to die law and California's marijuana laws being respected, as well as some states' limitations on abortion.
4) I am against the wars that have been fought in my lifetime.
5) I am for religious freedom and the separation of church and state (as a political and not necessarily a Constitutional principle).
6) I am against farm and oil company subsidies and tax breaks.
7) I am for strong enforcement of immigration laws against those who employ illegal immigrants (that is, I prefer a market approach to reducing illegal immigration)
8) I am for Batman, and against the Joker.
Comments:
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Osler --
Generally, I am against government handouts, but (and I can say this as coming from a family of farmers) there would be no farming industry without subsidies. A lot of people would be hungry without a farming industry.
Generally, I am against government handouts, but (and I can say this as coming from a family of farmers) there would be no farming industry without subsidies. A lot of people would be hungry without a farming industry.
# posted by 
: 8:08 PM
: 8:08 PM
Anon, I think it depends on into whose hands the handouts are going. A legitimate aim of a civil government is the protection and succor of its people, and to the extent that there are farmers who operate on the family/small farms scale, they do need the subsidies to compete with larger farms. This can be classified as a necessary government expenditure to preserve an essential service for the good of the people.
But when we see governments spending taxpayers' money to bail out large companies, while with the other side of their mouth championing that ever-present patriotic touchstone of "the free market," one can't help but wonder if such expenditures were necessary.
But when we see governments spending taxpayers' money to bail out large companies, while with the other side of their mouth championing that ever-present patriotic touchstone of "the free market," one can't help but wonder if such expenditures were necessary.
I prefer Aquaman.
I am usually a tort reform type person but then my house exploded, and Oregon has these weird laws on stuff.
I wish they didn't.
I wish Oregon had a law where you could go, if you wanted to, into a medically induced coma until say Halloween if you wanted to. I'd vote for that.
I am usually a tort reform type person but then my house exploded, and Oregon has these weird laws on stuff.
I wish they didn't.
I wish Oregon had a law where you could go, if you wanted to, into a medically induced coma until say Halloween if you wanted to. I'd vote for that.
I am not against paying taxes, but I am against having little say in how my tax dollars are spent. I wouldn't even mind high taxes, if we could have some of the services that high taxes provide, like universal health care or free higher education.
I am also for the separation of church and state, but I also take it one step further in that I don't think religious organizations should get tax breaks. But I realize this is not an opinion that most people share, so it's a battle I'm willing to concede in most cases.
I am also for the separation of church and state, but I also take it one step further in that I don't think religious organizations should get tax breaks. But I realize this is not an opinion that most people share, so it's a battle I'm willing to concede in most cases.
The problem with taxing religious or other ideological organizations, however, is that this becomes a vehicle for the government to use a facially-neutral reason to stamp out unpopular viewpoints. Admittedly, some religious organizations (hi, televangelists!) can be set up as tax shelters and means of perpetrating fraud, but I suppose that's a lesser evil than domination through the taxing power.
Lane --
I have no idea what you are talking about. What do you mean, "But when we see governments spending taxpayers' money to bail out large companies, while with the other side of their mouth championing that ever-present patriotic touchstone of "the free market," one can't help but wonder if such expenditures were necessary."?
I have no idea what you are talking about. What do you mean, "But when we see governments spending taxpayers' money to bail out large companies, while with the other side of their mouth championing that ever-present patriotic touchstone of "the free market," one can't help but wonder if such expenditures were necessary."?
# posted by : 10:20 PM
: 10:20 PM
That I support government expenditures to help people like farmers (or those in need of health care, or unemployment payments, etc.) but do not support government expenditures to help out failing mortgage companies and airlines.
I'm no expert on farm subsidies, but I think that if we stopped subsidizing, and production fell, prices would go up. What would most likely happen is that farming would become even more corporate than it already is.
Which may be bad or not.
Congressman Barney Frank (whom I loathe for many of his views and for his nasty and vicious style, but admire for his brilliance and clever wit and no holds barred drive) once said something along the lines of "Why do we care so much about the family farmer? No one cared when most of the family hardware stores were driven out of business."
Good question. The same could be said of clothing stores, lumber yards, diners, dry goods stores and small markets across the nation. A lot of small businesses have been killed by corporate competitors from Sears 100 years ago to Wal-Mart today.
Which may be bad or not.
Congressman Barney Frank (whom I loathe for many of his views and for his nasty and vicious style, but admire for his brilliance and clever wit and no holds barred drive) once said something along the lines of "Why do we care so much about the family farmer? No one cared when most of the family hardware stores were driven out of business."
Good question. The same could be said of clothing stores, lumber yards, diners, dry goods stores and small markets across the nation. A lot of small businesses have been killed by corporate competitors from Sears 100 years ago to Wal-Mart today.
# posted by : 10:58 PM
: 10:58 PM
Oh, and after the REAL Batman as played by Adam West, my fave was Tobor the 8 Man. He was Angsty, being a robot who was once a human and all.
# posted by : 10:59 PM
: 10:59 PM
I am against belly button lint, and for the Justice League of America.
I am also always up for a little silliness!
Mrs. CL
I am also always up for a little silliness!
Mrs. CL
# posted by : 11:17 PM
: 11:17 PM
I've seen estimates that said that if the beef industry weren't so heavily subsidized, beef would be $20 a pound. While I agree in general with the subsidies given to the farm industry, I would like to see them dealt out a little more equitably, so that the small-time local organic farmer's subsidies are competitive with the huge-scale nationwide grower. Those kinds of inequities create a ceiling that makes it very hard for a small-time grower to become anything more than just that.
And realistically, small-time growers and producers are more environmentally friendly and produce healthier (tastier!) product than the large farms. The government should definitely be in the business of encouraging small producers, and we as consumers should, when possible, buy from them.
You flaming liberal pinko commie nutjob, you!
(Actually, you sound more conservative than 99.9% of the self-deemed "conservatives" at BU. Less government FTW.)
(Actually, you sound more conservative than 99.9% of the self-deemed "conservatives" at BU. Less government FTW.)
Oh, and I'm all for ninjas. I think ninjas could've kept the terrorists at bay without having to declare a goofy war on the word "terrorism."
Batman trained with ninjas. Coincidence? I think not.
(Never mind that they were bad ninjas--bad ninjas always get what's coming to them, though.)
Batman trained with ninjas. Coincidence? I think not.
(Never mind that they were bad ninjas--bad ninjas always get what's coming to them, though.)
personally, I am just wondering how anyone could oppose Granada. That was a classic piece of work. Think of what could have happened to those med students if we hadn't invaded.
# posted by : 8:40 AM
: 8:40 AM
Sounds like you're a common sense centrist to me. Some would call it equivocation not to choose sides, but I think not blindly following the primrose path is a sign of a working intellect. Kudos!
You forgot another reason...
You grew up in suburban Detroit where there weren't any liberal examples.
Say hi to the talking porch
You grew up in suburban Detroit where there weren't any liberal examples.
Say hi to the talking porch
# posted by : 3:24 PM
: 3:24 PM
4) I am against the wars that have been fought in my lifetime.
Korea seems justified to me.
Ah well, perhaps South Korea really should be like North Korea is today.
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Korea seems justified to me.
Ah well, perhaps South Korea really should be like North Korea is today.
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