Do you think I'm a Freeper/disruptor/conservative wingnut?

[redeye]

WhoCountsTheVotes' thread inspired me, so I'm starting one myself (it can't be a poll because I haven't donated :().

Consider this:
1. I will vote for the recall unless the expected utility of the leading replacement candidates is lower than Davis' utility (currently, btw, the utilities I use are Issa = Simon = 0, Ah-nold = 3, Davis = 5, Arianna = 8, Camejo = 10, and I have no idea what each candidate's probability to win is).
2. If the recall is a close Ah-nold/Issa race, I'll vote no on the recall and might vote Ah-nold in the replacement.
3. I support outsourcing.
4. I am overtly unpatriotic, and would be proud to be convincted of treason.
5. I vomit whenever I hear someone use the "we're at war" rhetoric, regardless of whether the enemy is Bin Laden or Bush.
6. I don't think all rich people are evil.
7. I am overtly anti-American.
8. I kinda like the affirmative-action substitute that Bush signed into law in Texas - namely, that all high-school graduates who were in the top 10 percentiles of their school (regardless of how good the school was) have the right to get into any University of Texas they want to, including Austin.
9. I think that there exists an absolute truth, even though it should always be sought, never claimed.
10. I say what I think, not what is good image for the Democratic party.
11. I don't rape the words "freedom," "liberty," "liberalism," "truth," "patriotism," "conservatism," "populism," and so on, but rather define them instead of use them rhetorically.
12. I spit on most of the Constitution.
13. I view Bush as the legally appointed president of the USA (as opposed to illegally appointed).
14. I'm inclined to support California's independence, emphais on inclined.
15. I choose my political/electoral system ideas according to what is most progressive and democratic, not according to what is best for the Democratic party.
16. I think that the recall vote is the epitome of citizen participation and democracy; the people have become disillusioned with Davis, hence Davis should be kicked out even though he won 9 months ago and hasn't been convicted of any crime.
17. I let libertarians define libertarianism instead of condemn them simplistically as "conservatives on weed."
18. I don't have a yellow star next to my username even though I can afford it.
19. I don't have any qualms about getting out of this hell hole of a country should matters get worse - for example, should there be a draft.
20. I don't DUpe ("Unfreep" in DU doublespeak) threads.
21. I've never called Republicans "repugs," "repukes," or "rethugs."

So flame me guys. Call me a freeper. I won't alert on you, and I hereby ask people not to alert on those who call me a freeper here and mods not to delete posts calling me a freeper. I'd like to know who thinks I'm a conservative nut, other than the guy with 0 posts whose username is Name Removed. Make a public case here why I deserve to be tombstoned; confront me and tell me that I'm a freeper who's here to discredit DU (for the record, btw, I've first heard of Unfree Republic on DU). Give it your best shot.

P.S. If the mods decide to ban me for posting a flamebait, let me preemptively saying my defense that I've had 3 or 4 of my posts deleted and that I've never gotten a PM asking me to stop flaming or whatever - in other words, this is first offense.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

1. I'm touched

I think we should be able to vote people off of DU. I would probably be one of the first to go :) It would make an interesting experiment, no?

Yes, I do think that you are a conservative wingnut. btw, spitting on paper documents is rather unsanitary.

[redeye]

2. Turns out that...

...this post violates the new rules for discussion. They are in effect only 33 mintues from now, though, so...

[outinforce]

3. You Spit on Most of The Constitution??

You mean, like the Bill of Rights?

[redeye]

5. No, I mean like...

...practically everything else plus the second amendment. While many ideas in the constitution are good - e.g. separation of powers - they are implemented horribly.

[ibegurpard]

4. No

I think you're a typical college student with a enormously inflated opinion of yourself.

[redeye]

6. Why enormously inflated opinion? (n/t)

[outinforce]

17. AMEN!

Thanks, ibegurpard, for capturing my thoughts and expressing them so succinctly!

redeye says he "spits on most of the Constitution". When I asked if that meant the Bill of Rights, redeye told me that he spits on "practically everything else plus the second amendment. While many ideas in the constitution are good - e.g. separation of powers - they are implemented horribly."

Go figure that one out.

[tom_paine]

32. Sounds like you're right on target, ibegurpard

:toast:

[jpgray]

7. 22. I crave attention (nt)

[Northwind]

8. Sound like a Rand-oid to me.

[meegbear]

9. I take umbrace with #17 ...

Libertarianism isn't defined as "conservatives on weed", they're arch-conservatives with a sex fetish.

[private_ryan]

10. I can't believe you just wrote all that

methinks you're looking or attention, that's all.

[sangha]

11. Yes

.

[ClintonTyree]

12. I think you're..................

an insecure loner that wants and needs justification of your existence. You won't get it here. If you've been here that long and haven't contributed, even though you say you could, then you're dead weight and should be jetisoned anyway. :)

[Trajan]

13. NAH .....

Freeper ? ..... hardly ....

Confused ....

Deluded ....

Vain .....

Kookie ....

Right leaning ....

Perhaps ....

Freeper ? ..... hardly ....

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

14. redeye, are you or are you not a fan of Ayn Rand?

I don't want to trash anyone's religion or ideology, but I find I have little in common with fan's of this author.

[redeye]

36. Not at all

I think that "Randian philosophy" is an oxymoron. I support welfare, an economic hands-on policy, public schools, and public health care.

[trotsky]

15. No/Yes/No

Spitting on the Constitution is repugnant.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Ummmmm!

A little impressed with one's self, are we?

Numbers 5 & 7 are redundant, are they not?

Number 17 is insulting to all those with the star . (Yes, i'm speaking for all of us who donate.)

Almost all the rest are common sense. So, don't be too self-impressed with this manifesto.
The Professor

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

18. only post threads about politicians or celebrities or rich people

Talking about yourself, or your friends, and your own personal beliefs and ideologies, and how they relate to other Democrats, is obviously considered childish and a cry for attention.

Now posting such tripe as "Dean makes me feel so wonderful" or "Kucinich's hair is so ugly" - that's either serious discussion, or candidate bashing, depending on which side you are on.

I'm beginning to believe that the only place for a regular individual in the Democratic party and groups like DU is to repeast candidate's rhetoric and vote once a year. The more we try to have an effect on the process, the less we are taken seriously.

[disgruntella]

23. i'm new here

and I like to hear about people's personal beliefs and ideologies, and how they relate to the Democratic party.

But IMHO the whole tone of this post is like a cry for attention. I can practically hear the violins

:nopity:

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

24. sure, a cry for the Democratic party's attention

Yes, pehaps he is crying for the attention of the Democratic party - perhaps he wants the Democratic party to talk about the issues he cares about, for the candidates to address his concerns.

A cry for attention all right. I wonder if the Democrats are listening? If not, why should he vote for them?

[disgruntella]

26. is he really addressing the democratic party here?

"flame me guys. Call me a freeper....Make a public case here why I deserve to be tombstoned; confront me and tell me that I'm a freeper who's here to discredit DU"

He's asking for negative comments, and I think that might be why he's getting them.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

29. sure, his technique is a bit off

I just find the dismissive attitude of DU rather tiring, unless you are being pro or anti-candidate, or bashing Christianity. If DU isn't a way for regular average Americans to involve themselves in the political process and influence it, what's the point? If that's the case, aren't we all just wasting our time?

Besides, he's feeling out the limits of the Democratic party and how big the tent is. Personally, I think he'd feel a lot happier in the GOP or the LP, at least until he ages a bit.

[redeye]

38. LP, GOP...

...The LP's proposed social spending is about 100% lower than what I support. The GOP is a party for conservative wingnuts - you know, the cultural conservatives who think that non-Americans should be slaves to Americans, that segregation was a good thing, that the government should tell people what to do in their private bedrooms, and that everyone who isn't an Evangelist should be reeducated or exterminated.

[indigo32]

37. actually

I understand what you're saying in your first paragraph.
but an internet forum such as this, where people are anonymous for the most part, is hardly an accurate reflection of the outside world, the Democratic Party being part of that. This board is NOT big D democrat, and really doesn't even profess to an overall goal of activism, though some of that goes on here. It's a more than a little crazy here right now I know... and I cringe to think that we're still months from the primaries/caucus's... I may not make it
:(, but if I don't I'll come back.

[outinforce]

19. Question about Nos. 1, 2, and 21

You apparently take pride in the fact that you have never called Republicans "repugs", "repukes", ot "rethugs".

And yet, in point numbers 1 and 2, you refer to "Ah-nold".

Are we to assume that you have disdain for those who were not born in the USA? Or is it that you like to make fun of people who speak English with an accent?

[Skittles]

20. you support outsourcing?

you are f***ing stupid

[salin]

28. Its such a funny thing - a mindless acceptance

in either direction (imo)... outsourcing always good. Here's the thing, imo, have to figure out what serves the bigger interest (if one is a company that is the health, productivity, and bottom dollar of the company; if it is government it is providing the best service as the lowest cost).

Kneejerk response for Government outsourcing: Private companies always deliver a better product for less money (presumes some miracle of competition produces this result). Sometimes I wonder if folks go to the big corporate offices of companies that get these big outsourcing contracts. Then wander into the government agency/dept that used to handle the work. Then talk about waste. Or look at how much of the money the company spends on debt service (from major acquisitions and buyouts, from building/leasing new facilities, etc.) - all of that money is overhead that now the govt dollars have to cover.

Kneejerk response for Corporate outsourcing: Offshore entities with the lower labor costs are always better for the bottom line. This decidely ignores a couple of issues - and ignores the two BIG long-term issue. First is the cost of quality control (my understanding from one big local manfct group that moved to mexico is the rate items off the production line that failed quality control (re: was useless) increased to something like 60%... had to produce many, many more times to have the same quality product); second is the increased cost of shipping (if one is dealing with goods) component parts to the plant (now often crossing many international borders) and the product out (and back often back to the US); there are other issues which drive costs back up a bit from the big savings perceived to be realized by going to cheap labor. THe two BIG issues (long term ones) are considering the bottom line and how much has increased not due to US labor, but due to the merger mania (got to be a bigger and bigger company) which requires more and more revenue to go to debt service (I believe this is part of what began the cycle that killed enron), it also ignores the practice of giving larger and larger executive bonuses that are far out of proportion to what they once were under the premise that the "best talent" will go elsewhere (okay go hire some Execs from other countries that run highly successful entities but receive lower compensation. Find a pool large enough that the US boys realize that if they want the good jobs, they have to take lower compensation. Somehow this cycle is used on labor and midmanagement but NEVER on exec. compensation. All of these practices make a company less profitable. Especially when huge bonuses are paid - during loss quarters. Then the REAL big long-term item: If the US consuming public sees a major decline in real incomes - consuming drops. We are still a major consumer - especially on larger ticket items. When consuming drops to a serious level we find ourselves back in a 1920s economy where all things being produced are really targeted to the few wealthy. That is NOT a healthy economy.

Go figure - it is considered "the answer" these days. Especially on the corporate side - I don't think it is the panacea. Starting to take hold of debt loads is probably a better place to begin.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

31. it's just about economic power

The idea is whether or not rich people (investors) should be able to have the states grant them charters, and then have no responsibility to the US or the citizens here. The specifics are secondary, it's a power issue - it's whether the economy is run by democracy, or oligarchy and aristocracy.

[GalleryGod]

21. SKINNER!?! Why is this here?

:mad: :puke: :wtf:
"SFW"?,Baby!

[ibegurpard]

22. I think it made it in under the wire.

Please don't lock it yet! I'm kind of enjoying it! :-)

[whoYaCallinAlib]

25. Hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think about you at all.

I really don't care what you are or what you think as long as you want to kick Bush's ass.

[John_H]

27. Is this not the mother of all vanity threads?

?

[Sinistrous]

30. Do I think you are a Freeper/disruptor/conservative wingnut?

None of the above.

After reading the "21 Theses" you nailed up on the door, I think you are a sophmoric twit who needs a heavy dose of reality.

Shall we just agree to ignore each other?

[Trajan]

34. LMFAO ....

Ehem ....

Some of that GOOD ole DU hospitality ....

Some of that language was rather strong, but overall: quite a response ....

[zoidberg]

33. You are your own man

Half the time I think you are on to something. Half the time I thing you are 100% wrong. Reading your list, I imagine quite a few people think the same way about your ideas. It's a good thing no to fit into a single mold.

[Upfront]

35. May Shock You

but I don't care what you think you are. Enjoy your self.:freak:

[the_sam]

39. No

But you do come off as a bit arrogant and patronizing.

[BushHasGotToGo]

40. Issa's not running

n/t

[redeye]

42. When I wrote that, he hadn't dropped out...

...and if he had, then I didn't know that.

[JohnKleeb]

41. nah you arent one redeye

Even though me and you disagree about NAFTA, thats ok.

[redeye]

43. Thanks...

...at least there's one person here who doesn't think I'm a disruptor. :)

[durutti]

44. Let's see...

1. I will vote for the recall unless the expected utility of the leading replacement candidates is lower than Davis' utility (currently, btw, the utilities I use are Issa = Simon = 0, Ah-nold = 3, Davis = 5, Arianna = 8, Camejo = 10, and I have no idea what each candidate's probability to win is).

I don't really have an opinion about the recall itself. I just think it's a sad that the recall provision, which was acheived by the progressive movement, has been manipulated by the wealthy.

2. If the recall is a close Ah-nold/Issa race, I'll vote no on the recall and might vote Ah-nold in the replacement.

Understandable.

3. I support outsourcing.

Why? So real wages can drop below 1973 levels?

4. I am overtly unpatriotic, and would be proud to be convincted of treason.

Depends on what you mean by patriotism. But I deplore nationalism. And I wouldn't mind being convicted of treason if it was for a good cause.

5. I vomit whenever I hear someone use the "we're at war" rhetoric, regardless of whether the enemy is Bin Laden or Bush.

Same.

6. I don't think all rich people are evil.

I don't think in terms of good-versus-evil, generally speaking. But I think it's beyond debate that in a capitalist society, the socio-economic position of most rich people means that they will generally oppose social progress out of their own self-interest.

12. I spit on most of the Constitution.

I don't "spit on" it. I simply acknowledge that America was a very different place 200 years ago, and that it therefore follows that the Constitution is open to much interpretation.

13. I view Bush as the legally appointed president of the USA (as opposed to illegally appointed).

Disagree. I've examined both sides of the argument (as I try to with every argument), and the Supreme Court's decision is simply legally unfounded.

16. I think that the recall vote is the epitome of citizen participation and democracy; the people have become disillusioned with Davis, hence Davis should be kicked out even though he won 9 months ago and hasn't been convicted of any crime.

Again, not in this context. It's the epitome of plutocracy.