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Edited on Sat Jan-03-04 06:18 AM by jeepndesert
The one thing I don't like about Boortz is that he tends to criticize everyone. I don't like how he criticizes obese people and smokers. Both are already lepers of society. Criticism of these groups of people is like stepping on the toes of someone because they can't run. He is doing nothing but fueling the fire of the mob to enact such things as banning fat people from flying and banning smokers from having a beer and smoke in their favorite smoke-filled lounge, not to mention unjustified taxes on soft drinks (most fat people drink diet sodas anyway) and taxes on cigarettes (most smokers die before they collect federal longevity insurance, a/k/a Social Security, and rot insurance, a/k/a Medicare).
I would say in Boortz's defense that he will go on the record to say he doesn't support the banning of fat people on airlines (perhaps charging them for two seats) and raising taxes on smokers (perhaps giving them a Social Security tax credit for smoking). It is part of his whole desensitivity training thing...getting people to accept the faults of people so that real solutions can be found to the problem--usually through the free market with Nicorette and Weight Watchers--or general acceptance of these problems...she is a whale, and he smokes like chimney, but we will accept them anyway if they don't run off asking for government handouts and special priviledges. We are all born with our obstacles.
I think Libertarians suffer from the same problem as many Dean Democrats. Both have the inability to listen to the concerns of the opposition. They both feel they know everything and everyone who disagrees is just stupid even if they are scholar and a president of the country.
I use to be Libertarian but now just consider myself agnostic. I try to listen to the concerns of others.
While I don't like public education, I think it would be wise to invest in children by turning public schools into private schools, and giving parents a voucher to spend at any school of their choice for their children. The children win in that every child gets an education that works to keep them as a customer.
While I believe we should allow drilling for oil in Alaska, cutting down trees in California to prevent forest fires, global warning/cooling is caused by solar activity, I do think it would be wise for the government to invest in alternative energy sources. FDR did great when he invested in hydropower.
Libertarians are an odd lot. I went to a Harry Browne event in Atlanta one year. It was interesting to see Boortz and the transvestites hanging out together. A true cultural melting pot of individuals wanting to retain their individuality.
Capitalism is a great thing. It is there for you 24/7. You are more likely to find a convenience store to fill most of your needs 24/7 when most churches will be closed.
I don't believe in the War on Drugs. It is a waste of money. We need to accept pot smokers as stupid pot smokers and quit wasting a CEOs salary to hunt down a drug user or an average household income to keep one behind bars. Pot smokers should be productive members of society, working at the convenience store or cooking the french fries to serve the needs of the busy, hard-working people.
I do support the war effort in Iraq. I actually admire Bush for taking this one head-on instead of a weak, botched Jimmy Carter helicopter rescue attempt. We actually won a lot of friends in the Middle East. It happens when a soldier acts professionally to prisoners or helps a civilian. It happens when an American soldier risks his own life to help another country gain some freedom for the individual and fight against a tyrant in power. The American soldier is not only a trained professional in the use of deadly force, the American soldier is a trained professional in diplomacy as well.
There was a protest march in Iraq. It was in support of the American presence and a protest against terrorism. We have friends in Kuwait now. We have people in Afghanistan who have lived in poverty and who are now receiving basic goods from such organizations as the Red Cross and Save the Children.
In all, I have been pleased with Bush. While Clinton was still in office, I remember when the economy started to sink in terms of the dotcom bust. I even felt it coming as early as 1996. There were way too many people entering the industry to make a quick buck without any background of what they were doing. This was a boom/bust correct that sent the economy in a down spiral. Bush did the right thing to promote tax cuts. While tax cuts are slow to restart investment and job creation, they do give way to meaningful investment, job creation, and prosperity in the future. Privatizing education was another good step, rediverting tax dollars to a more cost-effective private education system and away from the various teacher unions and boards of do-nothings of public education. About the only thing Bush did wrong is not look for for a wise investment into alternative energy.
It would be nice if they towards more privatization of Social Security into national longevity insurance and move health care towards major medical insurance...whereas the consumer picks their insurance policy from private sector or public sector and it is guaranteed to stay with them throughout their life--meaning if the private sector provider goes bust the government acquires the insurance companies assets and maintains the customer's policies. They pay for the insurance premiums while they work and have the government subsidize the premium while not working.
As far as helping the homeless...I think we should revisit Thomas Paine's Agrarian Justice plan. Thomas Paine basically innovated reverse Social Security...People pay land taxes and these land taxes are redistributed to everyone when they turn 25 to be used to purchase land. There is some justification that we, as humans, deserve a little bit of land and natural resources to exist but we must work to build the fishing rod and work to plow the field if we want to continue to exist. We need to revist this policy in regards to land. In today's world, the modern extension to this is to invest in the child's education so that they can compete in the modern world.
I was born being different. I have difficulty with speech. I have worked hard to overcome this disability and become a productive member of society. I'm not fortunate. I just work hard. And I don't want some nitwit Democrat who spends his time whining about Florida recounts of Al Gore, the former bootlegger, the former stoner, the former pro-life Republican, the former environmentalist, the former identity crisis goon, the now wanna-be Saturday night live comedy. I don't want a Democrat driving around in Mercedes in San Francisco to tell me I should pay more taxes. I work very hard for the money I earn. While it is a lot now, it isn't going to always be a lot because my job burns me out mentality. I have to save and invest money for when I know mentally I'm not going to have what it takes any more. I don't want a Democrat telling me they know what is good for me when all they do is try to claim George Bush has the IQ of a monkey, when it is obvious he probably has an IQ higher than average.
If Bush does something wrong, tell me how he should be handling the U.N. How can George Bush get every nation to back the United States in the dismantling of a tryanny when many of those nations, like France, are ruled by tyrants themselves. Many nations didn't want to get involved because they didn't want to become targets of terrorism themselves.
Tell me, how can George Bush handle homeland security better. Having a department does help because that department ultimately is given power and responsibility that everyone works together to fight terrorism.
While I do think Zell Miller was an idiot when he proposed to buy every child in Georgia a Mozart CD when he read an article that children who listen to classical music tend to do better in school, the Democrats should listen to Zell Miller a little because he is telling you how Democrats lose their swing voters. I hated Zell Miller as governor, but he has turned out surprisely well as a Senator with his philosophy of doing what is right for Joe Sixpack.
What I don't like about the Republicans are people like Hannity and Rush Limbaugh who act arrogantly, much like the Democrats. I don't like the Christian Coalition. I don't think religion has any place in government. I think we should privatize education partly for this reason too. You wouldn't have had the social tensions that resulted in Columbine with one arrogant idiot christian/jock trying to exert power over another arrogant idiot goth and vice versa. The whole goth vs. christian/jock thing is basically a vanity rivalry between two hypocritical groups. I do believe in the end of the War on Drugs, turning stoners into productive chefs of french fries or multi-millionaire entertainers. I do believe in gay marriage. Marriage after all is just a social contract between two people that will result in divorce eventually no matter if they are two good opposite-gendered Christians or two gay people trying to build a life together. Unless the Christian Coalition can get over the War on Drugs or gay marriages, I have no sympathy for their cause.
I am also against corporate welfare. I think Democrats and Republicans are both guilty of this. It is just the nature of government and the abuse of power. Corporations wouldn't need welfare if you kept the taxes on them just to cover the expense of the regulation of the market to protect against fraud, etc. Corporations don't even pay taxes anyway...it is the consumer that pays corporate taxes if the corporation is more effecient than their mom/pop competitor. There is nothing wrong with getting a 2 cent corporate burger. There is nothing wrong with getting a $5 mom/pop burger. Some of us work harder and deserve the mom/pop burger. Some of us don't and deserve the 2 cent corporate burger.
I will go on the record of saying Clinton was a better president than the first Bush and Reagan. Reagan was better than the first Bush. At least Reagan had a goal of helping the economy and winning the Cold War when he ran up the national credit card beyond limits. Bush Dubya has been a remarkable president, if not one of the best. He approaches the job with true integrity and the combined wisdom of many people to really do what is right and productive.
Howard Dean is way out of touch. There are several Democrats who are way out of touch. Dean can't win. Even the Clintons recognize this and are supporting Wesley Clark. You win no votes when you say one of the best presidents is an idiot. When a Democrat claims Bush is an idiot, the Democrat is as stupid as a Republican who claims Clinton is an idiot. You don't win votes that way. You win votes by saying Bush is a good president and want to build upon successes while adding a few other new proposals to improve on his record...such as maintaining lower taxes and more efficient government, cutting wastes, continuing the bush's path of foreign policy, proposing investment in alternative energy (a form of corporate welfare), getting rid of corporate welfare in places where it isn't needed, moving social security and medicare in a private direction while moving healthcare in a public direction to where both insurance and social security to where both would insure adequate coverage for everyone while being cost effective and responsive, and giving parent's choice in education (I've heard Democrats discussing support of vouchers), etc. You don't win votes by appeasement of tyrants and proposing to charge more money for wasteful government. Even gay atheists who smoke pot, volunteer to build houses for the homeless, and who give money to feed children in Afghanistan work hard for their money.
I could rant all day. I try to stay away from politics...but decided to rant for awhile since I haven't ranted about politics in about 2 years.
As far as the Libertarian woman, perhaps you should take it as an opportunity to learn and expand your horizons rather than close them. Better yet, you should leave her before she leaves you because you're closed-minded?
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