Political view-point thread

[Ian McC]

What makes you think that?

Surely people said that during every economic crisis (not that we're in one now) and we've survived, haven't we?

Global warming was what I meant.

[LotusElise]

Anyone remember the Political Compass thread in the Old Forum?

I am very left-wing on most issues, except perhaps on some crime and punishment debates, where I favour strong police response and harsh jail sentences for the most serious of crimes.

I have a natural mistrust of the business world and an ingrained belief that it is not the way we should run our lives.

[Bulldog#1]

i am anti war anti bush anti terrorism
i am pro democracy pro human rights pro equality in America
i am pro bombing the fukk out of those who would fly planes into our buildings
i am for being certain of who is guilty of hurting the USA and eliminating them
saddam wasnt a threat to the USA

[mako]

Left of center/fiscally conservative
BUT
Anti-George W. Bush
Anti-Republican Party

[LeonBrooke]

I have a natural mistrust of the business world and an ingrained belief that it is not the way we should run our lives.

A sensible point of view. I agree .

[Gibbsy]

IM also a real liberal.

I like my governments small and my freedoms big. The pursuit of happiness that doesnt interfere with other peoples right to the same should be the number one goal of civilised society.

Government should protect people from each other, but not from themselves. For exampls if you want to take cocain / heroin cocktails that should be your right, but if you get messed up then its your responsibility to fix it.

Governments should tax as little as possible and then run neutral budgets, Budget surpluses just annoy me because they are usually only used to buy elections.

"Let the market sort it out" is usually the best solution to economic problems.

"Live and let live" is the best solution to social problems.

The REAL question in rerards to government is not how to make it work, but how to make it stop.

[LeonBrooke]

IM also a real liberal.

I like my governments small and my freedoms big. The pursuit of happiness that doesnt interfere with other peoples right to the same should be the number one goal of civilised society.

Government should protect people from each other, but not from themselves. For exampls if you want to take cocain / heroin cocktails that should be your right, but if you get messed up then its your responsibility to fix it.

Governments should tax as little as possible and then run neutral budgets, Budget surpluses just annoy me because they are usually only used to buy elections.

"Let the market sort it out" is usually the best solution to economic problems.

"Live and let live" is the best solution to social problems.

The REAL question in rerards to government is not how to make it work, but how to make it stop.

Being anti-government doesn't make you a liberal. Quite the opposite in fact.

There are good reasons to have drugs, prostitution, etc. illegal. They are not a matter of personal choice. People get into them because they're coerced. If they do choose it, they then have no way of getting out when they notice their mistake.

"Let the market sort it out" simply leads to increased costs for the public, increased destruction of resources and no good whatsoever. I've noted that in New Zealand the economy goes down badly when the government is right-wing, and improves when it's left-wing.


The only thing that trickles down is urine.

[Alexamateo]

I have a natural mistrust of the business world and an ingrained belief that it is not the way we should run our lives.

Caveat emptor "Let the buyer beware."

I understand your natural mistrust of the business world, I used to share it. However, as someone who is in sales and business, let me tell you it is misplaced.

Surely there are cheats and crooks out to snooker you and rip you off, but most in business know that the real way to make money is to have repeat customers. The winner in business is who gives their customer the best service at the best though not necessarily cheapest price. Those are the customers who come back and refer you to others. You don't get that by cheating people.

Bill Gates is one of the world's richest men not because he tricked you into buying or using his products, but because he created useful products that millions upon millions of people use for the betterment of their lives.

My motivation in selling is not for you, but for me and the betterment of my family, so that we can have nice things and a nice life. But if I want to sell to you, I had better care about you, because if what I do doesn't provide you with more money/more time/more pleasure/less pain or whatever you won't be my customer.

No, business is more honest in that respect, they're in it for themselves.

It's when government is smiling and saying "it's all for you" that you had better watch out.

[EuroTroll]

Well posted, Alexamateo.

Although a government can only say "It's good for you". If they claimed it's actually all for themselves they'd have riots 15 minutes after.

[oily oaf]

I am extremely left wing in my views.
However I also think that Hitler was very kind to his dog, Mussolini got the trains running on time and that all homosexuals and communists should be burned face down before being drowned in a bucket.

PS I don't like darkies