I was. Turns out i'm a conservative. LOL

I registered as an Independent because I like to give both sides the benefit of the doubt. I think people play too much into 'conservative' or 'liberal' sides of the parking lot simply because they want to be with a group of people who have more or less the same ideas they have. It's kind of silly when running a nation because not everyone is going to agree, so having two main power groups is somewhat a silly thing to have, there are people who agree and disagree with any given issue on either side, but I don't think that makes them conservative or liberal. They're people. On the flipside, however, people tend to be followers rather than thinkers or leaders. Maybe groups are the best thing in the big picture.

Anyway, going by the questions presented in the video, I'm mostly conservative.

1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. yes
5. yes
6. yes
7. yes
8. yes
9. yes
10. yes

oh wow... there's a surprise (not)

i never knew i was a christian

Fully conservative

Did you know that California is home to 32% of the country's welfare recipients? Definitely not a place for those of us who don't think that people should leech off of other peoples' financial success.

Don't get me started...

Well, this only further confirms what I already knew. I answered yes to all of these questions.

MEh.

Government is for the people is not a strictly conservative view.

I would say this test is fairly slanted in the fact it only says conservative or Liberal.

Those are not the only two f*cking factions out there.

Christ on a beanpole i get tired of the "either/or" argument

True, it depends quite a bit on your interpretation of "Government is for the people", if you get someone reading that entirely out of context, things like a welfare state and the single-payer healthcare seem legitimate.

But yeah, when it comes down to Democrat or Republican, that's not really the only two answers. Though on individual issues, there's generally a conservative or libertarian one, and a liberal or progressive one. And unfortunately, there's idiots in both parties putting too many of the wrong, liberal answers where they don't belong. Bush, for example, swung out to the left and gave government more leeway with the Patriot Act, increased federal involvement in mis-funding schools with the No Child Left Behind Act, and took too much from people with the increases in taxes, even despite his taxpayer stimulus.

I used to be a big anti-tax person. As I have mentioned previously, I used to be a big rush Limbaugh follower.

I grew up.

Taxes are needed, period. What the definition of "too much taxes" is can also be a subjective matter. It is not black or white in the slightest.

I am also FOR universal healthcare, considering what a pain it has been for me being unemployed since February and having no healthcare, when I KNOW there are things I need done. Is it perfect? No, but having healthcare that takes a little is better than no frackin healthcare at all. And I fully support people being able to choose to go with a private company for supplemental insurance if they can afford it.

But what about the rest of us?

the USPATRIOT Act is more facism/police state/Stalinistic Socialism than anything ANY "liberal" has come up with. While things like universal healthcare are meant to help the people, all things like the USPATRIOT do are control the people through fear, in the guise of "safety".

To me, the government IS there for two things: Protecting the people from outside threats and providing for the well being of the people by putting thier taxes to work helping them BACK. That is a broad umbrella that includes corporate oversight. Becuase I cannot think of any REAL reason, especially in current conditions, why that should not exist in a much more major fashion than it has been, since we have definitely found out that corporations, left to "oversee themselves" will devolved into deceit, greed and corruption.

Do I sound like a liberal? Bet I do.

But I am also extremely (and i mean extremely) anti-gun control, and anti-anti-smoking laws.

Gun control has no purpose, period. There should be no restriction on where a person can carry his firearm. there should be severe punishment if he uses it inappropriately. But the "Oh it will be a wild west" mentality is crap. If any recent events with gun shootouts have shown us, it is that it is universally one sided, and criminals will not give a shit about gun control.

"I used to be a big rush Limbaugh follower."
If I ever followed any the shit Rush Limbaugh spewed, I would tell nobody, not even people on FA.

out of all my post, that all you comment on?

I have no shame in admitting it, becuase I said I grew up.

Also he did USED to be a little more even keeled a long time ago

You never said whether you yourself are liberal or conservative, why don't you share that with that with everyone. Whats your side of the political coin?

I'm very, very conservative. Small government, few laws, more liberty, more freedom, low taxes, high prosperity conservatism.

Yeah that screams conservatism, although I don't particularity hate conservatism, but things like lower taxes and things like that is just going to keep this crapball of a depression around longer. Sorry for getting political on FA though, it definitely isn't the best place for discussions like Conservatism vs Liberalism or Capitalism vs. Communism.

My bad I said things twice in same sentence. My apologies.

Taking money from people isn't going to get us out of the recession, either. If people could keep more of what they earn, they certainly wouldn't feel the effects of this recession. Granted, the government may have less money in the short term, but they're becoming their own business too much as it is.

Certainly no reason to apologize for being interested in politics, though.

Usually, other people on the site will bitch at you for mentioning politics, or at least some of the people I run into on this site, more yiff less thinking, they say. Anyways, Increasing taxes in my view is one of the only options at this time, to get the Government out of it mounting debt that it got itself into, the other option is to get out of Iraq and secure a peace treaty, but we can't leave now, considering the new democratic Iraq can't fend for itself. Unless you want all those lives to be wasted over nothing. If you can think of a better alternative to getting out of the ridiculous debt America has garnered, I would like to hear. Obama already raised the taxes on the wealthy, what else can be done besides that? Raising the taxes is a necessity to quickly defeat the debt problem, the recession is a pain in the ass yeah, but if we don't deal with this debt problem now, it'll come back to bite us in the ass again 10-20 years later. Short term effects are higher taxes for 8-12 years. The long term effect is a much more powerful America that once again has money to spend with unparalleled economic strength.

While I agree in parts, do you honestly believe companies can "self regulate"

I wasn't trying to be rude, I'm just voicing how irritable Rush is to me, I honeesly don't think he believes half the stuff he says.

Yes I believe companies can self regulate, If they can achieve globalization then they can definitely self regulate in a slightly unfriendly economy. and no ford and those other car industries don't count, they were dying out as it was already.

Looka t what happened to our economy? Companies were left to self regulate. It crashed. Corruption was everywhere. They TOOK ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE FOR PROFIT. Not just sold stuff, took advantage.

Nothing about this says companies can self regulate

In a free-market system, it's the consumer's responsibility to spend wisely. If you don't like how a company is treating it's employees, the environment, or it's other customers, you simply don't buy from that company.

Yes adn of course, the well known "strip mall" effect (where less and less choice is there becuase competitors are taken out, and therefor it starts becoming close to monopoly) proprietary systems, underhanded practices. Sub-prime loansm with sleezy salesmen promoting them.

Cigarette manufacturers getting doctors to claim its good for you (the 50s).

All great things.

Yeah, I guess advances in science mean that businesses are all corrupt beforehand, and are much less corrupt when the government regulates them.

As far as the sub-prime loan crisis, sub-prime loans, by definition, typically lose money. Not something a business would want to do, unless it was facing stiff fines and the government promised to repay any bad loans.

In a free market, there is going to be more choice available as people start their own businesses to compete with what's there and under-performing. Unfortunately, with the regulations we have now, starting a business is no easy task.

Companies that were self regulating before the economic depression even took effect, companies can make their own decisions, they don't need the government telling them what to do. As for companies taking advantage, do you mind naming an instance of a company taking advantage of the populace, I don't think you are being specific enough.

Any Sub-prime loan Bank.

Do we really have to have this convo? No offence, but it amazes me how blind "free market" types are.

The government should be there to make sure people aren't being used. YOu know the term "snake oil" right? Government oversight is what got rid of most the sham crap like that, not "self regulation".

NO COMPANY is going to do what is in the best interest of the people. They will do what is in the best interest of profit, irregardless. Means using you? They will do it.

I love innovations, trade, but we have sunk this economy and our country by allowing things like "free trade" non tariff goods from countries.

Have companies left their manufacturing here? Nope, they immediately shipped it off to where they could get ultra cheap labor and maximise profits. Look at Detroit.

Remember when Wal-mart used to proudly have "made in the USA" stuff? Then old Sam Walton died, and the greedy kids went "lets maximise profits" and now almost nothing there is.

Self regulation doesn't work. That's like asking a parole officer to tell a parolee "oh just let me know if you do anything wrong."

Remeber the original Great Depression? You probably don't because you were not alive back then (and neither was I). But that stock market crash? Self regulation gone wrong.

sorry for grammar errors by the way, also whole point of my last paragraph was, that government should step in only when the corporation is being inhumane or the decision will be bad for the economy is a whole.

"Have companies left their manufacturing here? Nope, they immediately shipped it off to where they could get ultra cheap labor and maximize profits. Look at Detroit."
Yes I am aware of that practice, it certainly would be a positive economic effect on the economy but I don't think the government forcing the company to stop that practice would bode very well for corporate America.

Needles to say, this would discourage corporations to keep there business in America and aspiring corporations to be would also move elsewhere, lets not lie corporations are a vital part of a healthy economy. Maximizing profits isn't always a bad thing, as it allows the company more revenue to improve their product. I won't lie it isn't always great seeing the mad in china disclaimer on almost evry product but again the cheaper the product the product the cheaper the prices at Walmart are.

The Sub-Prime Banks I can agree it is a dangerous business practice for bothe the cosumer and the bank, so I can agree that the government should step in and forbid such a practise.

What I don't agree on is putting an end to Self regulation as a whole, self regulation is necessary for a competitive market that can bring about new ideas and technologies.
Granted there are times were the government absolutely must intervene, when there are signs of monopoly the government will bust them, same with trusts when there are trusts being formed they are busted as well. During the Industrial Revolution there the factory conditions were abysmal, government stepped in and made the conditions acceptable. As for the Great Depression, that was the fault of people spending more than they could afford, via credit cards.

Via...

*facepalm*

Please tell me, what credit cards existed in the 20s?

if oudn this about it:
The usual explanations include numerous factors, especially high consumer debt, ill-regulated markets that permitted overoptimistic loans by banks and investors, the lack of high-growth new industries

Hrmmm sound familiar? Sounds like our last recession. especially the ill regulated markets

I'm sorry I meant on credit not credit cards, sorry about that

Well ignoring why rather recent brianfart, you can't simply say that the sole cause for the 1920's depression was self regulation. People still debate exactly why the Great depression took effect. Though I think it had a lot to do with the whole buying on credit and buying on margin. And yes our recent recession does share commodities with the Great depression though the depression was far worse and I believe (correct me if I am wrong) we were not in debt during the Great Depression. But this recession is not even half as bad and were trillions of dollars in debt. It says something.