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I have been thinking about what political name I should use. I have come up with a Libertarian Liberal Capitalist.
The Libertarian part supports the individual right to any religion or none at all. I believe the individual has the right to say what they want when the want to say it. My idea of gun control is to select a legitimate target and hit it with the first shot. I also believe all drugs should be available for those that want to use or abuse them.
The Liberal (Puritan Yankee) part believes government can be a help people create a better place for all to succeed by having the community provide good civil works, education and health care for all that want or need it. I am also willing to support the mentally unfortunate, the lame and the insane. The Liberal part is also willing but not eager to go to war against evils like the German 3rd Reich but not to protect investors in Arabia.
The Capitalist part firmly believes that Capitalism featuring open and free markets is the best way of creating wealth for all. This Capitalist is completely opposed to cronyism, monopoly and government protection of industries, banks and financial businesses. They, as Capitalism insists, must have the threat of failure to keep them honest. Among many things I believe Federal grazing land should be rented at the same prices as private land. The contrived Gasohol program should be allowed to die of its own inefficiency.
To summarize I believe in a society of free people that join together to create a Capitalist economy where people can live as well as they can free of monopolies and collusion between business and government.
BTW - This ain't easy.
I don't entirely disagree with that. But I think you have a pretty idealized notion of what Capitalism *is*. And what it's inevitable results are.
I'm not just talking about the inequality that today's leftys harp on (though it is a concern to me). I'm talking about the fact that throughout human history- in every society I can name- those with money and power have inevitably used it to acquire... wait for it: more money and power. There IS no difference between Capitalism and crony-capitalism. They are one and the same.
Just as pure socialism leads to some inevitable and nasty results... so does pure capitalism. Every stable and prosperous society uses significant elements of both.
Otherwise you end up with a few Robber Barons feasting on millions of the destitute.
Kinda feels good now to look down one's noses at those "knuckle draggers" eh?
But I tease...
I'm a mixed bag myself. I've voted Republican the past decade and now I'm confronted with the fact that I would have to vote for a Clinton again if I really feared Trump. I've gone back and forth on that one. Just last week I concluded there's NO WAY I could vote for Hillary because my Hillary hate goes waaaaay back! However, the GOP "dong show" debate happened the other day and I came to the conclusion Trump is probably mentally ill. Maybe all politicians are mental. 'Cept for Bernie. He seems sincere, his policies may be insane, but there's no doubt he's authentic.
BTW, my son is totally into Bernie... he's in college and driving for Uber and told me he just talked to a life long Republican who is now supporting Bernie. So it does indeed happen! I believe you!
Yeah man... it feels great
People of your son's generation grew up in a totally different world than you or I did. The self-serving hypocrisy of their elders is on full display... and time is on their side. They WILL get their piece of the pie in time.
I don't expect Bernie to get the nomination... but hoping I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. But if European-style socialism isn't ushered in by Sanders, it WILL be by somebody else.
We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way looks like an old Jewish guy from Vermont. The hard way looks more like the riots in Ferguson.
And you actually think that the Democrats are better?
Oh I dunno. "Better" is a pretty strong word, and I'm not sure I'd apply it to Obama. Certainly not Hillary.
I'll just say 'less destructive'. Obama is definitely less destructive than Bush was. Not sure if that will be true of Hillary... but odds are pretty good that we're gonna find out.
Lol, it's always the same story from life-long liberals. "I was once a die-hard Republican and saw how crazy the party was becoming and I came to my senses and now vote Democrat." Is originality too much to ask? The desperate attempts to denigrate the Republican Party at all cost, even creating stories about your own voting patterns is truly remarkable.
The alternative strategy would be to list accomplishments of the Democrat Party and, post JFK, there just isn`t much to mention and a lot that needs to be not mentioned, so they keep it brief, avoid answering questions directly and always blame Republicans for their screw-ups.
As long as there continues to be an abundance of low-information voters, the present Democrat strategy will work just fine.
Caucus for Bernie all you like. It will get you nowhere. Anyone can see that Monica Lewinski's ex-boyfriend's wife is gonna' be the nominee. THEN you can vote for her. Will that REALLY make you feel better than voting for Trump, Cruz, Rubio or whomever? Democrat....really. More of the last 8 years.....really?
Lol, it's always the same story from life-long liberals. "I was once a die-hard Republican and saw how crazy the party was becoming and I came to my senses and now vote Democrat." Is originality too much to ask? The desperate attempts to denigrate the Republican Party at all cost, even creating stories about your own voting patterns is truly remarkable.
It's really pathetic.
For people like this to claim that they were fans of George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole is nothing more than a brazen lie. I remember the campaigns of 1988, 1992, & 1996 very well, and the Democrats absolutely TRASHED Bush and Dole back then.
Of course, it's easy for Democrats say--so long after their political careers have ended--that they liked Bush and Dole. It's meaningless. What matters is how liberals treated Bush and Dole back when those men had a realistic chance of becoming president.
More and more people are realizing that our D/R skunks are just as corrupt as their counterparts in Kazakhstan, China, Zimbabwe or Russia.
The few truly good politicians, don't stand a chance, in making meaningful change to a broken system.
I think I understand what you're saying here. There's a reason why they call it 'The Washington Consensus.' It would be better if the consensus consisted of admitting the flaws & seeking to remedy the broken systems.
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