Could I be a moderate?
Some of my opinions just ride the fence:
1) Guns: The right to own a gun is an important one. But I'm not at all into "gun culture" and I support certain types of (IMHO) reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.
2) Environment:
- Animal rights (Treat animals with respect, factory farms are bad, mistreating pets should be illegal)
- But...Animal rights not equal to human rights
- Protection of environment is extremely important
- But...Should always be for the sake of humans and their livelihoods (both short and long-term).
3) Freedom of Speech: There are good reasons to restrict certain types of speech in pubic arenas. Primarily when it's hate speech, or violent/sexual content that might disturb children. Sometimes that puts me in the liberal camp; sometimes the conservative. Chalk this one up to becoming a parent... (BTW, when I say "restrict", I don't always mean "ban".)
4) Health Care in the U.S.: OK - something needs to change. Just please do not try to impose any idealized agenda (whether insanely free market or socialist) on this one. A pragmatic approach is the only reasonable one here!
5) Outsourcing/Globalization: Not a bad thing IF citizens and world leaders have as their *primary* goal to improve the lives of all human beings on this planet. And they are regularly assessing the impact of each and every globalizing policy toward this end.
6) Lifestyle includes:
- middle class income (actually, high, but in a high-priced area)
- a "normal" car (Mazda 6) - not a Volvo or a hybrid, not a gas-guzzling SUV
- "normal", boring clothes
- like (and dislike) all different sorts of films, from independent/artsy to mass-culture blockbusters
- like most types of music. Especially enjoy classical; don't like country or rap (with a few exceptions)
- many boring "suburban" activities (like shopping at Target)
- watching "The Simpsons"
- a modest townhome
- reading "Newsweek"
- appreciating the work and dedication of our politicians, no matter what party
- moderate/independent friends
Thus I conclude that "radical moderate" is the only reasonable description of my politics...
1) Guns: The right to own a gun is an important one. But I'm not at all into "gun culture" and I support certain types of (IMHO) reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.
2) Environment:
- Animal rights (Treat animals with respect, factory farms are bad, mistreating pets should be illegal)
- But...Animal rights not equal to human rights
- Protection of environment is extremely important
- But...Should always be for the sake of humans and their livelihoods (both short and long-term).
3) Freedom of Speech: There are good reasons to restrict certain types of speech in pubic arenas. Primarily when it's hate speech, or violent/sexual content that might disturb children. Sometimes that puts me in the liberal camp; sometimes the conservative. Chalk this one up to becoming a parent... (BTW, when I say "restrict", I don't always mean "ban".)
4) Health Care in the U.S.: OK - something needs to change. Just please do not try to impose any idealized agenda (whether insanely free market or socialist) on this one. A pragmatic approach is the only reasonable one here!
5) Outsourcing/Globalization: Not a bad thing IF citizens and world leaders have as their *primary* goal to improve the lives of all human beings on this planet. And they are regularly assessing the impact of each and every globalizing policy toward this end.
6) Lifestyle includes:
- middle class income (actually, high, but in a high-priced area)
- a "normal" car (Mazda 6) - not a Volvo or a hybrid, not a gas-guzzling SUV
- "normal", boring clothes
- like (and dislike) all different sorts of films, from independent/artsy to mass-culture blockbusters
- like most types of music. Especially enjoy classical; don't like country or rap (with a few exceptions)
- many boring "suburban" activities (like shopping at Target)
- watching "The Simpsons"
- a modest townhome
- reading "Newsweek"
- appreciating the work and dedication of our politicians, no matter what party
- moderate/independent friends
Thus I conclude that "radical moderate" is the only reasonable description of my politics...
posted by Barbara Preuninger at 9/02/2004 07:47:00 PM
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