What political issues are important to you? Why are the important?

[wild175133]

What political issues are important to you? Why are the important?


We are in the middle of a national election. I was just wondering what issues are important to you and why? I was also curious as to the differences of the issues that come out in this thread and what the candidates and media says are important.

Please keep the name calling, insults and snide remarks to a minimum and discuss the issues and not the canidates. Lord knows they already have enough money and people working for them to blow their own horn.

 

[wild175133]

I posted this question on the general board just to see what every one thought and to see if I could get a genuine feel as to what people think is important. To say the leas the answers where a disappointment to me as the answers for the most part were regurgitation of the talking heads you see nightly on tv.

I know by asking the same question here the answeres will be a little skewed. I was just wondering if there would be any differences in how the question was answered. My guess is here people will think before they type and try to back up how they feel with facts.

Let's see how you do.

 

[Etoile]

Interesting that you think the answers will be skewed - what makes you feel this way? Gay and lesbian people can be either liberal or conservative, just like anyone else.

 

[Programmer Cat]

What political issues are important to you? Why are the important?

I consider issues concerning individual rights to be most important. Over the last eight years, I've seen the US trample the rights of the individual to his life, liberty, property, and privacy. I've been strip-searched at airports. I've been stopped while driving for no reason other than 'I look suspicious' only to have some cop demand that I allow him to search my car for drugs. I've known people who have owned their home for 20 years suddenly have their home taken from them by 'eminent domain' because the town thought they could get more tax revenue from a Wal-Mart. I still can't believe that it's the twenty-first century, and we're still allowing the government to decide which relationships between consenting adults are legitimate and which are not. Frankly, I think this government is slouching towards totalitarianism, and neither candidate seems to give a damn. This isn't the America I was taught to believe in, and I don't like it.

 

[wild175133]

Interesting that you think the answers will be skewed - what makes you feel this way? Gay and lesbian people can be either liberal or conservative, just like anyone else.

I appreciate your answer Etoile and I really didn't mean anything by the comment. The last thing I wanted to do was offend any one. Let's face it as a group the gay, bi and lesbian community is heavily skewed towards the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

That being said I think the first mistake people make is to loop those three distinct groups together because each of the three is really seperate from the other and each has their own issues and agenda. Does that mean they can not agree on common ground? No it does not but it is difficult when it is hard to agree on issues and agenda to deal with them.

From your pictures any one can see your a hot sexy women, if any one takes the time to read your past post they can see you have a brain to match. I really am interested as to what is important to you this election cycle and what should be done about it.

 

[wild175133]

I consider issues concerning individual rights to be most important. Over the last eight years, I've seen the US trample the rights of the individual to his life, liberty, property, and privacy. I've been strip-searched at airports. I've been stopped while driving for no reason other than 'I look suspicious' only to have some cop demand that I allow him to search my car for drugs. I've known people who have owned their home for 20 years suddenly have their home taken from them by 'eminent domain' because the town thought they could get more tax revenue from a Wal-Mart. I still can't believe that it's the twenty-first century, and we're still allowing the government to decide which relationships between consenting adults are legitimate and which are not. Frankly, I think this government is slouching towards totalitarianism, and neither candidate seems to give a damn. This isn't the America I was taught to believe in, and I don't like it.

I want to thank you for your reply Programercat, you have stated an issue that has risen not just in the last eight years but an issue we as a country have struggled with since the constitution was ratified and the first congress and first president was elected. The issue of private property will never go away as long as the privileged try to use legitimate and illigitament power to take property from one person or group and give it to another. This is something the congress needs to address to protect the small property owner from the large developers. I agree something needs to be done about the greed of government in which they are always looking for ways to expand their revenue base.

What do you think we should do about this issue?

 

[Etoile]

Two big issues for me this election cycle are probably pretty obvious: repeal of DOMA and repeal of DADT. Basically I want to see an undoing of all the discriminatory laws that have been enacted in recent years. The gay marriage thing is especially important to me because it affects me personally; the military thing doesn't affect me but I am strongly against DADT on principle.

Another issue that I'd like to see highlighted is health care. I have no doubt that if Hillary had secured the Dem nomination and one, fixing health care would be one of her top issues. And I'd like Obama to look into it too.

 

[infinity706]

Interesting that you think the answers will be skewed - what makes you feel this way? Gay and lesbian people can be either liberal or conservative, just like anyone else.

Well, most people in this section would be skewed away from "gay bashing." I doubt there are any glbt people that don't want to have rights either.

 

[wild175133]

What I think should be important this election cycle.
Item One: National Security

To me the most important issue this election cycle should be national security and how we go about securing it. I grew up during the fifties and sixties and attained adulthood in the early seventies. Yeah I have seen a lot of changes in my life time. To be honest they were nothing like the changes my grand parents or even my parents seen in their life time. Part of my life experience in growing up during the cold war was the real threat of a nuclear attack on the United States. Yeah I am part of the duck and cover generation. Yes it has affected my world view.

During my child hood we watched movies and television shows like James Bond Dr. No, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, I Spy, Bat Man, and Mission Impossible. The one thing all of these shows have in common were that they had mythical villain organizations that could reek world wide destruction and terror.

Guess what the future of the fifties and sixties is now in that we have independent organizations that would throw Bat Man and James Bond for a fit. On February 26.1993 The first World trade center bombing occurred by Al Queada killing six people and injuring 1042. Did we learn something from that incident? The answer would be no as it was followed on by the embassy bombings and the suicide bombing of the U.S.S. Cole. Still on April 19, 1995 Timothy Mc Viegh and Terry Nichols showed the world what two dummies with a truck could do when they bombed the Murha Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma killing 168 and injuring 800. Up until that time our governments answer to terrorism was a Justice Department investigation leading to Federal indictments and trail. It was not until The suicide bombing of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City leaving 2998 dead and 6291+ injured. Carried out by a team of 19 Al Qeada terrorist we changed our policy on terrorism. Never before in the history of the world could so few cause so much death and destruction.

There has been a lot of debate in our country about the change in policy from being a law enforcement issue in dealing with terrorist after they have committed an attack. To being proactive and preventing terrorist acts before they occur. It is an issue that has divided our political system to the point to where there is a deep divide in our country. I really think one party is on the wrong side of the issue in this case so much so I feel they are giving aid and comfort to our enemy. Under current policy we do have them on the run. We have currently stretched their resources and capabilities to the point where they can not operate outside of their region of influence. We need to keep them on the run and keep chasing them till they run in to the ground.

On this issue there are distinct differences not only among the candidates but also the parties. I think what is best for the country is the proactive approach in that we deal with terroist before they have a chance to commit murder and mayhem in our country. If that means the rest of the world looks at us as a bunch of arrogant cowboys then that is tough shit. The time has come to past where we can not afford the luxury of trying to show the rest of the world how nice we are or how understanding we are. We just need to wake up to the fact there are those in the world who look at us as the enemy no matter what our political philosophy is.

 

[alaskabibear]

You mean "pro-active" against "terrorists" like the Russians in their recent invasion of Georgia? Or perhaps like the Chinese in the recent crackdown in Tibet? Or maybe the good 'ole USA when we invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq based on intentional lies and trumped up fear? Heck, even Iran now has a "war on terrorism" (can you guess who their "terrorists" are?). Pretty soon everyone in the world will be on someones "terrorist" list!

Oh, it sounds good to say we can just whup-ass all around the world, but I think we should all understand by now that such a "solution" will ultimately just leave us friendless and isolated in the family of nations (not to mention hopelessly in debt for generations!). It is folly to think that by force we can "convert" the billions of people in the mid-east and asia to see things our way.

Had we had true leadership after the fall of the former Soviet Union (instead of the "kick-ass cowboy" mentality), there is no saying what type of world we would be living in today. No, this bunker mentality of "kill 'em all" is not the course to a better world. I mean you said it yourself, these atrocities of "terrorism" were committed by small isolated groups of criminals. Where we let our guard down was in good 'ole intelligence gathering and police work - it doesn't take an army to foil a Tim McViegh or 19 foreigners.

So, the one thing most important IMO; World Over-Population (which by the way no one is even talking about). Over population is driving all of the problems we face as humans - you name it; energy shortages leading to economic woes and lifestyle disruptions, food shortages leading to deforestation leading to increased climate issues leading to famines, corporate multi-nationalists feeding on this surge in population which is leading to the creation of a new "royalty" of corporate elitists who are growing more powerful than any government... and on and on. Everyone is all excited now about energy shortages and global climate change. But, without some thought to the impending crisis of over-population these issues will be soon seen as simply symptoms of the greater problem of just too many people.

 

[Etoile]

Agreed. I am honestly ashamed to live in a country that sees itself as the world police.

 

[alaskabibear]

Agreed. I am honestly ashamed to live in a country that sees itself as the world police.

Worse than that; it is such a loosing proposition! It has been tried - the ashes of former "police nations" are a testament to the futility. Me thinks a better effort would be to spend our money and good will to try to unite other nations in cooperation rather than futile control and domination.

 

[none2_none2]

Agreed. I am honestly ashamed to live in a country that sees itself as the world police.

Do realize that in some ways the US is caught in a catch-22. If we don't go into a conflict (or at least not in a timely fashion), we are accused of not caring -- ie late arrival into former Yogoslavia, late arrival and short lived stay in Somalia, not being in Sudan, not going to Rwanda when they had the Tutsi massacre. For those examples, we were accused of being anti-Islamic for not being there to save muslem's and also for being racists for the examples given in Africa and also that had these people in these examples had oil we would have rushed in to save them. So we are damned if we do police these conflicts as well as damned if we don't.

 

[wild175133]

You mean "pro-active" against "terrorists" like the Russians in their recent invasion of Georgia? Or perhaps like the Chinese in the recent crackdown in Tibet? Or maybe the good 'ole USA when we invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq based on intentional lies and trumped up fear? Heck, even Iran now has a "war on terrorism" (can you guess who their "terrorists" are?). Pretty soon everyone in the world will be on someones "terrorist" list!

Oh, it sounds good to say we can just whup-ass all around the world, but I think we should all understand by now that such a "solution" will ultimately just leave us friendless and isolated in the family of nations (not to mention hopelessly in debt for generations!). It is folly to think that by force we can "convert" the billions of people in the mid-east and asia to see things our way.

Had we had true leadership after the fall of the former Soviet Union (instead of the "kick-ass cowboy" mentality), there is no saying what type of world we would be living in today. No, this bunker mentality of "kill 'em all" is not the course to a better world. I mean you said it yourself, these atrocities of "terrorism" were committed by small isolated groups of criminals. Where we let our guard down was in good 'ole intelligence gathering and police work - it doesn't take an army to foil a Tim McViegh or 19 foreigners.

So, the one thing most important IMO; World Over-Population (which by the way no one is even talking about). Over population is driving all of the problems we face as humans - you name it; energy shortages leading to economic woes and lifestyle disruptions, food shortages leading to deforestation leading to increased climate issues leading to famines, corporate multi-nationalists feeding on this surge in population which is leading to the creation of a new "royalty" of corporate elitists who are growing more powerful than any government... and on and on. Everyone is all excited now about energy shortages and global climate change. But, without some thought to the impending crisis of over-population these issues will be soon seen as simply symptoms of the greater problem of just too many people.

you have raised some serious issues here; Let's just say I made you the King of the world. Now what are you going to do about it?

Lets start off with over population how would King Alaska Bear go about solving that problem?

From what you are saying once we have that one solved the rest of the worlds problems would take care of them selves in the long run. You really believe that?

What should we do about multi-national corporations who hold no alliagence to any country in the world? How should we regulate them?

 

[LadyC]

Not being un-American. If you read Obama's books, you will be awakened to the sort of person he truly is. A lot of the stuff he has written make Rev Wright's: "Goddamn America!" seem patriotic!

 

[blklthrjkt]

Our country is in a sorry place right now. We have lost the respect of the world and have surrendered our moral high ground to a bunch of corporate profiteers who find no problem in starting wars to make money. These are the same folks who see no problem in torture, even if it gets lousy results and no really valuable information.

Bush and his clone, John McCain are willing to sacrifice the real ideas of our fuonding fathers in order to pander to the fanatical fundamentalists. Look how well that has worked for other countries?

As far as Obama, if you read those books you will find a person who is much better suited to lead America back into a role as a respected and free country. His ability to inspire people should not be undervalued. It has been decades since we had a president who inspired our country's citizens and it's long overdue.

 

[blklthrjkt]

Ooops! Forgot to answer the question. My most important issue is regime change. We need a government that is responsible to the people and a president who is not trying to garner dictatorial powers like Bush.

 

[LadyC]

Our country is in a sorry place right now. We have lost the respect of the world and have surrendered our moral high ground to a bunch of corporate profiteers who find no problem in starting wars to make money. These are the same folks who see no problem in torture, even if it gets lousy results and no really valuable information.

Bush and his clone, John McCain are willing to sacrifice the real ideas of our fuonding fathers in order to pander to the fanatical fundamentalists. Look how well that has worked for other countries?

As far as Obama, if you read those books you will find a person who is much better suited to lead America back into a role as a respected and free country. His ability to inspire people should not be undervalued. It has been decades since we had a president who inspired our country's citizens and it's long overdue.

Read Obama's books and you'll see he will lead the country into the Abyss.

 

[alaskabibear]

Do realize that in some ways the US is caught in a catch-22. If we don't go into a conflict (or at least not in a timely fashion), we are accused of not caring -- ie late arrival into former Yogoslavia, late arrival and short lived stay in Somalia, not being in Sudan, not going to Rwanda when they had the Tutsi massacre. For those examples, we were accused of being anti-Islamic for not being there to save muslem's and also for being racists for the examples given in Africa and also that had these people in these examples had oil we would have rushed in to save them. So we are damned if we do police these conflicts as well as damned if we don't.

Yes, at this time we do get blamed by someone regardless of what action we take. But it seems to me that is simply because everyone expects us to rush in and spend the money and blood to try and solve some problem. But, is it not we who have trained them to expect this from us? Perhaps if we took some lessons from other nations and not be so quick to meddle (or perhaps do our meddling diplomatically behind the scenes), the nations of the world would soon accept that we're not coming to the rescue. If they learn to not expect us to butt in, they probably will stop criticizing us when we don't. (Perhaps if we just tell the truth and say we're broke and China will not loan us anymore $, they will understand?)

As to the "oil" issue; well, these people who say we only meddle where oil is concerned are probably correct. And even if they are not, perception and opinion is about 90% of one's truth (so we've lost their support regardless). Unfortunately we as a nation have put ourselves in the position of this "perception" actually being an all to true reality for our own continued survival. But regarding energy, what we truly need to have is leadership that will put the long term interests of our national sovereignty ahead of short term financial gain by the corporate elite. I don't think such leadership will be forthcoming however - it takes more than one president, it takes committed patriots in all branches of the government working for the overall good of the nation to accomplish such great things. Unfortunately what we have instead is a system built up over the years to keep a certain group in power - and that power is most always used to further enrich that very same group that holds the power. A century ago this "power group" was for the most part still American at heart. Selfish and greedy yes, but still American. However, now this "power group" consists of multinational players who hold allegiance only to themselves. If this is true, how can we expect any true leadership to emerge and change the course of this nation?

But, not to despair - such has the world always been and always will be. Problems come, and problems go, people live, and people die... and still it all goes on as from the beginning of time...

 

[alaskabibear]

you have raised some serious issues here; Let's just say I made you the King of the world. Now what are you going to do about it?

Lets start off with over population how would King Alaska Bear go about solving that problem?

From what you are saying once we have that one solved the rest of the worlds problems would take care of them selves in the long run. You really believe that?

What should we do about multi-national corporations who hold no alliagence to any country in the world? How should we regulate them?

You just asked for an opinion as to "big issues". I have put one out. I never said I should be King, nor do I claim to have "the solution". As to thinking that all the "rest of the world's problems would take care of themselves"; well, only a fool would ever think that. We will have problems as long as the Earth exists - it is a part of life. So, I'll just leave it as an "issue" and you can contemplate it a bit and decide if overpopulation is a serious problem or not.

 

[limplizzard]

Read Obama's books and you'll see he will lead the country into the Abyss.

I want to congratulate you for being so right about Obama. THANKS

 

[LadyC]

I want to congratulate you for being so right about Obama. THANKS

The Obama girls (of both sexes) say he's a change. Castro was a change in Cuba; Hitler was a change in Germany; G.W. Bush was our last change in the U.S.

 

[Etoile]

The Obama girls (of both sexes) say he's a change. Castro was a change in Cuba; Hitler was a change in Germany; G.W. Bush was our last change in the U.S.

Right, and since GWB was our last change in the US, we need another change to fix it.

 

[LadyC]

Right, and since GWB was our last change in the US, we need another change to fix it.

Obama is NOT a positive change. Neither is the other dude. Either way the USA is fucked.

 

[Etoile]

Obama is NOT a positive change. Neither is the other dude. Either way the USA is fucked.

I'm voting for Obama anyway. Call it the lesser of two evils if you like.