U.S. Politics

[bojanglesman]

People tend to mature throughout their 20s, and their political views are no different. I was a borderline communist in HS, became a right wing nut in college, but steadily became more and more libertarian as I got older.

What's the next phase?  Jewish Nazi?

[Heismanberg]

"borderline communist"

[Johnny English]

I was relatively right wing when I was younger, but have become more moderate as I have grown older and learned more about the world. I'm still absolutely a capitalist - it's hard to be otherwise when you're in the job I am - but I'm also a big fan of the government taking a reasonable amount of it off me and doing stuff for society with that money, because for all their failings they do a damn sight better job of improving the lot of society as a whole with it than I would.

[Tommy]

I was relatively right wing when I was younger, but have become more moderate as I have grown older and learned more about the world. I'm still absolutely a capitalist - it's hard to be otherwise when you're in the job I am - but I'm also a big fan of the government taking a reasonable amount of it off me and doing stuff for society with that money, because for all their failings they do a damn sight better job of improving the lot of society as a whole with it than I would.

I fundamentally agree with this, and I'm not one of those "health care isn't a right!!!" assholes. Health care should be a basic right in today's society, but it isn't an easy solution as liberals make it out to be. The problem I have with liberals today is that they have way too much faith in the government to handle these sorts of issues simply by raising taxes and spending.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

People tend to mature throughout their 20s, and their political views are no different. I was a borderline communist in HS, became a right wing nut in college, but steadily became more and more libertarian as I got older.

I live in a city with a lot of liberal idiots.  I just took a cruise which found me surrounded by right wing idiots.  Some people are just idiots.

Also, after hearing liberals make fun of right wing southern rednecks...I had a right wing southern redneck tell me he wants to kill all California city folk.  That was fun.  Stereotypes cut both ways.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

I fundamentally agree with this, and I'm not one of those "health care isn't a right!!!" assholes. Health care should be a basic right in today's society, but it isn't an easy solution as liberals make it out to be. The problem I have with liberals today is that they have way too much faith in the government to handle these sorts of issues simply by raising taxes and spending.

I love when people point to Canada on health care and Finland on education and fail to grasp the size argument.  Canada has a population barely more than 10% of that of the US.  Finland has a student population smaller than that of Los Angeles Unified.  I'm all in favor of running single payer health care at a very small level.  I don't trust the federal government to do much of anything, and I don't think it does anything well but support donor interests.

[Tommy]

I love when people point to Canada on health care and Finland on education and fail to grasp the size argument.  Canada has a population barely more than 10% of that of the US.  Finland has a student population smaller than that of Los Angeles Unified.  I'm all in favor of running single payer health care at a very small level.  I don't trust the federal government to do much of anything, and I don't think it does anything well but support donor interests.

People also forget that U.S taxpayers already pay more, in terms of percentage of their tax dollars, to Medicare and Medicaid than Canadian taxpayers pay for a single government provider. It's not as simple as "tax the rich、they have too much money lol".

It's funny because all of this information is available to the public, but no one bothers to actually look up the data for themselves. The government's balance sheet for each year is on their website, as is their budget for future years. Most people, liberals and conservatives, just wait for like-minded bloggers or news analysts to interpret the data for them. What happens is a ton of opinions, more than facts, being thrown around the internet. In the past it used to be hearsay and rumors. Now it's a bunch of stupid opinions that are based on nothing. Which is worse?

[Johnny English]

I fundamentally agree with this, and I'm not one of those "health care isn't a right!!!" assholes. Health care should be a basic right in today's society, but it isn't an easy solution as liberals make it out to be. The problem I have with liberals today is that they have way too much faith in the government to handle these sorts of issues simply by raising taxes and spending.

OK, but let's not pretend that those on the left are the only party who want to tax and spend. I'm just more supportive of those who want to tax the wealthy and use it to help the less fortunate than those who want to tax the middle class and pour it into the military-industrial complex.

[Miamipuck]

People tend to mature as they age? There's still hope for me?

[Miamipuck]

OK, but let's not pretend that those on the left are the only party who want to tax and spend. I'm just more supportive of those who want to tax the wealthy and use it to help the less fortunate than those who want to tax the middle class and pour it into the military-industrial complex.

Oh great another commie pinko that doesn't want the top 10% to literally own everything, what's wrong with you man?

My greatest problem, is the wealth disparity that we are just sitting here, watching unfold before our eyes. It's ridiculous and it will be our downfall. As the middle class, with voting power, I am saying we are just slowly but surely giving away everything. We are freaking dumb.

[Badger]

People also forget that U.S taxpayers already pay more, in terms of percentage of their tax dollars, to Medicare and Medicaid than Canadian taxpayers pay for a single government provider. It's not as simple as "tax the rich、they have too much money lol".

It's funny because all of this information is available to the public, but no one bothers to actually look up the data for themselves. The government's balance sheet for each year is on their website, as is their budget for future years. Most people, liberals and conservatives, just wait for like-minded bloggers or news analysts to interpret the data for them. What happens is a ton of opinions, more than facts, being thrown around the internet. In the past it used to be hearsay and rumors. Now it's a bunch of stupid opinions that are based on nothing. Which is worse?

But they said we have worse healthcare than Cuba doe

[Badger]

I live in a city with a lot of liberal idiots.  I just took a cruise which found me surrounded by right wing idiots.  Some people are just idiots.

Also, after hearing liberals make fun of right wing southern rednecks...I had a right wing southern redneck tell me he wants to kill all California city folk.  That was fun.  Stereotypes cut both ways.

Kind of off topic, but do you know a lot of people who are "spiritual but not religious"?

[dcm1602]

OK, but let's not pretend that those on the left are the only party who want to tax and spend. I'm just more supportive of those who want to tax the wealthy and use it to help the less fortunate than those who want to tax the middle class and pour it into the military-industrial complex.

Let's be honest the right doesn't want to tax the middle class, there's no money there.

The difference is the treatment of the rich and the poor. Both parties are relatively similar on the middle Class

The right wants the poor to pay something, the left wants to give them something

The lefts definition if mega rich is like over 100k a year (im pulling this number out of my derriere)  the rights might be over 1million a year


Both parties will give all their friends and buddies bullshit money

The right might give money to corporations and crap, the left gives it to big unions and big union companies. There's very little difference between the corruption on each side

Which is why I don't think of myself as liking the right, I just hate the left more

[bojanglesman]

Until you realize you are an idiot, you are an even bigger idiot.

[Badger]

Let's be honest the right doesn't want to tax the middle class, there's no money there.

The difference is the treatment of the rich and the poor. Both parties are relatively similar on the middle Class

The right wants the poor to pay something, the left wants to give them something

The lefts definition if mega rich is like over 100k a year (im pulling this number out of my derriere)  the rights might be over 1million a year

I think this was closer to the go-to number:

Based on 2009 tax year filing data, the Internal Revenue Service says an adjusted gross income, or AGI, of $343,927 or more will put you in the top 1 percent of taxpayers.