Statistics: Posted by Ddawg — Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:58 pm
Statistics: Posted by imuakahuku — Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:21 pm
Statistics: Posted by nuk13 — Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:42 am
"It is a term for the tongue of Babel and should be scrapped" is the best sentence I've read in a long time. I tend to agree with you. I have no clue where I'd be classified. On some things I seem "leftist" and on others not so.Imuakahuku:
I just made the mistake of watching some of the liberal pundits spin the debate results so I am feeling a little testy right now. I hope that what I type communicates what I intend it to. If you detect anything other than friendly discussion please give me the benefit of the doubt.
I have never disagreed with anything you have said, political or sports related. I believe you to be a solid American patriot and I would jump in a foxhole with you anytime.
Though I agree with everything in your last post, I think that your definition of "centrist" may be unique to you.
As I work up to explaining why, I feel the need to lay this groundwork. I totally despise (maybe I should just say, reject) the left-wing/right-wing categorization as a meaningful premise on which to contrast political views. It is way too ambiguous. Further, it is not even of American political origin. It is something that came out of the French revolution not the American founders.
Much of academia believes that the far left-wing is something like a hippy and the far right-wing is something like a nazi. (Which is absurd just about anyway you look at it.) Thus they equate conservatives with Nazi dictators and liberals with freedom loving individuals.
As you said, the only accurate measure of political views is the degree of government one thinks best. Thomas Jefferson made a very similar argument to yours by saying that the kings of Europe represented the extreme manifestation of totalitarian government while the American Indian tribes represented the least form of government. He added that he believed America was closer to the Indians in political ideology than Europe. Thus he would also probably have called himself something of a centrist for the same reasons you have. However, academia and the media have done such a thorough job of erasing this level of critical thinking and understanding of noble ideology from the common American mind that the paradigm no longer exists for most Americans.
So as I see it, even accepting the premise of a left/right contrast is a fools errand because it is so corrupted, there is no way to control the meaning. It is a term for the tongue of Babel and should be scrapped. Plus, I hate anything that is an attempt to tie the bloody French Revolution with American independence.
I apologize that this sounds a bit lecturing. I am blowing off a little steam. Please forgive me and feel free to point out anything I may have overlooked.
Statistics: Posted by tww — Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:55 pm
Statistics: Posted by tww — Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:54 pm
Statistics: Posted by BoiseBYU — Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:44 pm
Statistics: Posted by tww — Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:37 pm
Statistics: Posted by imuakahuku — Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:04 am
The GOP refused to accept a single tax increase. That was the primary stonewall. They refused to compromise because that's what we sent them there to do. And it worked, to the detriment of all progress. Oh, and of the 4 years of house control and 4 years of Senate control, the democrats have controlled 6 of those 8 years. And yet the democrats have posterized the GOP for their inability to compromise and are to blame (obama's favorite word!) for inaction the last four years. But you look at that 6/8 figure and it's really hard to accept.What you are missing is that the Republicans are being portrayed as stonewalling but that is not true. they have presented numerous deals etc but the Dems will not bend. The Senate will not even take up a republican bill when it is passed by the House even with the support of the dems in the House. This whole mess falls on the dems in congress and the white house. They will not yield, they had all the power for two years and instead of addressing the real issues they rammed Obamacare and other such legislation through. They could have passed anything so why no jobs bills? Why no budget? Why are we still having all the issues? Because the agenda came first and the country second (if that).
Statistics: Posted by imuakahuku — Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:21 am
Statistics: Posted by CougarClaw — Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:27 pm