Summary of political beliefs

[??????????]

Wow, mandatory abortion? If you were the leader of my nation I'd openly call for a military coup of your dictatorship.

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

Dictatorship? Did you read the "constitutional issues" part? The part specifying a more potent democracy then currently exists anywhere? *smirk*

If I was the leader of your nation, their would be no need for a coup, you could immigrate to a sociopath-allowing country if you so wanted. Meanwhile citizens of my country would enjoy a sociopath-free society(well, a few generations down the line). Compared to a society suffering sociopaths(as the well as the "race to the bottom" effect they have on the morality of non-sociopaths) it would be veritably utopian.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Wow, mandatory abortion? If you were the leader of my nation I'd openly call for a military coup of your dictatorship.

^^^^

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

I'm curious: do you think the (mainland)Chinese people should stage a coup against their government on account of the one-child policy enforced(often through forced abortions) there?

[You kip if you want to...]

However, increase the size of the Commons so for every 100,000 people in Britain, there is a representative.

!!!

The Commons is already huge.

If there was an MP to every 100,000 people, that'd be 440 MPs for 44,000,000 eligible voters, so the commons would actually lose 210 MPs...

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Economic Issues:

Budget: We need to cut wasteful spending on, for example, the military and defence, and increase on things like the NHS, education and pensions.

Income Tax: Cut taxes for the poor and working class. Increase on the rich.

Green Taxes: I support them.

Privatisation: Against. We should re-nationalize everything that Labour and the Tories have privatised since 1979.

Domestic Issues:

Education: Abolish student top-up fees. Increase teacher's pay and abolish unneeded testing. Reduce class sizes. 
 
Labour Unions: I support them. Give them more power.

Law and Order: I strongly oppose the death penalty. I think that law and order is an area where spending can be reduced.

Public transport: Re-nationalize British Rail.

Immigration: End all restrictions. Grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.
 
Social Issues:

Gay Rights: Strongly support same-sex marriage and adoption.

Euthanasia: There should be a legal option for you to end your life in any situation.
 
Abortion: Strongly pro-choice.   

Drinking Age: Abolish drinking age limit.

Foregin Issues:

European Union: Has it's good points and bad points. I support staying in.
Iraq and Afghanistan: Withdraw from both countries as soon as possible.

Constituional Issues:

Voting Reform: I support either a PR, AV or IRV system to replace FPTP. I also support a registered voting system like the USA have, and i also support Primaries, like in the USA.

Monarchy: I support abolishing the Monarchy. After that, we should put in place Presidential Elections every four years, on a fixed date. We should keep the House of Commons (but use one of the alternative voting systems that i mentioned above), and the Leader of the biggest party should be the Prime Minister. We should make the House of Lords into an elected Senate (again, using one of the alternative voting systems that i mentioned above).

[dialectical fetishist]

Privatisation: Against. We should re-nationalize everything that Labour and the Tories have privatised since 1979.

+road haulage

[??????????]

Yes rockingham. The Chinese govt is a horribly repressive body which should be destroyed by actual believers in freedom, unlike you.

[dialectical fetishist]

Constitutional Issues

Summary - Radicalism

Monarchy - Abolish and replace with an elected head of state who would have powers somewhat similar to those of the US president. The head of state would be elected every 3 years in separate presidential elections.

Second chamber - Abolish the House of Lords by flooding it with friendly peers and leave the Commons as the only body able to create legislation. However, increase the size of the Commons so for every 100,000 people in Britain, there is a representative.

Fixed elections - Hold Commons elections biannually. The party with the most seats in the Commons would form the new legislative government and have Prime Minister. The Prime Minister would have somewhat less power than now.

Constitution - Create a Bill of Rights to protect British liberties, and empower the Supreme Court to defend them. Also, codify the constitution. Amendments would be approved first by a vote of over 60% in the Commons and then by a national referendum.

Devolution - Every region shall be granted an assembly with Swiss canton style powers. The regions shall be roughly drawn up along traditional county lines. Elections to the Assembly would be held annually. Each Assembly would also have a constitution.

Local government - Abolish the confusing current system and instead create one type of Local Authority. Municipal elections are to be held annually, as they are now.

Voting system - Saint-Lague proportional representation for the Commons and Assemblies. Local government to be elected via FPTP. Voting age to be lowered to 16 for general and Assembly elections and 14 for municipal elections. Those serving under 20 years in prison or those who are mentally ill shall be granted suffrage.

Church of England - Disestablish and create a secular Britain. Disestablish the Church of Scotland too

Criminal code - Create one.

Moral issues

Summary - Broadly communitarian

Gay marriage - Get the state out of marriage, preferably. If not, then simply legalise gay marriage along the same sort of lines as normal marriage. While we're at it, legalise polygamy. Finally, end the ban on MSM's giving blood.

Abortion - Leave week limit as it is. Partial-birth abortion should be banned however. Allow abortion on request.

Smoking ban - Everyone has the right to clean air. Keep it.

Fox hunting - Keep illegal and possibly extend the ban to all hunting. It is simply cruelty in the name of 'sport'

Euthanasia - Legalise, I don't see any reasons for forcing people to live if they are of sound mind and have expressed their wish to end their life.

Prostitution - I have no problem with call girls etc., but pimping, brothels and street prostitution should all remain illegal and be punished harshly.

Death penalty - Restore for murder, treason and terrorism and gun ownership. Method of execution should be firing squad. Also, make sure those serving life sentences cannot be released before 40 years have elapsed.

Drugs - Legalise soft drugs (i.e., cannabis, amphetamines, LSD) and tax them at a rate similar to tobacco. The War on Drugs has been an utter failure.

Age of consent - Lower to 14 13. The current laws are pretty ridiculous to be quite honest.

Gun control - Keep all guns banned. They're a menace.

Civil liberties - Scrap the ID card scheme, lower the detention without trial limit to 7 days, stop keeping innocent people's fingerprints etc.

Censorship - The new constitution would prevent the government banning anything it does not like.

Sunday trading - Oppose.

Economic issues

Summary - Socialist

Ministry - Abolish the Treasury etc. and create a huge Department for Economic Planning and Reconstruction with one superminister and many subministers.

Public ownership - My most important issue. All of the following should be taken completely under national control: Coal, railways, iron and steel, electricity, oil, aerospace, sugar, cement, insurance, land, textiles, road haulage (involved in haulage of publicly owned goods), telecoms, civil aviation, ports and shipbuilding. The following should be municipally controlled: water, gas and buses. Some banking should also be nationalised. Finally, all formerly British car manufacturers should be nationalised and reorganised. Re-privatisation of the auto industry could possibly take place later. Bus, truck, motorbike and van manufacture should also be nationalised. A National Economic Planning Council should be established to organise co-operation between nationalised industry. Commence MASSIVE reconstruction of British manufacturing - paper and cotton industries should also be revived under national control.

Trade - Tariffs on coal, iron, steel, cotton and automobiles to protect British industry. Possibly extend elsewhere later on. In particular, focus on raising quality standards thus keeping out mass produced Asian goods and allowing British businesses with higher wage rates to compete.

Taxation - Introduce land value taxation. Abolish income tax for those earning under £20,000 per annum and levy a top rate of 90% on those who earn over £1,000,000 per annum. Income redistribution should be a primary aim. Abolish inheritance tax except on the very rich. Introduce some carbon taxes to encourage cleaner and more efficient industry. Make National Insurance a progressive rather than flat tax.

Healthcare - Abolish prescription charges and renationalise health services such as cleaning which are privately owned. Launch a new campaign to stamp out venereal disease and offer free contraception in high schools and colleges. Take up Labour's pledge to allow people to see a cancer specialist within a week. Nationalise all private healthcare. I'm largely indifferent to polytechnics.. let the community decide.

Education - Add Finance to the high school curriculum and remove R.E. Require ALL schools to teach sex education. Nationalise religious and private schools. Bring back free school milk and ensure free, healthy school meals for primary school children. Raise EMA limit and drastically lower tuition fees. End single-gender schools.

Minimum Wage - Raise to £8.50 in 2010 pounds and fix it to inflation. Equalise the 18-21 rate with this. The 16-17 rate should be raised and tied to inflation at £5.50

Welfare - Introduce month long paternity leave. Create a 'national care service' for the elderly. Legislate to enforce an 8 hour working day for blue-collar workers and introduce a workfare system for unemployment benefits.

Energy - Focus on solar and hydro-electric power. Use wind or nuclear power only if absolutely neccesary.

Environment - Invest heavily in home insulation and clean electricity. Introduce a system of polluter permits for industry.

Immigration - Keep as it is pretty much, maybe an Australian style system.

Pensions - Restore average earnings link.

Equal pay - Sign into law an act requiring all companies with over 100 employees to issue reports annually related to men and women's pay. Prosecute businesses that clearly discriminate on basis of gender. Also, create a new act ensuring that equal pay extends also to racial, disability, sexuality grounds.

Affirmative action - Support on class and gender basis. Oppose on racial basis.

Unions - Repeal ALL Thatcher and Major legislation that restricted trade union action. Work for collective bargaining.

Anti-trust law - Enforce vigorously. Large supermarket chains and agribusiness to be broken up into smaller, more competitive parts.

Global warming - Doesn't exist.

Foreign Policy

Summary - Socialism in one country

Europe - Second most important issue. QUIT! NOW!!!!!!!!

International organisations - Quit NATO, the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO

Afghanistan - Withdraw troops immediately.

War - Only get involved in wars if we are directly attacked.

Nuclear policy - Third most important issue. Disarm all our nuclear weapons. We have no right to preach to other countries about nuclear weapons until we have  gotten rid of our own.

[President Mitt]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

[dialectical fetishist]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings

[Senator Libertas]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings

Death penalty for gun ownership? lol

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

[Derek]

Haha Guess what mine are:

abortion: Life begins at conception.

Gays: gays in scouts is ok, but scouts have the right to discriminate. Gay marriage is ok, but states should have the right to vote on that. Gays in the military is ok as long as it's not a distraction. Gay adoptions aren't natural.

In God We Trust shall always remain on the penny and the same goes for UNDER GOD!

Death Penalty: strongly AGAINST believe it or not

Affirmative Action: strongly IN FAVOR OF believe it or not

Flag burning is an American's right but that doesn't stop me from getting in someone's way of that.

Health Care: no denial for preexisting conditions
                     allow people to remain on insurance until age 25
                     allow companies to compete across state lines
                     cap of $1,000,000 on frivolous law suits
                     health and medical savings accounts that work like social security

Social Security: Retirement age remains 66.
                         Lock box where congress can't touch it
                         no penalties for recipients regardless of income
                         Invest 20% of it into the private sector so it can gain interest.
                         Money paid into social security in 1965 isn't worth as much now.

Medicare: Protect seniors at all costs. Keep medicare protected like social security.

Welfare: 6 month term limits for recipients
              must choose between welfare and unemployment
              Medicaid is ok even for illegal immigrants. (Yes I said that, same Derek as always.)

Unions: Fundamental Right to Work in all 50 states.
             A good cause has turned into socialism with government ties.

Taxes: 23% VAT on all goods other than food and clothes
            increase user fees to pay off deficit
            REPEAL THE 16TH AMENDMENT!!!
            End all excess taxes; marriage, death, liquor, cigarettes, tobacco, etc.

Trade: Keep NAFTA, CAFTA, and GATT
           Thumbs up to the free market
           Tariffs on imports by water are unconstitutional.
           Reduce tariffs to the lowest possible level but keep what must be kept.

Environment: Cap and trade was a step in the RIGHT direction.
                      I'm all for green jobs.
                      Increase and expand mercury clean up.
                      Keep Alaska wild.
                      Go further to protect endangered species.

Government: Ban soft money to federal campaigns.
                     End tax breaks for campaign donations.
                     Corporations and unions don't vote in elections, people do.
                     Six 2 year terms for the House and Two 6 year terms in the Senate.
                     Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget each year.
                     Cap of $200,000,000 can be spent in a campaign and no one can opt out.
                     I support McCain/Fiengold.

Education: School vouchers in every county of the U.S.
                  Parents choose schools for their children, not politicians like Ted Kennedy.
                  Build more schools with smaller classes.
                  Teachers unions are a monopoly that has lost it's ways.
                  School prayer is ok, but not teacher led.
                  School uniforms are boring.

Guns: fundamental right to gun ownership with no exceptions

Immigration: Illegal immigrants are God's children too.

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

Nice to see you lay of the far-right trolling act for just one post Derek. Paticularly amusing to see you supporting affirmative action "strongly" yet, in another thread, you said you'd vote for George Wallace in 1968.

Yes rockingham. The Chinese govt is a horribly repressive body which should be destroyed by actual believers in freedom, unlike you.

Look genius, allow me to repost part of my self description, thus proving myself a true believer in freedom. Did it not occur to you that people might be willing to vote for a party which supported the elimination of sociopathy, that it would not require tyranny? Probably not now I admit, but sometime in the future.

Constitutional Issues

Summary – Public empowerment+meritocracy

•   Campaign finance reform: Donations of more then a $1000 from any single individual forbidden. Church/business/union role in campaign financing or organization forbidden. Attempts to circumvent this sneakily forbidden.

•   Political representation: The Tasmanian system. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Tasmania)

•   Constitution: A fairly standard set of negative and positive rights(ie. Freedom of speech, entitlement to healthcare/water/food and so on). Distinctively I advocate a greater emphasis on freedom of association then most people embrace, and “freedom of community”(as opposed to the current system of mandatory individualism). Also I see very little value in the right of privacy from the government, so long a checks and balances exist to prevent abuses.

•   Local government – If the citizens took local government seriously, I would support significant Swiss-style devolution. They do not, however. The obvious remedy would be mandatory turnout at elections +making local government more important, but that could backfire.

•   Meritocracy: In many countries, the judiciary has very significant de facto legislative power. Given that precedent, I think the most learned individuals should play a greater role(albeit perhaps not a direct legislative role) in the political system. It is a travesty for example that scientists have not been able to exert more pressure on the political system to act against global warming.

[Derek]

Nice to see you lay of the far-right trolling act for just one post Derek. Paticularly amusing to see you supporting affirmative action "strongly" yet, in another thread, you said you'd vote for George Wallace in 1968.

Yes rockingham. The Chinese govt is a horribly repressive body which should be destroyed by actual believers in freedom, unlike you.

Look genius, allow me to repost part of my self description, thus proving myself a true believer in freedom. Did it not occur to you that people might be willing to vote for a party which supported the elimination of sociopathy, that it would not require tyranny? Probably not now I admit, but sometime in the future.

Constitutional Issues

Summary – Public empowerment+meritocracy

•   Campaign finance reform: Donations of more then a $1000 from any single individual forbidden. Church/business/union role in campaign financing or organization forbidden. Attempts to circumvent this sneakily forbidden.

•   Political representation: The Tasmanian system. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Tasmania)

•   Constitution: A fairly standard set of negative and positive rights(ie. Freedom of speech, entitlement to healthcare/water/food and so on). Distinctively I advocate a greater emphasis on freedom of association then most people embrace, and “freedom of community”(as opposed to the current system of mandatory individualism). Also I see very little value in the right of privacy from the government, so long a checks and balances exist to prevent abuses.

•   Local government – If the citizens took local government seriously, I would support significant Swiss-style devolution. They do not, however. The obvious remedy would be mandatory turnout at elections +making local government more important, but that could backfire.

•   Meritocracy: In many countries, the judiciary has very significant de facto legislative power. Given that precedent, I think the most learned individuals should play a greater role(albeit perhaps not a direct legislative role) in the political system. It is a travesty for example that scientists have not been able to exert more pressure on the political system to act against global warming.

I'm for the states deciding most of these issues. It's called pragmatism. Believe it or not, I'm really not all that far to the right. What is rightwing about having open borders and cap and trade?

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

You're really not all that far to the right?

Derek on Ragheads:

I'd love to see Israel wipe out the middle east except for Iraq because we're working hard to rebuild it.

[Derek]

You're really not all that far to the right?

Derek on Ragheads:

I'd love to see Israel wipe out the middle east except for Iraq because we're working hard to rebuild it.

Haha I'm not going to comment on that. You're calling them ragheads? I'm not stopping you from saying that.

[Derek]

Nice to see you lay of the far-right trolling act for just one post Derek. Paticularly amusing to see you supporting affirmative action "strongly" yet, in another thread, you said you'd vote for George Wallace in 1968.

Yes rockingham. The Chinese govt is a horribly repressive body which should be destroyed by actual believers in freedom, unlike you.

Look genius, allow me to repost part of my self description, thus proving myself a true believer in freedom. Did it not occur to you that people might be willing to vote for a party which supported the elimination of sociopathy, that it would not require tyranny? Probably not now I admit, but sometime in the future.

Constitutional Issues

Summary – Public empowerment+meritocracy

•   Campaign finance reform: Donations of more then a $1000 from any single individual forbidden. Church/business/union role in campaign financing or organization forbidden. Attempts to circumvent this sneakily forbidden.

•   Political representation: The Tasmanian system. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Tasmania)

•   Constitution: A fairly standard set of negative and positive rights(ie. Freedom of speech, entitlement to healthcare/water/food and so on). Distinctively I advocate a greater emphasis on freedom of association then most people embrace, and “freedom of community”(as opposed to the current system of mandatory individualism). Also I see very little value in the right of privacy from the government, so long a checks and balances exist to prevent abuses.

•   Local government – If the citizens took local government seriously, I would support significant Swiss-style devolution. They do not, however. The obvious remedy would be mandatory turnout at elections +making local government more important, but that could backfire.

•   Meritocracy: In many countries, the judiciary has very significant de facto legislative power. Given that precedent, I think the most learned individuals should play a greater role(albeit perhaps not a direct legislative role) in the political system. It is a travesty for example that scientists have not been able to exert more pressure on the political system to act against global warming.

Oh sorry you're saying lay off. I misread what you meant. I'm the type of politician that will take a side if it's a short gain and if I have to adjust my position to advance conservatism I'll do it. Not sure if I made sense there. I consider myself a centrist.

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

You're really not all that far to the right?

Derek on Ragheads:

I'd love to see Israel wipe out the middle east except for Iraq because we're working hard to rebuild it.

Haha I'm not going to comment on that. You're calling them ragheads? I'm not stopping you from saying that.

What? NO, I said "ragheads" sarcastically, on account of your complete disregard for their life.

[Communists For McCain]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings

Death penalty for gun ownership? lol

LOL indeed.
This makes him way worse than the average pro-gun control hack.

[President Mitt]

Death penalty - gun ownership.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings

Death penalty for gun ownership? lol

LOL indeed.
This makes him way worse than the average pro-gun control hack.

yeah, srsly.

I thought you were anti-death penalty too Winston?

[dialectical fetishist]

Briefly.

I never really could stomach being anti-death penalty too much though.

[Dallasfan65]

General Philosophy: Green Conservatism.

//Abortion

Pro life; ban abortion in all trimesters with the exception of the mother's life.

//Marriage & Families

Get government out of marriage. Reform CPS, they are out of control and the foster family system is often abusive and dehumanizing.

//Gun Control

Eliminate all gun control legislation since 1934. Eliminate the 'duty to retreat.'

//Immigration

No guest worker program, amnesty, etc. Focus immigration on skilled workers. If necessary impose a moratorium while we root out fraud and abuse.

//Terrorism

Repeal the Patriot Act, it erodes our rights and freedoms (e.g. probable cause). Repeal the anti-Terrorism Act of '96. Close down DHS. Close down Guantanamo and secret prisons. Terrorism should be treated in much the same way other organized crime is, not as a pretext for highly questionable and seemingly never ending military actions.

//Debt

End the federal reserve. Return all its functions to the treasury. Break up the 'too big to fails.' Drastically reduce federal spending and require balanced budget.

//Personal Tax

Implement Flat tax and perhaps a VAT. Eliminate payroll tax, property tax, marriage tax, and taxes on food/clothing.

//Business Tax

Decrease business taxation and eliminate costly loopholes. Current rates put small business at a competitive disadvantage and allow large corporations to game the system.

//Education

Eliminate No Child Left Behind. Increase Teacher Salaries in exchange for less job security. Expand vouchers; move towards Charter school-based system. Implement more internships and apprenticeships. Implement Uniforms.

//Energy

Invest in alternative energy financed through moderate carbon taxation (re: coal) and simplified write-offs/incentives. Cut back on federal highway system in favor of high speed rail. End oil company subsidies. Explore moon for Helium-3 and other potential resources. Cut oil use significantly by 2025.

//Environment

Commit more funds to toxic waste disposal and regulate use of pesticides more, encouraging alternatives such as biological pest controls or composted yard waste. Eliminate subsidies to factory farms. Promote sustainable urbanism.

//Health Care

Replace entitlements with voucher system and implement market reforms such as full portability, personal deductions, increased transparency, allowing just catastrophic coverage, etc.

//Social Security

Abolish. Replace with tax free savings accounts and means tested benefits for the elderly.

//Labor

Curb disproportionately high CEO incomes by making raises subject to shareholder review. Break up abusive corporations. Co-Ops are a good idea.

//Trade

Exit NAFTA, GATT, WTO, etc. Equalize tariffs with nations that meet environmental and labor standards. End tax incentives for companies sending jobs overseas, encourage investment here.

//Military Intervention

Exit Iraq and Afghanistan. No 'surgical strike' or additional penalties for Iran. Exit NATO.

//Military Funding

Close down foreign bases. Cut military budget by more than 75% excluding pay and benefits.

//United Nations

Withdraw from the United Nations.

You're like a pro-life Mike Gravel.

[realisticidealist]

Rockingham and Derek should both take the Political Matrix test. I think it would be interesting.