Iosif is a COTHO
Mango
Jr. Member
Posts: 470
Political Matrix E: -2.19, S: -5.04
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« on: July 07, 2008, 02:14:58 AM » |
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« edited: July 07, 2008, 02:17:06 AM by Mango »
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Social Issues:
Abortion: Debate has been overrun by extremists. Have to find a middle-way option. Perhaps legal up to 20 weeks, with no abortion-on-demand.
Death Penalty: Strongly oppose in all cases. The state and the courts should not have the power to kill people.
School prayer: Public schools? Oppose.
Separation of church and state: Strongly support.
Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: Support
Gay Marriage: Gay couples should have the same legal rights heterosexual couples have. I have no real problem with it being called 'marriage'. Churches should have the right to refuse to marry gay couples though, that's their prerogative.
Sex Education: Support compulsory sex ed from the age of say, 13. Teaching should cover all types of sexuality. Kids have to know what's what to avoid STD's and unplanned pregnancies. 'Abstinence-only education' is just naive and reckless.
Gun Control: A state's issue. What's good for New York may not be good for Wyoming. Our main priority should be stopping gun crime in the cities. Perhaps some kind of buy-back program in major cities is a good idea.
Drug War & Marijuana: Marijuana should be legal. For harder drugs, there should be no penalties for use, but rehabilitation.
Voting access: Pen and paper voting. Only those currently in jail for serious offences should be prohibited from voting. Though even then I'm not convinced by the reasoning.
Illegal Immigration: Make legal immigration easier. Illegal immigrants currently in the U.S who have caused no problems should be given a path to citizenship. The worst thing about illegal immigration is the exploitation of the immigrants by criminal employers.
I don't know enough about the exact features of the U.S health systems and welfare systems to make an informed comment on them. Suffice to say that I think universal public health care and a fair welfare system are vital to a moral and just society.
Education: Free, good quality, public education should be available to everyone. No government funding of private schools (I don't know how that is in the U.S, but it certainly happens a lot in Australia.)
Taxes: Low for those with little, high for those with a lot. Though I would favor a general lowering of tax rates if it meant severely cutting deductions and other loopholes.
Minimum Wage: Pegged to the inflation rate.
Energy Independence and the Environment: Renewable energies! Do everything possible to reduce our dependence on oil.
Iraq: Only withdraw troops when the Iraqi Government and security forces believe it is okay to do so. To drop everything and leave would be a disastrous and cowardly betrayal , almost as bad as the betrayal when Bush Sr. left the Iraqis.
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