This is the typical introduction item with a twist.  Since this is a
political conf, lets talk about our respective ideologies, talk a little
about how each of us approaches the world philosophically in this day and
age.

21 responses total.

   Okay, I'll go first.  My name is Richard Wallner and I am a lifelong
political junkie.  I live in Washington D.C. and have worked for many
liberal campaigns and causes over the years.  I would describe myself as
a social liberal and a fiscal moderate with some relatively libertarian
views regarding individual rights.  I believe we have a moral 
responsibility to take care of each other and that a government that
does not care has no right to exsist.  But I also believe that anyone who
is a legal adult in this country is responsible for their own behaviour
and that it is not the place of the government to tell people what to
do with their lives.  So I'm strongly pro-choice on the abortion issue,
I'm against discrimination in all forms, and also against all attempts
to blur the lines between church and state in this country.

I'm Steve Weiss, a political observer mostly. I live in Ann Arbor, MI,
and have never been associated with any political campaign beyond running
for member of the Cyberspace Communications Board.

I am probably a little more liberal than conservative, but I'm not really
either. My views are strongly held in each arena, but as a whole are mixed.
Views marked c or l to show how hard it is
to label my views as a whole as conservative or liberal.

* We need limits on welfare - it's being abused badly, and it is 
  motivating laziness, and it is hard to break out of the trap.   (C)
* Strongly Pro Choice.                                            (L)
* Favor Tax reform, e.g. flat tax                                 (C)
* Favor Gun control                                               (L)
* Would like to see tax on capital gains eliminated               (C)
* Strongly against prayer in public schools, or the use of public (L)
  money to fund religious education.
* In favor of seat-belt and helmet laws.                          (L)
* Favor tort reform to limit what you can sue for (and awards)    (C)
* Favor a national health care system                             (L)
* Don't think Clinton is a bad prez, for a democrat 
* I'm voting for Arlen Specter 

Perhaps that means I am a fiscal conservative, but otherwise liberal.

I guess I am basically on the liberal side, although I am usually disappointed
with the Democratic candidate, and also disappointed with any of the 
"other party" types as well.  I would vote Republican sometimes, except
I have be able to sleep at night.  :) :)

I also have mixed liberal/conservative views, depending on the issue.  I
tend toward the liberal side on issues of personal freedom (eg. strong
pro-choice), education, and probably health care.  I am conservative with
finances and law&order.  I favor gun control and capital punishment.  I
think government should get smaller.  I think welfare should become workfare.
I have usually voted Democratic, because I support their views on abortion
and because I dislike Republican views of abortion, gun control, and 
tobacco.  (oops!  Forgot prayer in public school stuff - that would be
bad.  Very bad!)  I wonder if Ross Perot will run again? :-)

zook, you and I aren't going to disagree much in this conf, I see.

I am russell Klingman.  I live on a pig farm in kansas.  I am a Jeffersonian
Democrat.  I will probably vote for Clinton in 96.  Dole has been in office
all my life and I still can't figure out who's pocket he is in.  Welfare
reform, strongly favor.  Gun control, think the govt could go about it with
better sence.  Affirmative action, get rid of it. ficit reduction, have my
own plan that I think would work in the seven year goal and can elaborate on
later.  Foriegn policy, the US is the UN.  Education, can't spend enough on
it.
If interested please respond.
..

The Newsline conf would appear to have an opening for another fw.  Just to
recap, Newsline used tobe the politics conference.  When the World conference
was discontinued, this conf was revamped as a general current events
conference.   Is anyone interested in being a co-fw here? I'd really
appreciate it

I could probably be talked into it. I'd want to change that silly picture of
Clinton that appears in the conf home page under backtalk as a precondition,
though.

heh...okay, well that clinton pic was removed from thewhite house site
anyway Ithink...so I was going to find another pic.  Ifyou so desire, you can
create the html entrance screen.

I'd go for a shot of the knee surgery...   ;)

Looks like I'm the new co-fw. Cool. I have never been fw on Grex for anything
other than a test conference before, would you believe that? Just too busy
with other things, I guess.

libs libs libs its all libs

libs libs libs its all libs

Hi, I'm David Inman from North Carolina. The closest political group I fit
in is the Neo-libertarians. I started out as a moderate democrate that slid
more and more to the right as I got older (I'm still wet behind the ears at
31). I woke up one and looked at the dems and didn't like what I saw and
looked at the reps and didn't like that too much either. So I went searching
for a party that I would fit in. I found the libertarians about 5 years ago
and although I didn't fit 100% it was the closest fit to my views. Then after
the last presidental election I became upset with the libertarian's actions
after the race was over and stopped my support of the group.

I follow politics from the local to national level in my blog. I had the
pleasure of having local canidates as well as some national politicians
comment on my blog. I'm tring to get more envolved with local issues here in
NC. 

I'm glad to be here among you all.

What is a "neo-libertarian," more precisely

Welcome dave.  I think there's a move for a centrist thrid party in this
country.  I'd love to find one that actually supports all ten of the first
ten amendments.

Right.  Just look at how great Joe Lieberman is doing in the CT primary.

shell?

don't understand the question.

How can I raise a new topic?

Are you using the web interface?

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