The Politics Thread (PLAY NICELY!)

Why is there never anyone in the purple box. I like the purple box.

Because there's a surprising correlation between right-wing policies and their implementation as an authoritarian principle.

I've been thinking about it a bit. It's possible for anyone - left, centrist or right, to be authoritarian. But it's harder for someone who believes in state policies, heavy police force, anti-immigration, and so on, and so forth, to have that actualised in a liberal / "libertarian" manner.

Hi this is me



EDIT: Oh well that's depressing:

Also I should note a lot of "right-leaning" policies are typically involving trade, monetary commissions, etc, et al. Sometimes covers how much free speech is good speech.

Typically, "the Right" - insofar as "the Right" is a huge monolithic entity - favours unfettered free speech while "the Left" seeks to curb harmful speech based on social influence. Both of these can be taken to extremes, which is why I prefer a more "centrist" view. Some of my views are decidedly (hard) "Left" though.

EDIT:

Also been a while since I did this, I think I've gotten more Liberal. Pretty much as far left as I was last time which was what, a year ago?

Pretty left-y, but far away from the socialism you are afraid of Kiwi. The thing you are scared of is the view of people like Stalin who is located on the far top left. There is a world of difference between the top and the bottom

Wait a minute. Here in Murica, the Coal industry is and has been booming for years. They produce more electricity for our country than any other single source. Leftists have been trying to drop them off a cliff with new corporate and energy taxes lately, but they're still profitable. The government subsidies don't keep them afloat, per se. Hell, the largest subsidies go to renewables, which aren't cost effective right now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_subsidies#Allocation_of_subsidies_in_the_United_States

Also, for anyone reporting unemployment numbers: they are bogus if they come from the CBO. They completely ignore the millions of people who have not been working for months/years and have stopped looking for work.

TBH I don't even know why unemployment is so hyped by the media. It fluctuates with the downs and ups of the market and there's very little that a government presiding over a regulated free market can do to change that. Short of digging ditches, filling them, and digging them again, at least. Lol. Thanks FDR.

Ok question: who thinks all drugs should be legal because drugs only affect the user and his or her family?

I was talking about an example based on Germany. Id assume that the US has some similar subventions to keep old industries afloat to keep people in their job.

All drugs? Was that a question in the compass?
I did select agree on legal marihuana. Based on the belief/knowlede that drugs like that are not worse than other legal drugs. Smoking and alcohol i just as bad.
Personally I dont smoke anything and also dont drink alcoholic stuff.

ALL drugs: certainly not. No need to make "If you take this you get instant addicted and die in a few years"-stuff legal. But Id like more consistency. Either make alcool and smoking illegal or make illegal but "weak" drugs legal with heavy taxes on them.
Also drugs do affect more than just the user and their families. Depending on the drug the user gets very sick. Our society cares for the sick. So people who ruin their health with drugs cost a lot. Not to mention they are lost as productive workforce for our socitey.

So from that either make the stuff illegal or put heavy taxes on them to pay for the costs.

Some self reflection: I think I realized I react to "right-wing" the way you do to "socialist" kiwi.
When I hear "right-wing" I think of wanna-be dictatorship, xenophobes, etc. "Red flag: They have to be bad!"
Probably not a good association from my side.
Albeit I think I understand why I have that association: WrongCats Dilemma. The vast majority of the right politicians is also very un-freedom, heavy authority.

I do, but not primarily for that reason.

Because the gov. gets to tax them?
Seems fishy to me. I've always had this thing for government conspiracies that include drug cartels. *shifty eyes*

/s

That just isn't true. Australia's been having a bit of an ice problem recently. And it's lead to numerous assaults and fatalities.

@cwarner7264 Sorry pal but I couldn't agree with making it easier to get coked up and then start driving.

If we all agreed on everything, it would be a very boring world indeed

But it would be BETTER. BECOME ONE WITH US. YOUR CULTURE WILL BE ASSIMILATED INTO PERFECTION. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

Well I know it's not true, it was a test. Anything bad that puts strain on medical care and the economy like smoking and hard drugs should be illegal. People end up with diseases that requires medical attention... More taxpayer money.

Problem is: Where do you draw the line? There probably is substantial tax-money damage due to the unhealthy consequences of the ton of sugar found in lemonade or due to mcdonalds fast food.

guys it shouldn't be the question anyways when looking at whether or not to elect Trump as president.

guy1 -"he's gonna create contemporary concentration camps!"
guy2 -"yeah but he'll ban drugs too so that balances that out"

Dude people say he's going to do some radical stuff but guess what: the constitution and the checks and balances system won't let him. The US president is not a dictator.

guy1 -"he's gonna create contemporary concentration camps!"
guy2 - "Dont worry he might want to do that, but the constituion will stop him"

Seriously? Why not vote for somebody who could do something positive?

Is it me, or is "Socialism" in american English, a synonym for Communism?

Because whatever thread about american politics that i see, whenever the whole concept of socialism comes up, words like "USSR" "China" and "Communism" follow almost instantly.