I am a pretty calm man, but I got a few pet peeves. One of them is people on the left that refer to President Clinton as a Republican and trash his administration, the GOP does that enough (well not the call him a Republican part) we don't need to partake in that. So I thought I would write this explaining why I am a strong supporter of President Clinton and why I now support Senator Edwards and Senator Obama.
Let me start off with President Clinton, I know he can't be described as a progressive, that he is a moderate Democrat who is a member of the DLC. But that doesn't mean he is not a Democrat. The Democratic Party is a big tent party made up of liberals and moderates and we need to be united to defeat the Republicans. Let's examine his record as President shall we:
1. NAFTA: One of his major policy decisions early in his Presidency, the big complain with NAFTA is that it does not include worker protections clauses. When I was in college I learned that the lack of worker protections clauses were due to the insistence of the Mexican government. Should the US have been more insistent on adding these sure but it didn't happen that way, perhaps if a progressive wins the White House in 2008 they can change this.
2.Don't ask Don't tell: A compromise that allowed homosexuals in the military provided they don't share. Should we change it now, of course but at the time it was what could pass.
3.DOMA: Ok this was a bad idea, no getting around that
4.Rwanda: A major failure for not acting but after the disaster in Somalia the previous year no US President would get involved in Rwanda.
Now for some of President Clinton accomplishments: 22 million new jobs, Family Leave, Americorps, expanding head start, Brady Bill, Assault Weapons Ban, Helping with the cease-fire in Northern Ireland, inflation and unemployment at record lows, leaving office with a budget surplus.
I also learned in college political parties dominance comes into power. The last two being the present GOP Rule (1980-Present) and the Democratic Rule (1932-1980). Both have similar characteristics. Both start off with charismatic leaders who win big (FDR, Reagan) both have a period of opposition (Eisenhower/Nixon/Ford, Clinton) and both end with dismal Presidencies (Carter, Bush).
Look I know President Clinton compromised and use triangulation but that is what he had to do at the time. The US is a nation that likes to move in small steps so before we can go from a period of Republican Rule to a period of Progressive Rule we need an in-between, that was Clinton was he gave a win when we needed it and opened the country up to the idea of Democrats in power.
So that why I now support Senator Edwards and Obama, they are the strong leaders to start this era of progressive rule. But we can't forget about President Clinton and what he has done for the party. I am proud of all three of them.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
My Right Wing Tendencies
I’ve come to realize that very few people are 100% liberal or 100% conservative; most of us have tendencies from the other side of the spectrum. I thought it would be interesting to list these right wing tendencies of mine and perhaps my fellow readers can list what their right wing tendencies are as well. Hopefully this won’t cause too much conflict and it could be fun to talk about. So without further ado here they are.
I have two of them:
Support of the Death Penalty: For as long as I can remember I have been a supporter of the death penalty. I suppose I got that view from my parents but I now have my own reasons for supporting it. I know it not a deterrent but to me if you commit a truly heinous crime and take a life or lives then you really don’t deserve your own. I’ve also heard that for some families, not all, that it brings them a sense of closure. I also believe that if the Death Penalty is in force then you got to make damn sure that you got the right guy. Also a temporary moratorium might be in order until we figure out who on death row deserves to be there and who (if any) the innocent ones are.
Welfare Reform: This is the second right wing tendency that I have. While I have no problem with social welfare programs I’ve think that a time a family gets to be on welfare should not be limitless. Perhaps it should be a little longer than five years but not limitless. After a certain amount of time a family should be able to survive on their own.
Now that I’ve done that let me list my left wing tendencies for you:
Universal Health Care: A state has a responsibility to see that all it citizens can afford to see a doctor. Having 47 million Americans without Health Insurance is not right; and this is not socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is when the state runs every aspect of health care. If the US got socialized medicine it would probably be like the Canadian system where the state pays the bills but the hospitals and other aspects are private. If taxes have to got up for this to happen so what?
Pro-Choice: I think it funny Republicans always talk about a nanny state and yet they are pro life. Women have a right over their bodies and can decide what to do with the baby growing inside of them.
Wiretapping: It's legal as long as a warrant is obtained
Stem Cell Research: I am very much in support of this issue, the lives it could save in the future is something we can’t ignore.
Right to Die: The model that Oregon has for its Death with Dignity Act needs to be followed.
Gun Control: I think law abiding citizens should be allowed to own guns but there no need for assualt weapons to be used by anybody but the military.
Gay Rights: The 14th amendment says equal rights for all Americans so gay marriage should be allowed. Civil unions are unconstitutional because last time I checked the Supreme court outlawed separate but equal. Personal feelings have no bearing on the law.
Body
I have two of them:
1. Support of the Death Penalty: For as long as I can remember I have been a supporter of the death penalty. I suppose I got that view from my parents but I now have my own reasons for supporting it. I know it not a deterrent but to me if you commit a truly heinous crime and take a life or lives then you really don’t deserve your own. I’ve also heard that for some families, not all, that it brings them a sense of closure. I also believe that if the Death Penalty is in force then you got to make damn sure that you got the right guy. Also a temporary moratorium might be in order until we figure out who on death row deserves to be there and who (if any) the innocent ones are.
2. Welfare Reform: This is the second right wing tendency that I have. While I have no problem with social welfare programs I’ve think that a time a family gets to be on welfare should not be limitless. Perhaps it should be a little longer than five years but not limitless. After a certain amount of time a family should be able to survive on their own.
Now that I’ve done that let me list my left wing tendencies for you:
1. Universal Health Care: A state has a responsibility to see that all it citizens can afford to see a doctor. Having 47 million Americans without Health Insurance is not right; and this is not socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is when the state runs every aspect of health care. If the US got socialized medicine it would probably be like the Canadian system where the state pays the bills but the hospitals and other aspects are private. If taxes have to got up for this to happen so what?
2. Pro-Choice: I think it funny Republicans always talk about a nanny state and yet they are pro life. Women have a right over their bodies and can decide what to do with the baby growing inside of them.
3. Wiretapping: It's legal as long as a warrant is obtained
4. Stem Cell Research: I am very much in support of this issue, the lives it could save in the future is something we can’t ignore.
5. Right to Die: The model that Oregon has for its Death with Dignity Act needs to be followed.
6. Gun Control: I think law abiding citizens should be allowed to own guns but there no need for assualt weapons to be used by anybody but the military.
7. Gay Rights: The 14th amendment says equal rights for all Americans so gay marriage should be allowed. Civil unions are unconstitutional because last time I checked the Supreme court outlawed separate but equal. Personal feelings have no bearing on the law.
I have two of them:
Support of the Death Penalty: For as long as I can remember I have been a supporter of the death penalty. I suppose I got that view from my parents but I now have my own reasons for supporting it. I know it not a deterrent but to me if you commit a truly heinous crime and take a life or lives then you really don’t deserve your own. I’ve also heard that for some families, not all, that it brings them a sense of closure. I also believe that if the Death Penalty is in force then you got to make damn sure that you got the right guy. Also a temporary moratorium might be in order until we figure out who on death row deserves to be there and who (if any) the innocent ones are.
Welfare Reform: This is the second right wing tendency that I have. While I have no problem with social welfare programs I’ve think that a time a family gets to be on welfare should not be limitless. Perhaps it should be a little longer than five years but not limitless. After a certain amount of time a family should be able to survive on their own.
Now that I’ve done that let me list my left wing tendencies for you:
Universal Health Care: A state has a responsibility to see that all it citizens can afford to see a doctor. Having 47 million Americans without Health Insurance is not right; and this is not socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is when the state runs every aspect of health care. If the US got socialized medicine it would probably be like the Canadian system where the state pays the bills but the hospitals and other aspects are private. If taxes have to got up for this to happen so what?
Pro-Choice: I think it funny Republicans always talk about a nanny state and yet they are pro life. Women have a right over their bodies and can decide what to do with the baby growing inside of them.
Wiretapping: It's legal as long as a warrant is obtained
Stem Cell Research: I am very much in support of this issue, the lives it could save in the future is something we can’t ignore.
Right to Die: The model that Oregon has for its Death with Dignity Act needs to be followed.
Gun Control: I think law abiding citizens should be allowed to own guns but there no need for assualt weapons to be used by anybody but the military.
Gay Rights: The 14th amendment says equal rights for all Americans so gay marriage should be allowed. Civil unions are unconstitutional because last time I checked the Supreme court outlawed separate but equal. Personal feelings have no bearing on the law.
Body
I have two of them:
1. Support of the Death Penalty: For as long as I can remember I have been a supporter of the death penalty. I suppose I got that view from my parents but I now have my own reasons for supporting it. I know it not a deterrent but to me if you commit a truly heinous crime and take a life or lives then you really don’t deserve your own. I’ve also heard that for some families, not all, that it brings them a sense of closure. I also believe that if the Death Penalty is in force then you got to make damn sure that you got the right guy. Also a temporary moratorium might be in order until we figure out who on death row deserves to be there and who (if any) the innocent ones are.
2. Welfare Reform: This is the second right wing tendency that I have. While I have no problem with social welfare programs I’ve think that a time a family gets to be on welfare should not be limitless. Perhaps it should be a little longer than five years but not limitless. After a certain amount of time a family should be able to survive on their own.
Now that I’ve done that let me list my left wing tendencies for you:
1. Universal Health Care: A state has a responsibility to see that all it citizens can afford to see a doctor. Having 47 million Americans without Health Insurance is not right; and this is not socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is when the state runs every aspect of health care. If the US got socialized medicine it would probably be like the Canadian system where the state pays the bills but the hospitals and other aspects are private. If taxes have to got up for this to happen so what?
2. Pro-Choice: I think it funny Republicans always talk about a nanny state and yet they are pro life. Women have a right over their bodies and can decide what to do with the baby growing inside of them.
3. Wiretapping: It's legal as long as a warrant is obtained
4. Stem Cell Research: I am very much in support of this issue, the lives it could save in the future is something we can’t ignore.
5. Right to Die: The model that Oregon has for its Death with Dignity Act needs to be followed.
6. Gun Control: I think law abiding citizens should be allowed to own guns but there no need for assualt weapons to be used by anybody but the military.
7. Gay Rights: The 14th amendment says equal rights for all Americans so gay marriage should be allowed. Civil unions are unconstitutional because last time I checked the Supreme court outlawed separate but equal. Personal feelings have no bearing on the law.
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