New member.. Tell me how much liberal or conservativ i am..all major issue views given in the thread

[Joel thakkar]

Last edited Mon Jan 28, 2013, 10:22 AM - Edit history (1)

Hi,

I researched on views of both democratic party and republican party. I want to know how much democrat/republican i am. Please don't make this thread for bashing my views or telling me why my view is wrong in specific topic.


Below given are the topics and my views


1) Minimum Wages - Should be increased..(from current $8 to min. $12-$15)

2) Military Budget - Should not increase or may be decrease to reduce deficit

3) LGBT Marriage and Rights - Full Support. Same rights as straight couples.

4) Abortion - support all options. respect the woman's decision in the last.

5) Federal Taxes - Are perfect just now...no increase/decrease

6) State Taxes - Should be kept lower or zero

7) Sales Taxes - Should not be increased now...

8) Death penalty - Yes (no if state doesn't have to spend $$$ on his/her for the rest of his/her life)

9) Gun control - Fully support...strong laws should be made for gun control.

10) Legal Immigration - Support all (expect 2 - F4 Green card and DV Lottery)

11) Illegal Immigration - support for those who has lived for more than 15-20 years...full support if they were child/minor when their parents brought them in USA.

12) Medicare - Full Support

13) Medicaid - Full Support

14) Social Security - I don't support

15) Estate Tax - Full Support...Should be increased more...

16) Obama care - Support (but would still like few things to be clear first)

17) Global Warming - Yes its real and we should stop it.

18) Women Issue 1 - Birth Control Access- Full support..

19) Women Issue 2 - equal pay for women - Full support..

20) Women Issue 3 - Federal family planning programs - full support..

21) Food Stamps - Full Support

22) Federal Corporate Tax - Should be increased...

23) Closing Tax Loopholes - Full Support (many companies like google, apple are using this to Dodge taxes)

24) Medical Marijuana - Full Support

25) Recreational Marijuana - Support only if legalized with strict rules and heavy taxes.

26) CIVIL RIGHTS (NO Discrimination) - Full Support

27) Education - Govt should spend more in STEM Areas.

28) STEM CELL RESEARCH - Full support for govt funding.

29) Energy - We should have energy independence and programs that will achieve that.

30) Excise Tax - Support for specific products (priced high and normally considered as lavish products).


I am not able to decide still for "Employee Unions" Issue.

I may have missed few issues. Just tell me how much democratic i am and in which category do i fit in.

[liberal N proud]

1. First - Welcome to DU

Next, the answers you give are the right ones because they are your views. First and foremost, you must have the right and feel free to form you own opinion on each and every subject matter.

That said, as a liberal, you need see that others have their own opinions and respect that as well as the value of not impeding upon others lives and rights without necessary cause. Case in point, I feel that abortion choice is something that needs to be left completely up to the woman. It is her body and as a male, I am not qualified to provide input that would prevent her from making a choice.

I think what you are asking more than Democratic or Republican you are but more how liberal vs. conservative you want to be seen. It has to be a self appraisal and come from within, if you feel your values fall to the left, then you are liberal. You decide how far left those values are.

Good luck here and always remember to have a thick skin.

[Joel thakkar]

2. People Change..People Evolve

This post is about 8-9 months old. I have now changed my stance on few issues...following is the list :


1) Sales Taxes - Should not be increased and even exempt few essential things like medicines, clothes, food etc..

2) Obamacare - Support but would still favor a universal healthcare system for all or at least for kids upto 18 and all citizens aged 60 or above.

3) Medicare - Full support + should remove that $100 monthly charge...make more affordable..

4) Social Security - Doesn't support in current form...have SS tax for millionaires and give everyone equal SS Checks per month.

5) Employee Unions - They are good up to a reasonable demands.


I am actually now a big fan of co-operative companies and see them as a viable alternative to private greedy capitalist companies.

[Sanddog42]

4. Evolution

If you're open to changing and evolving... you might be a liberal.

[TBF]

7. The co-ops, like Mondragon for example -

These are appealing to folks because they are more worker-friendly. In the end though they are still capitalistic entities. A socialist point of view is that they may be a kinder, gentler company but they are still there to make profit and they must compete with everyone else.

[Joel thakkar]

8. oh..ok

so you oppose both private companies and co-op companies? Also i would like to know your stand on credit unions.

Thank You!

[TBF]

10. Yeah, I really don't like capitalism at all as an economic system -

but I do have to point out this is not a common view on DU. I would consider myself socialist as opposed to liberal/conservative. I tend to vote for democrats because their vision is closer to socialist - doesn't hurt folks as much as the conservative policies.

Credit unions - I like them personally. My husband and I are higher income ... we have several accounts. One large bank for convenience (ATM, monthly bills), one credit union - savings, one local bank - my husband uses that one for his own checking account - mostly local business expenses. If we had to choose just one I'd take the credit union.

[Joel thakkar]

12. Thanks!

i also don't like capitalism but i am not far left as you...I just read one of your journal's post..in that you said


"Elimination Of Rent/Mortgage"

Could you please explain me the plan to replace the system with?

Also this,

"Elimination Of The Automobile Industry" - Do you want to remove the industry as a whole or want to have a state ownership for the whole industry? If you want to remove the industry, do you think mass public transport is good enough for all?

and last one this :

"Creation Of Local Currencies" - Do you want to have each state (eg florida, NY, California, Texas etc) to have their own local currency? How will this system work and how is it better than the current one?


Sorry for too many questions. I am just curious.

Thanks!

[TBF]

13. Sure - that is a piece written by a friend

The "elimination of rent/mortgage" is a reference to ownership of property. Many socialists would like to see property owned by the community. This varies - some would agree folks would have individual homes and could own them (along with all the personal property inside) - some would have the homes themselves owned by the state so folks would not acquire land, etc.

The "elimination of auto industry" - for me personally I would like to see mainly mass public transportation (which could include cars for use when you need them). Many socialists would see autos as personal property though and not really care about this item.

"creation of local currency" - that is my friend's item. I think his idea is that folks would trade locally. In an ideal society I'd do away with money entirely and just trade goods as needed.


The way I see lists like this are as a starting point - we would all look at these things and vote as to what would work. I don't favor dictatorship. We have the technology today on computers (ie even smartphones) where as a society we literally could vote directly and come to consensus on issues with everyone participating.

[TBF]

5. I think you're a moderate -

you fit right in with this democratic party.

(I am a socialist - pretty far to the left of you on many issues - I am very strong on labor issues/protections).

I hope you enjoy reading on DU

[Joel thakkar]

6. Thanks for the reply

Please elaborate your stand on few of the above issues..

thanks!

[TBF]

9. My view is really different and pretty far to the left of many (most) on DU -

First of all if I were designing an economy I wouldn't have capitalism as the system - I probably wouldn't even have money. I'd want some sort of system in which we'd democratically split up supplies and use as needed.

But I'll answer the questions you posed in terms of living in the world as we have it right now:


1) Minimum Wages - Increase

2) Military Budget - Decrease & close 75% of overseas bases to start with - emphasize taking care of past veterans

3) LGBT Marriage and Rights - Same - full legal rights

4) Abortion - Same - right to choose

5) Federal Taxes - Increase (and would add that we need to put the capital gains tax rates back to even with income - this would raise substantial revenue)

6) State Taxes - You either pay state income or property tax - I think the income tax is probably more equitable

7) Sales Taxes - Decrease - unfairly hits lower income folks

8) Death penalty - Ok when there is sufficient evidence (I used to be anti on this but the Timothy McVeigh case changed my mind)

9) Gun control - Ok for hunting, personal protection - I don't believe the public needs military grade weapons

10 & 11) Immigration - pathway to citizenship

12 & 13) Medicare - support Medicare for all single paying system with premiums on a sliding scale (based upon income)

14) Social Security - support but the fund has to be lock-box so it is not stolen for defense funding

15) Estate Tax - increase substantially

16) Obama care - No - subsidy for insurance companies - would rather remove the age restrictions from Medicare & open it up for all

17) Global Warming - Yes its real and we should stop it.

18) Women Issue 1 - Birth Control Access- Full support..

19) Women Issue 2 - equal pay for women - Full support..

20) Women Issue 3 - Federal family planning programs - full support..

21) Food Stamps - Full Support

22) Federal Corporate Tax - Increase substantially and penalties for moving jobs overseas

23) Closing Tax Loopholes - Full Support (many companies like google, apple are using this to Dodge taxes)

24 & 25) Marijuana - legalize, regulate, tax

26) CIVIL RIGHTS (NO Discrimination) - Full Support

27) Education - full fund and would fund community colleges to make them free or close to it (folks could study a trade or take their general classes there - only move on to university if needed for area of study ex ... medicine, law, PHd research etc)

28) STEM CELL RESEARCH - Full support for govt funding.

29) Energy - Incentives to move away from oil & into new energy sources (wind, solar etc)

30) Excise Tax - Support for specific products (priced high and normally considered as lavish products).


So, I hope that is helpful. There are some I combined, and some that I agree completely so I left your responses as is.

[Joel thakkar]

11. Thank you for clearing it out

I think we agree for more than half issues..

I am still new to this world and i may evolve as i get more information and facts.

Thank you