Apolyton Roll Call

[Ned]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Registered member of the French Communist Party here.

It's funny, but I find you and Che to be very sensible people. I am surprised that you and he, on one hand, and I could come to polar opposites in our beliefs as to which polictical system is best.

But, at least you are honest in stating that you are communists. There are a lot of Democrats here in the US who seem to be communists or socialists, but cannot even admit that they are liberals because "liberal" has largely become a dirty word here in the US.

I was listening to talk radio on the way home tonight. The host, a guy named Savage, actually said that liberalism was a form of mental disorder. According to Savage, liberals cannot think rationally, i.e., they cannot draw proper conclusions from an agreed set of facts. What they do instead, he said, was cancel out reason and substitute emotion and belief.

But, as I said before, I find you to be a reasonable person.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Frogger


Put me down as a (socialist).

Stupid (Socialist)!

[Sikander]

I have no party affiliation (which is the definition of Independent in the U.S.), but I vote the most for Libertarians, second most for Republicans and the least often for Democrats. No one else has ever gotten my vote.

[Dauphin]

I'd say I was a left wing Conservative. I have voted Conservative and Liberal Democrat in the past.

I would most likely vote Democrat if I were able to vote in the US.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Ned


It's funny, but I find you and Che to be very sensible people. I am surprised that you and he, on one hand, and I could come to polar opposites in our beliefs as to which polictical system is best.

But, at least you are honest in stating that you are communists. There are a lot of Democrats here in the US who seem to be communists or socialists, but cannot even admit that they are liberals because "liberal" has largely become a dirty word here in the US.

I was listening to talk radio on the way home tonight. The host, a guy named Savage, actually said that liberalism was a form of mental disorder. According to Savage, liberals cannot think rationally, i.e., they cannot draw proper conclusions from an agreed set of facts. What they do instead, he said, was cancel out reason and substitute emotion and belief.

But, as I said before, I find you to be a reasonable person.

Complement and put-down all rolled into one.

[C0ckney]

basically somewhere between a conservative and a lib-dem. lower taxes, pro-war, real reform of public services (not just chucking good money after bad), stricter controls on immigration, but i have socially liberal views as well.

will most likely vote lib-dem in the welsh assembly elections, if only to keep the ****ing welsh nationalists out.

edit: oooh nearly forgot, if i was american i'd probably vote based on the individual running, as none of the parties would really represent my views.

[lunger75]

I always thought a desire to listen to talk radio
hosts was a mental disorder.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Ned
It's funny, but I find you and Che to be very sensible people. I am surprised that you and he, on one hand, and I could come to polar opposites in our beliefs as to which polictical system is best.

When I'm debating with people I don't agree with, I try to be polite as much as possible, because a high politeness is the only way to avoid a controversial political discussion to turn ugly. Also, I've met here intelligent and curious right-winged people (and I think you are one of those when you don't get emotional), and an orderly debate with them is very interesting, even if it doesn't change each other's ideas.
However, there are some occurences when I get emotional, like abortion or war pictures. Once I understand it is pointless to participate in that kind of threads, I try to stay clear of them.

But, at least you are honest in stating that you are communists. There are a lot of Democrats here in the US who seem to be communists or socialists, but cannot even admit that they are liberals because "liberal" has largely become a dirty word here in the US.

Funny, it has become a dirty word in Europe too Here, it means "free-marketer" (nothing to do with being pro-gay rights, pro-abortion, or anti-war : heck, the French "liberals" are almost the only ones for the war). Of course, I radically disagree with the free-marketers.
I belong to the communist party, so I haven't any shame in saying so. It is partly a cultural thing : the French CP has been heavily involved in the Resistance to nazism, and has never threatened Democracy since WW2, so it isn't loathed here like it is in the US.

I was listening to talk radio on the way home tonight. The host, a guy named Savage, actually said that liberalism was a form of mental disorder. According to Savage, liberals cannot think rationally, i.e., they cannot draw proper conclusions from an agreed set of facts. What they do instead, he said, was cancel out reason and substitute emotion and belief.

Belief underlies any political opinion. I radically disagree with Libertarians and other free-marketers because I strongly believe no coherent society can exist without rules and collective effort, for example.
In your case, IIRC, you believe your army is defending your freedom (which can be argued with a "your army defends your countries interests above all" argument, which is also a belief).
A good debate takes place between people who had developed a coherent reasoning from their beliefs, not between beliefless people IMHO.

But, as I said before, I find you to be a reasonable person.

Thanks I think you are too, when you aren't carried away.

[The Mad Monk]

As a Republican Conservative-Libertartian, I must say that the desire to listen to Mike Savage is indicative of a mental disorder.

[Dr Strangelove]

I was a Republican, but I quit the party because I felt that they had betrayed me. They have consistantly put their economic goals ahead of their social ones vis a vis abortion on demand. They almost always succeed in getting their economic legislature passed, but simply don't put sufficient effort behind their social bills. Frankly I believe that they're simply using social conservatives.

[PLATO]

Republican for fiscal and defense policies. Usually democratic for domestic issues (with some notable exceptions.). With the liberal bias in our court system usually keeping the domestic issues under control, my vote is mostly Republican.

[PLATO]

When I'm debating with people I don't agree with, I try to be polite as much as possible

Spiffor: I have always found this to be true of you and have appreciated it greatly. You are one of the few on the "left" that really make me think.