Having better understood my own political identity and thought out every issue very carefully, I am now prepared to give a basic description of just how I would like America to be run. I do this not only to start a discussion of ideologies, but also to clarify any confusion regarding what ideology I personally support. As I have written before, conservatives on the site tend to think of me as a liberal and liberals, in turn, tend to think of me as a conservative. I'll let everyone judge for him or herself after reading these, the five basic goals of my personal political system, which, it should be noted, are not ranked by importance:

1. Redistribute wealth far more evenly through far higher taxation on the wealthy and the upper middle class, using government spending to stimulate the economy and protectionism in trade to help workers and the environment.

2. Lessen disease, addiction and crime through a national health insurance program, focusing not only on giving universal free medical care, but also on eliminating drug, alcohol and tobacco addiction.

3. Lessen immorality and degradation by teaching firm ethical standards in public schools, including abstinence-only education and a more tolerant atmosphere for public religious expression.

4. Promote equality not only through affirmative action, but also through the banning of all sexist, racist and violently misanthropic material.

5. Focus our foreign policy first on isolation, then on diplomacy and use warfare only in cases of ongoing genocide or foreign invasion, always being respectful of international law.

These are only the core ideals of my political philosophy, of course, and these extend to more specific issues and world events. Please respond with a list of your own basic principles or simply with comments about mine.

You sound very much like a progressive.
Send me a private message and we can talk at length about certain things.

I basically agree with everything you said except for the high moral standards and abstinence only education.
Sex programs should be based on safe sex practices, not the suppression of the libido. Sex is a natural, healthy, and afun thing, and it is a way to become more intimate with someone. Schools AND FAMILIES should focus on how having sex with someone you LOVE is far more fulfilling than with some random person.

Education begins with the family, and I think its time parents step up and modernize, show their kids its ok to have sex, ok to do it with whomever they want, and show them the safest ways to do it.
Of course abstinence is a good thing to teach, but it shouldnt be the only thing.

Believe me, the current sex ed programs are rather effective. After seeing all those STD pictures, I dont know anyone in my class whoo would even consider having sex with someone they didnt know very very well.

One thing you seem to advocate is the suppression of certain forms of speech. I strongly disagree. I am very free speech oriented. I even think profanity should be legalized. Theyre just words. Its the meaning that matters.
I should be able to say whatever I want, whenever I want.
Just because its rude to say something doesnt mean it should be banned.

People need to stop thinking they have a right not to be offended.
You live in America, deal with it.

__________________
www.contraweb.tk
.: Digital Activism for the New Millenium :.

You're basically a liberal, am I correct? I can't wait for the conservatives to comment on the fiscal ideas. As for private messages, I'll send you one on Ugandan statistics- I'll elaborate later.

This proves the necessity of my 3rd principle:

Population Researcher Institute's Joseph A. D'Agostino suggests that the success in combating AIDS in Uganda "isn't good enough for UN officials... and who are also angry with America for funding her own AIDS initiative in Africa instead of giving the money to them."

Uganda, whose abstinence campaign has been so successful as to be likened to a highly effective vaccine, has reduced HIV transmission rates from 18% to 5-7%. "No other nation in the world has achieved such success," writes D'Agostino. "Most sub-Saharan African nations, following the pro-condoms model, continue to suffer from rising HIV infection rates. Ugandan surveys show a reduction in premarital sexual activity among Ugandan youth and a reduction in extramarital activity among adults," D'Agostino added. "The result: less AIDS."

Source: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05101404.html

I can't prove my fiscal ideas until if and when the EPI responds to an e-mail of mine.

I'd have to disagree with you on 3, 4 and 5. But I dont think this topic is for that.

Well, then I gather that you are a liberal except on foreign policy.

I tend to take a little bit of everything, but I'm somewhat of a moderate liberal.

If you want a direct response to your list.

1. I like the rich taxed a little more. I like keynsian economics. But do like free trade. Not the biggest fan of protectionism.

2. Don't know where we'd get the money for such a program.

3. I don't know who is against ethical standards for schools. Health classes are supposed to teach students about the real world, abstinence is in the minority compared to condoms in the real world. And we'd have to delve deeper into what specifically you mean concerning religion in school.

4. I'm 100% against affirmative actions, I think its racist and unconstitutional. I have no respect for the second opinion here (a rarity for me). Its none of your or mine business what people do in their own privacy, and furthermore your proposal is a very large totalitarian tendency. The government should not be telling adults what they can and cant read, watch, and listen to, no matter who it insults, degrades, or emotionally hurts.

5. I think isolation is a mistake and in the year 2005 simply impossible and impractible. We have to protect ourselves, and isolation doesnt help. Concerning using our armies to "help" other nations during humanitarian (genocide) issues, I'm not so sure about. I'm not quite sure whether that is the proper function of the American army.

You're ideas are not the core. A core has to be a simple phrase or idea on which everything is based. These are simply your views on certain political views.

Maybe your core idea is the same as Aristotle's, that the government has to help people live better lives. Just a thought.

Well, political thought seems to have several levels. At the very core my maxim would be, "Equality creates liberty.".

Aristotle would disagree.

Well, I am not an Aristotelian.