U.S. election - Which candidate would you vote for Presidency?

[Jobarra]

Originally Posted by Panofix

But he did it by increasing the size of the NYPD, and there are a lot of people here who feel that the "quality of life" aspect of NYPD enforcement is a little out of hand. Furthermore, it costs a lot of money to maintain the world's largest police force and we do it with, among other things, a city income tax -- something very few places have. (I thought you guys were against income tax...)

I can't speak for other people who favor limited federal government, but I'm not against income taxes in general. I'm against a FEDERAL income tax. Everyone just seems to assume that just because I don't want a federal income tax I'm talking about not paying any taxes. I don't want the federal government with the power to levy taxes. I have no problems with the local/state governments levying taxes as that is their right/responsibility. You see, this gives us the freedom to choose where we want to live based on the rules/regulations of the area. If a city is crime-ridden and decides to have a 20% tax to support it's police force, then I have the ability to either pay, or leave if I decide I want to live somewhere else that doesn't have to pay that rate. I have serious problems with federal congressmen taking our money and spending it on something they SHOULDN'T be spending it on(no matter how insignificant the amount may be)

Edit to add:
I have to agree with Zak. This has been one of the more pleasurable political discussions I've had. Things are definitely looking up for this server :). I'm actually surprised to find a Libertarian though. My recent experiences in Battlefield 2 led me to believe I was heavily outnumbered in my way of thinking in online gaming. So Zak, if Ron Paul did win the Republican ballot, would you vote for him? He is essentially the only good RINO(Republican in name only) I know of.

[Greydog]

I am extremely tired of both ultra-libs and neocons! Find me a moderate with a chance to take it all the way and I'll throw my vote behind him/her.

[Apsu]

Originally Posted by Jobarra

So Zak, if Ron Paul did win the Republican ballot, would you vote for him? He is essentially the only good RINO (Republican in name only) I know of.

I just don't know much about him, I live in the west and like I said, don't follow politician's careers. I'm definitely interested in him from what you've said though. I find it hard to believe that there's a republican who actually follows the old republican ideals. I'll have to do a google search soon and get back to you.

I think it's pretty cool to find another libertarian on a gaming forum as well, I'm definitely used to fighting as a one man army in these places. Maybe the idea's starting to catch on a bit

[Panofix]

Originally Posted by Zak

but it seems to me that we'd have much more resources to pay for those specific institutions without politicians creating more and larger government programs, without the war on drugs, without housing non violent criminals in prisons, without many things that could be listed that all add up to (imo) wasted government spending.

Which is exactly why some of us who consider ourselves "progressives" keep hoping that we can form a strategic alliance with people who consider themselves "libertarian." We have more in common than we don't.

Honestly, I have no idea how much welfare is the right amount of welfare. I'm pretty sure that the answer is not "zero," but I am willing to sit down with a libertarian or a laissez-faire economist and hash this out. Unfortunately, that is not the way our nation works anymore, or at least it hasn't for a while.

We have been victims of completely manufactured false dichotomies, created by Karl Rove and his disciples and reinforced by the mainstream corporate media, that painted a picture of a red America and a blue America.

Remember "divide and conquer?"

Up until recently, the Democrats have reacted like a deer in the headlights in the rhetorical onslaught, only reinforcing the message coming out of Fox News.

So if that's why this conversation seems refreshingly polite and civil, that's why. The dichotomy was bullshit all along, and it was fed by the people who have overwhelmingly benefited from it the last 8 years.

We all want our kids to have an even better life than we did.

[Apsu]

OK, it's been a few weeks, and it has come to my attention that....


Libertarians pwn this forum!!!



at least we've got one