Political Beliefs

[Spartan198]

Well, frankly, I'm getting fed up with the Democrat vs Republican squabbles. It's one of the things that's hurting this country the most.

I support our presence in Afghanistan unconditionally no matter what the rest of the world thinks. In 2003, I was all for going into Iraq, though now I'm of the mind that we've done everything we can there and it's time to let the Iraqi government stand on their own two feet. I still, however, believe Saddam was attempting to construct nuclear weapons. I'm pro-military, and always will be, regardless of all that.

I'm divided on universal health care. I may not be fully-educated on it, but from what I do know, it has both advantages as well as disadvantages.

I bleed red, white, and blue and stand by my country no matter what the rest of the world thinks of it. I don't buy into bullshit conspiracy theories like Bush being in line with Bin Laden and find them to be ridiculous.

I'm pro-Israel, but I find their actions as of late to be extremely questionable.

I'm all for Georgia giving Russia the finger and joining NATO.

I oppose closing the detainment facilities at GitMo because... well... what's it really going to accomplish? The world will continue accusing us of torture no matter what we do.

I support private security contractors because they get a lot of undue shit for doing a dangerous job. Yeah, they get paid for doing it, but who doesn't get paid for working in this country? Does that make the mailman a "mercenary"?

I'm all for closing our borders and cutting illegal immigration off. I live in California and the place has gone bankrupt supporting Mexico.


^I think that's all the big topics currently. I've got my beliefs and opinions just like everyone else. It's amazing how even here inside the US, people get chastised for supporting the country, yet those who trash it get hailed like fucking heroes!

[MT2008]

Without starting too much of a debate...

Originally Posted by Spartan198

In 2003, I was all for going into Iraq, though now I'm of the mind that we've done everything we can there and it's time to let the Iraqi government stand on their own two feet.

Well and done, but here's the problem: If we pull out of Iraq unilaterally, what do you think Iran is going to do? By getting rid of Saddam, we took down the only regime in the neighborhood which posed a threat to their hegemony. If we simply leave Iraq, aren't you worried that our worst enemy in the region will install a Shi'ite puppet regime loyal to them (and hostile to the U.S.)?

Leaving Iraq now would be extremely dangerous to us and our allies because it would give a huge geopolitical advantage to Iran. The Israelis don't want us to let that happen. Neither do most of the other Arabs (for all their bitching). I think I would be crazy to want to see it happen.

Originally Posted by Spartan198

I still, however, believe Saddam was attempting to construct nuclear weapons.

Even if that's the case (and most people agree it wasn't), that has nothing to do with why we went to Iraq in the first place.

[Spartan198]

Originally Posted by MT2008

Well and done, but here's the problem: If we pull out of Iraq unilaterally, what do you think Iran is going to do? By getting rid of Saddam, we took down the only regime in the neighborhood which posed a threat to their hegemony. If we simply leave Iraq, aren't you worried that our worst enemy in the region will install a Shi'ite puppet regime loyal to them (and hostile to the U.S.)?

Leaving Iraq now would be extremely dangerous to us and our allies because it would give a huge geopolitical advantage to Iran. The Israelis don't want us to let that happen. Neither do most of the other Arabs (for all their bitching). I think I would be crazy to want to see it happen.

I see what you're saying and agree. It's an argument I've made before with others. But I don't see any other way to determine if we were successful there or not but to let them try and stand on their own.

Even if that's the case (and most people agree it wasn't), that has nothing to do with why we went to Iraq in the first place.

Well, all I know is I don't buy into the crap about "war for oil" and other similar conspiracies. But maybe I'm not as educated on the situation as I think, so, please, enlighten me.

But I can't help but think that if 9/11 hadn't happened, we wouldn't be at war over there at all today.

[Jcordell]

I'm a moderate conservative (which makes me an endangered species in the United States).

I do not belong to any political party.

My wife (and mother of our two kids) for the past eighteen years is a liberal, intelligent and a very capable person. We're different and we compliment each other. I'm glad I didn't let my politcal beliefs influence me when I decided to propose to her. That would have been stupid and pathetic.

I've been a member of the National Rifle Association for the past eleven years.

I like the 45acp, but prefer to carry the GLOCK 19. I really like revolvers so I guess that dates me. Mentally if not physically.

I don't belong to any church, but I consider myself to be a Christian. However I don't gove two hoots about specific ideology/dogma.

I like to watch Robert Redford movies and Chuck Heston moves. I am also a fan of Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Steve McQueen, John Wayne, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, George Clooney and Bruce Willis.

I am a cop and served fourteen years in the United States Army, but I don't have blind faith in our political leadership.

But most of all I'm a big fan of Ruben Sandwiches with french fries and a good cup of coffee.

[Alcatrazz]

George Clooney. I've not got anything against him politically, but I shit you not, he sat next to me at a theatre and was such an asshole. I was just a kid, and he was a huge douche to me.

[Markost]

Well, i don´t belong to any political party, last time I voted was for the middle-left, and I define myself as a nationalist, not liberal.

[AdAstra2009]

Originally Posted by Markost

Well, i don´t belong to any political party, last time I voted was for the middle-left, and I define myself as a nacionalist, not liberal.

what is a nacionalist? I couldn't find anything on google.

[Markost]

Originally Posted by AdAstra2009

what is a nacionalist? I couldn't find anything on google.

Sorry, my bad english. "Nationalist"

[Nyles]

Guess if I had to pick a classification it would be moderate Libertarian. I support individual rights in most forms, whether it be gun ownership, abortion, low taxes, legalization of marijuana (don't use it myself, but I don't have any particular problem with it). That said I think your rights end where someone else's begin, so I'm also pretty pro-police and military.

I don't like the religious right, I don't have a lot of trust in organized religion, and I'm not a believer, but by the same token I think religion on a personal level can be a very good thing for some. So as much as I dislike Pat Robertson, I also dislike Richard Dawkins.

Canada never went to Iraq (and with a small military it was Iraq or Afghanistan), so it's not as big a deal here. That said I don't believe Iraq was involved in 9/11 or had weapons of mass destruction, but I think taken as a whole western involvement there has been a good thing. As for Afghanistan, I've seen firsthand that the Taliban are the closest thing to pure evil you will find in the world today, but in all honesty I'm starting to have serious doubts that we'll ever be able to stabilize Afghanistan. I think to do it we'd have to stay for about 25 years, and realistically that is not going to happen.

I vote Conservative in our elections, though I have serious doubts about the party. I hate the Liberals for their corruption, their arrogance and what they did to the military and gun owners in the 90s. I think the socialists (NDP) are pie-in-the-sky idealists who could not successfully govern my country. That leaves the conservatives, so they get my vote in spite of the fact that I think their actual governance hasn't been much more honest than the liberals.

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by Spartan198

I see what you're saying and agree. It's an argument I've made before with others. But I don't see any other way to determine if we were successful there or not but to let them try and stand on their own.

But I mean, don't you think this is something that needed to be considered before we went into Iraq in the first place?

Originally Posted by Spartan198

Well, all I know is I don't buy into the crap about "war for oil" and other similar conspiracies. But maybe I'm not as educated on the situation as I think, so, please, enlighten me.

But I can't help but think that if 9/11 hadn't happened, we wouldn't be at war over there at all today.

No, we didn't go to Iraq for the oil. Yes, it was related to 9/11, but not because Saddam had anything to do with al-Qaeda. We basically went it to divide the Islamic world as a whole, and to put countries like Saudi Arabia in a position where they either had to be with us 100%, or not at all. And being pussies, they were drawn (involuntarily) closer to us, which meant that they could no longer get away with sponsoring jihadists.

It wasn't necessarily a bad idea in principle, but it was poorly planned and executed.