Difference between revisions of "2009-05-31 Why do people persist in voting Republican/woozle/2009"
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(→Woozle Responds (round 3) - in progress: -- done with round 3, now for replies to Midian's round 4...) |
(→Midian (round 4): not finished, but it's time to pick up the kids) |
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I feel like I am clarifying points more than presenting new ideas or defending them. What are YOUR suggestions? | I feel like I am clarifying points more than presenting new ideas or defending them. What are YOUR suggestions? | ||
| + | ===Woozle (round 4) -- in progress=== | ||
| + | : [M] ''"Ron Paul is who I voted for due to many of the reasons stated above. I even wrote him in for the general election because I knew he was the only one who would get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan."'' | ||
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| + | If the GOP had fielded Paul instead of McCain, my choice would have been much tougher; in light of Obama's non-action towards getting out of Afghanistan, stopping torture, etc. -- and also his lack of movement forward on other issues he claimed to support, such as gay rights -- I might well be regretting voting for Obama now, if Paul had been the alternative. | ||
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| + | Given that McCain-Palin was the alternative -- with Palin being an unabridged horror of Biblical proportions, and McCain quickly trashing the significant respect I had for him by reversing his position on torture and repeatedly making it clear that his official views as a candidate were not his own -- this was just another step in the GOP's ongoing quest for complete insanity. | ||
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| + | There are some things I have heard about Paul that worry me a little, but since he was never a serious candidate I have not taken the time to [[Ron Paul|investigate him]] very thoroughly. | ||
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| + | : [M] ''"Why does the federal government need that much money? To pay for special projects and kickbacks to lobbyists."'' | ||
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| + | This is a severe misrepresentation. | ||
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| + | The corrosive effects of such kickbacks are undeniable -- and they are undeniably a severe problem, even though in many cases intentions are good (see e.g. [[lessigwiki:Corruption|Lessig]]) -- but I don't think they are more than a fraction of the federal budget. A much larger portion of the budget is misspent through misguided but otherwise legitimate allocations, and that is a problem which also needs tackling. | ||
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| + | I think this is completely backwards. | ||
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| + | To paraphrase the gun lobby: Take away the legitimate power and money, and only the illegitimate will remain enriched and powerful. | ||
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| + | The government is supposed to be the instrument for promoting the common good and making sure everyone else plays fair. Take away the power to enforce this, take away the money for the enforcers (and the studies to determine what will work and what won't), and what do you think will happen? | ||
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| + | It's like arguing that because one team has a habit of bribing referees, we should have fewer referees or pay them less. (The fact that this corrupt team is using their ill-gotten gains to promote the idea of referee-reduction does not add any legitimacy to the idea.) | ||
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| + | ''saving work; still in progress. --[[User:Woozle|Woozle]] 20:10, 30 November 2009 (UTC)'' | ||