Ironic Turn Of Events For Republicans

[AmishRnot4ganja]

OK, so the Republicans announced that they were starting to develop a new "Contract With America". To that end they started a website to get feedback from the public. They asked participants to list the most important things that they wanted Republicans to do, apparently so that the R's could fashion the responses into their "contract".

 

The results: (drum roll please) Legalizing Marijuana was the #1 most important thing (by a wide margin).

 

So the Repub's are going to incorporate this into their agenda,right? You will die waiting for that one. I want to know what their response to this will be though.

 

EDIT: I am mistaken. Marijuana legalization is one of the top twenty concerns,not the #1 concern. There is also some concern that the voting results are being fiddled with behind the scene (Nah, they wouldn't do that, would they?). The sight is: americaspeakingout.com

[floweralliance]

Kind of like Change.org did when Medical Marijuana/Legalize came up as #1. They ignored it..............

 

. . kind of like ignoring HIstory don't you think?

[floweralliance]

OK, so the Republicans announced that they were starting to develop a new "Contract With America". To that end they started a website to get feedback from the public. They asked participants to list the most important things that they wanted Republicans to do, apparently so that the R's could fashion the responses into their "contract".

 

The results: (drum roll please) Legalizing Marijuana was the #1 most important thing (by a wide margin).

 

So the Repub's are going to incorporate this into their agenda,right? You will die waiting for that one. I want to know what their response to this will be though.

 

. . enter Gary Johnson for 2012 Presidential republican nomination (stage right - or center ring imo).

[+wolfgang]

. . enter Gary Johnson for 2012 Presidential republican nomination (stage right - or center ring imo).

ding,ding,ding,ding the winner I hope!!

[Bisharoo]

ding,ding,ding,ding the winner I hope!!

 

A republican that is for abolishing drug prohibition laws will never get that party's nomination...

[MightyMightyMezz]

It's hard to reconcile the Republican mantra of "getting big government off the people's backs" with the fanatical prohibitionism they perpetuate along with the Democrats. I think we all know that by "people" they mean corporations.

[jsburn]

i am kind of worried about wild pendulum like swings in politics. more specifically republican conservative super religious folks comin into power and then telling us we cant do anything. they sure have been chippin away our freedoms on all kinds of fronts.

[Bisharoo]

jsburn, thanks for your comment. Republican conservative super religious folks as you name them certainly have done their share of crimes against individual human rights. So also have non-religious, left wing humans. The problem is not one's religion, or lack thereof, it is always a hatred for individual human rights that is at the core of all oppression.

A swing from republicans to democrats is a very small swing. As Stalin (who is supposed to be far left) said of Hitler (who is supposed to be far on the right) that "there is not 2 degrees of difference between the two". And, like today's version of stateism's varied flavors these are all stateists who want to rule over the masses in their own particular way.

The wild pendulum swing would be away from the tyranny of humans ruling over other humans to a point where humans were free. Free to pursue their own life, liberty, and happiness (as long as they do not infringe on the rights of another human being to live for their own sake).

As long as people keep thinking and perpetuating the lie that one form of tyranny and stateism is preferable to another (dems vs reps) we are not going to swing this pendulum at all.

[mizerman]

It's hard to reconcile the Republican mantra of "getting big government off the people's backs" with the fanatical prohibitionism they perpetuate along with the Democrats. I think we all know that by "people" they mean corporations.

Positive reps+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Mizerman

[foxman711]

Stalin and Hitler were both socialist (the NAZI party was the National Workers Socialist Party). How does one associate a socialist with the right? Religion may have been the excuse for killing more people than anything else in history, but over the last one hundred years it has nothing on socialism.

 

Hitler

Stalin

Mao

Pol Pot

 

Don't blame the right for these

[Bisharoo]

Hitler was a fascist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

[Bisharoo]

Either way, all stateists, wether we agree with wikipedia or my history classes or not, want to control other humans and they hate the fact that individual human beings have rights, so they try to develop a society by controlling masses in certain ways that they say are for our own good. Right wing, left wing, a stateist is a stateist and they think they own you.

[foxman711]

Yes, Hitler was a Facist. The Facists were socialist. Everytime I hear Capitalist referred to a Facist I want to tell people to read a history book. This of course assumes they can read.

[Bisharoo]

Ok, everyone is wrong about Hitler.

pPeople, lease don't continue thinking that 1 type of stateist is better than another.

I will continue asking people to have compassion and stop hating individual human rights.

Can we agree on that as a common ideal?

[AmishRnot4ganja]

Ok, everyone is wrong about Hitler.

pPeople, lease don't continue thinking that 1 type of stateist is better than another.

I will continue asking people to have compassion and stop hating individual human rights.

Can we agree on that as a common ideal?

 

I agree. We don't need government to protect our rights. Or do we? We have all seen what has happened with "deregulation". Corporations have used that ideal to slip the pickle to millions of people and brought down the economy as well.

 

What we need is " a government of the people, by the people, and for the people". All three at the same time. We also need an electorate that is educated enough to know when they are being led down the primrose path.

 

I remember living in the seventies and the kind of consumer protections that were in place back then. Corporations feared the power of the federal government (the people) and were heavily penalized for any infractions. The Republicans (I hate to single out anyone, but they were the ones) finally succeeded in watering down consumer protection under the guise of freedom and smaller government. Look where we are today as a result.

 

A strong federal government that is truly run by the people and for the people (I think that is called a Democracy)is a thing of beauty. I hope we can have that again someday.

[+420Atheist]

Yes, Hitler was a Facist. The Facists were socialist. Everytime I hear Capitalist referred to a Facist I want to tell people to read a history book. This of course assumes they can read.

 

Hitler fought against the socialist Russians. He threw the communist into the camps with the Jews, Homosexuals, and trade unionist. The right has been trying for a long time to associate Hitler with the left but he was a fiscal conservative who scapegoated a group of people who were unable to defend themselves. Hitler was a right wing authoritarian. Liberals are left wing and can be authoritarian or libertarian.

 

Socialism requires worker ownership for the means of production. In Nazi Germany private capitalist owned the means of production. Just because the word socialist was in the party name they were not socialist. Hitler believe in patriotism and strong nationalism. Those are conservative values. If you truly do know history then it is completely disingenuous to claim Hitler was a liberal.

[2d]

Hitler fought against the socialist Russians. He threw the communist into the camps with the Jews, Homosexuals, and trade unionist. The right has been trying for a long time to associate Hitler with the left but he was a fiscal conservative who scapegoated a group of people who were unable to defend themselves. Hitler was a right wing authoritarian. Liberals are left wing and can be authoritarian or libertarian.

 

Socialism requires worker ownership for the means of production. In Nazi Germany private capitalist owned the means of production. Just because the word socialist was in the party name they were not socialist. Hitler believe in patriotism and strong nationalism. Those are conservative values. If you truly do know history then it is completely disingenuous to claim Hitler was a liberal.

 

 

Very well said. Most people think of government only in right-left economic terms. The political compass adds an other axis for an authoritarian-libertarian scale. Taking the test can be an eye opener.

 

The Political Compass

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

[foxman711]

Hitler fought against the socialist Russians. He threw the communist into the camps with the Jews, Homosexuals, and trade unionist. True, but irrelevant. Different factions of a philosophy often fight. The right has been trying for a long time to associate Hitler with the left but he was a fiscal conservative who scapegoated a group of people who were unable to defend themselves. Hitler was a right wing authoritarian. Liberals are left wing and can be authoritarian or libertarian.

 

Socialism requires worker ownership for the means of production. No, that is communism, a type of socialism. In Nazi Germany private capitalist owned the means of production. Just because the word socialist was in the party name they were not socialist. Hitler believe in patriotism and strong nationalism. Those are conservative values. Patriotism and strong nationalism were not advocated by the USSR, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam? On what planet do you live? If you truly do know history then it is completely disingenuous to claim Hitler was a liberal.

[Serendipity]

All sorts of things are explained with 'isms'. While there are comparable aspects each regime has to be truly unique; if only to match the times in which they exist. There is general ideology and under most political circumstances these can be shaped to meet the goals of those in a position to apply them (and the corporate interests that finance them).

 

Socialism, for its bad rap is actually a nice concept, especially Democratic Socialism. Concepts do not always work.

Fascism is idealistically a single party state of existence. If to meet the same goals as one might strive to achieve under strict Fascism one has to concede some of the fundamental elements, yet the outcome is essentially the same is that not still a form of fascism? Especially when those goals can be met quicker with the manipulation of the true ideal. Entrepreneurial fascism, if you will. Each ideology has specific priorities and each one can manipulated to meet current social and theological structures and trends...

 

Any ideology is open to egregious (mis)interpretation and manipulation.

 

The many versions...

[+itssortalegal10]

OK, so the Republicans announced that they were starting to develop a new "Contract With America". To that end they started a website to get feedback from the public. They asked participants to list the most important things that they wanted Republicans to do, apparently so that the R's could fashion the responses into their "contract".

 

The results: (drum roll please) Legalizing Marijuana was the #1 most important thing (by a wide margin).

 

So the Repub's are going to incorporate this into their agenda,right? You will die waiting for that one. I want to know what their response to this will be though.

 

EDIT: I am mistaken. Marijuana legalization is one of the top twenty concerns,not the #1 concern. There is also some concern that the voting results are being fiddled with behind the scene (Nah, they wouldn't do that, would they?). The sight is: americaspeakingout.com

Well then looks like I have a website to visit to try and make something a NUMBER ONE issue!!!

[+itssortalegal10]

Yeah I don't see anything on medical marijuana on that page...

[+420Atheist]

Please quote properly so it is easer to counter your arguments.

 

True, but irrelevant. Different factions of a philosophy often fight.

 

I would disagree that they "often fight." You are also starting to confuse economic philosophy, nationalistic expansion, and authoritarianism and acting as if they are all the same.

 

No, that is communism, a type of socialism

 

Not really.

In a Socialist economy, the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. On the other hand, in a communist society, there is no centralized government - there is a collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.

 

Nazi Germany was neither Socialist or Communist as the means of production was owned by private rich citizens. Besides Socialist countries usually have social programs and government subsidies. Things like health care and government subsidized food programs. Since you are such a historian you should have no problem giving some examples of Hitlers social programs.

 

Patriotism and strong nationalism were not advocated by the USSR, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam? On what planet do you live?

 

And it is the conservatives in those places that advocate nationalism. I doubt any of the students in Tiananmen Square were conservatives but the guys in the tanks were.

 

It's OK. You are probably all happy now that we have a Plague on America er... I mean a Pledge to America.

[GanjaWarrior]

Please quote properly so it is easer to counter your arguments.

 

 

 

I would disagree that they "often fight." You are also starting to confuse economic philosophy, nationalistic expansion, and authoritarianism and acting as if they are all the same.

 

 

 

Not really.

 

 

Nazi Germany was neither Socialist or Communist as the means of production was owned by private rich citizens. Besides Socialist countries usually have social programs and government subsidies. Things like health care and government subsidized food programs. Since you are such a historian you should have no problem giving some examples of Hitlers social programs.

 

 

 

And it is the conservatives in those places that advocate nationalism. I doubt any of the students in Tiananmen Square were conservatives but the guys in the tanks were.

 

It's OK. You are probably all happy now that we have a Plague on America er... I mean a Pledge to America.

 

Come now.... you always make me laugh so. There were no conservatives in china.... its obvious it was the communist ( i know that irks u ) that ran over those freedom loving students. You have most likely never met a conservative. To keep it mm related.... do you feel sick that the dems arrest so many more people for pot than the fascist false conservative? It just cracks me up.... most ever arrested in a year....CLINTON 2nd most ever arrested in a year....OBAMA. I dont blame you for hating the other party... u should hate them both. Conservatism is a lot like communism.... on paper it works just fine. communism failed the test and weve yet to see a true conservative in a position of true power.

[+420Atheist]

Come now.... you always make me laugh so. There were no conservatives in china.... its obvious it was the communist ( i know that irks u ) that ran over those freedom loving students. You have most likely never met a conservative. To keep it mm related.... do you feel sick that the dems arrest so many more people for pot than the fascist false conservative? It just cracks me up.... most ever arrested in a year....CLINTON 2nd most ever arrested in a year....OBAMA. I dont blame you for hating the other party... u should hate them both. Conservatism is a lot like communism.... on paper it works just fine. communism failed the test and weve yet to see a true conservative in a position of true power.

 

Really? Conservative means favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change. It was the government in China that was resisting the change to democracy. And just because the students were pro democracy does not mean most were pro capitalism. You see capitalism is a economic model while democracy is a form of government. The students were not fighting against communism. They wanted more say in their government.

 

Clinton years did arrest many people for cannabis. However look at who was in charge of congress during those years. And Clinton years do not hold the record as the Bush years continued to increase the arrest. What is really responsible is the privatizing of the prison systems. But that really is another topic.

 

I do agree that neither party are very responsive to the needs of the citizens. I can admit the dems are wrong about many things. The biggest one is gun control. I would like to hear what the die hard reps have to say is wrong with their party. To date I have never heard a rep who is a Rush fan say anything bad about their party.

[Phil78]

Hitler was a paranoid schizophrenic. i'm not condoning any of his politics, but most of what he did and how he thought, was due to his paranoia and mental issues. don't confuse his politics or religion, with his sick mind (again, not saying his poli or religion was right, just they are a separate issue).