[superart]

***I just read 9 pages of posts, and I really don't want to go back through them all to get exact quotes. I will try to paraphrase as accurately as I can***


"Japan attacked us, yet we attacked Germany"
--Lothar

That is really not an accurate conclusion to make. First, Japan and Germany were official allies in a war. By attacking Germany we were hurting Japan and helping allies that could in turn help us later with Japan. Second, German U-boats had a bad habit of knowingly sinking US merchant ships, and civilian passenger liners withe US citizens on board.



--In response to the discussion of weather it was a good or bad idea to go into Iraq.

I think that it was right to go in and take out Saddam, but unfortunately, we did it for all the wrong reasons and with the wrong guy in charge. I think it is obvious that bush didn't go in because he gives a shit about the people of Iraq. If he gave a shit, he wouldn't have given 2 bullshit reasons for going in before he settled on "We did it to bring freedom to the poor people of Iraq." He also would have gone into other places such as Korea, Sudan, a bunch of shitty African countries, Iran, and his buddies in Saudi Arabia.

I whole heartedly agree that we need to fight for the rights of people in countries lead by dictators, but we need to do it right. We need to plan for a way to bring order and stability after to the country after we topple the dictator.

Also we need global support if we want to go and forcibly spread democracy thought the world. I am not referring to the UN. I agree that the UN is a piece of shit. Any organization that can appoint Sudan as head of human rights council deserves to spend eternity licking the underside of my left testicle after I spent all day outside in the shitty hot and humid Florida sun. I think it's safe to say, **** the UN. What I am saying, wouldn't it be nice if an international force of other "Free and democratic " countries, such as England, Canada, Germany, Australia, etc., all banded together and went around the world kicking dictator ass. Now what I am saying is much different than the "coalition of willing" that bush claims to have maid. When the US is supplying the main force, and other countries throw in a couple hundred troops here and there, that is not a coalition. That is a ploy, at best.


In terms of whats best, left, right, libertarian, liberal, conservative, etc. I think they are all wrong. It is dumb to think that our world is so black and white that one of these polar, one sided groups can be right. The truth is, we live in a world made up of shades of gray. I believe the solution is to find a happy medium. Sure, no one will be absolutely happy, but they won't be all pissed either. What we need to do is find compromises that maybe wont make the diehard extremists happy, but will satisfy the vast majority of the population. Compromise is really a good idea, The Constitution is full of it.



I strongly believe that government should not get too large and that it has no business directing morality and invading peoples personal lives. However I find the libertarian party just too extreme and far off. Theres a fine line between freedom and anarchy. Unfortunately, they are so far away from the line, that they can't even see it.


PH, I loved that clip from crosstalk. I have been a fan of the Daily Show for a long time, and I love John Stewart. I think it's a sad state of affairs when a comedy show provides better coverage of politicians than "reputable" news organizations.



I took that political compass test thing and I think it's quite cool. I scored -3.00/-4.92. Although, I agree with PH that some of those questions were a little arbitrary. I found the one about first generation immigrants being able to assimilate particularly hard to answer. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what generation a person is. The deciding factor in assimilation is age. The younger the person is when he is introduced to a new culture/country, the easier it is for him to be assimilated. For example, I have found that it has been much much easier for me to adapt to American culture than it has for my parents, even though we are both 1st gen. immigrants.


Now, as far as the original question that launched this thread. This will be the first time that I vote, and I'm really not sure yet who I'm going to vote for, but I'm leaning toward Nader right now. Although I think his foreign policy is shit, I do agree with his domestic. Theres that compromise I was talking about. I think his domestic policy takes all the good aspects of the libertarians, like protecting civil liberties, without going for any of their crazy shit, like turning the country upside down on its ass and giving corporations free reign to do whatever.



I'd like to close by saying that I know it seems like I just rambled on and on, but I tried to answer 9 pages of shit in one post. It's not easy. Also, please take into account that I wrote all this between 6 and 7 AM after a night of no sleep. And if you think this is bad, just wait until tonight when I'm good and drunk. Theres nothing that makes me feel more proud as an American than having access to lots and lots of free hard liquor. Would frats be considdered liberal political organizations, since their constantly giving out free alcaholic handouts? I don't think so, i mean after all, I'm entiteld :-).

Also, since the political compass showed that I am so much like the Dali Lama, let it be known that from here on in I shall be known as, and referred to as, His Holiness the Super Art.