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Just like last year and the year before, the main stream options arent great which is why I'll vote for the Libertarian candidate again. The bar is set pretty low in terms of being better than the 4 we hear about all too often, so its not hard to outclass them, but I think Gary Johnson does a decent job of surpassing them all.
Just like last year and the year before, the main stream options arent great which is why I'll vote for the Libertarian candidate again. The bar is set pretty low in terms of being better than the 4 we hear about all too often, so its not hard to outclass them, but I think Gary Johnson does a decent job of surpassing them all.
I can't get on board with the whole libertarian philosophy so . . Gary Johnson would never be an option for me.[/quote]
Same here, they put too much faith in the market aND the indiviual to do the right thing for my liking. I'm going Bernie, sure he may squeeze us more BUT some of it is including medical premiums in my taxes. That about evens out.
I can't get on board with the whole libertarian philosophy so . . Gary Johnson would never be an option for me.
Same here, they put too much faith in the market aND the indiviual to do the right thing for my liking. I'm going Bernie, sure he may squeeze us more BUT some of it is including medical premiums in my taxes. That about evens out.[/quote]
So far I feel like over regulating the market hasn't gotten us anywhere positive lately, and if your ideal candidate is going to tell you what the right thing to do is, and force you to do the right thing (the right thing in their mind) thats kind of a scary thought to me.
So far I feel like over regulating the market hasn't gotten us anywhere positive lately, and if your ideal candidate is going to tell you what the right thing to do is, and force you to do the right thing (the right thing in their mind) thats kind of a scary thought to me.
It's scarier letting the market decide and the individual IMHO. Apperently I am not alone in that. There aren't a whole lot of libertarians let alone those who vote for that party.
It's scarier letting the market decide and the individual IMHO. Apperently I am not alone in that. There aren't a whole lot of libertarians let alone those who vote for that party.
Well then you are assuming that consensus and popular opinion equate to fact?
I mean I respect your opinion to not prefer the party and what they stand for, but I don't see much fact behind the opinion.
So far over regulated markets seem to be getting us pretty badly beat up on health care and education, no? Yet every other part of the free market where there is transparency, rule of law, and choice, we do pretty well. I don't remember the last time someone was up in arms over the prices of car washes, manicures, home contractor pricing, or anything like that...those markets seem to regulate themselves with some help from the government on the most basic parts of them.
I just cant even make an argument for the whole "don't let people decide whats best for them" part of what you are pushing back on. I mean unless I'm missing your point, are you arguing that people need to have fewer personal freedoms?
Well then you are assuming that consensus and popular opinion equate to fact?
I mean I respect your opinion to not prefer the party and what they stand for, but I don't see much fact behind the opinion.
So far over regulated markets seem to be getting us pretty badly beat up on health care and education, no? Yet every other part of the free market where there is transparency, rule of law, and choice, we do pretty well. I don't remember the last time someone was up in arms over the prices of car washes, manicures, home contractor pricing, or anything like that...those markets seem to regulate themselves with some help from the government on the most basic parts of them.
I just cant even make an argument for the whole "don't let people decide whats best for them" part of what you are pushing back on. I mean unless I'm missing your point, are you arguing that people need to have fewer personal freedoms?
I look at Arizona with free market education and it benefits the rich and upper middle class, not the average Joe family. The rich can send to charter schools or private schools and those that can't are forced into public schools which are at various degrees of falling or succeeding. That said, they can't get the educators they need for the price they are willing to pay. For instance, they recently changed their math teacher certification test from including trig and calc to not because of the fact there are too many to change. The test wouldn't be ready until the fall. The laws on education is only a problem for teaching towards a test but standardized testing existing WAY before NCLB on the state level.
Healthcare, we saw the free market for years and it wasn't the best at all.
You put words into my mouth with the quote you attribute to me. I only said that if more people think we should be libertarian, wouldn't you think they might vote for elected officials from that party? The libertarian Arizona Governor candidate got some 7% and the best we've ever seen presidentially is 1%. I'd argue that the people don't want it.
As for the quote itself I argue that the problem with libertarian leaning policy is that they open up issues of where is the line and if there is an initiation of aggression. Say Tom plans to initiate a terrorist attack, while he us planning it it isn't an initiation of aggression but while he does it, it is meanwhile if it is like now, he can be apprehended before it takes place with credible enough information. Another is charitable giving vs taxes, I hear people on here say they would give more to charity if they didn't have taxes but is that how they would really act or is it a cop out to help cement a libertarian leaning ideal? The problem is too many individuals are bad seeds and we can't trust them to be in control to protect other individuals if they have their right to do anything up to being an act of aggression.
Oh heck, Bernie is a goofy old loon that will promise anyone free chit for a vote. He doesn't have a clue how to pay for his promises. And isn't smart enough to figure out that taking things from people that earned them and giving them to people that didn't...is a bad idea. But anyone that wants to steal...without making the effort to do it themselves loves the guy. Still, he is right about some things. Our corrupt government and the use of tax law, rules and regulations to attack some businesses, while propping up others, taking from some and enriching others (campaign donors) is just wrong. Same thing Ayn Rand complained about 60 years ago.
How are the Republicans that promise to expand the military, increase the defense budget and engage in wars in multiple foreign countries any different? At least the promises made by Sanders have a chance to benefit Americans, pissing away trillions of dollars in new military spending not so much.
I find it hard to believe we could be in this position in our great nation. 4 candidates reasonably in the running now...an avowed socialist that can't do math, perhaps the most corrupt politician in US history, a reality TV star and a religious nut that seems to have few real convictions. I love this country, can't believe it's coming down to this. What does our future hold when these are the choices WE pick?
we had good folks, but the process isn't conducive to getting the best at the end, imo.....this is like American Idol -reality TV.....social media election....why would anyone in his/her right mind want to be POTUS with what is required nowadays? ....and these CEOs make so much more with corporations than they would running our country......
I find it hard to believe we could be in this position in our great nation. 4 candidates reasonably in the running now...an avowed socialist that can't do math, perhaps the most corrupt politician in US history, a reality TV star and a religious nut that seems to have few real convictions. I love this country, can't believe it's coming down to this. What does our future hold when these are the choices WE pick?
I'm going to happily vote for Bernie and I think he'll do just fine if elected, but I do agree that in general we've screwed ourselves over when it comes to picking presidents.
It's an utterly thankless job. From the moment someone thinks about running, his or her entire personal life is picked apart and nothing is off limits. A decision you made in your 20's can become a hit on the 24-hour news cycle in your 60's. No one's life can stand up to that kind of scrutiny.
It costs a fortune, so unless you have one of your own, you have to beg, borrow or steal the money to run. Then you're beholden to people, or you at least look beholden to them. Congress should have enacted real campaign finance legislation years ago, but the current system works great for them, so why would they?
Once he's in office, the scrutiny and 24-hour news cycle only intensify. The only thing conceivably off limits is the president's children, although they've taken their lumps over the years. Look at what Michelle Obama has had to listen to for the last 8 years--She's fat; she's ugly; she wears the wrong shoes; she shouldn't wear shorts; her butt is big; she's forcing her good nutrition agenda on kids; she hates America; she spends too much money; she hasn't decorated the White House well..... Who would want to inflict that on his or her spouse? (And it's not just Michelle--they're all rudely scrutinized.)
And the president is criticized for every single thing he does or doesn't do. It's as predictable as clockwork. Some dignitary dies and he goes to the funeral? He's making it all about him. He doesn't go to the funeral? He's being disrespectful. He goes on a vacation and he's wasting time and money, no matter how hard he works or that he's paying for it himself.
And that's not even getting to the criticism about anything related to his job as president. EVERY SINGLE THING he does or says will be criticized by "the other side," whoever that may be. Obama didn't stop Ebola fast enough. Bush didn't react quickly enough to Hurricane Katrina. They get criticized for every single thing that happens, whether they have anything to do with it or not, or whether they even knew it was happening. People seem to think that the president is in charge of every single decision made by every single person at every single federal agency.
The person who wants to be president has to have a super duper thick skin and really, really, really want the job.
We have gotten to this point because we eat up the media and the fake war between the "sides" and because we never take the higher ground or try to elevate the conversation. We are getting exactly who we deserve as presidential candidates. Just survey the threads on CD and you'll see exactly why we've gotten where we are today.
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The libertarian Arizona Governor candidate got some 7% and the best we've ever seen presidentially is 1%. I'd argue that the people don't want it.
