Tree-hugging hippie or capitalist swine?

[HiRo11er]

I consider that test to be more of a fun, test-yourself type thing, and less a serious attempt at placing us politically. I scored a -7.63 on the economic, and a -5.74 on the libertarian scale... Don't know how accurate that is, though...

Very few of my opinions are set in stone, however. Just looking at other people's posts, i realize that there are a coupla things I should clear up. Yes, I am pro choice, BUT I don't believe it should be used as birth control. I'm against capital punishment, BUT I believe there are people out there that don't deserve to live. (Especially when keeping prisoners locked up costs society billions every year.) However, I believe guns have no place anywhere. Like i wrote in a column back in the day, I need a gun like I need a hole in my head...

Oh, I'm curious. Does anybody believe punishment is more important than rehabilitation, when it comes to criminals? Also, what does astrology have to do with your political perspectives? Are libertarians MORE likely to read their daily horoscopes, f ex?
Also, I feel that some people are just generally unlucky. Does that push me towards the left or right? Still a fun little game, though...

A comment on the WTO, though... Someone mentioned their name in connection with free trade. Now, free trade is something totally different from fair trade, where the workers and farmers are guaranteed a set salary they can live with. The regulations imposed by the WTO have had a tendency to undermine the rights of workers around the world, in both industrial and developing countries, as well as interfere with human rights, environmental policies, even national sovereignty! Here's a quote from their web site:

Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. The result is assurance. Consumers and producers know that they can enjoy secure supplies and greater choice of the finished products, components, raw materials and services that they use. Producers and exporters know that foreign markets will remain open to them.

I like that last sentence. Nowhere on their web site do they mention the protection of worker's rights or environmental safety, f ex. In my opinion the WTO contributes greatly to the increased inequality in the world today... Add to the fact that they have more political influence than dozens of sovereign nations around the world, and you've got a recipe for disaster.. (IMVVHO!)

[HiRo11er]

Why do SYMians never feel the need to substantiate their opinions?

I was thinking about this when I wrote my reply just now... I think my answer to that is that I could write a 20-pager on that or any related topic, but I'm not in school anymore so I simply can't be bothered... If we sit down at any point and talk face to face I'll substantiate everything I've said, but it requires just waaaayy too much typing right now... I AM at work, I guess...

[Magrus]

[QUOTE=Vicsun]Why do SYMians never feel the need to substantiate their opinions?

Tell us why and how it screws up the economic aspect, fas.

I'll reply to DW&Magrus later - I'm at school right now and have a limited timeframe[/QUOTE]

OOOH. The anticipation is tearing me apart.

I don't know if any scale would rate my views properly. There are simply too many issues which I have varying stances on depending on the circumstances with each issue. One issue may have many circumstances which would make me have a few different opinions on how this issue should be handled depending on each circumstance.

For example, crime and punishment. Should people get the death penalty? I think some deserve it yes. However, who's to say what deserves such a penalty, and how do we have 100% proof someone IS guilty of those crimes deserving of this penalty? The systems not perfect, so how can you take a legitimate stance on how it all works and your opinion of it? There are innocent people in prison. Why? The systems flawed.

A guy I went to school with was charged with rape after dumping his girlfriend just because she didn't like that at all and wanted to get even. It went pretty far in court too to prove her wrong, ruined both of their school years as well. He was proven innocent, but if one thing had gone a different way, he'd of gone to jail for something he never did and someone elses spite. I've too many friends who've been raped to have pity on rapists, I think they should all be killed personally. The more painful the better, but that made me think. Most of my friends who HAVE had it happen were too distraught to say anything. How many were situations just like that one in my school that went to court? What other crimes as well?

How can I condone such a punishment KNOWING that people are wrongfully imprisoned. Some people being pardoned now on new evidence they weren't capable of getting when the crimes were comitted. "Sorry, we locked you up for 20 years, we made a mistake". Yeah, I'm sure their thoroughly grateful there. That sorry makes it all better too.

Laws and law enforcement too. There are so many ridiculous laws on the books in this country that you have to wonder if lawmakers DO anything. Why haven't they updated the laws? Gone over and revised and remade them for modern times? I grew up with a guy who wants to become a cop to pick up chicks. Went to college for it and everything. Dead set on becoming a police officer for the rest of his life to pick up girls. I don't want someone like that having that kind of power, yet he's in training at the moment. I've met good cops, bad cops, moronic lawyers, jaded judges.

My opinion, too many systems need a complete overhaul. Other than that, until thats done I don't think I can give a numerical figure of where I stand on things. It just seems ridiculous to me. If I throw out a 3.2, or 7.9 that doesn't show much at all of my opinion I don't think considering how I feel.

[CM]

Vicsun its very obvious you should know that by now. The test uses the US notion of "liking corporations" into being a liberal on the economic scale. I don't like corporations. I am indifferent on the issue. However i am a very much a liberal economist. I like free trade. Like a capitalist market system and i believe in some govt regulations of a market. Something most economists in the third world feel is necesssary for 90% of the world. I am a liberal in the economic aspect.

But just because i don't vote in favor of corporations and MNC i got a conservative rating in the economic aspect. That is not me. Corporations having a free reign is not economics. It is a notion purely unique to the US with no basis in economics at all.

That is why the economic aspect sucks in that test.

[Vicsun]

I like that last sentence. Nowhere on their web site do they mention the protection of worker's rights or environmental safety...

That's not their job. Would you expect firemen to be arresting criminals? Or in the context of international politics, Greenpeace to be lobbying for open trade? The WTO is an organization that has trade, not human rights, nor enviromental safety, as its main goal. NGOs such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Greenpeace deal with such issues - not the WTO, World Bank or IMF.

In my opinion the WTO contributes greatly to the increased inequality in the world today... Add to the fact that they have more political influence than dozens of sovereign nations around the world, and you've got a recipe for disaster..

A big reason for the poor state of developing countries is the fact that developed countries (read: North America & Europe) impose high tariffs and subsidise their own farmers, making it impossible for developing countries to export what they produce. Freer trade would most likely benefit developing countries more than developed ones. And the WTO is all for it.

In many cases, a union and employer negotiate how decent benefits are. Of course, there are also shops that are non-unionised that are still deemed 'good to work for.' And no.. I'm not advocating that unions are always a panacea, I well know how corrupt and overly bureaucratic they can be sometimes.

But increased benefits result in increased costs which get passed on to the consumer. The benefit for a single worker is offset by the cost to society.

@Magrus&DW
With strong unions, chances are those jobs would simply not exist. Anyone can always choose to have no job, but usually having a low-paying one is better than not having one. I'm both playing the devil's advocate and simplifying, but that's the basic gist of it. I could write a 3 page essay on why unions cause unemployment and increase inflation harming society as a whole, but while I am still in school, I can't be bothered either.

This was but a preview of everything I have to say about this thread - I'm far too opinionated to stay out of it; I'll be back.

[Moonbiter]

DW wrote:

LMAO! But I'm sure I can imagine you up on a balcony providing Mass to the multitudes below

ROTFLMAO! Thank you, dear. But the only time I have even a vague similarity to The Pope is on certain Sunday mornings...

And for the rest of it? What she wrote, too.

Vicsun wrote:

Why do SYMians never feel the need to substantiate their opinions?

Because I just can't be arsed with it anymore. I've discussed these same issues ad nauseam in various threads since I came here a year ago, and I can't for the life of me see the reason why I should keep on repeating myself. Tree-hugging capitalist swine will do just fine for me, thank you.