NationStates Jolt Archive

There are for me, and I will probably never come to a conclusion about them.

For instance, gun control I find to be a difficult one being neither left nor right.

Poll Coming!

I have an opinion on everything I can think of, but some are more deeply set opinions than others. I would never support free gun ownership, to take your example, but, while being a Eurosceptic, I am more swayable when it comes to issues such as European integration.

Abortion.

On one hand, I think that it's killing a fetus that's a potential Albert Einstein (genius). But on the other hand, it helps stem cell research, and hell would break loose if abortion were to be deemed absolutly illegal.

Euthanasia and polygamy are the two issues where I have no solid footing to make a decision as to which side I support.

Gun control for me too. I'm not too fond on the NRA's position, but I'm not too sure I want the government to know about every firearm anyone owns. If the extreme religious right takes over, I want to be armed.

There are for me, and I will probably never come to a conclusion about them.

For instance, gun control I find to be a difficult one being neither left nor right.

Poll Coming!

What makes you think you have to be "left or right", "for or against," etc. with all issues. Often, it isn't a matter of "making up your mind," between offered alternatives. You might just find that you don't agree with any of them, and instead support a third/fourth/fifth option.

Abortion.

On one hand, I think that it's killing a fetus that's a potential Albert Einstein (genius). But on the other hand, it helps stem cell research, and hell would break loose if abortion were to be deemed absolutly illegal.

Precisely how do you think abortion helps stem cell research?

What makes you think you have to be "left or right", "for or against," etc. with all issues. Often, it isn't a matter of "making up your mind," between offered alternatives. You might just find that you don't agree with any of them, and instead support a third/fourth/fifth option.


A third/fourth/fifth option in this case is very hard to find.

There are for me, and I will probably never come to a conclusion about them.

For instance, gun control I find to be a difficult one being neither left nor right.

Poll Coming!
Drug regulation. Although I say I'm in favor of no drug regulations so I can look Cool!:cool:

What makes you think you have to be "left or right", "for or against," etc. with all issues. Often, it isn't a matter of "making up your mind," between offered alternatives. You might just find that you don't agree with any of them, and instead support a third/fourth/fifth option.


Exactly. In most cases, I don't have an extrem opinion. I'm against legalizing drugs, but I don't think it's a good idea to criminalize the addictics.

I want a basic social security system with reasonable security, but people should still be encouraged to work.

I would use diplomacy first to stop countries wanting WMD. But if they don't cooperate, you have to use military force. (I was against the war in Iraq - Saddam cooperated - but I would have supported a military strike against North Korea two years ago. Kim Yong-Il was always a mad psychopat...)

I could bring more expamples - the world isn't only black and white.

A lot of economic issues.
For example, I have no idea if I would support communism if someone were to do it correctly.

I have opinions on most of the big topics... but there are some I'm still not 100% on - and a few I'm more a 0% on. Someone mentioned polygamy... I dunno - it's not ideal, but I don't see why it would be wrong. Certainly less wrong than homosexual marriage, which is trying to become mainstream. Yet I'm not real big on the idea of polygamy either... it doesn't seem like it would work out real well, and probably would cause problems. So I don't know. There are other issues like that too... but generally the more abstract ones I don't know so much about.

Death Penalty
Gun Control
Universal Healthcare
Public/Private Education/Funding
Sales/Income Tax

Abortion: I can see the reasoning behind people wanting to get one, but a fetus is a human being, or at LEAST a potential human being if its in the early stages of life. I would allow abortion in certain circumstances, Rape, Incest, if birth is a threat to the mothers life, and if the mother is unable to raise the child economically speaking.

Gay marriage: I think homosexuals have the same rights as anyone else, but I think marriage is an ancient western custom that shouldn't be changed. Marriage has traditionally been between two people of different genders. Homosexuals should be able to get "civil unions"

Israel: Looking over the history, I can see that Israel is a legitimate state, its creation was wholly legal. I don't approve of the way Israel has handled its foreign policy, and the arabs living in israeli territory are living in an almost apartheid state. Israel should pull out of its occupied territories and start negotiations in order to create a seperate arab state, or integrate arabs into their society.

I also am torn between classical marxism and mixed-market capitalism....

Israel: Looking over the history, I can see that Israel is a legitimate state, its creation was wholly legal. I don't approve of the way Israel has handled its foreign policy, and the arabs living in israeli territory are living in an almost apartheid state. Israel should pull out of its occupied territories and start negotiations in order to create a seperate arab state, or integrate arabs into their society.

This is the other one I'm torn about. Though I'm not sure about the creation of Israel being totally legal. Are there actual rules on that?

A third/fourth/fifth option in this case is very hard to find.

Gun control? Not really. On one extreme side, you have the people who think any citizen should be able to own any firearm and no one should have any say in it at all. On the other extreme, you have the "ban guns altogether" crowd. But, in between, there are quite a few positions.

For instance, my position is neither of the two extremes. I don't think guns should be banned, and I don't think you should be able to buy them at the corner mart with no checks whatsoever. All I would ask is that the person not have a violent criminal record and take a gun saftey course for most weapons. For the more high-powered weapons, the classes would be more in-depth, just as we do with different vehicles.

Gun control? Not really. On one extreme side, you have the people who think any citizen should be able to own any firearm and no one should have any say in it at all. On the other extreme, you have the "ban guns altogether" crowd. But, in between, there are quite a few positions.

For instance, my position is neither of the two extremes. I don't think guns should be banned, and I don't think you should be able to buy them at the corner mart with no checks whatsoever. All I would ask is that the person not have a violent criminal record and take a gun saftey course for most weapons. For the more high-powered weapons, the classes would be more in-depth, just as we do with different vehicles.

Yes, yes. What I meant to say was, a third option that will suit me is very hard to find.

This is the other one I'm torn about. Though I'm not sure about the creation of Israel being totally legal. Are there actual rules on that?

Well, basically what is alleged is that the jews "stole" the land from the Arabs. That is false, stealing implies ownership and the arabs never owned that land, it went from the ottoman empire to the british after ww1. Then the british decided to give the jews a home on the ancient former land of judea, the jews were not stealing the land, it was just a mass emmigration.

Drug regulation is difficult for me. I want cannabis, mushrooms, LSD and MDMA to be legal, but I'm not sure about heroin and cocaine. Legalising them would wipe out the gangsters that plague the world, but it cou.d unleash a crime wave due to people desparate for money for a fix if that many people had access to the drugs.

I don't know. I don't feel like I have to make a major decision on every issue and put myself behind some sort of dividing line. It's about more than the general issue, and more the context of the issue. It's more about debating the merits and flaws of a particular piece of legislation than anything else.

Take Abortion for instance. Why be hemmed into either a 'pro-life' or 'pro-choice' camp? I understand why politicians have to make that choice (because if they don't they'll piss off everyone), but I don't have to. I'll wait to see the particulars of any legislation that will be passed on the issue.

Does that make me a wishy-washy centrist? Perhaps. I can't decide...

Take Abortion for instance. Why be hemmed into either a 'pro-life' or 'pro-choice' camp?

Especially when you can be both simultaneously!

Drug regulation is difficult for me. I want cannabis, mushrooms, LSD and MDMA to be legal, but I'm not sure about heroin and cocaine. Legalising them would wipe out the gangsters that plague the world, but it cou.d unleash a crime wave due to people desparate for money for a fix if that many people had access to the drugs.
But legality would also dramatically reduce prices, thus lessening the need for that money.

I'm uncertain about diminishing marginal utility. To me it appears to be both irrational and rational depending how you ask the question. I need to figure that one out.