What Am I?

Townhall.com ^ | April 07, 2010 | John Stossel

[listenhillary]

I often resort to Google search for the article headline and include +FreeRepublic at the end of the search.

Seems to work very well and Google comes up with links to posts that were just posted minutes earlier.

[Repeat Offender]

you sure can talk buddy.

Everyone, please meet MRS. RO....... giving me a good ribbing while I'm away.

Please no one explain to her "guilty" or "not guilty" ;)

[ctdonath2]

I don’t use the term “liberal” any more because of the mutation away from its roots.
They’re “Leftists” - an otherwise baseless term identifying “that crowd” who, based on their narcissistic stupidity, have no sane connection to any classic sociopolitical identifier.

[downtownconservative]

We know that conservatives want government to conserve traditional values. They say they're for limited government, but they're pro-drug war, pro-immigration restriction and anti-abortion, and they often support "nation-building."

"...conserve traditional values"?? We want the government out of our everyday lives. We want finacial freedom from excess taxes that support entitlements to freeloaders. We want the Constitution to be held sacrosanct by the ALL branches of government. Want all life to be considered precious. We want parents to make the decisions in the upbringing of their children. We view freedom as a God-given right, completely separate from the government. I could go on...as I said, he over-simplifies what it means to be a conservative. Liberal=bigger government less freedom. They're simple to encapsulate. Conservative=smaller goverernment and a whole lot more.

[Notary Sojac]

Tolerate scumbags in your neighborhoods and property values can go to hell.

(1) I don't think "being a scumbag" is a criminal offense. What exactly did you have in mind.

(2) Americans have the right to own property, but not a right to have its "value" guaranteed. It's a mistaken concept to think that "property values" are some sort of entitlement which the government is required to protect.

[acw011]

ping

[rockhardo]

-lack of support for the War in Iraq Agree w/ Paul, Iraq was a huge mistake
-doesn't recognize marriage as one man + one woman You mean he doesn't support laws giving the government the right to define what marriage is? I don't want the government to have that power either.
-opposes death penalty at state and fed level. As a practical matter, the death penalty only enriches lawyers. (except in Texas)
-supports alternatives to prison. In some cases, I might agree, esp. drug related
-Doesn't support US mission in SKorea Agree w/ Paul. 50+ years is enough. Let Japan take over.
-Anti-Israel. May be a misrepresentation of Paul's position.
-Thinks gun manufacturers can be sued because someone else misused a gunWell, he's right, they can be sued. You can sue anybody for anything. Does he think they should be sued, or that they should pay?
-voted against a law banning the transport of minors accross state lines for abortions I think Paul recognizes that you are not going to stop abortions with un-enforceable laws. This law would give the federal government power to restrict interstate travel. Not a good idea, although the cause is noble.
-And he thinks we brought terrorism on ourselves. May be a misrepresentation of Paul's position. He believes in non-intervention. I think the drone campaign is where we should have been all along.
..and he's a truther Whatever that means.

Bottom line, I don't see anything radical here. Denying the governnment more power doesn't equate to supporting the opposite position on an issue. Opposing gun control laws doesn't mean you are in favor of murder. That's a trick the liberals play all the time.

[rockhardo]

Stossel: "We know that conservatives want government to conserve traditional values. They say they're for limited government, but they're pro-drug war, pro-immigration restriction and anti-abortion, and they often support "nation-building."

downtown:
"...conserve traditional values"?? We want the government out of our everyday lives. . . . he over-simplifies what it means to be a conservative. "

Maybe so, but that's beside the point. You didn't address Stossel's statement. Conservatives do NOT want the government out of our daily lives. In fact, conservatives want the government in the daily lives of a lot of other people too, for example Iraq, Germany, Japan, S. Korea . . . Conservatives want the government to tell me who to sleep/not sleep with, what substances not to put in my body, and a lot of other things. That's not an oversimplification, it's a fact, and it's the reason so many people who otherwise support ideas like fiscal responsibility and limited government power find conservatism distasteful.

Think of libertarians as conservatives who don't want the government dictating stuff that's none of their business.

[Little Ray]

Being a scumbag isn’t directly a criminal offense; however there are things called “zoning laws” that really peeve Libertarians. I used to agree with them, until they moved Section 8 renters into my neighborhood. Color me “NIMBY.”

[Repeat Offender]

Agree w/ Paul, Iraq was a huge mistake

This is one of the reasons why I will never support RP.... ever. It sure is fun being over there and having your Kongress backstab you and rant about pulling out the entire time. It's awesome when they continuously give hope to the enemy. And don't give me the support the troops but not the war nonsense.

I will never support RP.... or someone that is so wishy washy he comes out at n5atly 50% on every issue.

As a practical matter, the death penalty only enriches lawyers. (except in Texas)

Cool, than maybe my state shouldn't have executed the DC sniper.... maybe he could've lived with you as an alternative..... his life wasn't worth my tax dollars.

Anti-Israel. May be a misrepresentation of Paul's position

Check his voting record.

And he thinks we brought terrorism on ourselvesMay be a misrepresentation of Paul's position

http://www.ontheissues.org/Ron_Paul.htm

From Ron Paul's mouth.......

9/11 resulted from blasphemy of our bases in Saudi Arabia.

Suicide terrorism stops when we stop intervening abroad

We have a de-facto draft; we can achieve more in peace *news to me.... I thought I volunteered*

Jihadists attack because we have bases in their countries

Conscription is forced servitude--no draft for illegal wars

So 3000 Americans died on 9/11 because we have bases in Saudi... bases that are there at the welcome of the Saudi gov..... Good to know.

[swatbuznik]

It use to be the churches (*gasp* religion) that helped the poor and downtrodden, and with government nanny-ness, is slowly taking away that ability.