The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

[Rye]

Yeah, they certainly advocated the circulation of an engineered plague to implement eugenics on a mass scale among selected unworthy populations (all of which just-so happen to be poor, desperate Third World people whose current position in life is often wrought in no small part by the extremely privileged and powerful societies we dwell in). You're just grasping for straws when you say something stupid that someone calls out as such.

No, they didn't do that. They did notice how living things grow their populations until they're at the maximum that local conditions will allow. In the human equivalent, Norman Borlaug is lauded as the saviour of a billion people in places like Cameroon with his gene-modded crops. So did people grow a rational, steady society with a focus on sustainability and balance with the environment?


Of course not. Like a cancer, humanity's growth factors were completely out of control and people kept having the same number of babies they had when there were no vaccinations, no food and most of the babies would die. So what happened? More survived, exponential growth, wa-hey. That growth required even more resources, and thus we're stuck in an arms race with diseases (of course, since now antibiotics have to be applied more, there's now a ton of pathogens resistant to everything) and our ability to feed ourselves. What does cancer do? It just grows wildly, it consumes and spreads, until everything is consumed and then it kills itself, and an unchecked population does the exact same thing. It guarantees scarcity, extinctions and inequality by increasing demand on everything as soon as it can.

But hey, if you think having 8 babies starve to death per family is better than only being able to physically produce 1 baby that you can allocate all your resources to, go ahead, complain about "bourgeois" pampering and other infantile class war phrasebook fallacies, for all the good that will do you. Surely, unrestricted human breeding has been the best thing for all life on the planet, not just human.

Hey, I dunno what societies will function without a modern division of labor, and no young people, but I'm sure you've thought of that.

You make suicide legal and easy, you import workers from other third world areas, spread the labour markets and the material demands around, rather than have them centralised in areas with low distribution of resources.

The society will break down and the last generation will starve or kill each other in collapse. Maybe you're too uneducated and retarded to understand the meaning of the word "fallacy", but I am not suggesting your argument is stupid preposterous because you're a spoiled bitch and I can't imagine anyone who actually lived in these societies cavalierly suggesting mass eugenics (of course, you're not on the chosen receiving end, and you'd just-so-happen also be among those most likely to have the best of it if you were).

In North Korea? Are you kidding?

Tribal warfare and banditry replaces eugenics in most of the poorest areas like Somalia.

The next wars will be over securing oil and fresh water, another looming crisis that will affect the poorest areas, not coincidentally, frequently the most overpopulated, worst of all.

I'm sure a big population crash will elicit many a tear from yourself, while no doubt dyed in the wool racists like myself will be wanking ourselves dry at the photos of desiccated African corpses belching clouds of ravenous flies. I am sure it will be worth it.

"And when all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man, by victory or death." - Thomas Hobbes

If I could reduce the amount of suffering by reducing the proportion of the population that will have to provide for its needs via murder or dying by being infertile myself, I would gladly do it. The population crash is coming and will affect the poorest worst, when it comes from the next flu, the lack of oil, water, food, and later on when it comes from climate change and Yellowstone erupting. Would you rather there be less people and more stuff to go around, or more people and less stuff to go around?

It's impossible to bureaucratically administer massive central planning to deal with the problems of our own population. A crafted disease bypasses human decision-making and changes the game. Reduce the number of babies born and you increase the value of a human life. Introduce it in places wrecked with poor/no governance first as they have less of a hope of adopting emancipation for women, liberalism, and education towards a slower birthrate.

I'm saying that its stupid and preposterous, and incidentally, given how you're a lucky bastard, its a douchebag and boorish thing for someone in your lucky position to say. Care to point out the fallacy, navel-gazer?

The part where any of that is meant to matter? As it is, it's e-socialist character assassination, and has about as much worth as bringing up my fondness for metal, which you also did in the depths of your inanity. It's clearly an attempt to attack the messenger rather than message (which you've not really addressed apart from explaining how incredulous you are at it), and is a worker's party herring at absolute best.

I think pointing out the class basis is just straight-forward sociology. Its not like people on this board, I dunno, insinuate that religious people are stupid and are that way because they're white trash, or anything. Surely not, no. But why reply when you resort to lame-ass Red-baiting? You're a fucking moron.

EDIT: To be fair its probably not just because you're middle-class, it probably also has to do with the fact you're not settled with real responsibilities like a spouse, children, a life of activism or volunteering or a settled career; I can't imagine hearing Mike or MoO say shit like that, and I don't agree with their politics either.

The same Mike who said we should offer drug addicts money to get sterilised (something I agree with)? That terrible nazi eugenicist! Being settled with real responsibilities would be more likely to make me care less about the suffering of the poor and the misled in North Korea, true. I would leave them to rot so long as my kids were okay. This is one of the antisocial dangers of the family.

[Bakustra]

The same Mike who said we should offer drug addicts money to get sterilised (something I agree with)? That terrible nazi eugenicist! Being settled with real responsibilities would be more likely to make me care less about the suffering of the poor and the misled in North Korea, true. I would leave them to rot so long as my kids were okay. This is one of the antisocial dangers of the family.

There is a critical difference there. Addicts would have a choice over whether to take the money, which is not possible in your proposed plan of biological warfare. If you take issue with my terminology, then let me remind you that you are proposing a plague targeted at specific groups, but without the intention of causing general terror, so terrorism is not appropriate, and neither is any sort of messianic distortion.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Meaningless rubbish cobbled together with poorly-justified, young middle-class, vulgar armchair-tough-guy "look how cold and rational I am" fantasy.

You went from the reasonable lines of on-going atrocities and human tragedy, with the theoretical basis from Malthus, Darwin, and Mike, I suppose, and then make a completely unjustifiable leap to unleashing merciless targeted biological warfare upon a non-consenting population to rob them of their liberties without meaningful participation or influence over the events which you would have befall them. Darwin, Mike, and Malthus weren't would be apologists for unprecedented biological warfare and forcible eugenics. None of the above fills in that gap in logic, and since you are familiar with logic and fallacies you cannot possibly mean what you said. Since you can not be serious, one can safely dismiss your comments.

This is a fallacy, its called the non sequitur. And you, of course, failed to offer the supposed fallacies of class or some such Red-bait shit you alluded to, but of course, could not or would not substantiate.

[Coyote]

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Generally Leftist, but with some Conservative leanings.

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: The Democrats, but with reservations.

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: I am not familiar with UK Politics to the point where I feel I can make an informed opinion.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 6 or so. He campaigned as a centrist so we were, theoretically, informed. He's certainly better then the competition was, and a breath of fresh air compared to W.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Israel.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Mao Zedong, Karl Marx, Adolph Hitler, David Ben-Gurion. There are others to lesser extents, and (obviously) being influenced by some of these people should not be interpreted as meaning that I agree with them (coughHitlercough).


Foreign Policy
Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: I'm lukewarm on that. I can understand some arguments for having done the Iraq war but at the same time I think it was rushed and poorly thought out on flimsy rationales. To this day I remain convinced that it was only a matter of time before we were drawn into some sort of conflict there, but that doesn't mean that the current war was a good idea. But what's done now is done and we need to start pulling back more.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes, but I don't see Afghanistan as ever being much of a cohesive state and waiting for the ANA and ANP to serve as a competent force for stability is a fool's errand. That said, we were actually attacked by forces harbored in Afghanistan and the Taliban is a brutal, Medieval regime so they're not much of a choice. Unfortunately, if we leave Afghanistan I see it collapsing within months; but if we stay it'll be a charity case requiring time and attention for decades to come.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?:
Yes, limited humanitarian operations backed up by the occassional commando raid or air strike to blunt ethnic cleansing militias, that sort of thing.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: The realist in me says to contine the blockades and isolation, and continue to work with regional partners to keep the Norks isolated. Let South Korea call the shots on the whole thing as we just back them up. The more hawkish version of me says it would be emotionally satisfying to ratchet up pressure by quietly putting some torpedoes into a few Norks ships with our attack subs ("quietly" as in, no announcements or press). But I know that would be unlikely to make the situation any better.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: I am unfamiliar with the dispute and cannot make an informed opinion on it.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: I think the US should begin de-emphasising it's role in NATO and let it become "the EU Army" as it were. We'd remain involved as signatories to the alliance but it would be Europe's gig. As long as we provide funding, direction, and basically run things in NATO there's little reason for Europe to step up. Sometimes it feels like the US just sees European armies as another "US Army Reserve" force that is already conveniently stationed overseas and funded by someone else.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Keep it isolated and let it melt down on its own. Our biggest concern should be helping neighboring countries deal with the refugee and humanitarian crisis as it spills over. Africa doesn't need any more destabilization elements, it has a full plate already.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: We should do more to root out the problem of "demand" on our side of the border. But Mexico is also clearly incapable (or incompetent) to secure its side of the border, so despite the criticism that would come from it I think we should build the fence and increase patrols and maybe include military patrols if necessary. Northern Mexico is approaching "failed state" status and something needs to be done.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Increased naval patrols with more aggressive response would be used in my version of the world, but I'd also follow up on complaints about illegal toxic dumping that has destroyed the fishing in the area, and vigorously prosecute the companies doing it in international court. Somalia itself, well... there's not much we can do to it unless we want another Afghanistan. Even raids won't matter much, because it is just one more spark in a forest fire.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Push for the 2002 Arab Peace Plan but get the Arab states more involved with helping to keep the Palestinians from spazzing out and attacking Israel. Maybe get the UN involved, but in some complex manner get Israel back behind the 1967 border (there'll be some give-and-take for population drift since that time, but try to make sure it is equal give-and-take for both side). Pull Settlements out of Palestinian territory in exchange for relocating Palestinian refugees to Palestinian territory. The world will probably have to reconcile the security fence for awhile since both sides will have a lot of mutual animosity for a long time. In a few decades (or generations) we can have a "tear down the wall party" like there was in Germany. The international community needs to take a bold step and invest in Palestinian companies and infrastructure.


Economy
Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: There should be Universal Health Care in the USA and if it were presented to the business community right I think it could garner a lot of support. But part of the UHC plan will coincide with what we do about illegal immigration, since that is frequently thrown in as a reason why UHC will be a drain on the economy.

How should taxes be organized?: I am increasingly liking the notion of a flat tax with no loopholes. This should apply to businesses as well as people. I also think that people making below poverty level should pay little or no taxes, and needs like food and clothing* should be tax exempt.

*Food and clothing would be determined by a scale based on nutrional value for food (so that things like Twinkies and Coke aren't tax exempt); and some sort of scale for clothing so that things like fur coats and high fashion/designer clothes aren't tax exempt as well.

How should the recession be ended?: Bring back Glass-Steagal for one, and bring back more regulation. Close some tax loopholes and end a lot of unneeded subsidies for things like corn and the corn-syrup industry.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: Not entirely; I support the concept of stimulus spending but felt there weren't enough conditions put on it. It seemed to me to be more of a handout to corporations (although I did get a tax refund that was nice). I think a modernized version of the Depression-era CCC would be good, or if there is already one in place then the publicity profile needs to be raised.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Tentatively, yes. But I'd say, again, there should have been more conditions, like designing cars to be more efficient and start aggressively pursuing non-petroleum engines.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: Not really, but due to the Recession it can't really be tinkered with right now.


Social/Moral
Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: I think abortion should be safe and legal but also rare. Unfortunately, most of the social forces that are against abortion also tend to be against realistic sex education or contraception, too. We need realistic education and contraception availability, and to make adoption a more high-profile option.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Really, I think marriage itself is kinda stupid and everyone could just use "Domestic Partnerships" or "Civil Unions" equally. And what goes on between two (or more) consenting (aware and informed) adults is their business, and not the business of any damn church.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Creationism and Intelligent Design have no place in school. Social Studies classes, theoretically, are a venue where kids can learn about current theological influences on society if it is appropriate, but science classes are for science and what can be proven, not indulging in everyone's flights of fancy.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profanity, sexuality etc.?: Not publishing, but I can understand why public airwaves are regulated. A system where shows are rated like movies based on sexuality, profanity and/or violence would be good, and radios and TVs can be set to block out shows that are at certain levels, or at certain hours. Like TiVo.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: I agree with the notion that it should be available to all above sixteen years of age.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Students who wish to pray can do so but on their own. If they pray before taking a test then that is during their test time and no additional time will be alloted. Only private, religious academies can offer school and faculty-led prayer. Otherwise, no official prayer should be tolerated in school.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: I don't like capital punishment but I think we should have it available for exceptional crimes. Terrorism, especially WMD terrorism, piracy, treason, and things like hopelessly insane murder-cannibal type situations the death penalty should be an option but the bar for conviction should be set pretty high. I'm flexible about that death penalty, though.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: For the most part current law is sufficient, if I could add one thing it'd be that all firearm purchasing should be done like a CCW is done-- a person provides proof of training and they get a lisence; they present that lisence at the point of sale and the card is run, automatically checking both criminal and mental health databases, then approved or denied as applicable.


History
Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Yes, if only to end slavery.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: No, the Europeans could have managed trade routes and security thereof in less intrusive and heavy-handed ways.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yes, the notion of taxation without representation is corrupt.

[Guardsman Bass]

What do you identify yourself politically as?: I'll go with "Liberal Nationalist". It's sort of complicated to explain, mostly because I have political positions that are all over the place.


What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: The Democrats

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: Probably Labour, but I'm not British.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 7. It helps that he actually managed, in conjunction with Congress, to do something that no Democratic President has been able to do in decades.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Canada.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Not sure. It will take me a while to compile a list.

Foreign Policy Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: Yes, in the sense that I want them to finish up and withdraw. No, in that I did not support the invasion.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Initially yes, but currently no.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Humanitarian, with possibly a UN peacekeeping force during the period when South Sudan has the referendum on independence.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Turn the situation on its head. Right now, the Norks can get away with blackmail because they know that the South Koreans really, really don't want a war (same for the US). However, the North Korean government also wants to stay in power, and probably knows that they'll lose in any conflict.

So start pushing back. Search and stop all North Korean ships, and put some stringent criteria on US aid. If China wants to take on the whole burden of propping up that regime, they can go right ahead.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: I don't really care.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: No. I think NATO is a relic in search of a purpose, and that it should be folded into pan-European Union security efforts (with the US getting some basing rights on treaty).

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Mostly just plan for the chaos when Robert Mugabe finally dies.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: Legalize marijuana, possibly limited legalization of cocaine in highly regulated areas (like cafes), not sure about the other drugs. Some financial and training assistance to Mexican police, if and when the Mexican government asks for it.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Yes. I'm in favor of the "enemies of mankind" type of thing at sea, wherein the naval fleets can fire upon and sink any pirates caught in the act of trying to raid and capture ships.

It also might be a good idea to see if we can throw a handful of cash into the communities where these guys are coming from, to dissuade them from it.


What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, although they can keep a modified version of their Security Fence. Palestinians get to form a state on the West Bank and Gaza, although Israel has right of retaliation if they start attacking it (and vice versa).

I'd also like to put an international force to sit at the junctions between the two states, mostly as a form of security.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: I'm in the US, so it's in process. I support universal health care, and more specifically, I support something like a hybrid between the Singaporean system and the Canadian system.


How should taxes be organized?: More income tax brackets, including one for people earning $1 million a year and $5 million a year. Steeper gasoline taxes, as well as taxes on pollution (and I support a Carbon Tax over Cap-and-Trade, if you can get it to work).

Ideally, I'd like to reduce payroll taxes (they tend to be one of the heaviest burdens on new starting businesses), but I'm not sure how.

How should the recession be ended?: Good monetary policy, plus some long-term investments in science, infrastructure, and technology.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: Not in the current form. It would have been better to pass a stimulus that jacked up money for unemployment insurance and Medicaid (since both get hit hard at the state level in recessions) for a temporary period of time, followed by a later stimulus built around some key long-term projects.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Sure, although I don't want them becoming perpetually dependent on federal support to survive.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: No.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: I'm for abortion on-demand until 16-17 weeks in to the pregnancy, after which it's allowed for saving the mother's life, and for aborting fetuses that are very likely to be non-viable outside of the womb (meaning that they're heavily deformed).

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: I support gay marriage with full legal equivalency to heterosexual marriage.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: I think schools should teach against both Creationism and Intelligent Design, along with a strong foundation in evolutionary biology. I remember one of my texts in an introductory Biological Anthropology class had a whole chapter (50+ pages) devoted to debunking both, and it was both very informative and very useful.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: Although I think the issue of children seeing nudity is over-stated, I'm in favor of keeping some of the hard stuff (like hard-core sex) off the networks except between 12 AM and 5 AM.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: Available on request, and taught in school.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): No.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: I'm in favor for a limited number of crimes.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Limited, although I think they should teach gun safety and proper handling in schools.


History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Absolutely yes.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: No. Things get a little blurry if the colonizers were invited in (or moved-in for trading/work purposes), or inter-married with the pre-existing locals, or bought the land, or moved into empty areas after the local population had been wholly wiped out by disease.

Was the American Revolution justified?: The colonists had some legitimate concerns about representation, but by and large it was not justified.

[Alyrium Denryle]

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Technocratic Social Democrat

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: Green Party-though registered democrat

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: Green Party

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 5

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Federal Republic Of Germany

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Confucius, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Niccollo Machiavelli, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt, John Dewey, John Stewart Mill, Jeremy Bentham, Karl Marx.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: No. We need to get the fuck out.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes, until Afghan police and army can handle the Taliban on its own.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Humanitarian and Military. Genocides must not be permitted.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Continued blockade, sanctions, and isolation-support of S. Korean military operations if necessary.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: Dont know. Dont care

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: Dont really care

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Continued isolation and sanctions but plan in case the government collapses

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: Make pot legal, decriminalize possession and use of other drugs but go after distributors and support rehabilitation programs. Assist mexico militarily if needed.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Yes-and provide economic support for Somalia so piracy is not seen as a necessary option by its population.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Two legitimate states

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Yes

How should taxes be organized?: Progressive taxation system-increase tax rates on the wealthy as well as capital gains taxes. Close loopholes in tax laws that create tax shelters.

How should the recession be ended?: Increase regulation, spend on infrastructure and economic support for individuals. Do not cut taxes

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: No.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: No-If they cannot operate in the market we should not be bailing them out due to their own incompetence. The same could be said for banks. They should have been nationalized.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: No. It should be a living wage.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: Yes. No restrictions up until the point that the fetus can feel pain.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Support, oppose, oppose. Separate but equal is not equal by definition.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Not only no, but fuck no. They should be taught only so that they can be argued against.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: No. If you dont like something do not read watch or listen to it.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: Available and free as soon as puberty is reached.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): If a student wants to pray in their spare time, let them. Other than that, no.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: Universal across the board opposition to the death penalty.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Guns need to be licensed and registered, concealed carry subject to stiffer regulations. Guns ought not be permitted in certain places like schools, universities, and university housing. I dont want to be in a position where there student I give a failing grade to is packing heat.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Yes. And may General Sherman rise from the grave so that he can finish the job.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: No

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yes.

[Samuel]

You know, if your concern is over declining resources Rye, you can have the old people in first world countries killed of. They use up alot of resources and don't contribute productively to society. Of course they have spent the previous part of their lives working their asses off, but if you are going to be sociopathic enough to release plagues, lets aim for the people who are already near death.

[Guardsman Bass]

Was the American Revolution justified?: The colonists had some legitimate concerns about representation, but by and large it was not justified.

In hindsight, I think I'll change this to a "maybe". The colonists did have legitimate concerns about taxation without any sort of say, but I'm not sure whether or not there was a realistic way for it to have been resolved without war.

[Night_stalker]

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: pragmatic

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: Democrats

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: IDK

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 5

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Switzerland

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: FDR, TR, Rudy Guliani, Julius Caesar, Macheveli

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: no.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes, until Afghan police and army can handle the Taliban on its own.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Humanitarian, limited military (ie commando operations).

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Continued blockade, sanctions, and isolation. Possible SOCOM actions.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: 1 Island to Korea, 1 to Japan.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: Yes, NATO should be a global alliance pact. WIll need a new name though. I prefer GDI.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Continued isolation and sanctions but plan in case the government collapses

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: Legalise marijuana, make drug dealing a crime punishable by life in prison (in the US), increase security on both sides of the border, and send all help Mexico asks for.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Yes and a quick strike, no long-term occupation.
What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Encourage a moderate Palestine state by helping the West Bank while still being stern against Gaza but make sure all of Jerusalem remains Israeli or an alternative would be having Palestine assimilate into Israel including giving all Palestinians Israeli citizenship eventually.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Yes, but privately run.

How should taxes be organized?: Heavy taxes on rich, low on poor.
How should the recession be ended?: Continued mix of regulation, strategic stimulus spending, and cutting taxes.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: No, but can't see other possibility

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: NO, they dug their own grave, until they begin reforms, no bailouts

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: For now, due to the recession.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: No, need parental approval for under 18, and should be last option

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Don't really care, but allow for all.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Yes, and students pick which one they believe in.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: Mostly warnings.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: Available to all above sixteen years of age.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Only if the students want to, no teacher led ones.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: Yes and for murder, treason, terrorism, and piracy.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Limited, mostly as is now in the US.


History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Yes

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: Some parts yes.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yes, but Colonies bear lot of blame for what happened.

[Count Chocula]

Okay, what the hell:

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Classical liberal, Constitutionalist

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: Marco Rubio Republicans, registered no party affiliation

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: Don't know shit about UK politics other than we didn't see eye to eye with them in 1776, 1789 or 1812

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 2 - he hasn't committed any impeachable offenses, but he's making Jimmy Carter look good

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Limited experience, but I gotta admit I like Canada to visit. Toronto's cool, and I can speak my broken French without mockery in Quebec. Border land Mexico sucks donkey dick.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Ben Franklin, Harry Truman (for "The Buck Stops Here"), Ronald Reagan, Mark Levin. After reading Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto, and Mein Kampf, I developed an atavistic opposition to Marx, Engels, Hitler and others of their totalitarian ilk. I hate Woodrow Wilson and FDR with a passion that's wasted on the dead.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: Yes, because it put paid to Hussein (finally) and has been a briar patch for Muslim extremists. If they're attacking us there, they're not attacking us here. Not a good situation, granted, but better than a bombing in the Mall of America. Fuck the democracy building, I think that's a wasted effort. A fixed objective (not timetable) and withdrawal, along with oh an official Congressional declaration of war would have been nice but we're making lemonade.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes, more than Iraq, but I think the attempt at nation building is a mistake. Ideally we would have gone in there, played whack-a-mole with the Taliban over a few years, developed contacts to allow us to maintain that ability with a reduced physical presence (I'll take informers, station chiefs and Predators for $1000 Alex!) and taught the radicals that they need to stay TFO of the US. Of course, I also feel we should have sent an occupying army into Saudi Arabia in 2002, given what we know of the September 11 hijackers' origins.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Direct distribution of food at the village level, while at the same time providing semi-auto AK rifles and training to two squads of adult males in each village to guard against predation. Fuck the UN distribution.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Blockade and sanctions, stern words of disapproval from the UN, and four B-2s on constant orbit in the Sea of Japan with B-61s, along with ROK fighters and AWACS on 24-hour rotation. If the Norks do move, we don't have enough men on the ground (nor do the South Koreans) to prevent the loss of SK without using special weapons.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: WTF is the Empire of Japan? Technically the US owns them, although our allies in South Korea are occupying the islets.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: That's up to them. NATO should only consist of European powers (eastern, western, I don't care) in opposition to The Russian Federation (and maybe China?). Time for us to go.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Nothing. Disengage.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: Patrol the borders, have our military strike ANY Mexican Army forces encountered in the United States (yes it's happening), deport illegal aliens, especially known gang members. Legalizing and treating pot, ecstasy, cocaine, etc. on par with alcohol would be nice but probably won't happen.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: No, I'd rather have merchantmen armed with .50 MGs, 40mm grenade launchers, and personal sidearms to repel pirates.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: The elimination of Hamas, the Israeli reoccupation of the West Bank (theirs by conquest, remember?) and Gaza, and international pressuring of Jordan and Egypt to take in the fellow Muslims they refused to accept and forced into Gaza and the West Bank. And nukes, but rumor has it that's already handled.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: No, especially not in the current 2000 page form that's under Constitutional challenge.

How should taxes be organized?: Reduce exemptions, equal percentages across all incomes, reduce corporate taxes (which just result in higher consumer prices). Have more than 50% of working Americans pay taxes, unlike today...make sure all workers "have some skin in the game" and maybe they'll pay more attention to federal spending.

How should the recession be ended?: Reduced regulation, reduced red tape, lower taxes, reinstate Glass-Steagall. Dismantle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, end all bailouts, which have turned into an egregious form of preferential treatment.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: Hell no. Not then, not now, not ever.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Fuck no. Iaccoca got a loan and paid it back. That's not today's situation. The US government sits on the board of directors of GM and Chrysler. BTW, did you know that if you buy a Jeep the loan is made through GMAC? Sure you did. And good luck with those new CAFE standard proposals. Didn't Italy do this in the 1930s and 1940s? That didn't end well.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: Irrelevant; the federal government has no business setting minimum wage requirements.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: No. The only possible justifications I can countenance are for instances of rape, in the first trimester, or for a lethal physical deformity.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: No to gay marriage. I oppose civil unions in general, because you're allowing a municipality to grant you permission for union. Don't care about domestic partnerships. I support the ability of homosexual couples to grant property in wills, have joint tenancy, enter into contracts together, have group insurance, etc.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: My son's in Catholic school. It will be interesting to see how they address this. I'd say "yes," with the proviso that evolution based largely on one man's observation of a limited number of species on one remote chain of islands still is more provable than the other theories.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: As others said, advisory in nature only...preferably by a third party, kinda like UL. Having a government agency decide a nation's moral markers makes me uncomfortable.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: No opinion

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Not really; I'd prefer the pledge of allegiance. If you have your kid in a parochial school it comes with the territory, but in public school...not so much.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: Yes and for murder, treason, terrorism, and piracy (from post #1). I'd add rape to the list of capital offenses

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Little to none; register anything over 20mm, or explosives, or grenades, as inventory items for national guard use; otherwise, Vermont style works.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: No. If they hadn't, the European powers may have re-conquered the weakened North America, but the "Confederates" were within their rights. The North was wrong, but hey, they won.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Hell yes. They had repeated warnings days before we dropped the bombs. My grandfather was tasked to the invasion of Japan, when the predictions were 1 million dead American soldiers and 10 times as many Japanese. Hell yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: Are you talking American colonialism? If so, IMO no. Statehood is preferable, and creates ties that bind. Puerto Rico has voted against statehood four times IIRC; fine, let's cut them loose. The Navy can find some other deserted island to bomb for practice.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Hell yeah.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Jesus, I didn't know they taught history this fucking bad to any middle class Americans.

To pick out probably the most ridiculous and absurd low hanging fruit: secession was most certainly NOT legally fucking justified, and this was not only upheld by the SCOTUS but also was the broad consensus among the Framers and Washington Administration. Washington himself commented on it, and of course there is the preposterous claim that any party to a contract can unilaterally terminate the agreement. Of course, the Constitution itself was created for the purpose of a "more perfect union" -- originally established by the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. Hard to see how a conditional and purely voluntary union is more perfect than a perpetual one, but they don't like to think about things like this. Confederate apologists would have you believe the Constitution was supposed to be a more confederal and state sovereigntist document than the Articles that preceded it. But I guess this kind of lame confederate apologism is necessary to sustain the racialist legalistic philosophy and such which is the antecedent of modern constitutional "conservatism", in other words, got to prop up the Slave Power so we can have Tea Parties today.

Where's Rogue 9 when you need him?

[Guardsman Bass]

Have more than 50% of working Americans pay taxes, unlike today...make sure all workers "have some skin in the game" and maybe they'll pay more attention to federal spending.

Not this bullshit again - do they not have sales and payroll taxes in whatever asshole of Florida you crawled out from?

[Illuminatus Primus]

I think its funny how obviously Chocula is now revealed to be just a Humean Bundle of Tea Party talking points and rhetoric versus an actual political mind as a substantive entity. Don't bring up payroll taxes! Its not like it pays for federal spending above and beyond the entitlement programs (another talking point, how Social Security is full of "IOU's"; curiously they do not link the two talking points logically, wonder why? ). Or how about "corporate taxes just get passed on to the consumer." Well the working public does a lot more consumer spending versus investment than rich people, so it follows in Tea Bag that...the working public pays corporate income taxes! But wait, that robs us of our "lazy undesirables" boogeyman, shit.

[D.Turtle]

Well, not having read most of the questions or any replies, here's my attempt:

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Leftist

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: Liberal Wing of the Democratic Party

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: No idea.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 6

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Hmm, hard to say. Probably Sweden or so.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Still working on this part, so I can't name a long list of people. Sure, there are definitely lots of influences, but I can't tell you from whom they are or what they are.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: No.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Currently no, because there is no clear idea of what is to be achieved there.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Humanitarian aid, definitely. Military aid only if there is a clear plan what to achieve.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Well, seeing as how the sanctions etc. have been really ineffectual, while opening trade etc. with countries like China in the past have been quite successful, I would like to see that tried.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: Never heard of it.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: NATO has to decide what exactly it wants to be. The danger of expanding very far, very quickly it risks accepting Members who start wars for little or no reason (see Georgia), which could lead to trouble.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: See North Korea. Sanctions have proven useless, try the opposite.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: End the War on Drugs, see Mexican Drug Wars evaporate.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Without a plan to fix or stabilize the situation, military action would be largely ineffectual. So any action taken, should be focused on stabilizing the country.

(Accidentally deleted the next question)
What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Go for a true two state solution. Israel is the one country I support issuing sanctions, etc against, since they are utterly dependent on foreign trade, aid, etc.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Universal Health Care is a human right.

How should taxes be organized?: Tax corporations more, close loopholes, tax banks and the financial system a lot more. Income taxes should be strongly progressive.

How should the recession be ended?: Well, here in Germany I'm quite satisfied with the actions taken. In the US, the whole system is medieval (slight exaggeration) and should be reworked from the ground up. Focus on Infrastructure and Manufacturing, break up the massive banks, reenact Glass-Steagal, basically cut down the financial system to size - they should help the true wealth generating industries work and work more efficiently, not be massive a massive false wealth generating system of their own.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: It had way too many tax cuts. The focus should have been on getting people work - aka infrastructure and so on.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Hard to say, it seems to have worked out so far, but the question is if this is just pushing the problem down the road. On the other hand, this was one of the few actions taken that directly benefited "normal" people instead of only banks, so that is one factor in favor of the thing.

Is the minimum wage sufficient or not?: The problem is not the minimum wage but the (lack of) worker protection. Germany for example has no minimum wage in many areas, and mostly doesn't see the problems the US has.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: Yes, I support the woman's right to choose what happens with her body.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Gay marriage should be completely equivalent to heterosexual marriage.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Creationism belongs in Religious Studies (along with other creation myths). Intelligent Design is pseudo-science and does not belong in school.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profanity, sexuality etc.?: Only very extreme cases should be regulated.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: Basic human right.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Official endorsement of one religion over another should be prohibited.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: The Death Penalty is inhumane and should be abolished.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Firearms and weapons should be very stringently regulated, mostly only for people who need them for their work (security in banks, etc). Recreational use only in recognized shooting clubs/hunting clubs.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Definitely, especially since the Confederates committed acts of war first.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes. Conventional bombing did more damage than the nukes did, however nukes probably expedited the surrender of Japan.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: Hmm, hard to say. It was probably hard to stop, considering the vast technological difference between the colonizing countries and the colonized areas. The negative effects on the local population could and should have been drastically lowered.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Countries like Canada or Australia have worked out quite well without any revolution. So I don't think it was necessary. I don't really know enough about the American Revolution to decide if it was justified, or how much exaggeration there was by the revolutionaries.

[D.Turtle]

Well, not having read most of the questions or any replies, here's my attempt:

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Leftist

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: Liberal Wing of the Democratic Party

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: No idea.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 6

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Hmm, hard to say. Probably Sweden or so.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Still working on this part, so I can't name a long list of people. Sure, there are definitely lots of influences, but I can't tell you from whom they are or what they are.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: No.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Currently no, because there is no clear idea of what is to be achieved there.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Humanitarian aid, definitely. Military aid only if there is a clear plan what to achieve.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Well, seeing as how the sanctions etc. have been really ineffectual, while opening trade etc. with countries like China in the past have been quite successful, I would like to see that tried.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: Never heard of it.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: NATO has to decide what exactly it wants to be. The danger of expanding very far, very quickly it risks accepting Members who start wars for little or no reason (see Georgia), which could lead to trouble.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: See North Korea. Sanctions have proven useless, try the opposite.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: End the War on Drugs, see Mexican Drug Wars evaporate.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Without a plan to fix or stabilize the situation, military action would be largely ineffectual. So any action taken, should be focused on stabilizing the country.

(Accidentally deleted the next question)
What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Go for a true two state solution. Israel is the one country I support issuing sanctions, etc against, since they are utterly dependent on foreign trade, aid, etc.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Universal Health Care is a human right.

How should taxes be organized?: Tax corporations more, close loopholes, tax banks and the financial system a lot more. Income taxes should be strongly progressive (as in reality, not only on the paper to be ignored by various tax evasion measures undertaken by people with enough money).

How should the recession be ended?: Well, here in Germany I'm quite satisfied with the actions taken. In the US, the whole system is medieval (slight exaggeration) and should be reworked from the ground up. Focus on Infrastructure and Manufacturing, break up the massive banks, reenact Glass-Steagal, basically cut down the financial system to size - they should help the true wealth generating industries work and work more efficiently, not be massive a massive false wealth generating system of their own.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: It had way too many tax cuts. The focus should have been on getting people work - aka infrastructure and so on.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Hard to say, it seems to have worked out so far, but the question is if this is just pushing the problem down the road. On the other hand, this was one of the few actions taken that directly benefited "normal" people instead of only banks, so that is one factor in favor of the thing.

Is the minimum wage sufficient or not?: The problem is not the minimum wage but the (lack of) worker protection. Germany for example has no minimum wage in many areas, and mostly doesn't see the problems the US has.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: Yes, I support the woman's right to choose what happens with her body.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Gay marriage should be completely equivalent to heterosexual marriage.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Creationism belongs in Religious Studies (along with other creation myths). Intelligent Design is pseudo-science and does not belong in school.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profanity, sexuality etc.?: Only very extreme cases should be regulated.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: Basic human right.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Official endorsement of one religion over another should be prohibited.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: The Death Penalty is inhumane and should be abolished.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Firearms and weapons should be very stringently regulated, mostly only for people who need them for their work (security in banks, etc). Recreational use only in recognized shooting clubs/hunting clubs.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Definitely, especially since the Confederates committed acts of war first.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes. Conventional bombing did more damage than the nukes did, however nukes probably expedited the surrender of Japan.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: Hmm, hard to say. It was probably hard to stop, considering the vast technological difference between the colonizing countries and the colonized areas. The negative effects on the local population could and should have been drastically lowered.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Countries like Canada or Australia have worked out quite well without any revolution. So I don't think it was necessary. I don't really know enough about the American Revolution to decide if it was justified, or how much exaggeration there was by the revolutionaries.

[Hillary]

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Liberal left, I guess.

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: None - all are far to the right of anywhere I'm comfortable with

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: Lib Dems.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 5 - no better or worse than I expected.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: Portugal is nice.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: Like anyone growing up in 80s Britain, Margaret Thatcher. Can't think of too many other UK politicians that have had a great impact on my thinking. Much of my current political viewpoint has been shaped by reading sites such as this one.


Foreign Policy
Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: No. Terrible idea to start with - it was always going to go pear-shaped. I feel it has destabilised the area far more than was the case with Saddam in charge. We need to get out somehow - unfortunately I can't see how that can happen without the situation in Iraq getting even worse. It's a complete mess.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Less clear cut, this one. Again the operation was not exactly carried out effectively and we are in a total mess, but there was at least some justification for action in this case. I just wish that when we do something like this, we give at least some thought to how we are going to achieve our aims over the long term. At the moment, it appears the strategy goes no further than "we've got more weapons than them - EASY!"

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?:
Yes - 100%

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Jaw jaw not war war.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: No idea what this is.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: Expand, but on a case by case basis.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: What we are currently doing.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: Regulation of drugs, rather than the self-defeating prohibition of them that is currently in place would solve a hell of a lot of these problems.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Don't know enough about the situation to comment. I suspect that the pirates are a symptom of a much bigger problem in Somalia.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: The US should force the Israeli government to start acting like human beings, rather than the land grab merchants they currently are. Yes, the Palestinians are no angels but the oppressor has to make the first moves.

Economy
Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Hell yes. Any civilised government should have one.

How should taxes be organized?: This is a massive question. I would minimise indirect taxes and up the proportion that the rich and businesses pay in direct tax. I would increase the tax threshold for lower-income families, but not the threshold for Inheritance tax. I would do my best to stop the rich and big business simply moving their profits to overseas tax shelters. Very tough to achieve though.

How should the recession be ended?: The bigger question for me is how to stop the next recession. There needs to be global agreement to stop the excesses of the free market economy and avoid the never-ending cycle of boom and bust. Business won't like it, the rich won't like it, but everyone else should benefit.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: I don't know enough details to comment.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Again, I'm not familiar enough with the US economy to judge.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: Unlikely, they rarely are.


Social/Moral
Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: Yes. I see no reasons for restrcitions.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Gay marriage shuld be legal. There should be no difference in the treatment of gay and straight people under the law. None at all.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: As part of religious education classes, yes. As part of a science class, no - neither are scientifically based ideas.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profanity, sexuality etc.?: I'm not a great fan of public censorship. "Who are we protecting and why?" is my question.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: It should be freely available to all.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): No - it is not the states role to promote religion in schools.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: I disagree with it entirely.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Guns should really be heavily regulated. I have yet to see a decent argument as to why they should be freely available. Knives are a different matter - you can cause as much damage with a kitchen knife as a combat one so it's rather difficult to ban them anyway.

History
Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: It ended slavery, so yes.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: My understanding is that it meant less casualties in the long run, so yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: No. It was brutal and disgusting.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Being a Brit, I have little knowledge of the reasons for it

[Ritterin Sophia]

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Center-Right by my own standards, in American standards I would clearly be a militant socialist to some and a fascist to others. I describe myself as a mix of nationalist and socialist.
What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: The Democrats are a bunch of spineless cowards who wouldn't agree to bathe in the morning without bipartisan support to do so. That said they're not evil so my choice is made.

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: I would say the Conservatives. Though I have contention with some of the underlying movements inside their group. First is their reluctance with the EU; I do see the EU becoming more US-like in that individual countries will become states within a single Union (though I certainly don't want our political system over their and I don't see it happening soon), creating a new super power would help the balance of power in the world and given the good (though not without strain) relation between the US and most of Europe a largely pro-American super power would benefit us.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: I'd say a 6 maybe seven. He's not great but he's not completely a lame duck, he has gotten the ball rolling towards a better healthcare system and established better gay rights for federal employees and is pushing towards better treatment for them in the military. I honestly don't see why the rest of the civilized world has perfectly functioning armed forces, but some Americans don't feel the greatest military on the planet is professional enough to serve with gays.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: I don't think I can choose. The UK is our parent nation and there's an obvious attachment there. France has, despite our rather unappreciative behavior of them, been a US ally for longer than the Union had actually existed. I think I'll be infantile and say Belgium, they make such wonderful guns.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: I'm partial to George Washington as he was asked to be King of the US and turned it down, then President-for-life and voluntarily chose to make way. He was given great power but set a precedent that no man should hold absolute power.

Abraham Lincoln is a big one for me, he echos my own view that no one issue is more important than the Union and that sometimes the law does impede doing the right thing.

I like to idolize Theodore Roosevelt, for bringing conservatism to the national stage and his progressive policies that highlight how far the conservative movement has fallen. His views on Americanizing every immigrant appeal to me as well.

Some would attack me for this, but Adolph Hitler. I admire his charisma and ability to galvanize his citizenry to a cause, as heinous as the cause was. He also serves as a reminder of the dangers of authoritarianism and the folly in attempting to micromanage a war.

Others I include are Eisenhower, LeMay, Sherman, Patton, Truman, I feel I'm forgetting someone, but oh well.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: You may want to specify. If you mean do I support our troops and our allied troops as largely good people? Then yes.

If you mean did I support the invasion: No, we were sold the war on a lie, there are many valid reasons to have deposed Saddam and had the war been initiated on any of them I would have supported it, but whipping the American people into a frenzy to justify it shouldn't be necessary.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes, Afghanistan was where Osama bin Laden was, the Taliban was helping to support his terrorist network to attack the US.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: I would support SF operations to help bolster against the Sudanese and mid-to-high level military ops to attack Sudanese bases.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: I would encourage the ROK to purchase more equipment from us and allow us to build more installations for the inevitable continuation of hostilities. Other than that all I can propose is a continued blockade and further dialogue with out allies in the area and China to convince the Chinese to stay out when it does go hot.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: I support further dialogue between the two and would propose a joint administration.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: Yes, it's a bit idealistic, but I would like to see the NATO become the North Atlantic Union. I'd also support an initiative for more treaties to other like nation. For example expanding ANZUS and renaming it to include all allied nations in the Pacific.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: Isolation is the only choice.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: I would ideally like to see the legalization of all major drugs and set up licensed dealers, then tax the shit out of it. Increase the penalty of unlicensed dealing to where simply getting a license to make and deal under strict federal regulations is a much more favorable choice.

Offer the Mexican government any military support and further tightening of border security.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: Develop a workable policy in regards to allowing nations to detain and prosecute pirates.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: Transfer ships to the Mediterranean and escort the aid ships alongside the Turks and if we can get Egypt to allow the Iranians through we can pull a PR bonus with Iran and undercut the Ayatollah's anti-US preaching with the younger demographics.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Most definitely, every nation that we could care to emulate uses a UHC system and achieves more efficient performance than our own.

How should taxes be organized?: I'd like to see more proportional and progressive taxation.

How should the recession be ended?: Not qualified to answer.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: Not qualified to answer.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: I suppose.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: You try and live off of it.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: I'd like to see federal protection of a woman's rights, the only abortion that matters to me are third trimesters and those only occur if the mother is in danger and IF you can get one of the only three doctors in the US willing to do so.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Yes.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: Nope.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: I'm good with warnings.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: I'd support birth control being dispensed by the schools starting in Middle School/Junior High.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): No teacher lead prayer should occur.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: Treason, repeat rapists, repeat murderers.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: Limited, mostly as is now in the US. I would like to see required safety classes. I'd also like to see a loosening of the NFA to allow limited importation of newer foreign or domestic automatic designs.


History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Of course.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Yes

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: Depends on what you mean.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yep.

[Solauren]

General:
What do you identify yourself politically as?: Social Liberal, Fiscal Moderate/Conservative. (Allow it and regulate it, or don't allow it at all)

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: I don’t. I’m Canadian, eh.
What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: I don’t, I’m Canadian, eh.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?:
8. He has actually kept, or is working to keep, the overwhelming majority of his campaign promises, and is doing his best to clean up the mess he was left with, while dealing with political stupidity that is almost anarchism.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: None really. I support or deride their actions and decisions on a event-by-event basis.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: None that I’m aware of. Mind you, I loved John. A. Macdonald’s (first Prime Minster of Canada’s) style. And his threatening to slap opponents during Paraliment.

Foreign Policy
Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: No and Yes. No in that there was absolutely no legitimate reason to go into Iraq, and Yes in ‘While, you’re there. Do the job right and get out as quickly as possible. If the natives want to kill each other, let them.’

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: Yes and No. Yes, it was the right thing to do, and still is. No, in that it’s been badly mis-handled up until this point.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?:
Insufficient knowledge of/interest in the situation to make a decision.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: Isolate them, and then ignore them. Possible re-initiate Project X-Ray, and ‘Batbomb’ them. Much cleaner then Nuclear Weapons.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?:
Insufficient knowledge of/interest in the situation to make a decision.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?:
NATO needs to be redone from the ground up, but I have no problem with a expanded military alliance. There are threats that could happen that would require more then a few nations rattling sabers to deal with.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?
Insufficient knowledge of/interest in the situation to make a decision.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?:
Police the US-Mexican Border. Legalize Drugs that are less harmful then Tobacco and Alochol, regulate and tax it. If Tobacco companies were also growing other drugs, they already have market and production control, and most drug cartels would collapse being unable to compete.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?:
Yes and Yes. In areas with aggressive (read; more then the ‘odd’ occurance) pirate activity, ships should be allowed to be armed, or military escort is required. However, I am not in favor of attacking Somolia itself. Attacking Somolia itself will just aggravate the problem.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?:
Cut off all outside ties for both countries, and tell them they’ll be reinstated once they both learn to behave like adults. If one annihilates or invades the other, we glass the aggressor. Simple as that.

Economy
Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Yes, and Yes. The Canadian Health Care act was less then 20 pages, was comprehensive, and insurance and drug companies still make good profits without over-stressing most peoples economic situation.

How should taxes be organized?:
There is no possible informed answer to this question, as no one is aware of all tax statues across all levels of government.

How should the recession be ended?:
Arrest the bastards that caused it, figure out how they did it, and close all the loop-holes and so forth they used, regulate more industries related to money to prevent this.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?:
I’m not American, so I don’t care.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?:
Why not? It worked for GM. They’ve paid back their loans and made a 500 million dollar profit last quarter, AFTER paying the loans back. Sometimes, you just need to kick someone in the ass.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?:
The problem isn’t the minimum wage, it’s the high-wage earners that force companies to raise prices.

Social/Moral
Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?:
Yes, and none at our current level of technology. The father should be made aware of the decision, possibly after the fact, however.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?:
Yes, Yes and Yes. If someone wants to enter in a marriage, union, or whatever. However, with the exception of civil servants, forcing someone to sanction or perform such a union against’ their beliefs or practices should not be. If you can’t find a priest to marry you in your religion because of your sexual orientation, you need a new religion, and to go find a Judge of Justice of the Peace or another offical with the proper authority.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?:
Yes, but only as an example of a bad theory, or in the ‘Stupid things people come up with’ class.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?:
Yes and No. Their should be two types of channels; ‘Unregulated’, and ‘Regulated.’ The channel type would have to be marked in all listings (TV Guide, Preview channels, etc, etc, etc) Regulated channels would have content restricted by timeslots. Content should also be marked in listings.
If you don’t want your kids watching TV with violence, don’t let them watch after 8pm. If you don’t want Profanity, don’t let them watch the unregulated channel or a show listed with a ‘P’. You don’t want your kids to see Breasts, lock them up in the basement.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?:
‘Warning, may cause infertility during use. Not recommended for anyone trying to have kids.’. Otherwise, no, it should not be. If and when someone choose to have, or not have kids, is between them and their doctor.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?):
Whatever happens in a private school, is the attending peoples choice to participate in. However, in a public school, prayer time could get set aside (say right after homeroom, or before class starts), but should not be enforced on anyone.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?:
Good idea upon TIGHT conviction and multiple appeals. Murder, Treason, Terrorisim, Conspiracy before the fact to commit, crimes where someone is deliberately injured by a weapon, organized crime (form of Terrorism), Vehicular Homicide if the driver was drunk or chemically impaired. I’d add Rape and Sexual assault, but those are very lose definitions of crimes, and I don’t want to see a 10 year old killed caused he flashed his penius at a 9 year old.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?:
If an unregistered or stolen weapon is used in a crime, or located at a crime or arrest scene, and identified as the offenders, maximum sentence (unless they agree to plead guilty in exchange for the weapon charges being dropped).
Otherwise, who cares? If you want to spend money on a weapon, that’s your business.

Now then, gun safety, is another matter; Keep them in secured location (i.e locked display cases, locked drawers, etc), and make sure ammo is not stored near a heat source! Ammo should be stored separately if you have kids.

History
Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War? Yes.
Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima? Yes and No.
Yes, the war needed to be ended. No, in that they had a few other projects that if allowed to continue, might have had the same effect (i.e Project X-Ray) without the nuclear fallout.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified? Yes and No. Yes in expansion is natural, and happens at the expense of others. No in that many actions of colonialism were beyond what was required, or considered civilized.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yes and No. It was hijacked by extremists, when the moderates were making progress towards a better situation then ‘Shot the Red Coats and Wave the new flag’.

[Rogue 9]

Where's Rogue 9 when you need him?

Wow, I don't read that every day.

Rather than derail the thread with my usual overwhelming evidence, Chocula, I invite you to read my three essays on the subject, this one on the constitutional issues of secession, this one on the motivations of the seceding states, and this one on the behavior of the South prior to the Civil War that brought the war about. If you wish to respond, I invite you to do so in the last thread, which is still on the first page of the History forum, rather than hijacking this one. Anyone else interested in the question presented in the poll is also more than welcome.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled poll.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?: Very socially liberal and slightly left leaning on most other issues.

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?: I am a registered Democrat and I generally vote for them because there is no better alternative.

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?: I don't know.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?: 7. I'm not too happy with the continuation of some of Bush's policies.

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?: I have two home countries: The United States and Canada. I have a lot of respect for the latter for living up to the ideals of the former. If I had to choose another, it'd probably be the Netherlands.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?: While politicians like Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson have had a lot influence in my thinking, no doubt Harvey Milk made significant strides in paving the way for a less hostile environment for me to grow up in.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?: As long as we can significantly contribute to stabilization of the country, then yes. But a successful mission would also mean being able to start pulling out forces. We really shouldn't have been in that shithole in the first place.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?: I have mixed feelings on this. Stabilizing Afghanistan is much harder than stabilizing Iraq for obvious reasons. I'm not sure the cost is worth it. And we never really achieved the original purpose of going there: apprehending Osama Bin Laden.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?: Yes, if the situation calls for it.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?: I don't know.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?: I'm not familiar with the dispute.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?: NATO is fine as it is.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?: I don't know what can realistically be done about Zimbabwe other than to wait and watch for now.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?: I can't make an informed opinion on this.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?: I would support military actions against pirates should it be a path our military takes in Somalia but I don't know enough to make an informed opinion of what form that should take.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?: First of all, Israel should cease being the racist state it is and develop into a secular democracy like the rest of the western world. Secondly, I see no real alternative to the two-state solution.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?: Yes, there should be universal health care. It's a tragedy that this country still treats health service as a commodity as opposed to a right. The health care reform bill did not nearly go far enough to address the pressing issues of our health care system.

How should taxes be organized?: I generally support a progressive tax rate.

How should the recession be ended?: I don't know enough to make an informed opinion on how to end the current recession.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?: Yes.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?: Yes.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: No, it is not.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?: I support a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion or not.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: I have sacrificed much of my academic ambitions and is willing to sacrifice more in pursuit for equality for my LGBT brothers and sisters and to end this legally-sanctioned apartheid.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?: 'Creationism' or 'Intelligent Design' have no place in school - with exception perhaps in some kind of specialized history class of great American cons.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?: I disfavor any kind of censorship.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?: I don't see the purpose of restricting birth control to anyone.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?): Only within the confines to unofficial student clubs.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?: I generally support capital punishment for the most severe crimes but it's difficult to support it at all currently due to the misgivings of the current US justice system.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?: The question to firearm regulation seems to have different answers based on where you are from. I don't think a blanket nationwide standard can be applied to all states and all counties.


History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?: Yes.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?: Leaning towards yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?: No at all.

Was the American Revolution justified?: Yes.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: Oppose, tolerate, and support respectively.

Well, fuck you.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?: No to gay marriage. I oppose civil unions in general, because you're allowing a municipality to grant you permission for union. Don't care about domestic partnerships. I support the ability of homosexual couples to grant property in wills, have joint tenancy, enter into contracts together, have group insurance, etc.

And, fuck you too.

[TimothyC]

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?:

Conservative Independent

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?

Modern Whigs and Republicans

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?

Tories

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?:

3. He's not the worst, but I find his policies on energy, space, and defense repulsive. The same issues that caused me questioned his platform on the campaign trail

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?

Unknown. France maybe?

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?

To nay to list, but it runs from Plato, to Machiavelli, Weber, Nitze, Morgentheau, ect.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?

Yes.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?

Yes.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?

No.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?

Unkown. Let the RoK take the lead.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and Japan?

Unknown. I don't really care so long as they keep it cool.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?

I think that the US needs to expand it's roll in eastern Europe, and deploy GBI there.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?

Unknown. Mugabe is a stick widget, that should be removed, but can't be due to historical circumstances.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?

The US needs to further secure the borders. Leagisation (and regulation) of certain drugs should go forward to help the problem.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?

Yes. I even support doing live-fire gunnery exercises at the towns the pirates come from.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?

I honestly don't know.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it?

Yes, to a degree. I do not like the current law that was passed.

How should taxes be organized?

Progressive brackets on individuals, with the individual seeing the entire tax that is generated by their job.

How should the recession be ended?

Long term infrastructure investments, with certain regulations being reapplied.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?

No.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?

Mixed bag. I sort of supported a bail out, but not the one that was done. I don't like that the Union got so much of the new companies.

Is the minimum wage sufficient or not?

No, but I don't have the training to determine what it should be

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?

I find it distasteful, but can't find a reason to block it in the first two trimesters.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?

No, Yes, Yes. I so support making all marriages legally 'Civil Unions'.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?

No.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?

Yes. But the current system is broken.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?

No.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?)

Allowed, but only outside of the classroom structure. For example, if some students wanted to set up a morning prayer group, they would be allowed to use the school property so long as it doesn't negatively effect the teaching.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?

Allowed for various crimes such as Treason, Murder, Rape, ect, but only for certain cases.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?

Single-person weapons should be unregulated, but the ownership of such puts a civic responsibility on the owner. Open carry should be allowed in many situations, and concealed carry should be Will-issue, but with training, and some regulation.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?

Yes.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?

Yes.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?

Yes.

Was the American Revolution justified?

Yes.

[Simon_Jester]

General:
What do you identify yourself politically as?:
Social Republican. I'll explain later.
What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?:
Democrats by process of elimination.
What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?:
Not entirely sure, but would probably vote Labour.
On a scale of 1 to 10... how would you rate... Barack Obama... so far?:
3.5; he's not actively shitting on the country, and he's made some good calls, but he's made a number of bad decisions he didn't have to. And too many of his good calls are watered down.
What country other then your home country do you favour the most?
No opinion; question could mean anything.
What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?
Hmm. Not sure, would have to think very hard about that.

Foreign Policy
Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?:
Sort of. I think the war was a bad idea on almost every possible level, and that we are not nearly done paying for its long term consequences. I have thought so for almost the entire time since the invasion, except for a year or so in college when I was flirting with being an idiot. That said, I do approve of at least trying to withdraw from the whole stupid exercise in good order, which requires, at a minimum, a good faith effort to create a working local government and to train local forces to defeat the guerilla uprising we touched off by blundering into the place. Which is more or less what we're doing, so planning to retreat from the country soon sounds good to me.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?:
See Afghanistan, except I did not and do not think invading Afghanistan was wrong. Basically, we really are obliged not to leave until we've tried to clean up the mess, to the point where success is either achieved or obviously not possible. We don't need to retreat from Afghanistan as badly as we need to retreat from Iraq, though.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?:
I don't think we can afford to fight a war in Sudan. If we had not been entangled in Iraq, I would support any of the following; all of the following would probably be required:
-Establishment of a no-fly zone over Sudan, comparable to the one in place over Iraq in the 1990s, to prevent the Sudanese government from using air power against the south and to clear the way for
-Major airlifts of humanitarian cargo, supported by
-Limited military presence to secure airfields for the dropoff of aid and the pickup of refugees.

I would have seriously considered supporting the recognition of an independent government in South Sudan, if any candidates for recognition presented themselves.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?
The North Koreans should be essentially ignored; they're too fierce to be rewarding to attack and too unreasonable to be rewarding to talk to. Keep enough fighting forces in the region to quarantine them. No other action is practical unless they make the first move in an all-out war, in which case their regime should be crushed by any means necessary up to and including the nuclear retaliation if they use their own nuclear arsenal.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?:
My opinion is that I neither know nor care who the rightful owner is, and hope both nations are responsible and sane enough to avoid major incidents over the place.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?NATO has reached more or less its widest practical boundaries. Expanding it further creates unnecessary conflict between NATO and Russia, which increases the risk of nuclear war without any corresponding gain great enough to justify the risk.

Beyond this, NATO as a defensive treaty alliance is probably a good idea. Whether the US should be involved as chief military guarantor of NATO? I am not sure.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?
I do not know.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?
I do not know. Drug legalization might help. US intervention in Mexico is almost certain to be a bad idea.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?
I cannot imagine any action less than the permanent occupation of every fishing village on the coast working. If piracy becomes a serious enough economic problem, I favor attempting to make a treaty with the Somali government requiring that they suppress piracy. If they refuse, an international coalition should declare the water off their coast a free-fire zone for naval vessels on antipiracy patrol. If they agree, then they can be held responsible for their own failure to do so.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?
I truly do not know what, or even if, a solution to this problem would be.

Economy
Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?
Oh dear Lord yes. US failure to provide universal health care is one of the biggest symptoms of its gradual decline away from the first rank of civilized nations towards a bizarre hybrid of First World wealth and Third World social structure. Since that is unsustainable, I would like to see the decline fixed.

How should taxes be organized?
Progressive, with high taxes on capital gains and relatively high taxes on corporate profits. Taxation should be sharply progressive, penalizing people who make extremely large fortunes on the stock market in particular. Net taxes in the US are too low as a percentage of GDP.

How should the recession be ended?
Extensive regulation of the financial sector back to mid-20th century standards; continued government deficit spending to be made good by major tax increases after the immediate economic crisis is over.

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?
Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?
Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?: For now, due to the recession.
Unsure; do not feel qualified to have an opinion.

Social/Moral
Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?
I believe that women have a right to decide whether to have an abortion, and that this right should not be interfered with except possibly during the third trimester, when one can make a case that the fetus is in fact an intelligent lifeform. Which is at least as good an argument for having any needed abortions early as it is for requiring a woman to keep the pregnancy.

The process by which a woman decides to have an abortion should not be strewn with obstacles such as parental consent requirements, having to run gauntlets of protestors outside the clinic, not having a clinic within a hundred miles because of reactionary social mores, requirements that the clinician read statements designed to cause the woman mental anguish, and so forth.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?Yes, yes only insofar as it allows more gay couples to enjoy the legal benefits of marriage than would otherwise be possible, and I'm not sure what you mean by the third one.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?
No more so than heliocentrism or the classical four humors, which are taught in advanced history courses as examples of exploded prescientific notions about how the world works.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?
Only in the extreme limiting case- the portrayal of sex acts which are illegal because they harm a victim, and the portrayal of violence graphic enough that it can plausibly cause trauma in its own right. And this only in media where it is impractical to keep the vulnerable (children, yes, but also adult victims of child abuse) out of the audience. Normally, regulation should focus more on keeping vulnerable members of the audience away from the material, and less on the material itself.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?
Birth control should not be regulated, and should arguably be government-subsidized. The only regulations that should apply to birth control are the sort of FDA regulations for safety that should apply to any medical product.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?)
I support letting anyone do any ritual chanting they please on their own time. If students wish to do ritual chanting, that is fine as long as they do not interrupt their lessons. If teachers wish to do ritual chanting, that is fine as long as they don't do it while the school is paying them to actually teach students.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?
Capital punishment would be a good punishment for premeditated murder and violent sexual assault or abuse... in a judicial system that could reliably sort out the guilty from the innocent. I do not believe that the US has such a judicial system. Therefore, I believe that the death penalty should be suspended in the US pending judicial reform. That goes double for Texas.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?
I do not know. Firearm regulation works tolerably well in some countries, as does firearm nonregulation.

History
Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?Fuck yes. The southern states were in violation of their constitutional obligations, and had miserably inadequate reasons for secession, reasons that are unworthy of being recognized or honored by any decent person.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?
If by this you mean "one bomb on Hiroshima and one on Nagasaki," yes. If by this you mean "multiple bombs on Hiroshima," which historically we did not do, no, because one was more than enough to reduce the city to a blasted ruin.

In hindsight we might have been able to end the war without dropping the bombs. We could not (or could not have expected to) end the war in a way that would lead to fewer Japanese civilian casualties.

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?
I have yet to find an example of a colonial power whose actions look like a net positive for the colonized regions, from the point of view of the locals. Therefore, I strongly suspect the answer is "no," though I cannot be sure without comparing real life to alternate universes where colonialism somehow never happened.

Was the American Revolution justified?
Given the gross indifference of London to the economic well-being of the colonies, and their refusal to grant the colonies any means of airing their grievances effectively in London, yes.

[Samuel]

No, Yes, Yes. I so support making all marriages legally 'Civil Unions'.

All marriages are technically "civil unions" already- the state just grants you a lisence already. Or do you mean changing the name just to spike homosexuals?

No more so than heliocentrism or the classical four humors, which are taught in advanced history courses as examples of exploded prescientific notions about how the world works.

I take exception to the implied conflatation. Heliocentrism may be wrong, but it went into the effort of making a model with predictive power. You could use Ptolemy's work to figure out the location of the planets to a good degree of accuracy AND it was a theory that was falsifiable. Creationism doesn't even meet those minimum criteria.

Given the gross indifference of London to the economic well-being of the colonies, and their refusal to grant the colonies any means of airing their grievances effectively in London, yes.

Would that have helped? England had a much larger population and could probably out vote any American representatives if we got to be full members.

[TimothyC]

No, Yes, Yes. I so support making all marriages legally 'Civil Unions'.

All marriages are technically "civil unions" already- the state just grants you a lisence already. Or do you mean changing the name just to spike homosexuals?

I don't support Gay Marriage on Religious grounds, HOWEVER, I can't justify blocking the rights to homosexual partners, thus the way I defined it is the least-bad option in my head.

[Iosef Cross]

A bit Amerocentric I admit.

The Star Destroyer BBS Political Survey

General:

What do you identify yourself politically as?:

Liberal in the classical sense.

What political party in the United States do you identify with the most?:

I would say that the Libertarian Party would be the closest.

What political party in the United Kingdom do you identify with the most?:

I don't know much about the political parties of the UK.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "He should be impeached" and 10 being "One of the best Presidents" how would you rate President Barack Obama of the USA so far?:

6

What country other then your home country do you favour the most?:

Hong Kong.

What past politicians and political thinkers have influenced you the most?:

That I can recall? I was influenced more by economists, from Richard Cantillon, to Jean Batiste Say, to Hayek and James Buchanan.

Foreign Policy

Do you support the US and Coalition Military Operations in Iraq?:~

No, they never should have invaded it.

Do you support the US/NATO Military Operation in Afghanistan?:

No, they should never have invaded it.

Do you support any sort of intervention in Darfur (Military, humanitaritan, etc,)?:

By governments? Maybe.

What should be done with North Korea on the current nuclear crisis and the Cheonham sinking?:

Continued blockade, sanctions, and isolation.

What is your opinion of the Dokdo dispute between the Republic of Korea and the Empire of Japan?:

Never heard of it.

What is your opinion of NATO and should it expand across Europe?:

Well, their original intention was for protection agaisnt the Soviet Union. I don't have a strong opinion formed about it, but it is not a bad idea to make a coalition of all the most important western democracies in case of WW3.

What should be done about Zimbabwe?:

Well, I don't have an opinion about it. They have a bad government, but plenty of countries have. If the US tries to correct all bad countries in the world, they will be bankrupt due to military spending.

What should be done about the Mexican Drug Wars and should the US and other countries intervene?:

Legalize all drugs.

Do you support the military actions against pirates in Somalia and do you think more action should be taken?:

Basic policing. They are criminals attacking ships.

What should the solution to Israel/Palestine be?:

1- Ideal solution: Move Israel to South America, so we gain a wealthy trade partner. Let the Muslins have their holy land and act like adults: give the children their toys instead of continuously fighting over it.

2- Short term solution: Israel should protect it's territorial integrity and help to Palestinians to form a new Palestinian state.

Economy

Should there be Universal Health Care or if there is in your nation do you support it ?:

That's a tricky question. I don't have a very solid position on this issue.

How should taxes be organized?:

Make taxes flatter and reduce taxes on business to increase entrepreneurial activity.

How should the recession be ended?:

Let the market adjust.

The current

Do you support the US Government's Economic Stimulus Plan?:

No.

Should the automobile companies be bailed out by the US government?:

No. GM and Chrysler are two obsolete pieces of business history that belong to the museum of automotive history.

If they need money from the outside to exist, that means that the opportunity cost of employing these factors of production in these companies is greater than the value that these companies can extract from these factors.

Is the minimum wage sufficent or not?:

The minimum wage should be abolished.

Social/Moral

Do you support abortion and what restrictions should be placed on it?:

The mother is the owner of her body, so she decides on his pregnancy, until the baby isn't mature enough to live outside, that means that people should have this right until the 20th week, but not for more.

Do you support gay marriage or civil unions or domestic partnerships?:

Marriage is a form of contract, and people should be free to make any contract that they wish.

Do you think Creationism or Intelligent Design should or should not be taught in school?:

That depends. In private schools what is taught there is a function of the parent's preferences, so if the parents want their children to be taught about this sort of nonsense, they are free to do so. In public schools? No.

Do you think broadcasting, publishing etc. should be regulated for violence, profantity, sexuality etc.?:

No.

How do you think birth control should be regulated?:

No.

Do you support prayer in schools and if so how much (voluntary or required?):

See my creationism response.

What is your opinion of capital punishment and which crimes should it be applied to?:

Capital punishment is barbaric and shouldn't be applied to anything. Punishment in civilized societies is designed to prevent crime, anything over the punishment needed to prevent a crime is Pareto inferior, and hence, shouldn't be used.

How much should firearms and other weapons be regulated?:

Depends on the power of the weapon. Machine guns should be regulated, but standard small arms should have free possession to persons without any criminal record.

History

Was the United States right in going to war against the secessionist Confederate States in the Civil War?:

No. On concept, the states have the right of self determination. The federal government crushed the states in this war and imposed their laws on the defeated.

Was the United States justified on dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima?:

Hell no.

Is Russia justified in dropping an nuclear weapon in New York because US troops in Iraq are violating human rights?

Was colonialism or at least parts of it justified?:

Hell no.

Was the American Revolution justified?:

The American revolution was like the Secession war, but this time the secessionists won. In this case it was justified in the sense that the people in the territory decided to secede on the basis of their rights if self determination.