[LittleRedToyota]

Originally Posted by etep513

I don't agree with everything that Obama supports (abortion, gay marriage, increased secularism, stem cell research, etc). But I certainly agree with him about progressive taxation.

so you believe in the government forcing your religious views on everyone else while simultaneously stealing our money to redistribute it to people who did not earn it, eh?

you have pretty much taken the worst of the "right" and combined it with the worst of the "left".

no thanks.

personally, i believe in the ideals outlined in the declaration of independence (the whole inalienable right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness thing) and the constitution (limited government).

I mean "you people" as in all of you who oppose helping the poor and disadvantaged of American society. If you were charitable, then you would not be hostile to progressive taxation that would be used to help less fortunate individuals.

charitable people *voluntarily give* to help others. government run extortion (i.e., your "progressive" taxation scheme) is not chartity...it is theft.

The rest of society is obligated to help since my brother became autistic after receiving an MMR vaccine.

you seem to be implying causation...the scientific community strongly disputes your view here.

btw, if the government didn't steal so much of our money, more of us would have more money to donate to charities--including those that support care for people with autism.

Also, if you read the Old Testament, you would know that Hebrew law required field owners to leave part of their harvest behind for the poor. By your standards, were the Israelites also marxists since the government forced people to be charitable?

1. please respect my right to be free from your religion. if you do not, we will clash.

2. there is actually a strong element of communal thinking in portions of jewish culture. yeshivas and kibbutzes, for example, are quite communal in nature. that's fine...nobody is forced to join a yeshiva or kibbutz...but they are what they are. when the government forces, it, though it becaomes something theft. doesn't one of your hallowed ten commandments mention something about not "stealing"?

As a matter of fact, I'm in college right now (Bloomsburg) and I'm studying criminal justice.

oh boy...that's scary. if you become an LEO or end up in some other position of authority, please remember, that, as much as it may disgust you, america is a free country. you do not have the right to force your morality on others. you do not have right redistribute what they have earned for themselves.

When I was talking about foreign guns (before the discussion went off topic), I recalled one of the lessons that I learned in my high school AP economics course. The text book explicitly stated that greater economic efficiency is achieve if nations specialize in the production of goods (and trade with each other) instead of having each nation trying to produce everything it needs by itself.

that is true. specialization leads to greater efficiency. but it also leads to dependence. there is a balance to walk there. while i am a great proponent of free global markets, ignoring the effects of becoming less self-sufficient as a nation could lead to catastrophe.

I actually know some people who are HARDCORE SOCIALISTS. You people are claiming that I'm a hardcore socialist, when in reality you don't know what socialism is. A true socialist would be advocating for government controlled businesses (not just government regulated businesses), separation of religion and politics (far beyond separation of church and state), stem cell research, easy access to abortions, gay marriage, the suppression of religion, and progressive taxation that is so extreme that businesses cannot function.

actually, it sounds like you do not know the difference between socialism and communism.

it also sounds like you fail to differentiate between economic policy and social policy...and economic systems vs. political systems.