The general drive to restrict freedoms has been a bi-partisan effort, especially as it relates to the internet. For example, Josh Feingold, who was adamantly against the Patriot act, was the primary architect (along with John McCain) of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Act that makes this medium that we're working with right now a form of campaign contributions and thus something that can be regulated and restricted by Federal Law during an election. The logic being that Speech is Money and is therefore something that can be regulated. Never mind the 1st amendment. John McCain went on record saying that he preferred an environment where cleaner politics were more important than some adherence to the 1st Amendment. Russ Feingold essentially supports this same idea, save for actually saying so.
The sooner that everyone, including the ACLU forgets the concept that it's just the Republicans out to restrict our rights and realizes that the Democrats are just as high and mighty about restricting the rights of the people the sooner we'll be able to really drive it home to the politicians that they're going down the wrong path.
The gun thing is stupid. I'm as liberal as it gets, but to me, being anti-gun is the antithesis of liberal. [Actually, I'm probably more of a libertarian, in that I want less laws and restrictions and think people have the right to personal freedoms, accompanied by personal responsibility.]
This is where I draw the difference between "liberal" and "Liberal". "liberal" means that you're in favor of permissive laws. All things not expressly prohibited are allowed, ie Explicit prohibitions and implicit freedoms. "Liberals" are out to institute all sorts of social modifications to society, No firearms, no violence, Free Speech Zones where you can't offend anyone, Political Correctness, 'Progressive Taxes" to discourage making too much money, Windfall taxes, etc.
Its interesting that the former ACLU Lawyer was one of the Justices that sided with Taking land from individuals in the Kelo v New London court case. What does that say about her Liberalism?
Clinton was better than Bush, I think, that's all. I don't have much recollection of pre-either of them, so I can't speak to that at all. I only started taking any interest whatsoever in politics after I watched 9/11 happen. But for some reason, it didn't make me shout USA! USA! like so many people. I don't know.
I went into the Clinton Presidency expecting a breath of fresh air. Instead I got more heavy federal government with more onerous actions upon me the little guy when they said they were there for the little guy. They were none of that. The way the BATF was allowed to run rampant with zero checks and balances was just the pinnacle of the problem domestically. And then, letting the Iraq problem run for 8 years during the presidency when more should have been done was also a serious source of irritation for me. I can't count how many times I heard in the CNN newsroom a wire feed announcing that inspectors had been held at such and such facility by Iraqi Security forces while material was moved out another gate and the administration failed to do anything.
no subject
The sooner that everyone, including the ACLU forgets the concept that it's just the Republicans out to restrict our rights and realizes that the Democrats are just as high and mighty about restricting the rights of the people the sooner we'll be able to really drive it home to the politicians that they're going down the wrong path.
The gun thing is stupid. I'm as liberal as it gets, but to me, being anti-gun is the antithesis of liberal. [Actually, I'm probably more of a libertarian, in that I want less laws and restrictions and think people have the right to personal freedoms, accompanied by personal responsibility.]
This is where I draw the difference between "liberal" and "Liberal". "liberal" means that you're in favor of permissive laws. All things not expressly prohibited are allowed, ie Explicit prohibitions and implicit freedoms. "Liberals" are out to institute all sorts of social modifications to society, No firearms, no violence, Free Speech Zones where you can't offend anyone, Political Correctness, 'Progressive Taxes" to discourage making too much money, Windfall taxes, etc.
Its interesting that the former ACLU Lawyer was one of the Justices that sided with Taking land from individuals in the Kelo v New London court case. What does that say about her Liberalism?
Clinton was better than Bush, I think, that's all. I don't have much recollection of pre-either of them, so I can't speak to that at all. I only started taking any interest whatsoever in politics after I watched 9/11 happen. But for some reason, it didn't make me shout USA! USA! like so many people. I don't know.
I went into the Clinton Presidency expecting a breath of fresh air. Instead I got more heavy federal government with more onerous actions upon me the little guy when they said they were there for the little guy. They were none of that. The way the BATF was allowed to run rampant with zero checks and balances was just the pinnacle of the problem domestically. And then, letting the Iraq problem run for 8 years during the presidency when more should have been done was also a serious source of irritation for me. I can't count how many times I heard in the CNN newsroom a wire feed announcing that inspectors had been held at such and such facility by Iraqi Security forces while material was moved out another gate and the administration failed to do anything.