Your Political Party and Why?

[Kyle Drexler]

What political beliefs do you have and why do you have them? I'm interested to see the left to right ratio and how many people believe what they do because their parents believe it. I happen to be a "Left-Wing Libertarian". Or that's how I label myself anyway. I have very liberal views on things like abortion, war, and the environment...but on the other hand my economic views tend to be that of free trade and trusting in the free market. Really, I want to see everyone argue over this...I find it funny. Thanks for your input.

[Kyle Drexler]

Ha, I thought you might really be starting something with that first part. I used to believe in communism, but I didn't think of Stalin when I thought of it. Because that's not communism. Communism is when everybody is equal, not everyone except a select few. They always seem to forget to tell us that in school though. But then I became old enough to realize it's impossible to have a group of people without someone taking charge anyway.

[Cynically Yours]

ya communism theory is drastically different then what most governments try to enact... the whole we are all equal but some are more equal then others just doesn't fly. I remember i was a big fan of communism until I became more realistic.. When we first learned about it like back in grade 10 or something i kept asking what was so wrong with communism.. i just couldn't figure out what was wrong with everyone sharing when i asked this question publicly everyone laughed O.o

[QuantumTuba]

The problem with communism to me is the amount of power it gives to the government. The state becomes a new upper class that more stridently maintains class structures with them on top than our current system does. Libertarian socialism avoids this problem by attempting to erode class structures by setting up democratic worker collectives with which the means of production our controlled by those who use them rather than in a master/servant relationship incorporating a ruling class of investors and others who own the land and raw materials (present in both the current system and under any "dictatorship of the proletariat").

[Papalopolis]

I believe in the state. A disinterested, educated, empathetic culture will breed a virtuous, capable, compassionate state. If your American government is inadequate, look to your own culture.

I'm a Canadian Liberal.

[Leviathan]

I have quite a few Communist friends, I prefer socialism myself, but that's just me. I also know 3 people who are Monarchist.

[Nick? No, couldn't be...]

Okay, I have to interject here.
Lenin and Stalin were not communists. I should know. I am a communist (I'm what is called a libertarian communist, specifically)
What is generally regarded as communism in the the united states is actually Bolshevism, a philosophy entirely separate from communism, or indeed even socialism; and is in fact properly called "state capitalism". Under state capitalism, the state owns property and the means of production and uses it for profit. In a socialist state (as the Soviet Union claimed to be), the people would democratically own the means of production for the benefit of all. In a communist society, there would be no state whatsoever, and the people would cooperatively and interdependently own all property and the means of production.
Bolshevism is also contrasted to socialism and communism in it's authoritarian qualities. A real communist understands that the people have to control, otherwise exploitation occurs. Also, communists are not for suppression of or persecution on the basis of political or religious belief, as is employed by Bolshevism. Bolshevism oppresses opinions that could sow the seeds of dissent and seek to differ from the life that is imposed by the state. Communism values all choices regarding how one lives their life. We know as well as you that free speech is a basic human right and ought never be taken; indeed, it would be hypocritical for a communist to oppose anybody's right to speak their mind, because we would not have exist without dissent. Nobody is free when some are not is the rule for me.
One of the most important distinguishing marks between Bolshevism and communism is the use of the state. Bolshevism is authoritarian, and uses the state to control the people and to gain power over them, to use them to make the rulers rich and happy, while the people suffer and are brainwashed into submission. They seek to preserve this state as long as possible (unless, of course, it's destruction could be beneficial to the bourgeois (ruling class)). Communist thinking seeks to eventually destroy the state -- for all people to live cooperatively for the betterment of all.
One further line can be drawn between Bolshevism and communism is in class structures: Bolshevism, while it's proponents claimed in their time to be helping the proletariat (working class) and destroy in the bourgeois, they simply replaced the old bourgeois with a new one -- themselves. They then kept the proletariat enslaved. Communism seeks to create a classless society where everyone lives equally and fairly.

Let's recap:
Bolshevism
-Authoritarian
-Freedom-hating
-Worker-oppressing
-Unequal

Communism
-Anti-authoritarian (indeed, anti-authority)
-Freedom-valuing
-Worker-liberating
-Equal

I hope this has been useful and edifying for you.

[QuantumTuba]

We know as well as you that free speech is a basic human right and ought never be taken; indeed, it would be hypocritical for a communist to oppose anybody's right to speak their mind, because we would not have exist without dissent.

This is the one huge problem with America's Communist Party for me at the moment. Although overall they are a freedom loving party (With regards to civil liberties that is. Obviously, their attitudes towards markets trend towards a doctrine of "positive liberty" that arguably erodes free association), part of their platform involves the prohibition of racist propaganda.

[Lianne]

nice explanation, I just have 1 more question.

Didn't even Karl Marx wrote that as a temporary measure between the current affairs and the idealistic society the state will have to own the property? And that states would have to exist during this transition period, because otherwise communism wouldn't be able to spread and other states would take over the communistic ones.

(it's been a while since I read this, so I might be wrong, I'm just curious)

[Cynically Yours]

i guess i would be a socialist. I personally think that all people have equal rights to medical care, education and housing no matter their background or financial backing. I also think the market needs accountability and the only way for that to happen is to have a government or global organization to monitor it. I am also for the whole right to live how you want as long as it doesn't hurt someone and everyone is entitled to their choice in life without having to explain it to everyone.... also a big believe in the separation of church from state
If i had to choose an actual party that has a following in Canada i would probably be NDP but the Liberals also catch my attention.

[Papalopolis]

Free Markets work? I suppose I agree. They work as far as they work. They tend towards calamity, though. Politics ought to be about people figuring out (among other things) how to mitigate the negative effects of the free market.

[Kyle Drexler]

Free Markets would work better if we actually used them. The United States is not a free market. The second the banks and auto industry went down, the government stepped in. Maybe a period of down would have been good. Let those industries fall and have new and better ones arise.

[Kayla]

Mmm, I'm more right wing. I'm going to get plenty of people coming after me, but thats okay.
When you tax the rich, you think its all well and good because they can pay it off. Because they're rich, right? Wrong. The rich make the jobs for the middle and lower class. Even if they're total assholes that go out and buy expenisve cars and such, they provide you with your income. Ta-da. Now, if they are taxed too much, they'll have to take money away from the workers and company to pay the taxes. So all that will slowly trickle down and make the working class loose their jobs because the employer is in debt because of high taxes. Abortion. I think it should be AVAILABLE, but not just to teenagers who CHOSE to have sex, knowing the risk. (Abortion will never stop being practiced, so why try.) It should ONLY be available to rape victims, since they didn't choose to have sex. Enviorment. This is going to be realitivly short, since I'm only slightly on the right side about this issue. I would be on the left side about the enviorment, but sometimes some BATSHIT CRAZY groups get on company's asses about oil drilling because of caribou. Wow. Okay, I love caribou, don't get me wrong. But that huge pipe running through Alaska? Yeah. The things flock to it because its warm and are breeding like crazy. Its helping them, not hurting them, as many left wing groups say. Granted there shouldn't be pipes all over Alaska, but still.

I could get into all the conspieracy shit and crooked politicians that also make me favor the right side, but thats for another time. :)