What am I?

[Honey Badger282.8]

Your views are pretty close to mine with the exception of illegal immigration. I'd be a full on libertarian if it weren't for their views on foreign policy. Regardless I wouldn't worry too much about defining yourself with a political party.

[Danimal]

I don't support gay marriage, marijuana or abortion, I support everyone's right to do whatever the hell they want with their personal lives. Illegal immigration is just that, illegal. With that said there needs to be immigration reform so that those that come to this country to work can easily do so, and pay the taxes that go along with it.

Abortion is a hard line for me. It is easy to win an argument with anyone showing that it is morally impermissible. But at the same time there are studies that support that the recent drop in crime can be attributed to the roe v wade decision in the 70s. Turns out when liberal inner city women are allowed abortions, there are less criminals in the future.

[ray1970]

Since the illegal immigration seems to be a sore spot for some, here's my take on it.

First, I think if the process to come into our country legally wasn't such a difficult, drawn out process we wouldn't have such a problem with people coming here illegally.

Also, it isn't like they are coming here taking all of the good, high paying jobs. They are doing crappy jobs that most people aren't willing to do and they are doing it for peanuts. As politically incorrect as this sounds, they are essentially our new version of slave labor. It helps to keep cost of living down in our country. For those of you who already think things like groceries and housing are too expensive, imagine what those types of things would cost without the cheap labor provided by immigrant workers.

I do fully support sending the bad apples back to their own country rather than returning them to our society. I also don't believe they should receive any of the benefits normally afforded to citizens of this country. But, my experience has been that most of them are here to work and provide a better life for themselves and their families and I find it hard to fault someone for that.

[Bailey Guns]

I don't believe government should tell people how to live. I believe hard work and ambition should be rewarded. I don't believe in free handouts for those who lack in the hard work or ambition department. I'm a firm supporter of my country's constitution and the principles on which it was founded.

But....

I also believe in gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana on a federal level, and I'm pro-choice when it comes to abortion. I also am very open minded when it comes to illegal immigrants. I feel they serve a valid role in our society.

OK, I wanna make it clear I'm not knocking you personally for your beliefs. I would like to offer my opinion on what I feel are some glaring inconsistencies with what you're saying you believe in, though.

I'm having a really hard time reconciling your statement that you believe in the principles on which the country was founded and the Constitution and you believe in rewarding hard work and ambition, government shouldn't tell people how to live, abortion should be a choice and illegal immigration is OK for the most part.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the power people in our government and our society who ALWAYS tell you and me, and in many cases FORCE us, how to live our lives are the very people who support many of those things you mention and force you and I to pay for them and to suffer the consequences of them. They don't believe in hard work and think the fruits of your labor and mine should be given to those who will not work to support themselves. They don't give a rat's ass about the Constitution nor the founding principles that delivered that wonderful, world-altering document to us.

They believe in bullying and forcing those beliefs upon the rest of us (for example the gay marriage thing) and telling us we must accept them. These are the people you support by supporting these things.

It's a moral choice, really, but we can't have it both ways. If you believe violating our laws is OK, you can't support the Constitution and our founding principles. You can't support people who take from producers to give to non-producers and say you support our Constitution and founding principles, hard work and ambition and so on. Frankly, you can't say you support abortion and say you support our founding principles. Do you think the people that run Planned Parenthood (even the name is one of the biggest lives ever told) care about "unalienable rights" and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in the lives of those they're destroying?

Yeah...I'm gonna go with confused. Or maybe I'm the one that's confused. But a lot of these choices seem pretty clear to me.

[Ridge]

You sound Libertarian to me. I agree with you on everything except immigration. I agree that legal immigration to the US is a pain, but it has to be. Millions and millions of people want to get in, but the nation cannot support everyone. It's an employer's market at that point.

As for foreign policy, I'd actually like a period of isolationism. Get things sorted out at home, and remind the world of all the good we bring to the table. From foreign aid, to national security to almost every nation on the planet. The US gets bitched at for getting involved in things, and then gets bitched at again for not doing anything when people are hurt. I say wash our hands of it and step away for a couple years so that the world can be reminded of what it would be like without our military, economic and cultural might.

[vossman]

I agree with what HB said. You are an independent person. You think and make decisions for yourself.

[RblDiver]

Yup, I'd go with libertarian. Generally speaking, my understanding of libertarian is that it's basically "leave me alone and I'll leave you alone" sort of thing, advocating for smaller government, etc.

I myself think I'm a conservatarian. That is, a conservative-libertarian. So, while I don't agree with gay marriage, I don't think it's the government's job to dictate one way or the other. I don't personally use nor see the point of marijuana, but again, I don't mind those who do so long as it's done in a responsible manner. That sort of thing.

[Jamnanc]

I have the answer. You are a conservative with loose morals. What do I win?

Immigration needs reformed, but the border needs to be closed or it's a joke anyway.

[ruthabagah]

Kind of agree on some of your point but on immigration you are wrong: Illegal immigration need to be stopped. When we do, then we can promote better form of legal immigration.

Now the root of the problem is the lack of controls/accountability we place on small business in regards checking the employment status of their employees. People are illegally coming in this country because they know they can easily find a job.... let's cut this.

[HoneyBadger]

Yup, I'd go with libertarian. Generally speaking, my understanding of libertarian is that it's basically "leave me alone and I'll leave you alone" sort of thing, advocating for smaller government, etc.

I myself think I'm a conservatarian. That is, a conservative-libertarian. So, while I don't agree with gay marriage, I don't think it's the government's job to dictate one way or the other. I don't personally use nor see the point of marijuana, but again, I don't mind those who do so long as it's done in a responsible manner. That sort of thing.

No reason why you can't be libertarian - I disagree with abortion, drug use, homosexuality, etc., but I do not believe it is the government's job to regulate or define these things... And that's why I generally consider myself libertarian (I'm a registered republican so I can vote in primaries).

The Republican candidates are all saying lots of libertarian stuff in the debates - even Christie was shouting out libertarian talking points, but the real problem is the lack of follow through at the end of the day. I fear that all of them except for Rand Paul (and maybe Ted Cruz) are just pandering to what the establishment knows as the libertarian-leaning Republicans. I also like Ben Carson because he is more of a "Republican-leaning Independent", but he is so obviously pandering to what the party thinks the typical Republican is, that it's painful to watch. Anyway, enough about the primaries, and back to analyzing Ray's personal life.