About Me
My Dominant Paradigm
For some reason, I’ve found throughout my internet travels that friends and foes alike seem to frequently pigeon-hole me into some kind of traditional liberal Democrat box. But as Demi Moore exclaimed in “A Few Good Men,” I object – nay – I strenuously object to such a simplistic characterization. So, in the interest of truth-in-advertising and full disclosure, friend and foe alike should probably know these true facts about yours truly:
- While the majority of my social and political views are correctly described as progressive and/or liberal, I have not identified myself as a Democrat since the end of the Carter administration. That said, though, as my favorite musical artist, Jackson Browne, sings, “I sure ain’t no Republican.”
- I think George Herbert Walker Bush was a decent President and certainly the best Republican president in my 50+ years. I think his son was the Worst, ever (and I think that is empirically demonstrable). Other Republicans past and present I admire are Dwight Eisenhower (after he realized his on-the-job golf-playing laziness had allowed the Congressional-military-industrial complex to invade the body politic like a cancer, and he felt really bad about that) Barry Goldwater (except for the war-mongering), Richard Nixon (except for the paranoid schizophrenia and complete absence of any semblance of honesty and integrity), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (who, sadly, is the only modern Republican politician I am aware of who has not yet demonstrated the need to be checked into a mental institution.) Hey, I supported Reagan’s firing of the air traffic controllers but I opposed (in real-time, honest!) his negotiating and doing business with terrorists.
- I am a fiscal conservative who believes in balanced budgets, paired with a significantly more progressive tax system than has existed since the Reagan administration. I believe systemic deficit spending is morally unconscionable. I find it HIGHLY hypocritical that Repuplicans/conservatives are just now jumping on that bandwagon because Obama is faced with emergency deficit spending after the economic full-on disaster of the George W. Bush administration. Try to play that card with me, and you are instantly relegated to a category of associate I think of as my group of “short-bus” friends. It also disqualifies you from my ever loaning you money.
- I believe that, in pretty much all cases other than medical risk to the mother, abortion is morally unjustifiable, and I would lean towards supporting well crafted legislation that would responsibly curtail it. Religious dogma has nothing to do with my position on this issue.
- I am in favor of a military draft (with virtually NO deferments) when the country is at war. I am, however, against the country going to war unless the US or its allies are actually attacked, and then, against the actual attackers, which happens to have not historically included Grenadians or Iraqis. I am also in favor of mandatory national service for all 18 yearolds upon graduation (or dropout) from high school.
- I am for universal, single-payer national healthcare, accomplished by (1) fixing the Medicare prescription benefit the Republicans gave to the pharmaceutical companies, then (2) removing the age restriction on Medicare, and (3) re-naming it Americare.
- I am not religious. I am an agnostic rationalist. I am, however, a committed seeker of truth, and I subscribe to a code of ethics and morality that is largely compatible with the teachings of Christ. My religious friends “know,” because they have faith. I do not know, because I have reason.
- In the last national election, I was as vocal in my criticism of Hillary (and Bill) Clinton and their campaign tactics, as I was of McCain/Palin and theirs.
- The single most impressive thing Barack Obama has consistently done, both before and after becoming President, in my view, is communicate with the American people with the assumption that they are intelligent, rational adults.
- I do not lie, and I attribute that simply to good upbringing .
- I believe sexual orientation is a function of nature, not nurture. I think the religious aspect of marriage and families and most everything else should be stripped out of our laws. I am for civil unions – for EVERYBODY – as a matter of public policy. “Marriage” is for church.
- I’m a PC.
- I am not threatened by the increasing racial and ethnic diversity the US is experiencing. I think our country has made tremendous progress against racism; at the same time, I think there’s still a long way to go and I don’t know if we’ll ever get completely beyond the reality expressed in the Broadway musical “Avenue Q,” entitled “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”
- I was famously and devastatingly wrong in my analysis and predictions of the 2004 election, and contrary to how my willingness to enter into lively debate on any number of subjects leads many people to consider me headstrong and incapable of admitting error, I actually believe there is dignity and honor in the simple words “I stand corrected,” and I’m happy to offer those words up on those (exceedingly rare) occasions in which they apply to me.
- I believe that Oswald acted alone, and I believe that O.J. was guilty, both times.
- Democrats are from Mars, Republicans are from Uranus. I am from Earth.
- Contrary to the pretty much universal position of my so-called liberal cabal, I am (mostly) a fan of Walmart. I admire their investment in technology and productivity engineering, and I reject the notion that they are an evil, exploitative employer just because they’re in a traditionally low-wage industry.
- I am mostly not a fan of unions. I am not opposed to collective bargaining, but I think government should fulfill many of the roles that labor unions have historically handled, mostly badly.
- I thoroughly endorse capitalism, but I thoroughly reject insufficiently regulated laissez-faire, caveat emptor. My economist heroes are John Kenneth Galbraith, James K. Galbraith, Paul Krugman, and Robert Reich. Be careful engaging me in debate on this issue; it is one I am, by profession, a rather widely acknowledged expert on (no brag, just fact.)
- The best book I’ve read in the past five years is Al Gore’s The Assault on Reason.
- I hold grudges, but I also keep promises.
