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- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!panix!major!dos
- From: dos@major.panix.com (Dave O'Shea)
- Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
- Subject: Re: The "L" word
- Message-ID: <B8cBwB1w165w@major.panix.com>
- Date: 25 Dec 92 01:12:22 GMT
- References: <1992Dec22.074155.21558@jcnpc.cmhnet.org>
- Organization: Spaceley Sprockets, Inc.
- Lines: 81
-
- mam@jcnpc.cmhnet.org (Mike A. McAngus) writes:
-
- > : > "When is say 'liberals'[ed. orig in italics], I certainly don't
- > : > mean openhanded individuals or tolerant persons or even Big
- > : > Government Democrats. I mean people who are excited that one
- > : > percent of the profits of Ben and Jerry's ice cream goes to
- > : > promote world peace."
- > : > -- P.J. O'Rourke "Give War a Chance"
- > : >
- >
- > I view liberalism as, essentially, the belief that the old ways are not usefu
- > and new ways must be tried. Under this example, Ben Franklin and Mikhal
- > Gorbechev were liberals. Liberalism is time and culture dependent.
-
- Well.. Great, but almost every government social program has been a huge
- fiasco from the beginning, yet I don't see any of the folks who call
- themselves "liberals" suggesting that perhaps it's time to try something
- different.
-
- > I classify myself as a liberal and hold to the following beliefs:
- > 1) Civil liberties are important to the point where every care must be taken
- > criminal trials so that innocent people are not wrongly convicted.
-
- (And we all know that the exclusionary rule protects a lot of
- law-abiding citizens!)
-
- > 2) Tax exemptions for all religious income and property should be repealed.
-
- You won't get any big argument from me on that one. The first tax bill
- to arrive at Our Lady Of Perpetual Motion might show 'em that maybe all
- those social programs they support actually *do* cost something!
-
- > 3) Only charitable organizations that directly benefit the poor should remain
- > tax exempt.
-
- Ah. And of course, we'll use your definition of what "help the poor"
- really means - so that a lawyer who swamps the legal system with briefs
- to prevent psychotic derelicts from being committed retains his
- tax-exempt status, whereas an organization that fights for the right of
- people to defend themselves from aforementioned psychotics would no
- longer be tax-exempt. Amazing how convenient a simple tax ruls can be
- when you decide who fits the particular Procrustean Bed on a given day.
-
- > 4) Tax deductions for political contributions should be eliminated.
-
- Better yet; let's just eliminate the politicians - the resulting
- decrease in air pollution would probably even make the Sierra Club folks
- happy.
-
- > 5) The country should go to a year-round school calendar.
-
- Cripes. The public school system already pretty much trashes the minds
- of kids - why let them finish the job?
-
- > 6) The Electoral College should be done away with.
-
- Does this involve firing politicians? I'll go with it. :)
-
- > 7) Abortion should remain safe and legal.
-
- Abortion certainly is legal, but it's hardly safe if you're a baby. I
- don't expect abortion to ever be illegalized in this country, but women
- really should be informed as to the full nature of the porcedure they're
- requesting.
-
- > 8) Anyone who is invited to speak anywhere should be allowed to be heard, and
- > any disruptive elements should be removed from the venue.
-
- Hmm.. You obviously have something in mind, but I can't figure out
- exactly what; almost every case I read of involving hecklers or harassed
- speakers involves a "conservative" speaker..
-
- > 9) Homosexual activity should not be deemed a crime.
-
- No argument.
-
- > 10) Gays should be allowed in the military.
-
- --
- Socialized medicine: Health care with the compassion of an IRS auditor, the
- intelligence of a DMV employee, and the cost control of the Pentagon.
-