Monday, November 01, 2004

Social Issues

So I'm having this discussion of social issues with a guy over at Roger Simon's place and he says he is voting for Kerry because of his stand on liberal social issues.

Funny thing is that I'm a liberal and I'm voting for George Bush for the same reasons, Bush's support of liberal social issues.

Here is my reasoning:

Social issues are critical for me too.

So I ask myself which is more important:

Afghani women get the vote or the hoo ha in America over gay marriage.

Do gays get walls tumbled on them as government policy in Afghanistan?

I'm willing to delay a few social advances in America to get some more fundamental social advances in the world.

--==--

So the conversation goes on and I answer another question with this response:

As a former Libertarian I understand your point.

However, I am not sacraficing my liberty for security.

I'm sacraficing a very tiny bit of my liberty for other's libery. I am in fact getting a net advance of liberty in the world even at the cost of some of my own.

In terms of getting that liberty back I must say I trust the American people. Because if I don't trust them there is no hope anyway. The goal of this country has always been the expansion of liberty even if we have reversals from time to time.

In that respect I'm a Marxist. I believe in the forces of history. Not for the same reasons mind, but I do believe.


--==--

This bit from Jessica's Well says it all.

It is a picture of women willing to die for 1/10th the liberty we have in America.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm that guy. I have to say its been an interesting discussion and I'm glad I can have an intelligent discussion with someone who disagrees with me on the election without the whole thing degenerating to the point where the long knives are drawn.

I'm getting really sick of the idealogues and polarization on both sides. Wednesday cannot come quickly enough for me.

M. Simon said...

The alpha male fight always gets vicious. Civilization is a thin verneer.

In the old days the losing side got some very rough handling. We are nicer these days but the old patterns are not far below the surface.

I join in myself from time to time.

Go to Al Bawaba forums some time and see my postings there. Lots of flame war.