Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal's topics - tribe.net

Who is voting libertarian?

popcontest — Thu, 22 Apr 2004 22:01:24 GMT

If you don't mind me asking...

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 8 replies

Where do people get their information?

Altaira — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:05:04 GMT

I've found US mass media such the waste of time, I don't bother getting a news paper anymore. It's all the same spin that I can pickup online for free. I tried political journals a la 'Foreign Affairs' and again, I find them too out of date or unoriginal, though it's nice to have the researched statistics to back up other sources. The only way I've found to pick up what exactly the US is doing is to go to foreign papers and see what they think of the US. Those papers are often even more biased, but because they have a very different bias they help balance out what I can get from US sources. I like european news, I also like Philippine news because it's non-western, former US protectorate based, and in English-mostly.

Anyone with the same problem? Where do you go for information on what your country does?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 2 replies

US spends its way to 28 Eiffel towers: made out of pure gold

princevlad — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 15:22:05 GMT

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2090441,00.html

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 7 replies

Got a Call from the NRA

J. — Sun, 28 Dec 2003 22:07:07 GMT

Because I'm a business owner, I get lots of calls from the NRA and other PACs spinning information. Since I'm a business owner, surely I'm a little Limbaugh....

So today I got a call from the NRA about the Gun Show bill. They played me a tape of utter falsehoods and then asked what I felt about it.

Their question regarding my feelings was likewise spun as "Do you agree with Democrats like Hillary Clinton that Gun Shows should be banned?"

I told the woman, "No, I agree with republicans like Jim Baker who agree that gun shows should not be allowed to sell semi-automatic weapons to people without proper background checks and documentation."

She said, "So you do believe that gun shows should be banned?"

I said, "No, that's not what the bill says. It's misleading at best to claim that it does. The bill closes a loophole that allows gun shows to sell guns without proper background checks."

I get these calls about once every three months from groups who make assumptions on my political stances based on the fact that own a company. I am never rude and I always let them know that I already understand the issue. Even when I've agreed with them, I've been disappointed by their outright lies.

It surprises me even after the last 15 years that such things persist.

If anything, the NRA shouldn't worry because President Bush won't sign the bill anyway.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 19 replies

Please help

mentalfreedomne1 — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:36:35 GMT

please go to this website to send a fax to the related US
congress and senate members to Request a Congressional Hearing on the
Sujiatun case. it's a very easy to Fill out form, With just a click, the fax will be sent.
thank you,
joshua

here is the link:
http://publicpetition.unvcc.com/UN/index.php

there is more information about Sujiatun on the website:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/211,111,,1.html

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Existence of Chinese Concentration Camp, Says Organs Removed from Live Prisoners

mentalfreedomne1 — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 02:42:01 GMT

this is recently discovered news from China. Please help us to end this horrible persectuion. knowledge is our greatest weapon, so please share this information. together in peace we can make a difference.

Falun Dafa is a peaceful meditation practice that teaches putting others before yourself, kindness, always telling the truth and being tolerant of others. We are literally being killed for being good people. The national media has done very little to help us because of trade issues with China. It is up to us to let the world know. Please help us.

By Ji Da
The Epoch Times Mar 17, 2006
www.theepochtimes.com

The witness, a former employee at the Liaoning Thrombosis Treatment Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, and says the bodies of Falun Gong practitioners are cremated immediately after the organs are removed. (The Epoch Times)
[High-resolution image ] A former employee of Liaoning Provincial Thrombosis Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine told The Epoch Times during a recent interview that the Sujiatun Concentration Camp in China was actually a part of a hospital. The concentration camp has engaged in taking organs from Falun Gong practitioners when they were still alive and selling the organs. Since 2001, the concentration camp has secretly detained approximately 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners, none of whom have been able to leave the camp alive. The hospital removed many kidneys, livers, and corneas from the practitioners. After the organ removal, the practitioners were thrown into an incinerator, which was converted from a boiler. Their ashes were dumped together with burned charcoal.

Organs from Three Quarters of the 6,000 People Were Removed
Those whose organs were removed were in various states of health. Because many of the victims were illegally detained, there was neither an arrest warrant nor identification as to who these people actually were. Often after their organs were removed, nobody claimed the bodies. Sometimes their bodies were picked up by crooks who pretended to be their family members.

About three-quarters of the 6,000 people died after their hearts, kidneys, corneas, or skin was removed; their bodies were then burned. This witness, whose family member participated in the removal of Falun Gong practitioners' organs, said that approximately 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners remain in the hospital. She was afraid that the authorities would kill all of them to destroy evidence.

The Liaoning Provincial Thrombosis Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine is located at 49 Xuesong Road, Sujiatun, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China. It was the first hospital in China to specialize in the heart, the brain, and surrounding blood vessels. The hospital is composed of several organizations, including the Liaoning Traditional Chinese Medicine College Teaching Hospital and the Shenyang Thrombosis Treatment Center.

Concentration Camp Details
The hospital site is 21,087 square meters, with 17,564 square meters of building area. It employs 460 people in 24 departments and 20 specialized offices. Information from the Chinese government shows that the hospital was established in December 1988, and was formerly named the Shenyang Research Institute of Thrombosis and Liaoning Province Thrombosis Treatment Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. In June 1998, it was renamed China Traditional Medicine Thrombosis Treatment Center.

The Chinese Business Morning View said in a story on July 4, 2004, that a farm worker died of abnormal causes in Sujiatun, Shenyang and was later cremated. The death certificate was provided by the Chinese Medicine Thrombosis Treatment Center in Sujiatun. The news caused a stir in China.

Epoch Times: Did the hospital's medical staff inside the concentration camp know about this?

Answer: This hospital has a small number of officials and some doctors involved secretively in the operation of organ harvesting. Some other staff in the hospital knew about this, but this is absolutely a taboo [to talk about]. They all are afraid of being killed or courting trouble, so they all avoid the issue. Only those highly trusted doctors could be chosen to be the surgeons for organ harvesting operations.

ET: Were Falun Gong practitioners alive when their organs were harvested? Did their families know about this?

Answer: Falun Gong practitioners who were imprisoned there came mostly from Dabei Prison, Masanjia Labor Camp, and other prisons in Shenyang, or they were Falun Gong practitioners arrested in parks or residential homes. Because they refused to denounce Falun Gong, they were arrested without formal warrants, and their families did not know their situation. Many did not even have their names [recorded]. In addition, since the Chinese authority exercises a policy of "not being responsible" for killing Falun Gong practitioners, the death of Falun Gong practitioners is not a very big issue for prisons. The Chinese Communist Party persecutes Falun Gong, [but] these medical personnel were told Falun Gong practitioners were facing death because they killed people, or they were sentenced to death because of crimes, or they had become insane from practicing Falun Gong.

Those Falun Gong practitioners whose organs were harvested came from several types.

Organs harvested from live bodies are worth far more than organs taken from dead bodies. Many Falun Gong practitioners were still alive when their organs were taken. After their organs were cut out, some of these people were thrown directly into the crematorium to be burnt, thus leaving no evidence. For some others, after their organs were stolen, the doctor sewed up the wound and asked the family or family representative to give a signature for cremation. Family members did not know at all that the dead had their organs taken out.

Furthermore, there were some healthy Falun Gong practitioners in prisons in other areas who were injected—without their knowledge—with psychoactive drugs that made their minds confused. They then were transferred to Sujiantun concentration camp to suffer further torture, till in the end their organs were harvested and their bodies were cremated in secret.

Among the Falun Gong practitioners whose organs were harvested, some were weak and some were healthy. Since most of them were illegally arrested, there were no arrest warrants or identification cards. After their organs were taken out while they were still alive, no one came to claim their bodies; or [sometimes] people using fake identities claimed their bodies.

None of these people have come out [of the concentration camp] alive; three-quarters of these 6,000 people have died, having their hearts, kidneys, retinas, and skins harvested and their bodies disposed of. I think now about 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners are still in this hospital, and I am afraid now that the authority will destroy all evidence and kill them.

Question: How did you know these things? Were you yourself a doctor involved in organ harvesting?

Answer: I worked at the Liaoning Provincial Thrombosis Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenyang. This is exactly where this concentration camp is located. One of my family members was involved in the operation to harvest Falun Gong practitioners' organs. This has brought great pain to our family.

Question: Please tell us what you knew about.

Answer: From 2001, our hospital started to detain Falun Gong practitioners. At the beginning, these people were detained in the single-storey houses in the back yard of the hospital. Later, the hospital authorities demolished the single-storey houses, and it was unknown where in the hospital the Falun Gong practitioners were transferred. Many staff of the hospital discussed in private that these Falun Gong practitioners had been secretly transferred to the underground chambers of the hospital. According to some people working inside the hospital, the hospital has a huge system of secret underground chambers.

At the time when we went to work there, the person in charge of logistics and purchasing in the hospital said that the quantity of disposable sterile gloves used for operations and daily supplies that the hospital authorities asked to be purchased had increased dramatically. The logistics people estimated based on the scale of purchases at that time that there were at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners detained in this hospital.

These Falun Gong practitioners were not detained in the 4-story building under the in-patient department and administration at the front of the hospital, in order to keep the hospital staff from seeing them at all. We only occasionally saw Falun Gong practitioners being sent on a mobile intensive care bed to the first floor for physical examinations. These people were very weak. For the majority of the Falun Gong practitioners, nobody knew where they were being secretly kept. While they still did not know where these people were kept, some staff inquired to the hospital authorities about why so much food and so many sterile gloves and daily supplies were purchased. The hospital authorities said, "You only need to do your job well. There is no need for you to ask any other questions."

Starting in 2001, a family member of mine participated in organ-harvesting operations. My family member tried to keep me from knowing about this at the beginning. The hospital authorities selected doctors they trust in different aspects to perform the secretive operations. After a period of time, I found that my family member was in a lot pain, often had nightmares, and appeared panic-stricken. After repeated inquiries, this family member told me the truth. The leader of the hospital had asked my family member to participate in the organ harvesting operations on Falun Gong practitioners as early as 2001. It was 2003 when my family member confessed. A few years after, my family member felt so much pain from participating in this incident that it was impossible to continue with the evildoing. My family member decided to go abroad to get away from this matter.

My family member also told me: "you don't understand my suffering; those Falun Gong practitioners were alive. It might be easier for me if they were dead, but they were alive."

Question: Were there any other doctors from the hospital taking part in the operations of cutting out Falun Gong practitioners' organs?

Answer: I know there were some. All these things have been carried out secretly. Many doctors at our hospital involved were practicum doctors transferred from other hospitals. Because the government does not want to be responsible for Falun Gong practitioners' bodies and lives, their lives are treated as garbage by the regime, and their bodies were used in experiments by new doctors doing their practitcums.

Many doctors came and left the hospital because they suffered a lot after having been involved in these kinds of things. They either requested to be transferred to other places, or changed their names. Some might have been killed to eliminate the evidence, their identity files were taken out from the hospital's filing system, or their names were changed. Nobody knows where the doctors have gone.

The hospital staff all know that the rear part of the hospital is forbidden. It is always watched. The staff avoids talking about the place.

Question: It is said the hospital is equipped with an incinerator. The person whose organs were removed will be burned when he or she is still alive. Is that true?

Answer: The employees in our hospital call this place "the incinerator." Actually, it is a boiler room. Some poor farmers from nearby places were hired to work in the boiler room. They were penniless when they first came here. But they could scrape up some watches, finger rings, necklaces, and so on. The amount is not small. It is said by the employees in the hospital these jewelry and watches were collected from the Falun Gong practitioners whose organs had been removed when they were about to be thrown in the boiler to be burned. It is also said by the employees in the hospital, some were still alive when being thrown into the boiler.

Question: Do they get injection of anesthetic when in surgery?

Answer: Yes. There is a cap to the anesthetic quantity used in mainland China's hospitals. Generally, the supply of anesthetic was determined according to the accommodation of the hospital. To the public, the number of patients in our care appears to be very small, and publicly reported number of surgical procedures performed is quite low. But the equipment and articles used in surgery are abundant. Because the amount of anesthetic is limited, these secret surgeries could not use the normal anesthetic doses. In order to save anesthetic, they economized on the anesthetic used in surgeries on these Falun Gong practitioners. The amount of anesthetic used was very small. However, many whose organs were removed were still alive. You can imagine the pain suffered by the Falun Gong practitioners whose organs were removed.

Question: Are there any survivors among the 6,000 people detained since 2001?

Answer: Nobody has come out alive. The number of them gets smaller and smaller. The Falun Gong practitioners detained at Sujiatun are fewer now than before. But I believe that the sin of removing the organs of the Falun Gong practitioners is still continuing.

Question: Where are these organs usually sold to? Do the higher authorities in the government know about this?

Answer: They are mainly sold to Thailand, but I believe they are also sold to other regions of the world. Nowadays, there are many patients in China who need human skin, corneas, and kidneys for organ transplant surgeries. Many patients have to wait in line to purchase organs. Currently, a kidney can be sold up to the price of 30,000 to 100,000 U.S. dollars. The profit from selling organs is simply too great. The people who benefit from this are not only the top leaders of hospital and the officials of the Chinese Communist Party's Heath Department. This is a crime present across the entire nation. People ranging from government officials to doctors to organ sellers are all involved in this and are profiting greatly.

Question: Why did they target Falun Gong practitioners as the source of organs?

Answer: Because relatives of many Falun Gong practitioners don't even know that their family members were arrested. So if the Falun Gong practitioners are killed, there will be no one to come and claim their dead bodies.

Question: Why did you want to expose this? This may bring great danger to you.

Answer: I know that there are many Falun Gong practitioners who are currently detained at the hospital. I would like to expose this to the international community, so those who are not yet killed can be saved. Also, I would like to expose this as an atonement for my family.

I am not a Falun Gong practitioner. But as a former staff member of the hospital, I have the responsibility to expose the truth, and let the world to save those Falun Gong practitioners who are still alive. Organs of some Falun Gong practitioners are still living on patients' bodies. I would like to call on all society to pay attention to this issue and stop this shocking crime.

you can find out how you can help at www.fofg.org

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Ron Paul: New Rules, Same Game

sjs — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 04:07:15 GMT

January 23, 2006

Last week I mailed each of my congressional colleagues a copy of a speech outlining my views on the lobbying and ethics scandals engulfing Washington. I’m afraid many of them won’t like my conclusion: to reduce corruption in government, we must make government less powerful-- and hence less interesting to lobbyists.

I find it hard to believe that changing the congressional ethics rules or placing new restrictions on lobbyists will do much good. After all, we already have laws against bribery, theft, and fraud. We already have ethics rules in Congress. We already have campaign finance reform. We already require campaigns and lobbyists to register with the federal government and disclose expenditures. We already require federal employees, including the president and members of congress, to take an oath of office. None of it is working, so why should we think more rules, regulations, or laws will change anything?

Lobbying, whether we like it or not, is constitutionally protected. The First amendment unequivocally recognizes the right of Americans to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” We can’t deal with corruption in government by ignoring the Constitution.

I don’t believe the problem is corrupt lobbyists or even corrupt politicians per se. The fundamental problem, in my view, is the very culture of Washington. Our political system has become nothing more than a means of distributing government largesse, through tax dollars confiscated from the American people-- always in the name democracy. The federal budget is so enormous that it loses all meaning. What’s another million or so for some pet project, in an annual budget of $2.4 trillion? No one questions the principle that a majority electorate should be allowed to rule the country, dictate rights, and redistribute wealth.

It’s no wonder a system of runaway lobbying and special interests has developed. When we consider the enormous entitlement and welfare system in place, and couple that with a military-industrial complex that feeds off perpetual war and encourages an interventionist foreign policy, the possibilities for corruption are endless. We shouldn’t wonder why there is such a powerful motivation to learn the tricks of the lobbying trade-- and why former members of Congress and their aides become such high priced commodities.

The dependency on government generated by welfarism and warfarism, made possible by our shift from a republican to a democratic system of government, is the real scandal of the ages. If we merely tinker with current attitudes about the role of the federal government in our lives, it won’t do much to solve the ethics crisis. True reform is impossible without addressing the immorality of wealth redistribution.

After all, criminals by definition ignore laws; unethical people ignore the rules of ethics. Changing the rules or the players is merely a band-aid if we don’t change the nature of the game itself.

http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2006/tst012306.htm

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 2 replies

best books

justsayjo — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 16:35:39 GMT

What are the books you like best that simply and persuasively demonstrate that capitalism as an excellent working system? I like to recommend and buy books for socialist friends that might persuade them more toward fiscal conservatism that don't interfere with socially liberal ideals.

I always end up recommending The Armchair Economist or The Road to Serfdom but am looking for some new material. Also, one that is strong on property rights would be good, as a counterbalance to all those "rent is theft" thinkers.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Ron Paul: What do Rising Gold Prices Mean?

sjs — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:19:09 GMT

http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2005/tst120505.htm

December 5, 2005

The market price for an ounce of gold rose to over $500 last week, a significant milestone for economists watching precious metals and commodities markets. The last time gold topped $500 was December 1987, in the wake of the “Black Monday” stock market collapse earlier that fall.

Gold prices historically rise when faith in paper currencies erodes, as investors seek the intrinsic value of gold to protect themselves from inflation. It’s interesting to note that while the U.S. dollar has regained some of its value relative to other paper currencies like the Euro, it continues to lose value relative to gold and other hard assets. This shows the folly of using one fiat currency to value another.

Gold is history’s oldest and most stable currency. Central bankers and politicians don’t want a gold-backed currency system, because it denies them the power to create money out of thin air. Governments by their very nature want to expand, whether to finance military intervention abroad or a welfare state at home. Expansion costs money, and politicians don’t want spending limited to the amounts they can tax or borrow. This is precisely why central banks now manage all of the world’s major currencies.

Yet while politicians favor central bank control of money, history and the laws of economics are on the side of gold. Even though central banks try to mask their inflationary policies and suppress the price of gold by surreptitiously selling it, the gold markets always cut through the smokescreen eventually. Rising gold prices like we see today historically signify trouble for paper currencies, and the dollar is no exception.

President Nixon finally severed the last tenuous links between the dollar and gold in 1971. Since 1971, the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury have employed a pure fiat money system, meaning government can create money whenever it decrees simply by printing more dollars. The "value" of each newly minted dollar is determined by the faith of the public, the money supply, and the financial markets. In other words, fiat dollars have no intrinsic value.

What does this mean for you and your family? Since your dollars have no intrinsic value, they are subject to currency market fluctuations and ruinous government policies, especially Fed inflationary policies. Every time new dollars are printed and the money supply increases, your income and savings are worth less. Even as you save for retirement, the Fed is working against you. Inflation is nothing more than government counterfeiting by the Fed printing presses.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Put conservation back in conservative

Cynorkis — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 20:27:53 GMT

Hi, check out this new tribe if you are interested in protecting plant biodiversity, participate in rare plant propagation or restoration, scientific research, or grassroots conservation efforts.

Thanks,

Cynorkis

-----------------------------------------------------------
Botanical Conservation and Research

This is a forum for individuals interested in understanding and protecting the Earth's botanical diversity. Discuss scientific research, conservation efforts or organizations, rare plant or ecosystem restoration, systematics, funding resources, conferences, and academic institutions.

Keywords: Botany, plants, mycology, bryology, ecology, conservation biology, evolution, horticulture, flowers, pollination, seeds, soil, forests, wetlands, deserts, montane, tropical, temperate, earth.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 1 reply

got gold?

sjs — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:14:25 GMT

http://tribes.tribe.net/goldbugs

It's lonely in the gold bug tribe.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 2 replies

New tribe - objectivist singles

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 03:52:08 GMT

If you're single and are 'real' and honest with yourself and want to meet others like yourself, come check out objectivist singles. If you think Dagny Taggart or Howard Roark in Atlas Shrugged were hot, come on over.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

How do you define "fiscally conservative"?

pabloescobar — Wed, 12 May 2004 00:59:31 GMT

Hi all,

The term "fiscal conservative" means different things to different people. Some might say President Bush is a "fiscal conservative", given his aggressive package of tax cuts. Is an aversion to taxes enough to make you a "fiscal conservative?"

Others would say a better definition of "fiscal conservative" is President Clinton. He promoted "pay-as-you-go" spending, which means that any dollar in tax cuts has to be matched by a commensurate reduction in spending. Some might also extend this definition to say that "fiscal conservatism" means making sure the government can meet its current and future obligations, and that the budget numbers are free of "smoke-and-mirrors" accounting gimmicks.

I don't mean to disparage anyone's point of view. I'm just curious because I've heard so many interpretations of the term.

So, I pose the question to you, friends. How do you define "fiscal conservatism"?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 20 replies

Discuss It

scottorama — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 20:46:49 GMT

Hi everyone!

I would like to introduce my newest blog, Discuss It - http://www.discuss-it.net

So what is this new site all about? Hmmm… that’s a tough one. I am not even sure myself, and I created the site. Here’s what I do know: I want Discuss It to be a place where ideas, news, and issues can be discussed in an open and mature way. I have created a small group of panelists who will write about a particular topic. What they say may be thought-provoking, infuriating, inspirational, and/or controversial. That’s where you the reader come in.

I want the visitors of Discuss It to become active participants in it. Don’t like something you’ve read? Leave a comment letting us know your take. Find something you agree with? Let us and others know. Go back often to see how others have replied to what you’ve said. Explain your opinions, defend your views, and take part in the discussion. Every post will have its own RSS feed for the comments on it that you can subscribe to.

Will I solve all the world’s problems through this site? Probably not. But by exposing yourself to new ideas and other people’s opinions and in turn letting them know where you stand, maybe, just maybe we can build a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that our society is presented with today.

Please stop by Discuss It and let me know what you think!

--
Scott

http://www.scott-o-rama.com
http://www.discuss-it.net

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

How is it we have no political party?

William — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 20:07:07 GMT

Maybe I'm missing something, but how did it come to this? We have no political party that is both fiscally conservative yet socially liberal!

Has anyone found one of those smaller political parties that embraces both ideas simultaneously?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 7 replies

:tumbleweed: So who is familiar with "Goldwater Conservative" as a name?

William — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 20:32:23 GMT

I've been called a Goldwater Conservative a couple times. Apparently he was something of a Fiscal Conservative and Social Liberal.

I'm skeptical if he fits what I consider social liberal, but I'm wondering if anyone here knows more about Barry Goldwater and those who follow his lead.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 4 replies

Gay marriage

CaptainBenevento — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 16:18:21 GMT

Here in Oregon, the rural counties successfully voted an amendment in to define marriage as between one man and one woman, while the three largest cities voted it down.
I dont see the harm between gays marrying each other for the same benefits that hetros get.
I find this quote from Thomas Jefferson applies here.
It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) US President (1801-09)

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 14 replies

I found a home!

CaptainBenevento — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 16:53:49 GMT

I'm so here. You guys must have thought of me when setting up this tribe.
*hugs*

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 5 replies

Political Revolution - The Birth of a Party

Travis — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 02:46:18 GMT

I'm starting a new political party. It's intended to be a pragmatic, "big tent" party, focused on the corruption of the two party system and the lack of political representation in this country. It will not be without ideology, however. It will advocate limiting and reducing the power of the federal government. This, along with a blanket commitment to honesty and equality, is the only ideological foundation. All are welcome. We need a name, although the working title has been "Idealist".

My primary goal is to unite existing 3rd parties and other unrepresented populations in order to gain viability. This means that anarchic socialists would necessarily be just as welcome in the party as classic Libertarians. Really, both groups agree on a lot of issues. The hope is to reduce identity politics, which includes uniting those the two party dialectic has made enemies.

The role of ego in this party must necessarily be minimal. This is not "my" party, nor would I (or any other individual) be allowed to control it. We will need significant success at a local level before we can hope to run at the federal level. I hope to run candidates in key congressional races in 2008, but not unless the party is ready. These races will not be chosen in an attempt to play "spoiler", which would cause unnecessary alienation. They will be chosen based on their potential for attracting support and attention to the cause, as well as the ability to find candidates worthy of running.

When we have attracted attention and gained the support of existing "independent" third party political organizations, we should be able to begin pulling voters away from both of the existing parties. The key is to not make this a movement from the right or from the left. It's a movement from the new center - the center that demands freedom in our own country. Modest success at this task will defeat both the fear of tipping elections in undesirable directions. When we have attracted support from even 5%-10% of the nation, a political stampede is not beyond the realm of possibility.

We will learn from the mistakes of Nader, Perot, Ventura, and every other individual who has attempted to overturn the system thus far. If anyone is interested, email me at "travohep at hotmail.com", or just respond to this thread. Thank you for your time.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Poll: Your presidential pick

Mikal — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 19:11:44 GMT

I thought I'd poll this group's members on their vote for POTUS this November.

As Kerry seems to be so far ahead in my home state of California, and since I'm about equally disappointed in both major party candidates, I'm casting my vote for the Libertarian nominee.

Who do YOU want in 2004?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 4 replies

Human Rights Campaign

buildingblocks — Sun, 13 Jun 2004 02:42:56 GMT

If this doesn't make you scream nothing will! I was working a banquet tonight for the Human Rights Campaign. There was going to be a charity auction as after the dinner and then one of the people in charge of the banquet got up on stage and announced that when the auctioneer found out that the primary activity of the organization was gay rights he told the organizers that he believed that their cause was wrong and quit. Unfuckingbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, the right wing talks about accountability all of the time but this asshole obviously knows nothing about business commitments. The auction was still held with one of the organizers as auctioneer. The dipshits will not win! Log on and sign up.

http://www.hrc.org/

Peace.

Andy

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 1 reply

our tribe needs a graphic

jeremiahnelson23 — Sat, 24 Apr 2004 16:21:56 GMT

any thoughts?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 3 replies

PLEASE Help the KIDS in Iraq!

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 00:53:00 GMT

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here is a way to help the children in Iraq.

Army Reservist Does It For The Children

By Kendra Helmer Stars and Stripes

European Edition March 2, 2004

SINJAR, Iraq —

Spc. David McCorkle noticed the Iraqi boy wearing the same purple shirt every day on the streets of Mosul.

Concerned about why 10-year-old Yahya was selling soda and candy instead of sitting in a classroom, McCorkle started asking questions. He learned that since Yahya's father had died, he had to drop out of school to support his family.

"It just broke my heart to think that children should have to do that," said McCorkle, 46, an Army reservist with the 318th Tactical Psychological Operations Company.

McCorkle went to speak to Yahya's mother. She cried after he said he would support their family if Yahya returned to school.

Changing the lives of one family wasn't enough for the IBM technical salesman. He couldn't help but notice other street kids, whose photographs he kept sending home to his wife, Maureen.

"I thought, 'Oh my gosh, he's up to something,' " Maureen said in a telephone interview from their home in Lone Jack, Mo.

She was right.

While attached to the 101st Airborne Division in northern Iraq, McCorkle embarked on a monumental task.

With the help of soldiers and friends, he established a nonprofit corporation to help children in the northern Iraqi province of Ninevah.

"My main goal is to help kids that are working on the streets instead of attending school," he said.

Within a few months, he read up on charities, wrote grant applications, spent $5,000 on legal fees and a Web site and assembled a board of directors for the charity, American Aid for Children of Ninevah, Iraq.

"Once he says he's going to do some- thing, he does it," said wife Maureen, the president of AA-CNI, incorporated Oct. 31.

Also on the board are soldiers from his unit, Sgt. James Harrelson and Sgt. James Sikes.
He enlisted the help of IBM colleague Bruce Gilkes to create the www.iraqkids.org website, which features photos and stories of children and schools.

Gilkes, who's known McCorkle for five years, said the reservist doesn't do anything halfway.

"This is exactly the kind of person he is … gung-ho, goes for it pretty heavy duty," Gilkes said in a phone interview from Tampa, Fla.
"That's why I was definitely willing to help."

Maureen, married to David for 22 years, also wasn't surprised by his determination to make a difference. It was that resolve that led him to Iraq in the first place.

The traveling salesman, who had a six-figure income, had been going through a midlife crisis before the terrorist attacks. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was sitting in the Dallas airport.

"I was sitting there in lounge, I felt helpless, thought what can I do," he said. McCorkle, who earlier had served three years in the Army and a year in the National Guard, decided to join the reserves.

He weighed 350 pounds. So he joined a health club, went on a diet and lost 125 pounds from September until June 2002, when he enlisted at age 44.
"Every two weeks he'd go into the recruiting office and get measured and weighed. It was absolutely something he had to do," Maureen said.

McCorkle deployed Feb. 12, 2003, for what he thought would be a three to six month deployment. His unit was extended to more than a year.

While his job is to ensure the unit's radios work properly, he's really in his element away from the military camps, when he interacts with the locals.

Many children know him, clamoring for his attention when he makes the rounds to hand out local-language newspapers published by the coalition.

McCorkle, now in Kuwait and should be home sometime this month, (this was written in March) is working with military officials, local bankers and humanitarian organizations to make sure the AA-CNI money reaches the children and schools.

The biggest challenge, he said, was finding a mechanism for getting donations to the war-torn country. While they are still working out details, people can sign up on the Web site to donate.

Donors, who can correspond with the children, have payment and sponsoring options, from helping a certain child to supporting a specific school.

Among the dozen children on the site is Salah, 12, who has honey-colored eyes and blond hair. After his father died, Salah, his mother and four brothers moved to another village to work on a farm.

Salah attended school at the time and was one of the best pupils in his class. After the war, the family couldn't find any farm jobs, so Salah quit school to work elsewhere.

Yahya, the boy in the purple shirt, has returned to school.

The McCorkles contacted representatives of first lady Laura Bush about sending Yahya to the United States for a visit in June, when McCorkle plans to get out of the Reserve.

However, they're having trouble securing travel documents for the boy and his translator.

"I want to raise the awareness and the understanding of what issues the children face here, and take him to Disney World," McCorkle said.

Maureen recalled a conversation they had when he signed up for the Reserve, knowing there was a good chance he would go to Iraq.

"I said to him, 'But what about the children (their two sons)?'

He said, 'I'm doing it for the children — I'm doing it for everyone's children.'

"I guess he really meant it."

For more information on AA-CNI, go to www.iraqkids.org

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Lieberman

Twystinme — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:44:25 GMT

It's a shame, but I think Lieberman might as well bow out.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Kerry

Stacey — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 18:55:32 GMT

So it appears that Kerry is getting a lot of attention in the media lately. Does anyone here have any thoughts or feelings about him? I visited his website and it is very extensive but I haven't had a chunk of time open to really look at it. Opinions?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 1 reply

Westly -- CA's new Controller

David — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 08:14:38 GMT

I posted this in response to another topic, but I wanted to make sure people saw this: Check out California's new Controller, Steve Westly. He's a Democrat and truly worth a close look for what he's been doing to try and clean up the mess in Sacramento. Prior to becoming Controller, he was the first exec hired at eBay and was a professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. He also served in State, Local and Federal govt positions. He is also very smart and willing to approach problems with a fresh set of eyes and a bipartisan approach. He definitely fits the description for the Tribe!

I also set up a tribe to track his activities. It is named "California Controller Westly". I'd appreciate some members and your thoughts!

Thanks and sorry for re-posting this as a new topic!

Dave

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 0 replies

Candidates?

jeremiahnelson23 — Sat, 13 Dec 2003 16:45:02 GMT

Who do you feel best represents the ideals of a socially liberal, fiscally conservative mindset? Is there anyone close, or does this generation need an entirely new set of candidates?

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 5 replies

Bid Farewell to the Family and Medical Leave Act

J. — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 03:02:04 GMT

Last year my grandmother passed away. During her final months, my mother took leave from her job to stay with my grandmother, care for her, and show respect for all she had done. It was by the grace of the Family and Medical Leave Act that she could do that.

But no more. The Bush Admin has been systematically dismantling it.

Without it, my mother likely could have just left her job and said, "fine, I retire now then." But so many people don't have that luxury.

Perhaps the current administration should note that government can be caring and have a balanced budget. .. instead of doing neither.

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 4 replies

hello!

Stacey — Sat, 17 Jan 2004 16:47:23 GMT

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to introduce myself. I, too, find myself in the position of being a social liberal/fiscal conservative… and much to my difficulty, I have few friends that feel the same way. I have a liberal arts undergraduate degree and continuing education in business (I’m hoping to be a CPA soon). Basically, my friends from undergrad are very on the left, and my business school friends are pretty conservative, as you would suspect.
I think that most of it has to do with education. Simply put, I was not required to take finance or economics as a liberal arts person. But I absolutely learned about social issues. Even when I did try to teach myself, the books I read were from such a different perspective that I really didn’t understand them. Finally, after 50 hours of accounting/business courses I’m starting to get it.
Also, through work I have had many dealings with the government. I have become convinced through personal experience that it is an ineffectual place to try to get things done.
So, that is where I’m coming from. Nice to meet everyone.

On a different topic, I was recently blown away by Bush’s idea to spend 1.4 billion on teaching married couples relationship skills. Did you guys hear much about this? The press release was on the same day as the NASA proposition, so I think it got buried. I can only imagine what a disaster a program like that would be.

Cheers!

posted in Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal - 3 replies