Can you be critical of your own side?

[Anomalism]

Maybe there is a better way than what Trump is doing I'm not sure, possibly.

That's an impressive omission, in my opinion anyway.

"Maybe there's a better way."

Props.

 

[pknopp]

I'm critical of those who believe you have to take a side.

 

[Anomalism]

I'm critical of those who believe you have to take a side.

Are you a true neutral or do you lean? Most lean.

 

[g5000]

Can you be critical of your own side?​

The organization formerly known as the Republican Party used to be "my side". I was a lifelong Republican until 2017.

Ronald Reagan, Milton Friedman, Bill Buckley. These were my heroes.

Holding one's team accountable is the most important thing one can do. Far moreso than criticizing one's opponents.

If you see your party going off reservation, it is a moral imperative to speak out.

And that is what I have been doing since before Trump. My criticisms of the GOP began during Bush's second term. My criticism was focused on the GOP pissing away the chance to pay down our debt and instead choosing to DOUBLE it.

By 2006, I began to see the GOP being taken over by psychos, liars, bigots, hypocrites, and retards.

I held on as long as I could, hoping they would be ejected. I did not want to surrender my membership to these assholes.

But things only got worse from there, and when a far left New York limousine liberal Democrat con man and all-around immoral scumbag seduced these morons, I had no choice but to leave.


The analogy I use is that if a man moved into your neighbor's house and shit all over their furniture and smeared it on their walls, you would have some pretty harsh opinions of the asshole.

But if that same person moved into YOUR house and did the same things, your hatred of him would increase a hundredfold.

So it is with me and Trump and his cult.

.

 

[DonGlock26]

I’m not asking what you think about the people you oppose. That part’s easy. Anyone can point out flaws in their enemies. What I’m interested in is whether you can be just as honest about the people you support. Can you look at your own side and call out the weaknesses, the bad habits, the blind spots, the corruption, the parts you wish were better? Most people claim they care about truth, but only apply scrutiny to the outgroup. I want to see how many here can apply the same lens inward. Be specific. Be fair. No whataboutism, no switching targets. Just your side, your critique, your honesty.

I think Rinos are traitors.

 

[Anomalism]

The organization formerly known as the Republican Party used to be "my side". I was a lifelong Republican until 2017.

Ronald Reagan, Milton Friedman, Bill Buckley. These were my heroes.

Holding one's team accountable is the most important thing one can do. Far moreso than criticizing one's opponents.

If you see your party going off reservation, it is a moral imperative to speak out.

And that is what I have been doing since before Trump. My criticisms of the GOP began during Bush's second term. My criticism was focused on the GOP pissing away the chance to pay down our debt and instead choosing to DOUBLE it.

By 2006, I began to see the GOP being taken over by psychos, liars, bigots, hypocrites, and retards.

I held on as long as I could, hoping they would be ejected. I did not want to surrender my membership to these assholes.

But things only got worse from there, and when a far left New York limousine liberal Democrat con man and all-around immoral scumbag seduced these morons, I had no choice but to leave.


The analogy I use is that if a man moved into your neighbor's house and shit all over their furniture and smeared it on their walls, you would have some pretty harsh opinions of the asshole.

But if that same person moved into YOUR house and did the same things, your hatred of him would increase a hundredfold.

So it is with me and Trump and his cult.

.

Did you know Friedman supported something similar to UBI by the end of his life? That might not be relevant to what you posted. Just something I found interesting when I learned it.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

My side could stand to lose 20 pounds, drinks too much and is starting to forget things.

 

[JanetTheGreat]

I’m not asking what you think about the people you oppose. That part’s easy. Anyone can point out flaws in their enemies. What I’m interested in is whether you can be just as honest about the people you support. Can you look at your own side and call out the weaknesses, the bad habits, the blind spots, the corruption, the parts you wish were better? Most people claim they care about truth, but only apply scrutiny to the outgroup. I want to see how many here can apply the same lens inward. Be specific. Be fair. No whataboutism, no switching targets. Just your side, your critique, your honesty.

I have no side. I think that those who share my beliefs are very small, and far and few between. I strongly identified with MAGA for years, until I began to question things a lot more and I saw that MAGA was a total scam like everything else before it. There are a few things I like about it, but most of it is vanity and performance rather than enacting promises.

I'll basically lay the major aspects of my beliefs here:

- I am opposed to foreign influence in the United States. Israel, China, etc. Foreign lobbying should be completely banned and removed entirely from our country's politics.

- Both political parties should be abolished, and elections should take place between candidates selected soley on merit, personal achievement and ability to perform their role without regard to party affiliation or wealth.

- I am for a strong border, using the United States military to prevent illegal immigrants from entering into the country. All illegals should be deported from the United States.

- I think that a lot of matters should be left up to the states, such as marriage, abortion, etc. Government doesn't belong in marriage.

- The United States should massively invest in Space Exploration, Public Health, and Infrastructure by reducing military spending and withdrawing ourselves from various areas across the world. The United States should cease funding Ukraine and Israel entirely.

- Healthcare needs to be considered a lot more seriously. Republicans don't care about it. Democrats think they do, but they also don't. Both parties don't have an answer for it. It needs to be a lot less expensive, and people shouldn't be denied service due to corporate policies.

- I view the worship of politicians and celebrities as insanely stupid regardless of who it is.

- I view that there are two genders. Male and Female. Anything else is mental illness, and DEI should be removed from society. People should be judged on their character, not their race, religion, etc.

 

[pknopp]

Are you a true neutral or do you lean? Most lean.

You tell me.

I 100% support the 2nd.

I am for Universal Health care.

I Am pro-life.

I am against Capital punishment.

I support leaving the Supreme Court at 9

I support the rich paying more in taxes.

I support the electoral college.

I support the public school system.

I believe we badly need a balanced budget.

I was against every one of our stupid wars since Vietnam.

My presidential vote for them last few elections have been Bob Barr. Vermin Supreme. Jill Stein. Jo Jorgensen. Vermin Supreme.

 

[JWBooth]

I have no side. I think that those who share my beliefs are very small, and far and few between. I strongly identified with MAGA for years, until I began to question things a lot more and I saw that MAGA was a total scam like everything else before it. There are a few things I like about it, but most of it is vanity and performance rather than enacting promises.

I'll basically lay the major aspects of my beliefs here:

- I am opposed to foreign influence in the United States. Israel, China, etc. Foreign lobbying should be completely banned and removed entirely from our country's politics.

- Both political parties should be abolished, and elections should take place between candidates selected soley on merit, personal achievement and ability to perform their role without regard to party affiliation or wealth.

- I am for a strong border, using the United States military to prevent illegal immigrants from entering into the country. All illegals should be deported from the United States.

- I think that a lot of matters should be left up to the states, such as marriage, abortion, etc. Government doesn't belong in marriage.

- The United States should massively invest in Space Exploration, Public Health, and Infrastructure by reducing military spending and withdrawing ourselves from various areas across the world. The United States should cease funding Ukraine and Israel entirely.

- Healthcare needs to be considered a lot more seriously. Republicans don't care about it. Democrats think they do, but they also don't. Both parties don't have an answer for it. It needs to be a lot less expensive, and people shouldn't be denied service due to corporate policies.

- I view the worship of politicians and celebrities as insanely stupid regardless of who it is.

- I view that there are two genders. Male and Female. Anything else is mental illness, and DEI should be removed from society. People should be judged on their character, not their race, religion, etc.

You had me in general agreement until your advocation for picking productive people’s pockets for the space program.

 

[Anomalism]

You tell me.

I 100% support the 2nd.

I am for Universal Health care.

I Am pro-life.

I am against Capital punishment.

I support leaving the Supreme Court at 9

I support the rich paying more in taxes.

I support the electoral college.

I support the public school system.

I believe we badly need a balanced budget.

I was against every one of our stupid wars since Vietnam.

My presidential vote for them last few elections have been Bob Barr. Vermin Supreme. Jill Stein. Jo Jorgensen. Vermin Supreme.

I won't try to psychoanalyze you too much. That set of views seems rounded though. Not belonging to a specific tribe.

Maybe slight left lean.

 

[g5000]

Did you know Friedman supported something similar to UBI by the end of his life? That might not be relevant to what you posted. Just something I found interesting when I learned it.

Yes, I have mentioned Miltion Friedman's negative income tax at least three times in other topics today.

He proposed it way back in 1962.

 

[Anomalism]

Yes, I have mentioned Miltion Friedman's negative income tax at least three times in other topics today.

He proposed it way back in 1962.

People that actually think aren't so rigid, it seems.

 

[JanetTheGreat]

You had me in general agreement until your advocation for picking productive people’s pockets for the space program.

Ideally it would be nice for most of it to be privatized, however in my eyes, NASA needs a major overhaul of new people. We need to get people back on the Moon and aim for the first people to be sent to Mars, as well as studying the outer Solar System.

We can do both. NASA has been in a sore spot for decades, they haven't accomplished much. Both due to lack of ambitious leadership, and funding.

I would like taxes on Fuel, Land, and Income tax removed at the federal level. I'd even go as far to want Property tax abolished too.

 

[g5000]

People that actually think aren't so rigid, it seems.

The idea of the leading light of the Chicago school of economics recommending a negative income tax does sound pertty counterintuitive.

However, Friedman's idea was that the negative income tax would replace all other forms of government welfare, thus realizing a tremendous savings in administrative and personnel costs, practially paying for itself.

He was also echoing an idea which was advocated at our very founding by none other than Thomas Paine.

Paine also urged we set up a social security system.

If you have the time, read his Agrarian Justice. It's not very long.

Universal Basic Income and the negative income tax are somewhat synonymous, but I don't think the advocates of UBI believe it should supplant all other welfare, and that is where the two diverge.

.

 

[Anomalism]

Ideally it would be nice for most of it to be privatized, however in my eyes, NASA needs a major overhaul of new people. We need to get people back on the Moon and aim for the first people to be sent to Mars, as well as studying the outer Solar System.

We can do both. NASA has been in a sore spot for decades, they haven't accomplished much. Both due to lack of ambitious leadership, and funding.

I would like taxes on Fuel, Land, and Income tax removed at the federal level. I'd even go as far to want Property tax abolished too.

Fully privatized space exploration would collapse on itself. Private actors are acting within the economy. They need to make money. Some efforts don't have a direct, obvious profit path. That doesn't make it pointless or worthless, though.

No private company is going to build a James Webb Telescope, because it's not profitable. That doesn't make it unimportant though. That's where public funding comes in.

 

[JanetTheGreat]

Fully privatized space exploration would collapse on itself. Private actors are acting within the economy. They need to make money. Some efforts don't have a direct, obvious profit path. That doesn't make it pointless or worthless, though.

No private company is going to build a James Webb Telescope, because it's not profitable. That doesn't make it unimportant though. That's where public funding comes in.

That is pretty much my view on it as a whole.

Another thing I think, is that both sides in the US do not care about the long term benefit, they only care about achieving short, emotional brownie points as they punch down at the other side in a race to the bottom. This is why the political vocabulary and level of intelligence in our politics has gone down considerably. They only want power, control, and will do anything no matter how dirty to keep it. This is a corrupt system.

 

[Anomalism]

That is pretty much my view on it as a whole.

Another thing I think, is that both sides in the US do not care about the long term benefit, they only care about achieving short, emotional brownie points as they punch down at the other side in a race to the bottom. This is why the political vocabulary and level of intelligence in our politics has gone down considerably. They only want power, control, and will do anything no matter how dirty to keep it. This is a corrupt system.

The system is human. Flawed, idealistic, oblivious, ignorant...

The system isn't evil. It's flawed. It's full of humans, and all the mess we bring.

People look at politics and assume corruption is some independent force. But every political failure we complain about is just a human failure scaled across millions of people. Same fears, same ego, same short-term instincts. Fixing politics is really just fixing our own blind spots. Patience, humility, and long-term thinking don’t magically appear in institutions that don’t exist in individuals.

 

[JanetTheGreat]

The system is human. Flawed, idealistic, oblivious, ignorant...

The system isn't evil. It's flawed. It's full of humans, and all the mess we bring.

A lot of it is the citizens fault for not knowing any better and not having a backbone to push back against it.

 

[Anomalism]

A lot of it is the citizens fault for not knowing any better and not having a backbone to push back against it.

Citizens have to work Janet. You and I are outliers. We take time out of our busy lives to stay informed. That's its own sacrifice though. You know it is. You can't expect everybody to stay informed.