I'm really not pro-military.

Things are much more complex than that, Gud. Most of the science funding my group gets is from the military. The military funds some great science.

I'm not a fan of taxes, but we are probably stuck right now because the deficits are pretty bad.

This is one inparticular that's always left me feeling like the imposter among humans. I know nobody likes the government taking part of their paycheck, but taxes help pay for things we all need.

Or should, anyway.

I wouldn't even call them a necessary evil. Just a necessary annoyance. But I also think that the people who should be complaining about how much money they have to pay in taxes are the rich, especially the super-rich, and large corporations.

Exactly the people who fund right-wing campaigns so that they don't ever have to.

Traffic accident right in front of our building. Bad enough for an airbag to deploy. Ambulances, firetrucks, etc. Didn't see the injured driver, but the paramedics are taking her to the hospital.

Things are much more complex than that, Gud. Most of the science funding my group gets is from the military. The military funds some great science.

Then let's just fund science. I'm not against that. But our military spending is just huge. In the 80's our military was about 25% of the military spending in the world. Now it's about 50%. I think we can cut back and use that money in more direct economic investment (including research) and to prevent tax increases that will be necessary with our current deficit spending.

There are lots of people who think that the democrats stand for abortion, gun-control, more government regulation, and more taxes. Who the heck wants that?

Yep yep yep. Only make it abortion rights, and instead of "regulation," say something like "services." Like schools & health care.

I'm certainly not "for abortion." Abortion fucking sucks. It is generally a difficult choice in a field full of even harder choices. But I am very much "for" allowing women to have the right to choose, and for the right to privacy in doing so. I am also "for" greater access to and education about birth control and the morning after pill. Which would reduce the need for abortion. But is opposed by the Christian Right and this administration anyway, so it makes all this bullshit about protecting the fetuses really about controlling women and denouncing women's sexuality.

Er.

wrod.

Hey, my ex-military, prison guard, former O'Reilly watching brother came out to me as a Democrat with a capital D the other day.

He's been brainwashed by Massachusetts!! Where the republicans wear radio-collars and the democrats are the sleek, corrupt shmoozehounds. (What, me? Annoyed with gubernatorial politics already??)

I'm pretty sure that letting anyone buy a sniper rifle that can hit someone a kilometer away isn't a good idea.

My rule of thumb is, if the bullet for it is bigger than a banana, there is something desperately wrong with the brains of people who want that kind of gun.

I wouldn't even call them a necessary evil. Just a necessary annoyance.

Having been a government employee (a librarian), I think taxes are the Best Thing Ever. I am sure my fellow government employees -- firefighters, cops, schoolteachers, highway repair people, social workers, certain research scientists, Animal Control, certain hospital workers, etc. -- agree.

It blows my mind, the people who knee-jerk say "government is bad! Taxes are bad!" And then they turn on the TV and watch CSI Miami, Law & Order, and Without A Trace. Hello! Who do you think all those characters are?? Government employees.

That's why Homicide's my favorite...they look like it, too. Wear the same clothes all the time, drive beat-up Cavaliers...

And that's part of why I won't be a Libertarian -- I believe there should be and needs to be laws regulating business, protecting the workers and consumers.

That's me too. I think regulated capitalism is a lot better than unregulated capitalism (or a state-run economy but it's not like there are many advocates for that). I think it comes from reading upton sinclair.