<p>drummerdude: It is not the job of the government to reduce drug addicts - they are failing, and they are looting MY money to do so. Furthermore, I am not convinced that "reducing drug addicts" is a goal worthy of sacrificing property rights to.</p>
<p>"I am not a Libertarian, though I share some of their beliefs. I also hold moral values, but I do not restrict rights based on them. It is fine to hold moral beliefs, but not fine to restrict rights based on those belief"
- Isn't that textbook libertarianism. They have moral beliefs, too, they just don't think they should influence legislation.
"It's legit. I read that article."
Is it perhaps "too legit to quit"?
I don't know how to quote properly. Forgive me.</p>
<p>View intelligent design as a supernatural occurrence. I know what people who want Creationism in schools are saying, and I dont agree with that. Intelligent design doesnt necessarily have to be God or gods or any supernatural being in the religious sense.
Still, dont teach it in the classroom. Just mention that there are other alternatives. No definite theory.
Plus, give me solid proof for evolution.</p>
<p>Drummerdude_07, I didnt make the gangs statement. I was just wondering what your reasoning was.
Also, the point I was making is that Libertarians believe in personal responsibility, meaning that they believe that moral judgment can be left to the individuals standard of morality, while conservatives believe that in order to maintain order, there needs to be at least some government intervention.
Hehe, and I meant that I dont believe in any theory of our origins. But you COULD go with Spinozas argument of there is no proof, thus nothing exists.
So basically gays in some states get significantly more rights than gays in other states? Talk about discrimination. And inequality.</p>
<p>neverborn, I totally agree with you. Money is misspent left and right in this country. No one takes the drug/alcohol laws seriously. It's a big joke; if they wanted to crack down on drugs they'd inforce the laws better rather than having the cops take away the weed from the dealer and smoke it themsleves!</p>
<p>I don't think anyone is going to be able to prove evolution to you on a college discussion board. BUT when you come to the U of C, I'm sure there will be some distinguished professors willing to prove to you the validity of the theory based on a faith in the scientific method.
Of course you have to have faith to believe anything. As the father of skepticism and my favorite scottish philosopher, David Hume, said "you can't live life as a sceptic"</p>
<p>Off topic, but...that's why I the University of Chicago. The Core Curriculum. We certainly need to know science, economics, philosophy, and religion in order to have this politically-based conversation.</p>
<p>Christine, you read my mind. </p>
<p>It's be almost ironical if we ended up in the same class when all these topics came up...</p>
<p>
[quote]
gambadent</p>
<p>Is it perhaps "too legit to quit"?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Haha, that pretty much defines the Economist. ^_^ You put it in quote tags -- [.quote] blah blah [./quote]. Minus the periods. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Christine123</p>
<p>Off topic, but...that's why I [love] the University of Chicago. The Core Curriculum. We certainly need to know science, economics, philosophy, and religion in order to have this politically-based conversation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most def.</p>
<p>I'd definitely love to be as close to an all-around scholar as possible. My interviewer was talking about this teacher she knew at UofC with whom she discussed all kinds of literature. And then she found out he was the head of the Chemistry (something of that wavelength) department, and I thought, "Wow. That's how I want to be."</p>
<p>Libertarians have no guiding morals as a rule. It's possible they HAVE morals, but they do not necessarily have any. I am an Objectivist, and my belief in certain metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics guides my beliefs on politics.</p>
<p>Everyone has rules in how they act. Not having any rules regarding one's conduct is, ironically, a rule of conduct, a standard of morality. Libertarians decide for themselves which standard of morality they want. (This is speaking outside of politics, just defining how Libertarians define personal conduct/responsibility.)</p>
<p>Christine: That's what I meant - Libertarians are moral relativists.</p>
<p>Free condoms!!! They have to be everywhere, I'm pretty sure that would do quite a bit to solve the abortion problem. </p>
<p>I think we're too smart for our own good. Why does it matter where we came from? It won't make a difference in our lives whether some dude made us or if we just randomly occured. Either way we're still here and we have to deal with teh problems at hand like the environment, people dying for useless reasons, war, things that actualyl affect people's lives.</p>
<p>Gay marriage wasn't such a big debate until recently. I don't remember big debates in congress about it during the Clinton administration. Same with evolution, the last time that was big news was in the early 20th century. The Bush administration is just trying to divert attention from real problems like the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the economy (i believe that is random), and countless other things that are far more important to the average person than evolution or gay marraige. Neither of which affect more than a small percentage of the population.</p>
<p>Bigger questions invovle how do we get the literacy level up? What do we do now tha the baby boomers are aging which will put strain on medicare, medicaid, and social security? And how do we make the middle east into a stable, non-western hating place?</p>
<p>Condoms, bah. I'm not trying to label anyone as immoral or sinful, so no one take personal offense at what I'm is about to say. And please note that I'm stating my personal moral beliefs and NOT political beliefs. I don't believe in the use of birth control and I don't plan on having sex unless I'm married.</p>
<p>With that said, lets compromise. If condoms are distributed at schools to all who choose to take them, then prayers can be prayed at schools to all who choose to pray them.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Christine, "condoms" is not a religion. Students should be able to pray, but administrators should not.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Christine123</p>
<p>With that said, lets compromise. If condoms are distributed at schools to all who choose to take them, then prayers can be prayed at schools to all who choose to pray them.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You know, I could live with that. </p>
<p>
[quote]
meestasi</p>
<p>Bigger questions invovle how do we get the literacy level up? What do we do now tha the baby boomers are aging which will put strain on medicare, medicaid, and social security? And how do we make the middle east into a stable, non-western hating place?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Haha, literacy level -- I think they solved that with No Child Left Behind.</p>
<p>And no more social security! Ever!</p>
<p>And more troops!</p>
<p>/sarcasm</p>
<p>Intelligent Design:
Sure. Like others said earlier, if there was a "first cause" for the existence of the universe, then there necessarily would have been a cause for that first cause and so on and so forth . . . so there never could be a "first cause" unless something supernatural played a part. There is no scientific basis for intelligent design, but there is, at least, a logical one.</p>
<p>Gay Marriage:
Why not? First of all, how does it affect you in any way shape or form? I can't help but think that the people who are against gay marriage now would, if born fifty years earlier, have been against interracial marriage. Hopefully it won't be long before the majority of society realizes that disallowing gay marriage is discriminatory. </p>
<p>If you say that being gay is a choice, then you are going against science, I'd say. If you still think being gay is a choice, go poll 100 gay people and ask them if they ever "chose" to be gay. Likewise, ask yourself if you ever "chose" to be straight. If you say that it was a subconscious choice, then I think you'd have to admit that it is a permanent one, and that any person should be entitled to marry (or whatever word you wish to use) the person they love, assuming the the love was reciprocated.</p>
<p>Death Penalty (thought I'd throw this one in):
What is the purpose of it? In my opinion, it accomplishes nothing. There is no proof that it lowers crime rates. Personally, the biggest argument for the death penalty is that it keeps murderers off the streets--people are afraid that murderers are going to be released from prison. Well, I say that we should take away the death penalty, and not allow murderers who are sentenced to life to be paroled.</p>
<p>Abortion:
I definitely see both sides of abortion. I'm pro-choice, but feel that abortion is, in most cases, not the best choice. I have a problem with the arguments of pro-life people. If you say that a fetus is a human being (like me a you--not like hair or fingernails), and that killing this human being is universally wrong because it is innocent, then how is it ok for the mother to have an abortion in certain cases (such as rape, incest, etc.)? You can't say that you are only concerned with the good of the fetus, and then say that it is ok to kill the fetus in certain cases. I guess I don't understand this train of thought.</p>
<p>Andi: No more social security ever? Okay. :)</p>
<p>"I think we're too smart for our own good. Why does it matter where we came from?" We don't know why it matters yet. Or I don't. But I'm a nerd?</p>
<p>Do you really think Bush is using the gay marriage issue as a cover up? Gay marriage and gay rights were bound to blow up in the face of politics some time. I mean, look at every group who has believed that their rights are suppressed in history.
Watch the Press Secretary. How much is mentioned about Iraq versus gay marriage?
Bush has said the minimal about gay marriage. The media just likes it because it's controversial and sells.</p>
<p>And who's to weigh "bigger issues"? Who's to weigh what the government's business is?</p>
<p>I'm pretty much pro-life in all situations, but I can ALMOST see the view of someone who believes in no abortion in all cases except rape/incest, esp. incest.: Who wants to live as the daughter of a daughter and her father?</p>
<p>Condoms aren't religion, but still, it's like handing out Bibles at schools. Using birth control is sin to me (well, actually, I have a non-religious, philosophical Hamlet-esque reason against it too, but yeah...), so having condoms, something that offends my religion, available at school is like having Bibles, something that offends other religions (atheism is a religion--belief in no God). Neither is forced.</p>
<p>You know, I'm playing devil's advocate. But it's a thought.</p>
<p>Atheism is not a religion.</p>
<p>1.
1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.</p>