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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 12:21:54 PM | What if the person is later proven innocent????? Then what? That alone makes me very much opposed to the death penalty.
What about the innocent people who die because a murderer is not executed? In my area, a convicted killer escaped from prison, and before he was recaptured, he had killed four more people. Those are four innocent victims who would be alive today had we executed him the first time, as we should have.
hate the concept of people calling themselves "pro-life" and supporting the death penalty. It is hypocrisy
The basic argument is that if you take a life, the only acceptable penalty is your own life; the ultimate crime demands the ultimate penalty. You see, by supporting the death penalty, we put the focus on the victim's life, rather than the killer's "rights." In this way, a (strong) case could be made for saying that it's hypocrisy to be pro-life and not support the death penalty.
On a related subject, it's been suggested that convicts be used for medical experiments. I wouldn't go that far (well, maybe), but I would put all those convicted of capital crimes on the organ-donor list. Screening for disease and drugs would have to be rigorous, but it would solve part of the supply problem, at least.
odd that some "pro-lifers" are also rabid NRA gun nuts
I hadn't heard this - we haven't been infected with the NRA in Canada - but I'm with you on this one; it does sound weird. Then again, I think the whole "Second Amendment" debate in the US sounds insane to most outsiders. It seems clear that the NRA either hasn't read the whole amendment, or is deliberately ignoring the first part of it.
One final note on the death penalty: it's been claimed that the death penalty is not a deterrent, but I'd like to point out that it is 100% effective in preventing repeat offenses. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 12:39:42 PM | Mine:
Vigorous private property rights, contract enforcement and wide-spectrum insurance are the foundations of a FREE and civilized society.
If they want to risk their money on it, investors/insurers should be able to offer insurance on anything and any contigency imaginable.
"Public property" is at best a myth, and at worst one of the most ill-conceived notions of all time. "The public" can never wholly be satisfied or agree on anything, let alone the proper use of "public property," hence you get lawsuits about crosses or stars of David on "public property," lawsuits which are paid for, in part, by "the public" whether they like it or not. What a joke, what a scam. Anywhere you go, you *should* be walking on private property, some of it open for public use (at the discretion of the owner(s))
Involuntary taxation is theft. What if I'm not interested in the "services" you offer in return? What if I'd like to hire a competitor that will do it better and cheaper (and more respectfully?)
If I steal your wallet but donate most of the money (minus "administrative costs," of course) to a charity or cause that you feel is good and just, am I no longer guilty of theft?
Government is necessary in large group settings - service monopolies that are held in place by violence or the threat of violence (i.e. the State) are neither necessary nor just nor efficient. Hence:
Everything should be privatized and open to competition. Yes, everything.
Democracy enforces the maxim that "might makes right."
Your rights end where my property line begins.
Some people like to say, "if you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain." I believe the exact opposite is true - only those who didn't vote have a right to complain about those who take up positions in the service monopoly via the voting booth. Everyone else asked for it. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 12:50:48 PM | Abolish the IRS and set a fair rate of taxation. The same percentage for everyone based upon income.
Remove the electorial college vote and make the Presidential election decision solely by individual votes.
Limit all campaign funds to $10,000,000.00 regardless.
Stop all foreign aid to countries that are always in turmoil. Just about everyone one of the middle eastern countries.
Equal trade agreements "only" with all foreign countries.
Develop NEW methods of energy. Replace foreign oil dependancy all together.
All imigrants must learn our language before becomming a citizen. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 12:52:03 PM | | All resources necessary to sustain a basic condition of well-being for the entire population should be held as commonwealth. What is left over can be fought over by those so inclined. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 3:22:51 PM | Of course this was all bait because the OP didn't list any of his own, much less anything in his profile, nevertheless I will dive in.
Let's just see how controversial I am... Here is a list of what people thought of as controversial, and my opinion on them (condensed, edited, and cherry-picked):
by FAR the most popular: Sexual criminals, criminals in general, welfare recipients and stupid people should be sterilized. ME: it's tempting to want to 'kill the **stards' but that is not a part of civil justice. Remember your principles of fairness, equality, justice, respect and honor. The way we treat death and our dead reflect on our own values, plus killing people is too final a solution to qualify as justice. None of us are god. I do think that non-violent criminals should not be imprisoned, and property theft/damage criminals should be forced to pay back their offence even through community service. We should put up a laser fence around Alabama and deport all the violent criminals there to roam free. you can even go voluntarily.
Next in line: pro/anti abortion. ME: first, this issue is really taking away from much more important issues these days. I want abortions to be completely legal, safe and NONEXISTENT. There are other ways to eliminate abortions besides making in illegal. And just think, what happened BEFORE abortions were illegal. And any anti-abortionist should adopt a baby.
Ties for 3rd: legalize drugs, treat as health issue. ME: of course! it's not what drugs you are buying but whose. Drug laws are also a handy way to imprison black people. Read "Refer Madness". Ties for 3rd: abolish the IRS and replace with the flat tax. ME: the IRS should be trimmed, and spend more time on corporate tax evaluation than personal, and tax software should be free (the basic version already is). But the Flat Tax is wrong. It was appealing, until you see the math that the wealthy will actually pay less. (see Fair Tax) We need to reinforce our weakened Progressive Tax System, stop corporate welfare (most of welfare is corporate) and bring the debate to a National Sales Tax, which so far in my research is the most fair and desirable to you and me.
There were other fun posts about the REGULATION OF TASTE. you can't do it. it is only a wedge issue to get you to stop looking at the money. This includes censorship, prostitution, drugs, marriage (though marriage should ONLY be in the church, all legal arrangements that you would normally get under a current marriage should be under Civil Unions)
I support universal single payer health insurance (Medicare for all) and universal single payer education K-16 (GI Bill for all). Also non-corporate welfare actually needs to be strengthened since it never started out right but it needs to be the vehicle to lift people out of poverty along with workers rights and a real living wage. Just read FDR while they were crafting the New Deal. School should not be mandatory after, say, 15- and shouldn't be on the factory-model system anyway. People should stop going to fast food joints, and rather learn to grow their own food or at least get it from a local grower.
Most of these were pretty tame or lame.
My most controversial opinion: America is NOT 'all that'
(I won't get any dates for this rant, but I am passionate about it).... I don't hate this country, far from it, but I do question the blind Nationalists who say I should leave or I am a terrorist or some such nonsense when I talk about the US not having the best economy, voting system, health or educational or welfare systems. Step outside your bubble and you will see that a huge portion of our society has (and for a long time) been usurped by the Financiers, the Fascists, and the Militarists. We are an Empire. You and I are the serfs, Corporate America are the princes, Congress is the strongman, Big Media are the Priests. We have power, but not as much as you would believe. I support Localism as opposed to Nationalism. I am an Anti-Federalist. We do not live in a Democracy, we live in a Republic, and it's an oligarchy at that. Our government creates NAFTA to strong-arm Mexico so we can flood it with Cheap Corn, and in turn all those Mexicans loose their jobs flood their cities, their job market plummets and then they and come here. Our government bombs, invades other countries, imposes crazy tariffs and trade laws, establishes military bases and generally pushes people around- but not in MY best interests- and then we wonder why someone would hate us so much that they would blow themselves by hurling themselves in an airplane into a building. Our government so screws up our election process so that no Populist can win or even run for office, only one with lots of corporate cash can. Our government has so screwed our legal system that even our Bill of Rights (the power of the people against their own government) is being chipped away. I say this is our country (you and me) and not Our country (Military-Industrial-Congressional-Corporate-Media complex) and we should take it back. We had a wonderful middle class that truly made this country great, and for the first time in all of human history allowed a large population out of poverty, squalor and subjection- and it is under attack. Do not be blind to the injustice around you. America is not infallible, nor is it responsible for the world. America should be a community, your community, and it should emphasis the ONE thing that separates it from the past.... that common people can run their own lives, that the old power structures are not to keep society stable, but to keep it subjugated.
Thomas Jefferson said that "when the last princes are hung from the entrails of the priest, then we will be free".
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 5:22:34 PM | Our government bombs, invades other countries, imposes crazy tariffs and trade laws, establishes military bases and generally pushes people around- but not in MY best interests- and then we wonder why someone would hate us so much that they would blow themselves by hurling themselves in an airplane into a building.
Wow, I thought I was the only one who believed this. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/26/2008 10:22:06 PM | [Remove the electorial college vote and make the Presidential election decision solely by individual votes.]
I agree! In addition, do away with all political parties, which have become devisive to America. Let the people vote for the BEST man or woman on their own merit, not because of their affiliation with a party or other influence. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 2:33:57 AM | The main problem with the death penalty, as I see it, as well as the risk of someone not actually guilty being executed, is that it is irreversible.
It is an interesting argument to claim that releasing a murderer rather than executing them will both protect society and serve justice. However, this argument implicitly assumes the person is both guilty and will also automatically reoffend, given the chance. This I think is far too much of a black and white picture of homocide, which occurs under many different circumstances. Hard core sociopaths who enjoy killing and would almost certainly reoffence upon release, only make a small percentage of those convicted of homicide or unlawful killing.
I think life imprisonment without any chance of release is a better punishment for someone convicted of the worst degree of murder, following a fair trial. At least if the trial is later found to be unfair in some way, or the convicted person is demonstrated by clear evidence to have been innocent, at least justice can be done and the innocent released. If they have been executed though, this is not possible.
The general assumption in the Western legal tradition is that the burden of proof in both civil and criminal cases lies on the person bringing the charge. The assumption in criminal cases is also that the accused person is not guilty of the crime they are accused of unless they can be proven guilty on the basis of solid evidence. If we remove these principles we will substantially undermine the Western legal system and the rule of law, which ironically would make it easier for those who commit any sort of unlawful killing and other crimes to get away with them unpunished. So the pro-capital punishment argument that killing someone convicted of murder protects society, when the same can be achieved with life imprisonment with no chance of release (or release when the convicted offender is too old to hurt anyone), does not convince me at all. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 3:38:08 AM | * Prosecutors should not be allowed to offer plea deals without the consent of the victim.
* Criminals should be forced to serve the vast majority of their sentence. No more 5 year sentences which mean only about 18 months behind bars.
* Prosecutors and police who knowingly frame innocent people should be sentenced to the length of time for the crime they tried to frame someone else for.
* People sentenced before the advent of DNA testing should be allowed to have any evidence tested for a biological match, even if they have to pay for it.
** For most lawsuits, make it mandatory that the loser automatically pays the legal bills of the winning side. It would stop ambulance chasing lawyers overnight. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 5:14:20 AM | ItmightbeDave, I like your ideas; there is, though, one modification I'd like to offer.
* Prosecutors and police who knowingly frame innocent people should be sentenced to the length of time for the crime they tried to frame someone else for
I think that not only prosecutors and cops, but anybody who knowingly makes a false accusation should be sentenced to the same penalty which would have been applied to the accused had the charge been genuine. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 10:07:38 AM | That one can handle opposites at the same time. Opposites touch: you simply have to handle them at the joint.
Mess.69: the most gorgeous David is by Michelangelo but you could be right about Donatello's ( not controversial to me)
donatello's 'david' is a piece of pedophilic pornography : small, skeletric and with long hairs.
Mess.80: If human beings were more evolved, that would not be controversial at all. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 10:51:33 AM | Greg, Great post on the death penalty!! I have to say that the biggest problem with the death penalty is its irreversability. Violent criminals should be locked up for life with no chance of parole after a trial. If in fact the person is later found innocent he does have a chance to get his freedom back.
I don't believe that murderers or rapists should be released at all once convicted. They typically reoffend and are least likely to rehabilitate.
Drug addicts on the other hand who are arrested for drug offenses that do not involve violence, can be treated medically and released with continued care to keep that person sober or clean.
Another strong opinion I have is that outsourcing should be criminalized and made a felony, classified as treason. Outsourcing to Communist nations such as China should especially be criminalized. Also those who offshore their money to get out of paying taxes should be thrown in the slammer for treason. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 11:38:40 AM | Death penalty. HUMMM
Who are we to condemn somebody to death? Humans are fallible, all of them.
I would make an exception for rare cases, like serious convicted murderers ( without the shadow of a doubt) like Charles Manson, a man who is obviously and irrevocably out of his mind:not even human anymore. Too bad in his case the death penalty is not applicable. However, from a buddhist standpoint, everybody that commits the physical action, is inevitably creating a bad cause, whose effect will come about in this life or the next. Maybe we should find a machine that makes letal injections..... Would then the inventors be guilty out of bad intentions? Ethical dilemma, can't get out of this one. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 12:08:23 PM | | Death penality......anyone proved to have committed a premeditated murder shall be stoned to death by those wishing that criminal's death who are directly involved with the person killed. This type of death sentence for the criminal might take a while and if they survive the stoning because not enough people show up and those that do soon get tired arms and call it quits, automatic life sentence. | |
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| ignoring death penalty issues
Posted: 3/27/2008 12:15:12 PM | HM--I have strong opinions on so many things...short list?
I support a 5-year moratorium on having kids worldwide. That's tough if your genes don't survive.
I believe dogs and cats [and prolly other animals] are psychic, so when you form an image in your head, they can read that image.
I do NOT believe that the best soldiers are the necessarily strongest ones; I think the Rangers/Green Berets/elite special forces military thingies and their ilk are doing themselves and our country a disservice by vastly overemphasizing physical strength and underestimating teamwork, loyalty, and independent thought.
I believe men are being hoisted on their own petard by making a world in which they are more culturally constrained than are women, and they are just now starting to realize it, and are now whining too much about how things aren't what they envisioned.
I believe women have better orgasms than men, and therefore I have penis pity. | |
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| ignoring death penalty issues
Posted: 3/27/2008 4:43:53 PM | I think ALL flags should be burned within the next 30 seconds
I think that elected officials that get busted for corruption should be forced to clean gas station rest rooms.
I think that the cleaning of gas station rest rooms by elected officials should be a reality tv show
I agree with gandi that western civilization would be a good idea
I agree with cassa's penis pity and would go so far as to promote **** envy.
I believe I need another rum and coke. | |
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| ignoring death penalty issues
Posted: 3/27/2008 6:19:49 PM | This one is REALLY unpopular and may get me booed off the stage:
BUT!
I think its time to get back to basic accountability for our own selves.
If someone chooses NOT to educate themselves, count the costs before having unlimited kids, and learn how to budget === It just MAY not be ALL George Bush's fault they are poor!
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| ignoring death penalty issues
Posted: 3/27/2008 7:19:45 PM | | I believe when the US Government hands out funding for public schools, it should be based on the number of students enrolled, and NOT based on the earned income of the student's parents, as is how it's done, now. It's time the government stops giving the most cash to the rich communities so they can build Taj mahal schools while poor students are force to make due with twenty year old textbooks and rundown classrooms. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 7:20:58 PM | I'm pro choice (Although it shouldn't be a type of birth control), pro gay rights (Although gay Parades are annoying, it's not the people, it's the freakin' coffee can noise makers that they shake around....Urg....like nails on a chalk board) I'm anti-government in the free market, that includes health care, health care is a privilege not a right. I am anti illegal aliens, It is a privilege to be an american citizen, not a human right, like me going to france and saying, I have rights to be a french citizen...don't work that way. I usually keep away from saying these things because it pisses off a lot of people.
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/27/2008 9:53:07 PM | I also think that we should take all max security prisoners and draft em to front lines in the war. If they die fighting, we have more room here and stop paying for meals for inmates that'll likely never be released; if they're as hard as they should be they should be able to create a good amount of damage against the enemy, and arrangements could be made when the war's over to revisit their case files. If they defect, they won't be defecting here - let the country we're at war in deal with em.
Um, except that the "front lines" in today's "wars" aren't empty fields of soldier-vs-soldier duking it out. The front lines are cities or villages filled with civilians - men, women and CHILDREN. War crimes happen today because professional soldiers who WEREN'T criminals to start with go temporarily (or, sadly, sometimes permanently) nuts in combat. Putting max security violent criminals on the "front lines" would be a crime against humanity.
My most controversial opinions?
1) PMS is the biggest, oldest fraud in recorded history. It's the lamest excuse for bad behaviour in existance. Cramps? Bloating? Big deal. Hormonal emotions? Big deal. The biggest hypocrisy is when SOME women attempt to excuse outrageous behaviour in their gender because of "hormones" while simultaneously dismissing the hormonal drives/behaviours of men, even when those behaviours are downright charming in comparision. A horny man is a neandathal while a vicious, irrational woman is NATURAL? Please!
2) If scientists discovered a magic bullet tomorrow to cure/eliminate every STD, the heads of millions of anti-sex-just-for-pleasure people would figuratively explode as they scramble to find another "logical" argument against people having sex just for pleasure. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/28/2008 1:54:39 PM |
I'm pro choice (Although it shouldn't be a type of birth control)
I think I see what you mean, but I have to point out a contradiction: using it as birth control (otherwise known as "abortion on demand") is precisely what the so-called "pro-choice" movement wants. One could be pro-abortion with this restriction, though.
That the use of "pro-choice" as a euphemism for "pro-abortion" is deceptive propaganda has been so unquestionably established that I don't need to repeat the arguments here. I will, however, say that you've hit on the crux of my position; I would certainly soften (and perhaps even withdraw) my opposition to abortion if so many women (let's be honest, it's the vast majority of abortions) were not using it as an alternative to birth control. | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/28/2008 2:09:02 PM | I think the opinion that health care is a privilege, not a right is a very despicable one. I find it appalling that many of these same "pro lifers" who are against abortion also support denying kids health care--namely Bushboy vetoing the SCHIP bill. Health care is a basic HUMAN RIGHT. Greed based private insurance companies should be scrapped forever and replaced with a single payer health care system. Enough of medical bankruptcies already!!! | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/28/2008 2:39:41 PM | - I think those truly in power should be made to "earn" their living like the rest of the world they've enslaved (this includes all politicians, because they are just as responsible. They know what's going on and they allow it). Literally, they should be made to live well below the poverty line, live in scummy shelters, eat Spam, KD, and Mr. Noodles like the poor have to. But first, I want them to stand before the world and list everything they've allowed to happen. Go tell the people of Africa that the only reason they're still living in poverty is because those in power want it kept that way (something we all must know deep down inside. With all of the donations, etc. that have supposedly gone to helping those people, don't you think it would have been done ages ago?)
- I think all governments and "laws" should be abolished, and we should live by one rule only: Do what you want as long as you are not harming others. This is not such a "Utopian" idea as it might seem. This means that nothing is illegal except harming others. Common sense.
- All borders should be erased, and countries should be eliminated (technically speaking, we do not even have countries. They're actually Corporations. Delve into that truth and you'll be shocked at all of the atrocities that have been going on under our noses.)
- All organized religions should be abolished, but first come forth to the masses and explain why they ACTUALLY exist and apologize for lying, stealing, and causing so much pain and suffering in the world. I'd also like them to tell the TRUTH of how they came to be. I'd say "give all the money back", but since I want all monetary systems abolished, I guess that would be pointless... | |
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| What are some of your most controversial opinions?
Posted: 3/28/2008 7:35:54 PM | "Equality for all".
That is the most controversial statement I have ever made. Been called every name in the book, from racist to chavinist, to homophobe for it.
It all depends on where you make the remark I guess. On PC and special interest sites and threads, this cry for some stability in social thought and science is booed and downplayed as much as possible.
It makes sense though. Everyone treated the same, makes all peoples interested in the social fabric of a country/nation/world. It offers some stability. Some "benchmark" as to where we stand as an intelligent species.
A great many people have disagreed with my stance...but when the light shines onto their shadows...they soon flee. | |
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