I decided to write a new profile, not because my views of changed, but because the things I see around me have changed. I used to say I was conservative with many libertarian tendencies, but now I think I might be more likely to be a libertarian with many conservative tendencies. I used to try and explain away my beliefs on some issues, but now I think I need to say exactly what I believe: the government has too much power, and it is getting more power all the time. I had hoped President Bush would balance the budget and keep spending low, but "compassionate" seems a lot like "pandering". My vote for him is by no means assured in 2004. I don't believe the government should have the power to end lives. I don't believe the government should burden the economy with useless regulations. I don't believe the government should tell me or anyone else which commandments to follow or to which God I am to pray. I believe the government should keep its hands out of morality. What good is morality if people only do it because immorality means a ticket to jail? I live under the laws of the United States of America and the State of Ohio. As for God's law, I will be judged when I die. It is my own responsibility to hold myself to a higher standard than the government.

I'm not here to preach or to win friends. I'm here to argue, and I'm here to win. I want to defeat big government, no matter which sphere of life in which it rears its ugly head. If the government wants to take something from me, it better have a really good reason to do so. If you can't deal with people disagreeing with you, don't post on a bulletin board, stupid. Just because I disagree with you does not make me a Commie or a DU'er or a God-hater. I'll often post on the topics on which I am farthest from "typical conservative thought,", but that is because I don't like self-congratulatory echo chambers. I don't like stupid nicknames (Hitlery, Klintoon, etc.), because I think they are STUPID and turn what ought to be rational debates into name-calling contests. I think calling the Democrats "commies" or "socialists" or "terrorists" turns us all into name-calling morons. It's no different than when conservatives are labeled "racists": the point is to enrage people or make people emotionally engaged rather than rationally. There are occasions on which anger is useful, but not most. I'd prefer to keep debates in non-emotional terms.

I believe Ann Coulter, Michael Moore, Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly, and most political pundits in general are self-promoting idiots who care about no philosophy beyond making money, which is ok in theory but misleads so many people. And if they do care about real issues, they're idiots who just like preaching to a friendly audience using emotionally-charged language.

I believe in Capitalism, the rule of law, and the US Constitution. I'm a big fan of PJ O'Rourke and Dave Barry. I am also a practicing and devout Catholic. I love my hometown of Cincinnati, my homestate of Ohio, my high school, St. Xavier, and my college, The Ohio State University.

Limit government, not freedom. Go Bucks!