The meaning of "conservatism" did not change on 9/11. Most "9/11 conservatives" are just liberals who bucked the party trend on one single item.

Regarding 2008:

Hoping for broad federal paralysis. Won't vote for McCain, but I would prefer if he won (solely under the assumption that he is too old to run for a second term).

Are things really that bad?? Yes:

“I think it's a very exciting year for our politics, that for the first time in a while we have a choice of who we like better instead of who we hate least.”
- Natalie Portman, leftist with refusal-to-shut-up-and-look-pretty disorder, on the 2008 elections.


Regarding Iraq The leftists claim to want withdrawal foremost, but it is a lie. More than anything, they want defeat for America. A declaration that the surge has worked would politically expedite withdrawal, and they should endorse it if their goal really is withdrawal. But they do not, and their goal is not. Nothing scares the anti-war anti-American movement more than the concept of victory - at their core, most in the "anti-war" movement would prefer to keep the troops in Iraq longer, under conditions ensuring defeat, rather than bring them home sooner under the banner of victory. That, in a nutshell, is also the difference between those on the left who are against the war in Iraq, and those on the right (many paleoconservatives) who are against the war in Iraq (myself included).

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The greatest threat facing the world today is indeed totalitarianism, in all its manifestations. In particular, we should be concerned about the coupling of redistributionist anti-free market economics with envirofascism. The term global economy will take on new meaning, as the reduction of income disparity will be given new impetus with the notion that the developed West is taking advantage of the poor in the world by polluting:

"...the more resources we use, the more pollutants we produce - the people who take advantage of most of the worlds' resources (a benefit for them only) cause the most pollution (a harm shared by the rest of the world)...this is taxation without representation."

Those delightful 'progressives' will then push for taxation on all forms of non-poverty, in the hopes that one day we will all be equally starving, miserable, diseased, impoverished, uneducated, primitive, and 'green' - utopia at last!

Environmentalism:
I consider myself a rational environmentalist; I endorse strong voluntary stewardship and conservation by individuals, private property owners, and LOCAL governments (not state or federal), including agreements between local governments where dictated by length-scale (ie watersheds, rivers, oceans, lakes). I vote my wallet and live my life accordingly, but actively resist even well-intentioned government policies at odds with liberty and capitalism (yeah, I'm one of those 'local government' proponents: don't like your city's laws and can't change them? Vote with your feet!).

As a scientist (a physicist, if you must know), I am an open advocate of nuclear power expansion and alternative energy research - coal is filthy and its effluent harms human reproductive function, oil enriches world tyrants and those who fund terrorism, and the US energy supply as a whole is far too dependent on foreign nations. It is my belief that the savior of America's energy policy will be American free-market research: feverish efforts are being put forth to bring to fruition cheaper, higher efficiency solar cells, safe, long-term storage technology for nuclear waste, more efficient reactor designs, and more robust battery technology (including hydrogen storage and generation). The government should eliminate all taxation and regulation of alternative energy research, and extend these exemptions to related manufacturing.

Global warming? I support climate research to allow individuals to make more informed lifestyle decisions and practice proper stewardship; our current understanding of earth's climate points in the direction that anthropological activity is having a small but measurable impact upon temperature and other climate factors, but nothing near what is touted by the press and various advocacy groups. I recommend reading the IPCC TECHNICAL summary (not endorsed by the IPCC!) for less biased, largely apolitical scientific information on the current state of affairs - the summary for policymakers, on the other hand, is complete garbage, having been edited by non-scientists to push a socialist agenda. As for Kyoto and other world-government forms of totalitarianism, I condemn them in the strongest possible terms as blatant assaults on sovereignty, intellectually dishonest appeals to ignorance, fear mongering, and insipid neoludditism - all with the usual aim of leftists to foist upon us one form or another of global Marxism.

What is wrong with the modern eco-movement? Modern environmentalism is nothing but a heathen religion espoused by irrational environmentalists (many of them otherwise very intelligent):

- there is tithing (donations to Greenpeace, Earth First, etc)
- there is the notion of sin (polluting)
- there are indulgences (carbon offset credits)
- there are oracles/prophets (GW researchers) and high-priests (Al Gore, celebrities)
- they rely on indoctrination at a young age
- it is considered blasphemy to go against their "wisdom"
- all evidence is to be interpreted only in light of their unquestionable "truths"
- they are moral busybodies that want to push their views on everyone else
- people who do not strictly follow their guidelines are considered immoral
- people who publicly support opposing views are said to be possessed by evil entities (corporations)
- violence is advocated by many adherents (ELF, ALF, Earth First, etc) to promulgate their "truths"
- they say we are DOOMED FOR ETERNITY unless we listen to them
- if we go against the will of their god (Gaea), their god will punish us (hurricanes, floods, disease, searing heat)

Expel the priest and you don't inaugurate the age of reason, you get the witch doctor --Paul Johnson

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And of course, there are the usual Marxist Hedonists out to destroy Western civilization itself (WARNING: Some images at link are not safe for work/not child friendly).

. A reminder regarding what Free Republic is about.

From http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1630347/posts:

"...the Beast is still with us. It simply changes form. Whether it appears in the form of Bolshevism, Nazism, fascism, communism, Islamofascism, etc, it is the same enemy: Totalitarianism. The all powerful state...The Beast cannot co-exist with free people nor we with it...Tyranny, totalitarianism is the game."

-- Jim Robinson. May 11, 2006.

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Issues of importance to me:

1. Property rights. Eminent domain only to be used for national defense measures, each instance requiring unanimous approval of the Supreme Court, both houses of Congress, the applicable State House and Senate, city mayor, and the signature of the President.
2. Free markets. Government almost 100% out of the economy; only control the exportation of defense technologies. Almost complete deregulation (only protections to our individual negative rights should be afforded). Deregulate trade (no NAFTA, CAFTA, etc). No more government cronyism.
3. RKBA. No registration, no waiting periods, no licensing. And more than just small arms!
4a. Cut spending - entitlements, education, health, NEdA, NEArts, etc etc etc. Slowly reduce the national (public) debt from today's 65% of the GDP to no more than 10% of the GDP, and complete elimination of the external national debt.
4b. Cut taxes. Repeal the 16th, eliminate the IRS, eliminate all direct "extra" taxes on businesses and corporations, eliminate and make illegal all federal income taxation; replace with low consumption tax (not above 10%), all of which goes towards funding only the federal functions explicitly enumerated in the Constitution (borders, defense, courts, executive, legislature).
5. Freedom of speech. But not protection from non-violent consequences of (at the behest of other individuals).
6. Strong defense. Defense, including DoD R&D, should constitute 90% of the federal budget.
7. Protect the unborn, overturn Roe v. Wade. Move beyond Roe using incrementalism.
8. De-fund, leave, and evict the United Nations. Pull out of all non-bilateral international agreements (including multinational trade agreements). Dismantle NATO. US foreign policy should, in many respects, be UNILATERAL in execution. The third world, socialist Europe, and the camel rapists should have no say. Our allies, though important, come second to America - and that includes Canada, Israel, UK, Australia, etc.
9. End many forms of democratic compulsory collectivism. Criminalize involuntary unionization - if you sign, you join; but nobody can force you to join because of a majority vote. Undo the damage to freedom of association. All membership should be voluntary.
10. School vouchers. End the public school monopoly on education, end the leftist indoctrination of children at taxpayer expense. The market will decide which schools offer the "best" education, and non-idiots will choose accordingly (idiots always lose, regardless of social engineering).
11. End the war on drugs. Retain criminalization of drug usage (for the time being), but dismantle the liberty destroying policing infrastructure that collectively punishes the innocent - LEOs would have leeway to fine/etc nuisance users. Decriminalize once the nanny-state has been dismantled (so we don't have to subsidize poor choices) and RKBA and property rights are secure (so they don't take us down with them) - but not a moment before.
12. Stop legislating immorality. It is now illegal to exercise moral choice, as many forms of degeneracy are "protected". Government out of marriage. No civil unions. Contract law is sufficient for civil matters, and churches (YMMV) are the arbiters of holy matrimony. Keep the government out of our pants, out of our bedrooms.
13. Secure Militarize the southern border. Double fence, land-mines, armed guards. Deport illegals. Change birthright citizenship protocol so a child must have one parent who is legally in the country.
14. Repeal the 17th.
15. Energy independence. Drill ANWR, open up more coastal areas for oil extraction. Under the auspices of the DoD, research into energy generation (solar, fusion, more efficient fission), energy storage (hydrogen fuel cells, other batteries), energy transmission (high-efficiency energy transmission, for example provided by high-temperature non-ceramic superconducting materials, would permit the construction of nuclear power plants in lower-cost areas, far from NIMBYism, also making the plants easier to secure), radioactive waste disposal, etc.
16. Nuke Mecca, Havana, Caracas, P'yŏngyang, and Tehran. Just kidding.
16. Mandate that all domestic government services be provided ONLY in English. Written and oral language tests for immigration. Written immigration cultural/Constitutional tests to gauge understanding of what America stands for. No multiple choice, no true/false.
17. End the nanny-state. No seatbelt laws, no cholesterol/trans-fat laws. No government smoking regulations or taxes. No booze licensing or taxes. No mandating of warning labels (and no mandates preventing them either!), no arbitrary police roadblocks. Dismantle the FCC. Dismantle involuntary consumer "protection" schemes.
18. More extensive capital punishment. Yes, there should be a much higher initial judicial standard applied to the practice (cases should rest on the absolute strongest of evidence), but there should not be unlimited appeals. Fair and speedy trial. Gotta get the speedy part down!
19. Militarize space. That is a legitimate and necessary government function. The US is either going to claim dominance or not. Do it before space becomes the domain of the UN.
20. No more foreign aid. Period. Allied nations can have preferential access to (purchase) higher-end military hardware, and/or can engage in BILATERAL mutual defense pacts.

The Patriot Act

The Patriot Act is overly broad in some respects, and doesn't go far enough in others. Specifically, I think that the federal government has legitimate constitutional standing to participate in those powers outlined in the following parts of the Patriot Act:
- most of Title II
- all of Title IV
- most of Title V
- some of Title VIII
- most of Title IX

Indeed, Titles II, IV, and IX should be more comprehensive, and set to sunset in 2012, subject to additional 2-year extensions by Congress. All portions of the Patriot Act not listed above are not Constitutional, and these powers should be eliminated immediately. Less comprehensive domestic measures are already available to meet security needs, and the offending sections of the Patriot Act (I, III, VI, VII, etc) do not offer sufficient additional security to warrant putting the critical Titles of the Patriot Act at political risk.

Ah yes, the Nolan Chart. Whoever made this has confused liberty with license, libertarians with libertines. Apparently thinking that a 6 month old fetus is a full human being, and that sticking scissors into her head, sucking her brains out, and then crushing her skull, pulling her remains out of the womb, and incinerating her corpse is wrong makes me less libertarian and more authoritarian.

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for 'our own good' will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

-- C. S. Lewis

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On the UN: There is a definite need for a world body, an entity through which multilateral activities can be undertaken in a transparent atmosphere; this could include functioning as a forum between nations. Voluntary nonbinding arbitration, for example, would be among its services. This body would ideally function like a corporation; it would compete with other such entities in a free market, would render services for fees, and would be subject to the laws of each country involved in each individual contract undertaken. Such entities would thus institute no laws, enforce no regulations, nor act, in of themselves, to impose sanctions. Their services offered would depend on the demands of paying customers, and the corporations could adopt any price structure they so desire.

The UN, obviously, is not such a body. The UN is an abomination that is diametrically opposed to liberty, democracy, transparency, efficiency, and sovereignty. It should be dismantled.

current freedom status: low

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. Bin Laden's 11/2001 Letter to America

Thanks OBL. You spelled out everything I hate about you and other incarnations of the Taliban. Piss and feces be upon you.

Merry CHRISTMAS and pass the bacon bits.

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We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and supporters with extreme vengeance, set elections, leave with extreme vengeance, and move on to the next bastards who demand an a$$-kicking (No Mullah Left Behind). Nation building not included. See inside for details, some restrictions apply. Common side effects include rioting pacifists, poorly written and badly argued editorials in the New York Times, outrage from "the international community", and hearts entirely bleeding out.

LIMITED TIME OFFER! Buy one ass-kicking, get 50% off your next one. That's right - your second ass-kicking will only require half of what the first one took.
United States Military...the One...the Proud

Are you stateless or a state-parasite? Are you trying your damnedest to stir up trouble in a big way, despite only having marginal abilities to project power? Are you hoping to incur an asymmetric cost upon America's agents of reprisal? Have you harmed America, her interests, or her allies and are now not sure what you can do? CALL 1-800-ass-kick. We will write, on your behalf, 100% free Letters of Marquee! You may even qualify for high-precision delivery right to your doorstep (or alternative domicile entrance) direct from the government (air mail only)! Our customer service representatives will help you rest easy with a minimum of hassle. All it takes is one call.

Econazi Green Party politician Kevin Potvin: the face of the 'progressive' movement.

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NEVER FORGET

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Lifted from Patrick Henry's FR homepage:

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WHY DO WE HAVE SCIENCE AND EVOLUTION THREADS?
[From PH]

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The science-literate conservatives on this website strongly believe that the science threads complement the purpose of FreeRepublic. By posting science-oriented threads, and current news stories about the controversy over teaching creationism in government schools, we've attracted a group of hundreds of highly-educated conservatives, many of them scientists, university professors, engineers, etc., who join in such discussions. Why is that beneficial to this website?

One of the great un-exploded myths of the 20th century is that the left is the natural home of intellectuals. The democrats -- notwithstanding their socialism, the Kyoto treaty, and countless other idiocies -- love to pose as intellectually superior. It's standard policy for them to claim that Republicans are morons, dunces, rednecks, etc. The "Republicans are anti-science" issue is one that the liberal media are eager to exploit. The presence of science threads on this website -- a very popular and highly visible website -- is beneficial in breaking down this absurd stereotype. We demonstrate that many conservatives are educated, literate, and deeply committed to the advance of science -- a rational enterprise which is a core value of Western Civilization.

Science appeals to the conservative mind for the same reasons that free enterprise does. It's reality-based, it focuses on what works, it rejects failed concepts (and sees no need to subsidize failure in any form), and it produces results. Both science and free enterprise flourish where there is a minimum of governmental interference. Science is one of the precious few examples of rationality in human experience. Another is the American Revolution.

There's nothing socialistic, communistic, fascistic, or atheistic about science.

American conservatism, which seeks to preserve and build on the wisdom of the Founders, is inherently rational at its intellectual base. No one can read the writings of Jefferson, Franklin, and the other Founders without immediately coming to that conclusion. This is also true of the Framers of the US Constitution. The conservative movement in America is and always has been rational. Any assault on rationality is not only anti-conservative, it is also anti-American.

Rationality is the foundation of America and the essence of Western Civilization -- as vital as life and liberty . We want to keep it that way. That's what the science threads are all about.

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Creation is what God did. Evolution is the best description we have, derived using the gifts God endowed us with, for how he did it. The bible tells us why

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"It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation."

"With the scriptures it is a matter of treating about the faith. For that reason, as I have noted repeatedly, if anyone, not understanding the mode of divine eloquence, should find something about these matters [about the physical universe] in our books, or hear of the same from those books, of such a kind that it seems to be at variance with the perceptions of his own rational faculties, let him believe that these other things are in no way necessary to the admonitions or accounts or predictions of the scriptures. In short, it must be said that our authors knew the truth about the nature of the skies, but it was not the intention of the Spirit of God, who spoke through them, to teach men anything that would not be of use to them for their salvation."

--Saint Augustine of Hippo, "The Literal Interpretation of Genesis" 5th century AD

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About me

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Free Marketeer, also known as a fiscal conservative. You believe in free-market capitalism, tax cuts, and protecting your hard-earned cash from pick-pocketing liberal socialists.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Married, gun toting, meat eating, tax hating, nanny state despising, free-market pushing, capitalism loving, pro-America, tree-hugger-hating, Greenpeace hating, politically-correct-hating, ALF hating, commie hating, socialist hating, racist-hating, race-baiter-hating, antisemite-hating, pro-home-schooling and/or private schooling, pro-science, pro-reality, physicist and applied mathematics-geek (condensed matter physics/nanotech).

I am comfortable placing myself in the pro-life abortion-opposed camp (screw the term "pro-life" - I'm all for nuking the terrorists, hanging the rapists and murderers, letting drug-riddled vermin die in the gutters, permitting non-seatbelt wearers to volunteer for early organ donation, dismantling the FDA, eating cute animals, eating ugly animals, hunting, fishing, building bigger bombs, designing more brutal weapons, shooting to kill in self-defense, and the state-sanctioned assassination of any and all foreign enemies. Killing is something you gotta earn.) - termination of an unborn life should at least be held to the same standard applied for the cessation of life support. Abortion, when the LIFE of the mother is not at risk, beyond the point at which even the faintest brain activity can be detected (typically 12-14 weeks) should be criminalized; it is, and should be treated the same as, murder. I consider this the point beyond which no rational individual can support abortion - whether atheistic, theistic, or agnostic.

I have no use for booze, cigarettes, illicit drugs, or gambling, but I do not support government interference in these personal vices. I don't care what consenting adults do in the bedroom. So long as the negative rights of another citizen are not infringed, these vices and activities should not be restricted by the government (but should never be promoted by the government either). Without the nanny state, the genetic and (passed-down) cultural weaknesses associated with these behaviors would be reduced. I am no friend of druggies and drunks - I advocate policies in which they can more freely eliminate themselves from the gene pool (while permitting citizens with largely expanded rights to self defense - so the scum cannot drag us down with them).

I guess a summary would be that I am a conservative small 'l' libertarian (political compass = 8.62 economic left/right and 0.15 Authoritarian/Libertarian; also known as a CAPITALIST), though I support a more...muscular...foreign policy than that held by the majority of "L"ibertarians. (I agree with taking extremely strong action for reprisal, not charity or other idealist trash). Yes, I am a non-interventionist who thinks the neocons are naive utopian frauds spawned from Wilsonian dreamers.

What is needed to safely embrace a foreign policy of non-intervention (the only Constitutional foreign policy possible for America - that damned piece of paper!)? It will be completely tenable once the missile shield is up, import inspectors take inspections seriously, the border is secured, and America no longer relies on the camel rapists for oil (Constitutional all). Too many isolationists have pacifist sympathies that make me question their willingness to unleash hellfire upon those who harm America. An internationalist, John McCain, claims he would follow our enemies to the gates of hell. I wouldn't stop at the gates. The nuclear arsenal, and all forms of torture need to be put back on the table, especially if a foreign policy of non-interventionism is established. I call it the one-strike rule - you hurt us once, we will make sure you will never be able to again. But otherwise, have a great day!

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(04/17/2007) Now a proud member of the National Rifle Association.

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Everyone who reads to the bottom gets a prize! As far as I am concerned, the greatest work of art is the female form, in all its variations of size, color, and shape.

Now edited to include something for the ladies