PharmerJ

PharmerJ

35p

16 comments posted · 24 followers · following 0

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - American Royalty · 0 replies · -3 points

You are aiming in the wrong direction. The new royalty in the United States is represented by whomever is in the White House. As the country becomes more well off through economic growth and less educated with the public school monopoly, there is less focus on actual results and more focus on promises. Think about it. You honestly think Thomas Jefferson or William Howard Taft could be elected president in this and age? No. The people have let Congress cede most of its power to the executive branch, leading to a massive expansion of the federal bureaucracy. The Supreme Court truly is the last hope of actually following the Constitution and its enumerated powers. WIthout a return to the original intent of the general welfare and commerce clauses, the only limit to executive power is that of the most recent trends at Harvard graduate schools. I don't think people realize that the individual mandate constitutionality case that will end at the Supreme Court soon is an extremely significant case, perhaps the most important since Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka

Sarah Palin has no real power. Those that abuse their power should be monitored. Until they are, our country will continue to obsess over dictatorial presidents such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - We are a Bunch of Jack... · 1 reply · -31 points

I would hope atheists are as skeptical of the state as they are religion, but I find this often not to be the case. It is the one thing I find puzzling, as they replace fake angels with men and women they consider angels, all to run a state that should be minimized to protect its citizens. The problem with using the state as an instrument to "ensure equality" is the adherence to scientism, which is incredibly dangerous when placed in the hands of the state. Skepticism is awesome.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - We are a Bunch of Jack... · 0 replies · -35 points

I just ignored him whenever he/she posted, since it always consisted of ad hominem attacks. I assumed either English wasn't his/her first language or there was something going on mentally. Either way, an acknowledgement would only make it worse.

I also think this might be why my "Reputation Score" is so low.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Understanding Republic... · 1 reply · -1 points

I used to vote more with Democrats, but after receiving multiple tongue thrashings from them, I realized it is useless to vote based upon my atheism/agnosticism. Both parties politically must still embrace Christianity in order to get elected in nearly every area of the country.

I vote Republican most of the time now, especially for national and state offices, because economic policy drives nearly everything. I see Republicans adjusting to the social issues as a matter of reality, such as gay marriage, immigration, and drug legalization. But if they are clearly theocratic and upfront about it, such as the case with Mike Huckabee, I will absolutely vote against such a candidate. It is a matter of measuring consequences. George W. Bush was an evangelical, but the major problem with him was his desire to expand the powers of government, more importantly the executive. And while it may seem hard to believe today, Republicans historically have been anti-interventionist. I despise war, so I voted for Obama. He has expanded military action and increased the power of the executive dramatically, so he will not receive my vote again.

While it may seem bleak now, I think Republicans have better long term prospects if they stick with fiscal conservatism and individual rights. The "stay out of my wallet and stay out of my bedroom" philosophy seems to attract some of my gay friends. In all honesty, Christians should be voting Democrat if they follow most of what is in the Bible, although there are some conflicting messages. Christianity promotes "shared sacrifice" and collectivism, which is much in line with regressive and statist Democrats rather than American conservatism.

Most of my atheist friends are incredibly intelligent, but are experts outside the fields of business and economics, so they typically want to vote altruistically and to help the poor. I find this a common sentiment since this group has relatively high income and their self-interest is served better by feeling as if their vote helps the poor rather than having to evaluate the outcome of such a decision. Of course some have come around after I show them more data, but many just don't consider the time useful to evaluate such a decision in order to cast a vote.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Mike Huckabee is a Dan... · 1 reply · -3 points

Huckabee is not a "less government" Republican. He exploded the budget in Arkansas, encourages greater national control over education, and called the small government "Club for Growth" a bunch of greedy people. He is a statist theocrat.

The Tea Party is not ultra conservative. It has focused on fiscal policy, not social, and it encourages a return to small government with a policy focus on the Constitution.

I'm finished commenting on this blog. I thought I might get a little more intellectual debate on an atheist blog such as this, but I must have just picked the wrong one. Oh well.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Hitler\'s Christianity... · 4 replies · -4 points

You would have to go a long way to connecting Republicans to this guy. Republicans, at least in theory, believe in a free market. Hitler believed in a state directed economy. His party, The National Socialist German Workers Party, is more reminiscent of the Democratic Party today due to the lack of respect for private property rights under the guise of promoting "fairness." Of course this isn't unique to Nazism. It's just the old adage of attempting to sway the masses by claiming to "protect" them. Hitler was able to amass a lot of power through this political process and then after he had the state amass that power, he exploited it ruthlessly.

Thus another reason to always be a proponent of reducing the size of the government, even when you think, even when you know in your little heart that government can be used as an instrument for good.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Mike Huckabee is a Dan... · 0 replies · -3 points

As a libertarian Republican, there is no doubt in my mind that Mike Huckabee is absolutely the worst possible candidate for the party. He is more theocratic than Palin, more ignorant than Bachmann, and more of a reckless spender than George W. Bush. He may win the primary in Iowa, but that is it. He will be crushed in New Hampshire and Nevada.

From my perspective, the most viable candidates are Mitch Daniels and Jon Huntsman, but they both may not decide to run. Obama will have to try in order to lose the 2012 election. The only way he can lose is if unemployment stays above 8.5%, Libya turns into a mess, and the health care law individual mandate gets struck down in 2012. And even if those things happen, he STILL has a good shot at winning because he's excellent at promising more things to more people and growing the size of government to fulfill those promises.

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Moving Science to the ... · 0 replies · -4 points

I do not believe global warming is being debated. The Earth has gone through periods of intense warming in the past. The debate is whether or not anthropogenic global warming is a formidable scientific hypothesis. There still remains a dearth of quality data with regard to this theory, and considering the international and coordinated response necessary among developing countries, this is likely a waste at this point. Imposition of strict air quality standards, as seen in Europe, has had negligible impact. I would not use climatology as your example.

Subsidizing different forms of energy should not occur, whether it be coal, oil, wind, or solar. This stifles science and innovation and prevents the market from accurately picking the most efficient form. This is why government intervention has wasted time and resources on ethanol. There should be no reason to subsidize the rich at the tune of $7000 for them to feel good about themselves for buying a Chevy Volt. Absolutely ridiculous.

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Idiot of the Week: Jim... · 0 replies · -1 points

Please stop lumping Jim DeMint in with all supporters of the Tea Party. The derisive attitude toward Tea Party supporterts is also a little misdirected since not all are fundamentalist Christians. I believe there should be support for the increased reading of the Constitution, and as an atheist, I would hope you agree. Politicians like Jim DeMint and Mike Huckabee would prefer theocracy and the Bible instead of a republic and the Constitution. Most Tea Partiers just want the government to be limited and for the government to leave them alone. If education wasn't administered horribly by the government, perhaps you wouldn't have to worry so much about religion in public schools or decreasing ability of our workforce to be competitive.

Jim DeMint rightly deserves to be the idiot every week, but promoting a dependence upon government is just as idiotic, and atheists should be incredibly wary of a country that seeks to be everything to everyone.

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Interfaith Groups are ... · 0 replies · -3 points

Democrats exploit religion to justify intrusion into individual freedom on the basis of "charity." They seek to create voting constituencies mostly through dependence upon government subsidies for individuals. Thus the students/elderly, public union workers, and black Americans.

Republicans exploit religion to justify intrusion into individual freedom on the justification of "objective truth." They seek to create voting constituencies through dependence upon religion and corporatism. Thus Christians, Muslims (pre-Bush), and political entrepreneurs.

As the government grows, so too does the power of the majority over the minority. Atheists are most certainly in the minority and more importantly, the most hated minority. Politicians must garner votes and thus will seek the support of majority organizations with financial power.