Political leanings and political ramblings

The upcoming presidential election has gotten me thinking about where I am in the political spectrum. I used to identify with the Democrats because my parents lean that way, but I'm not sure either major party truly represents my views. I think I'm the closest to libertarianism, but I still believe in government to provide national defense, a system of roads, etc. I also believe in decriminalizing "victimless" crimes like recreational drugs, gambling and prostitution. I don't know if I would go as far as allowing untested drugs on the marketplace or untested medical procedures, but I think people have the right and responsibility to make their own choices. Who am I to legislate how someone spends his free time? As long as someone's actions do not interfere with my rights to life and liberty then I don't really care what they do. Sure seatbelts and motorcycle helmets save lives, but they shouldn't be mandatory. If you want to ride your crotch-rocket on the freeway without a helmet, then be my guest. I guess it's a bit self-selecting anyhow because many of those who take those risks will end up road pizza.

It would be also nice to get the police solving real cases rather than busting people for pot. Rapists go free while some dude is serving 10-20 years for something that really isn't wrong. It's currently criminal, but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong.

These days it feels like the government exists to perpetuate itself rather than to protect and improve the lives of its citizens. I can honestly say that the US is going downhill and it seems like the process is only speeding up. We live in the most technologically advanced age ever and people are still homeless and hungry.

If I had to choose between McCain and Obama, I'd pick Obama, but he has no major accomplishments. He represents major change, but change for the sake of change is not really what this country needs. We need a return to honesty and integrity. Bush is pretty much a lying sack of shit, but we were stupid enough to vote for him twice so shame on us (though he probably "stole" the first election). I would be ecstatic to vote for a politician who actually told the truth about his political views and plans and who didn't try to satisfy everyone. It's not going to happen. If you ask you the best way to solve the mortgage crisis don't ask me what I think. If I ask how can the US regain the technological lead, put some thought into your response. I don't want Election '08 sponsored by MTv. Give the rest of us some credit. Americans are dumb, but not that dumb. Raise the level of discourse. I don't want to see ads with Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and other vacuous media whores.

I'd really like to see the discussion centered around a few key topics:

• Iraq: As in when are we going to get the fuck out? Have we messed up that country enough? It certainly hasn't helped with oil prices and Saddam is long dead so I'm not sure what's left to do.
• The environment and renewable energy: How quickly can we convert our fossil fuel plants to solar, geothermal, wind and wave? When can we blow up dams to let the rivers run wild? So what if they flood? Don't build your house ten feet from the river bank then.
• US' dependence on driving and flying: Where is my high speed rail? Why are we far behind Europe? Sure Europe is more dense, but I'm not necessarily asking for a rail link between East and West Bumfuck, but it would be great to have something that ran from San Diego to Seattle or Vancouver, BC and it would be great to have something run from Boston to DC. Why don't we take some of that money we're pissing away in Iraq and build up our infrastructure? Two massive projects like that would certainly generate a lot of construction jobs.
• Healthcare: How soon can we get the insurance companies out of the equation? I want doctors making medical decisions, not insurance adjusters. I don't want to wait for three hours just to get my vitals taken. Why are prescription drugs more than double in the US than Canada? If we were a less litigious society, we could reduce the number of bullshit malpractice suits and reduce the overall cost. Sure doctors mess up from time to time and you should compensated if it was due to negligence, but if the procedure is experimental or risky then there is a chance it can go wrong. Don't dilute the legitimate cases with stupid shit.