The World According to Pooh: Pooh's Views (Politics)

Disclaimer: these views are a work in progress, and are subject to editing and/or review at any time

One thing I wish more blogs had was a succint way of learning just where the author(s) are coming from. More than a few times, I've gotten a link, read the post and thought: "Hey, this guy/girl is alright," and then I realise, that like a stopped clock being right twice each day, I've stumbled upon there infrequent lunatic ravings which actually make sense. So, in that vein, I feel it appropriate to stake out my thoughts on various matters.

Party - vote Dem., but think they can all go to hell. Alternatively, lets get term limits so that elected officials have less incentive to Porkify everything.

War in Iraq - Saddam was a bad dude. Don't cry for him Argentina. Or France. However, the fact that we didn't have much beyond "Shock and Awe" is sad, since neocons are supposed to know their shit. Since they got their war, the least they could do is pull it off.

As to the "Bush Lied" bit, no, he didn't. At most he misstated, and was slightly disengenous in conflating Saddam with OBL. However, he was wrong, there weren't any WMD's. Which isn't terrible, because pretty much everyone thought there were. And, post 9/11, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. All he really had to say is "oops, but better safe than sorry, and Saddam had to go anyway." Instead we get smears, outing of CIA agents and Bill O'Reilly threatening to blow up San Francisco.

Abortion - Strongly pro-choice, but that doesn't neccesarily mean I think Roe v. Wade is a good thing. First of all, the opinion is terrible. There isn't really much disagreement from rationale folks on that front. The reasoning is, well, specious, and the holding is, dare I say it, legislative (from the bench! GOOD GOD...). If you are going to carve out reproductive rights, I think equal protection is a much better framework, both because there is in fact an "equal protection clause", while 'substantive due process' is slightly oxymoronic.

Secondly, I'm for a woman's right to choose, because, who the hell am I to tell you what to do? But your husband/significant other should be in the conversation as well, so I'm for a man's right to choose, or at least his right to influence your choice, as well.

Third, while its true that Bad Things would happen to some women in Red~~neck~~ states if abortion was returned to the states, so what? In a democracy, you win some and you lose some. If pro-choice people are not able to mobilize support well enough to keep abortion legal in a state, especially since every poll indicates that most people have some pro choice tendancies, well TFB.

Gun Control - We have reasonable restrictions on free speech. You can't yell fire in a crowded theatre. I'm not sure why a ban on civilians carrying military grade assualt weapons is any less reasonable.

Death Penalty - In theory, some people just have to go. In practice, the money spent on administration and the lenghty appeals process is much better speant in other areas. Nothing wrong with throwing the bad man in the slammer and swallowing the key.

Affirmative Action - I'm all for redressing past wrongs, but its about money, stupid. Race is a reasonable proxy for 'oppressedness', but surely we can find a better one.

And if these words don't tell you enough, there's the always popular Internet Quiz Short version...