Proud Extremist

The good Reverend Gisher recently awarded us an Extremist rating, and we're very proud. It may not be apparent from our writings, but we're really much less extreme than we appear. By disposition, we're a mixed bag.

We're Libertarian in our opposition to intrusions on freedoms or personal rights. The power of a democracy flows from how it treats its most undesirable elements. It's easy to celebrate diversity, it's harder to support free speech for the KKK. Democracy is a tough nut that's made for cracking.

On social policy we're liberal, but usually give wide latitude to compromise and more conservative notions. For example, we understand that religious people might feel threatened, but we don't think a compromise that allows them to quash non-religious thought or someone else's religion serves anyone - including them. We're also not a big fan of political correctness, in either policy or speech. For the world to function, everyone needs to grow another layer or two of thicker skin. Not everything is an intentional attack fraught with racism, sexism, or any other ism.

Economically, we believe in free markets insofar as they don't give corporations unfair advantage over competitors or customers - our philosophy is, "Let them police themselves, but when they become police, judge, jury, and executioner, it's time to regulate them." Capitalism is a system based on greed and that's not good. We're cool with turning a profit, but we don't see how squashing people and grabbing more cash than a thousand people could spend in a lifetime, is healthy for the society or the squasher/grabbers. We favor a benevolent capitalism based on better economic equilibrium rather than a laser-like focus on more money regardless of the cost.

Our military should be strong, though not overpowering. We are a democracy and not a junta. There are evil people in the world who occasionally need a good, old-fashioned bitch slap. We're under no illusions that incessantly talking peace with the inherently unpeaceable gets us anything save a sore throat. We equally believe in real diplomacy first, followed by violence only as a last resort. Should that violence come, make it overwhelmingly ferocious, singularly crushing, and as quick as possible - and include a plan for the peace that doesn't depend on an armed babysitting service.

We'll generally listen to anyone's opinion and try to respect it, no matter how asshatted we believe it is. Even certifiable idiots come up with something good once in awhile, it's a mathematical certainty. We try not to discard ideas just because they come from known shitheels. Sometimes that's hard with the current herd of shitheels, but that's another post.

We became more extreme in response to the overbearing extremism of the right. We don't buy into the Coulternian idea that your opponents are dangerous nutcases who should be shot before being consulted. We try to follow a policy of listen first, bash later, and then, only if it is truly deserved.

We'd like nothing better than to leave extremism behind and return to a time when moderate discourse was the rule. Where compromise was promising and all the eye-gouging was unnecessary. However, we can eye-gouge with the best of them if we feel the need.

We just want a peaceable place where we can all get along. That's neither a Republican nor Democrat ideal. It's not a conservative or liberal idea. It's a belief that people are people and we should respect them because they deserve it, not because they demand it.

We guess we're just a little old-fashioned that way.

Truth Told by Omnipotent Poobah, Monday, April 24, 2006