-Caveat Lector-
Subject: Re: [JBirch] Fellow Conservatives, I need your help now!!!
P.S. I'm pasting in the litmus test I use on everyone. This determines
whether a liberal is trying to creep in the book. Everyone enjoy. Where
do you stand on the issues? Are you a true John Bircher?
THE TOPICS:
A. ABORTION
1. Unborn children are by definition human beings from the
point of conception onward. As such, they deserve the right
to live and enter into this world unharmed, irrespective of
any 'inconvenience' or 'burden' this may cause the mother.
Morally speaking, abortion is tantamount to murder, and so,
must not remain legal.
2. Although abortion certainly should be avoided whenever
possible, it is permissible under certain circumstances
including rape, incest, or in utero threats to the life of
the mother. Modest legal restrictions such as parental
notification are both acceptable and warranted.
3. A woman's ability to choose whether to take a pregnancy to
term is her fundamental right as a human being. There are
significant moral differences between a fetus and a
full-fledged human being, especially in the first two
trimesters (during which the vast majority of abortions take
place). There should be NO restrictions on a woman's right to
choose.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
B. ANIMAL RIGHTS
1. Whether by God's will or by virtue of our inherent
superiority, human beings rightly hold dominion over all the
earth and its diverse creatures. As such, we have every right
to do as we wish with our other co-inhabitants on this
planet, provided we show ample respect for them or His
Creation.
2. Generally speaking, cruelty to animals^whether in the
form of abusive husbandry practices, gratuitous
entertainment, or cosmetic testing^should be phased out in
deference to their basic integrity as living, feeling beings.
Nonetheless, their status as 'lesser beings' is
uncontroversial.
3. Although granting basic rights to other animals is
obviously a distant prospect, humans should endeavor to end
their flagrant exploitation of their evolutionary kin,
especially mammals and other conscious beings. Vegetarianism,
non-animal scientific research, the cessation of so-called
'sport' hunting, and the development of animal-free household
goods should be given serious priority.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
C. CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY
1. As the driving force of entrepreneurialism and job
creation in our society, business must be given as free a
hand as possible in the general marketplace. Consumers and
shareholders can adequately hold corporations accountable
through their purchasing and investment decisions.
2. In order to keep business accountable to the general
public, campaign finance reform measures, more transparent
accounting rules, and greater environmental and worker safety
protections should be enacted. But the exclusive right of
companies to control investment should not be abridged.
3. Corporations have become so huge and unaccountable to
workers, communities, and the environment that far-reaching
reforms are now necessary. These might include any or all of
the following: a return to charter revocation, vigorous
antitrust campaigns, and official democratic representation
by workers and communities on company boards of directors.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
D. EDUCATION
1. Our educational system is in shambles. Average test scores
are lagging those of other industrialized nations, especially
in the areas of math and reading comprehension. To remedy
this situation, not only must we get back to basics, but we
must move to a private voucher system in order to give
teachers the incentives they need to do a good job and to
finally give parents true choice in the education market.
Measures such as English-only classrooms, teacher competency
exams, and a return to school prayer should also be
considered.
2. Public education does indeed face serious challenges. But
rather than move toward a private voucher system, which could
seriously divert much-needed funds from our public school
system, other reforms should take precedence. These might
include any or all of the following: a reduction in classroom
size, the introduction of merit-pay programs, national
academic performance standards, and the creation of charter
and magnet schools with community-tailored educational
priorities.
3. American education is in a state of crisis, due mainly to
a lack of sufficient funding. Many poorly paid teachers are
either leaving the profession or languishing in deteriorating
classrooms, many of which don't even have textbooks. With the
exception of vouchers (a scam to divert scarce public funds
into private coffers), many excellent proposals have been put
forth to improve the situation. But none will have any
substantial or lasting effect without a major boost in
federal and state funding. This is especially important in
poor areas that still depend on an outmoded and grossly
unequal property-tax revenue stream.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
E. ENVIRONMENT
1. Although considerable challenges remain, the problems of
air and water pollution have greatly diminished, especially
in countries where the free market has been allowed to
flourish. What's needed are fewer complicated regulations and
less red tape so that business people and entrepreneurs have
the incentives they need to improve our quality of life even
more.
2. Due largely to strong anti-pollution rules enacted since
the 1970s, extensive progress has been made toward a cleaner,
healthier environment. New public-private conservation
programs, investments in renewable resources and energy
efficiency, and flexible pollution control mechanisms like
tradeable permits will ensure that we remain on the right
track.
3. Species are becoming extinct at a rate unprecedented in
recorded history, only a fraction of our original forest
cover remains intact, toxic substances are proliferating
throughout the globe (impacting the poorest communities the
greatest), and global warming looms large on the horizon. Not
only are stronger environmental protections needed, but
natural resources and the ecological services nature provides
must become explicitly accounted for in everyday economic
decision-making in both the public and private sectors.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
F. FOREIGN POLICY
1. Throughout our nation's history, America has stood for two
cardinal principles: liberty and democracy. Whether through
our anti-Nazi campaigns in World War II, our anti-communist
resolve throughout the Cold War (and in Vietnam), or our
recent liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein and Kosovo
from Slobodan Milosevic, the U.S. has always been and must
continue to be a powerful force for freedom in human affairs.
This will require us to maintain the world's pre-eminent
military arsenal both at home and in allied territories.
2. Although our nation has made a number of tactical foreign
policy blunders^most particularly in Vietnam and in some
areas of Central America^U.S. policymakers have attempted to
maintain peace and stability throughout the world. With the
growing threats of terrorism, rogue states, and biological
warfare now coming to the fore, we will need to maintain a
strong military infrastructure (albeit a proportionally
scaled back one) in the interest of national security.
3. The only thing that's changed with regard to U.S. foreign
policy since the end of the Cold War is that now American
military leaders can exert their will throughout the globe
without significant resistance. Fundamentally, U.S. foreign
policy is about maintaining and expanding our access to
critical natural resources, cheap labor, and markets for
surplus goods, even if this means supporting brutal dictators
(e.g., Indonesia's Suharto and, before 1990, Iraq's Hussein).
In the interest of true peace and justice, the U.S. military
must be cut at least in half and genuine multilateral
cooperation in accordance with the U.N. Charter must become a
central operating principle.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
G. GLOBALIZATION
1. Provided American sovereignty is not being compromised,
the ongoing globalization of commerce is cause for
celebration, not lament. Since fewer trade barriers means
greater opportunities to sell goods and services to the rest
of the world, Americans will benefit in the form of new jobs
and higher earnings. Moreover, increased trade between
countries is leading to higher standards, not only in product
quality but in environmental and worker protections
worldwide.
2. The process of globalization has admittedly had negative
impacts on certain sectors of the economy (particularly
textiles and manufacturing). Nonetheless, overseas
investments and exports by American companies are
skyrocketing, a trend which has resulted in steady gains for
shareholders and workers alike. To lessen the blow to those
who have been displaced, worker re-training and educational
programs should be expanded.
3. While globalization has prompted an explosion of cultural
interchange between nations, it has also led to the
homogenization of goods and services by colossal
transnational corporations (TNCs). These TNCs are wielding
ever-increasing power over national and local governments,
many of which are being forced to lower environmental
standards, shred public safety nets, and thwart unionization
drives in the interest of attracting investment. Global
investment rules holding corporations accountable should be
enacted and taxes on international transactions should be
levied to fund much-needed conservation efforts and
locally-focused development programs.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
H. HEALTH CARE
1. The American health care system is the envy of the world.
The only thing that's needed is increased competition in the
health care market to lower costs, improve quality, and
expand access to those currently uninsured. To be sure, other
reforms are needed like Medical Savings Accounts to let
people earmark money for their future health care needs. What
should be avoided is any further government intrusion into
the health care market.
2. Although America's health care system is undoubtedly
first-rate, costs have been rising significantly in recent
years, forcing millions to forgo even basic health insurance.
In order that everyone can afford quality health care,
managed competition reforms should be put into law to allow
people to pool their purchasing power in the open
marketplace. Moreover, for uninsured children and the poorest
of the poor, tax credits and vouchers should be administered
to ensure universal coverage.
3. Health care is a basic human right. Costs have been
soaring because huge Health Maintenance Organizations have
become bloated bureaucracies that demand ever-growing profit
margins in an increasingly oligopolistic market. Private
insurance companies need to be phased out of the health care
business and a universal health care system should be
established similar to those now prevalent in Europe and the
rest of the industrialized world.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
I. RACE RELATIONS
1. Race relations have become severely strained in recent
years as bankrupt '60s era policies have finally taken their
toll. Whites have grown resentful of minorities who are seen
as receiving undue preferences in hiring and education. In
order to restore civil harmony, so-called 'affirmative
action' must be abolished and replaced with rededicated
efforts to enforce existing civil rights statutes and expand
outreach and educational opportunities to disadvantaged
youth.
2. Although many whites have grown increasingly wary of
affirmative action, the fact is that it has played a
significant role in integrating America's work force and has
increased opportunities for millions of previously overlooked
women and minorities. Nonetheless, egregious instances of
reverse discrimination persist. Therefore, affirmative action
must be amended, not ended, by enacting provisions to ensure
that ALL qualified candidates receive due consideration in
hiring and education.
3. Accounts of affirmative action's abuses are greatly
exaggerated. Majorities of almost all minority groups and
most women still support affirmative action because they know
that the levers of power are still disproportionately
controlled by white men. If anything, affirmative action
should be strengthened by emphasizing outreach to the
economically disadvantaged. Race relations will only markedly
improve when the economic chasm that now exists between
different ethnic groups is substantially diminished.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
J. SEXUAL ORIENTATION
1. Homosexuality is an unnatural and generally unhealthy
lifestyle. No special allowances or privileges should be
granted to homosexuals on the basis of their freely chosen
behavior. In particular, there should be no revision of our
anti-discrimination statutes or expansion of the legal
definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
2. There is no logical or moral justification for
discriminating against people on the basis of their sexual
orientation. Anti-sodomy laws should be struck down and
explicit civil rights protection should be granted to gays
and lesbians. In order to bring these changes about, however,
gay rights activists should abandon their 'in-your-face'
tactics and overt public displays, as these tend to reduce
popular support for such objectives.
3. All discriminatory practices against gays and lesbians
should be declared illegal, in both the public and private
sectors. While cordiality and respect must be maintained,
gays and lesbians must never resort to 'hiding' who they
really are to the general public. After all, the freedom to
be open, honest, and comfortable about their identity is
rightfully the ultimate goal of the gay liberation movement.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
K. TAXATION
1. Big government is completely out of control. Hard-working
Americans are doing all they can to make ends meet, due
largely to excessive income and payroll taxes imposed upon
them by tax-and-spend liberals. It's time for fundamental
reform of our taxation system, either through the adoption of
a fairer and simpler flat tax or the replacement of our
current income tax with some form of a national sales tax.
2. Americans certainly deserve tax relief. But rather than
scrap our current progressive taxation system based on
people's ability to pay, other reforms should first be
considered. These might include a simplification of existing
tax brackets, the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit,
or college and vocational training tax credits for the
working poor and the middle class.
3. The economic hardships that most Americans face are
attributable mainly to stagnant wages being paid out by
corporate America, not over-taxation by government. Still,
certain tax reforms deserve consideration such as lowering
the bottom and raising the top income tax levels or replacing
much, if not all, of the current income tax with pollution
taxes on companies that release contaminants into our soil,
air, and water.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
L. WORKERS' RIGHTS
1. Unions already exert too much influence in the public
arena, whether through misplaced campaigns against NAFTA and
welfare reform or through well-heeled PACs in state
legislatures and the halls of Congress. Moreover, their
rights to organize and strike are more than adequately
protected by existing labor law. Attempts by labor activists
to push for protectionist measures and coercive regulations
in international trade agreements are both wrong-headed and
ultimately self-defeating.
2. While organized labor undoubtedly helped scuttle the
proposed 'fast-track' expansion of NAFTA and the Multilateral
Agreement on Investments, the power of unions has actually
greatly diminished since the 1970s. As companies have become
more global in scale, they have gained greater leverage over
their workforces. To help even the playing field between
workers and owners, modest measures should be enacted like
increased funding for the Department of Labor and expanded
unemployment insurance.
3. Corporate America routinely outspends labor by a factor of
at least three to one in federal elections. This fact, in
concert with big business's ongoing union-busting drives
since the 1970s, has led to stagnant wages for most Americans
and forced a precipitous decline in union membership. In
order that working people may once again have effective
representation, corporate contributions to public officials
should be greatly curbed (if not banned), workers' rights to
organize should be vigorously protected, and the ability of
companies to hire replacement workers during a strike should
be made illegal.
Please select one: 123
________________________________________________________________________________
"I pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to
the REPUBLIC for which it stands, one Nation under God,indivisible,with
liberty and justice for all."
visit my web site at
http://www.voicenet.com/~wbacon My ICQ# is 79071904
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