Toward A More Constructive Dialogue
Jul. 30th, 2004 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athelindI could have phrased Monday night's entry more tactfully, and probably should have. Several people whose opinions I value and respect have noted that accusing those who disagree with you of being stupid, deluded or worse will win no converts and prove no points.
With the outrage and frustration filtered out, what I was really trying to say was, "What are you people thinking??"
On that level, this was not an entirely unsuccessful attempt at communication. Several of you did give some indication of what you've been thinking.
You think, apparently, that George Walker Bush is a "conservative".
Please note that I did not attack the conservative philosophy. I did not claim that one had to be Stupid, Deluded or Corrupt to adhere to conservative ideals. While I disagree with many -- though not all -- conservative positions, while I am in fact far more willing to proudly embrace the label of "Liberal" than any candidate endorsed by the Democratic party in well over a decade, I can indeed see the logic and the internal consistency of conservatism.
The single author who most deeply influenced my personal philosophy is well-known -- even infamous -- for his conservative views, particularly later in life. I may have reached different conclusions than he did, but I still hold his opinions and his thought processes in the deepest respect.
I think, however, that, were Robert Heinlein still alive, the regime of George Walker Bush would horrify him.
He has, in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hafoc's words, "...betrayed the good conservative principles while throwing all his strength behind the bad ones."
With the outrage and frustration filtered out, what I was really trying to say was, "What are you people thinking??"
On that level, this was not an entirely unsuccessful attempt at communication. Several of you did give some indication of what you've been thinking.
You think, apparently, that George Walker Bush is a "conservative".
Please note that I did not attack the conservative philosophy. I did not claim that one had to be Stupid, Deluded or Corrupt to adhere to conservative ideals. While I disagree with many -- though not all -- conservative positions, while I am in fact far more willing to proudly embrace the label of "Liberal" than any candidate endorsed by the Democratic party in well over a decade, I can indeed see the logic and the internal consistency of conservatism.
The single author who most deeply influenced my personal philosophy is well-known -- even infamous -- for his conservative views, particularly later in life. I may have reached different conclusions than he did, but I still hold his opinions and his thought processes in the deepest respect.
I think, however, that, were Robert Heinlein still alive, the regime of George Walker Bush would horrify him.
He has, in
hafoc's words, "...betrayed the good conservative principles while throwing all his strength behind the bad ones."
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 08:40 am (UTC)Just because I'm female doesn't mean I -want- to have kids. Given the choice, I'd be biologically male (and vasectomized) - but the choice doesn't exist. Given the alternatives, I'm happy to be a sterilized female, able and in control of my own body.
And if I got pregnant now, I'd have no choice BUT to have the pregnancy terminated, because ectopics are life-threatening. And my life is more important to me than the possibility that I might be killing the next Elvis.
And just for the record: I'm pro-choice, not pro-abortion. I believe everyone has the right to choose what is right for THEM. Nobody has the right to choose what is right for me except me. Nobody has the right to tell you that YOU should be sterilized/have an abortion/give a kid up for adoption/keep a child you don't want. I'm happy to allow pro-life folk the choice of what to do with their own bodies, but I'm not letting them have the choice of what to do with mine.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 01:21 am (UTC)1. Your mom discovers the problem causing your apparent sterility early in pregnancy and chooses to abort and try again - and your soul gets carried to the next body in question.
2. You know what you're going to be born like, that you're never going to get to choose to have kids, and certainly that you're never going to get to carry children as a female.
Some people - maybe not you - would choose to try again instead of getting born into a life they would be unhappy in.
Hell, if I'd gotten to choose my own personal situation, I wouldn't be here in my present form at all. But my parents chose for me. They decided to make me and they decided to give birth to me and name me and really, they made all the choices up until I was about sixteen.
Given an option and a choice, I'd probably trade you bodies.
But even an adult human isn't considered competent to make a decision like THAT. Heck, adult humans aren't considered competent to choose when they themselves want to die.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 07:35 am (UTC)However, given that choice yes I would take the latter. That said what causes my issues with being fertile is not detectable during birth, we'd need another 50or so years, maybe more, before my particular type of situation could be detected in the womb.