I was raised as a typical Democrat of the old school in New England, for social change, progressive, anti-war, pro working class, anti-big business, pro -union, and all that stuff. A classic liberal-but in a moderate way. Now I have found myself, after living through the Kennedy Assassinations, Martin Luther King's shooting, Viet Nam, Watergate, The Cold War (How we ever made it through that I'll never know), Jimmy Carter, Regan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and now this era of double speak George Orwellian politics, to have become a bit more cynical. My views are still compassionate, but tempered with the knowledge that there are those out there who would really live off my taxes for the rest of their lives, while giving nothing back. I am still anti-war, but realize that every nation must protect itself from threats.


On economics, I agree with Don Corleone:

As I've gotten older, I've come to see shades of gray in that regard. I still believe a self-motivated individual will always make better choices regarding their own financial outlook than a bloated government bureacracy will. But I also understand that not everyone will make wise decisions, and safety nets just make sense.
To sum it up, I am much more Libertarian in my approach, as I cannot seem to trust my government that seems to be ready to implode any day. I say, let's have a drink and talk this through while we're doing something rewarding, like horseback riding on the trail, or fishing at the lake. In the meantime take the time out to help your neighbor once and awhile.