I'm more afraid of the left than the right in the US

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There is a difference between the American ideal, if I may, than most of the world sees things. Most nations see things as having "freedom from" where you have freedom from no healthcare, freedom from this and that and so on, I hope you get the idea where I'm going. Trouble is, that there is a point where an individual will be restrained. Here in the U.S., basically the Constitution give us a "Freedom to" such as freedom of speech, bear arms, not to testify against oneself in court and so forth. Basically the Founding Fathers put forth the freedoms we are granted from God (or a Higher Power, whatever, whomever you believe in if you so choose), the sake of being human and so forth. The Freedom From side is usually granted by the lord, king, government, wt.c, and can be revoked at anytime. Some people are happy under one system, other are happy in the other.

I do see where your freedoms can be curtailled by your financial situation, I'm in that situation now, but I would not trade it for the world. Yes, we should have some sort of process for healthcare without breaking the bank or having to worry on how to pay, but nothing is perfect.

I think what the Greens do not understand is unless you want to live like a caveman, there is really no way they can have the trains and electric cars they want, the power comes from somewhere and you just shove the pollution bill to somewhere else. It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I do admit we must do need a better safety net, although I'm center/right, I do see your concerns. We can talk more about this later, but I just wanted to say that although I'm right of center politically, it does not meant I do not care, it's just we need to find a way without breaking the bank and so on. Maybe keep the health insurance we have now, but if you do not have any then you're in Medicare and you can get off of it if you so choose when you get a job with benefits. I also liked McCain's idea of issuing each person $5000/yr for healthcare and they buy it on their own.

My specific opinions sound very similar to you. I will also say that things became very different in this world since Obama became President, and not necessarily for the better. We have a different president now, but the craziness is still going on anyway.

Are you just an older generation than me though?

Well, there are some ways, I do think before one enters college, they should spend a couple of years in the workforce or join the military, etc., unless they know what they want to do. I'm a firm believer in the "Peter Principle" where one gets as far as they can go until they reach their point of incompetence and then stay there. I think in our education system, there has to be a way to focus on the interests and one's abilities and focus them on the training to add to their attributes. Myself for example, if I was a carpenter, I'd reach my point of incompetence right away, I can't hit a nail to save my life. I'm more into electronics, computers, basic car repair and so on where I can go much above that. We need to focus more on the vocational skills and STEM careers. Electricians, plumbers and car mechanics and so on make good money.

My father was poor and to get more job skills, he joined the Army at 17, at first went for radar and then changed to photography and served with the Signal Corps. He went to Korea a few years after the cease fire and was stationed at Camp Casey on the 38th Parallel and later, the missile range at White Sands.

Some people can do it on their own while others do need help and a nudge.

I do agree with you that we have changed when Obama became President although it did start before that. I think the big change started with the 2000 election fiasco, 9-11 and so on but it picked up speed in 2008. I'm starting to sound like Glenn Beck here. If I may offer my take, it seems like in this country, we are seeing two basic views that are diametrically opposed, 180 degrees out of phase if you will and as President Lincoln said, "a house divided cannot stand." This is not healthy and I fear for the future.

Anyhoo, I was a member of the Conservative site Free Republic until I was kicked off for "being too liberal" after being a member for 17 years. The reason, I stated that as long as your are pro-America and Constitution, it does not matter of one is LGBT or straight, I do not have a problem with same sex marriage and so on. I think many on the right drive them away, even if most other beliefs do agree. I lost Mom in 2013, most of my support came from friends who are LGBT as well as my cousin who is a male to female transexual who then became a lesbian. Heck, there are times my cousin makes me look liberal. I just said that although not all will agree to the lifestyle, if they are going our way, there is room in the tent. I got kicked off.

BTW, you know what my cousin said to me that meant a lot? First, when Mom dies, I lost the house to a reverse mortgage. My cousin said to me that if she had the money, she'd buy the house and give it to me. My other cousin on Mom's side is a millionaire many times over but nothing from him. I would not ask him or expect him to do that but if I was in that position, I would do that for my cousin, just saying.

Oh yeah, one more thing, I was born in 1966, will be 53 in July. I'm an early model X'er athough I prefer "Generation Jones."

I asked because my own generation is even more rare and I want to be able to have somebody relate and "feel" my experience with growing up.

Do we want a law sending to prison people that say autism is not a sin?

Funny, I (and Isaiah Berlin, who came up with the two definitions of freedom) would call American freedom a 'freedom from' (negative freedom, in Berlin's terms).
The freedom from any restriction on speech, for example, where in the country I live in, there is a consensus that we freely choose to make holocaust denial illegal.

Americans are more individualistic than anyone, meaning, the individual is freer from restrictions than anywhere else - within the confines of capitalism.
The abortion debate is for example so difficult because there are two individuals' freedoms from restrictions colliding.
From my European perspective, I always found it peculiar how the republicans could care so much about unborn children and so little about children after birth - but at that point, the freedoms aren't colliding anymore, so that makes sense this way.
A foetus must not be restricted in its development, but once it's out, it's on its own.

Isaiah Berlin, btw., Was highly sceptical of negative freedom as a goal in itself.
He was against wars being fought for this, in particular.

5,000 a year wouldn’t pay for much of anything one er visit is 2,500 dollarss

Uhm . What?

The Peter principle is meant to highlight a serious problem with the way people progress up hierarchies, it's the opposite of instructional.

It means everyone ends up at a position where they are incompetent.

Meaning: no one is ever competent in his job, because if they were, they'd get promoted until they are in a position in which they are no longer.

Trump was a competent reality tv star, then he got promoted to president, for which he's not competent.
By your interpretation of the Peter principle, he should stay there now.

Social Security was(wrongly) seen as an insurance policy(I am getting back the money I paid in Social Security taxes). The GI bill was seen as payment for service. Most people looked down on welfare “bums” “stealing” their hard earned tax money. A lot of people voted for the dems not for government benefits but because the party was pro union. 35 percent of the workforce was unionized in the 50s and the rest of the workforce benefited. Companies had to give union type benefits to recruit employees. The movement of the working and middle class to the Republican party in the 60s and 70s is rightly seen as racially motivated. But values were also a factor. The increase in taxes needed to pay the increased benefits were viewed as unfairly rewarding “bums” at the expense of “hard working” people.

It is not only benefits to individuals that went up but benefits to big cooperations even more. There used to be a stigma against filing for bankruptcy, now if you are big enough the government bails you out and the execs of said companies party on.

The censorious bullying you cited was by the right. It was the Free Speech movement not the shut down hate speech movement that set off the wave of campus protests in the years after.

It would be off topic, but hey, this is an autism website.

If the left does get in today they will try to pass subsidies for solar batteries.
This could be political BS, but if it isn't, I will probably take advantage of the scheme, assuming it gets past through parliament.
Without the subsidies, batteries aren't financially viable.

I'm in Australia, btw.
But I would be interested in what you have learnt.
Perhaps in PM?

It is amazing how the left has hijacked public opinion.
Smart sods.
Brainwash the kids and you effectively influence the adults to a large degree.
Probably why schools pre-uni aren't interested in teaching critical thinking skills.



Don't hold back, Auntie.
"Tell us what you really think."

Yeah, I have heard bad things about the American health system in particular.
Here in Australia, the left has used scare tactics suggesting the conservatives will be responsible for an American style equivalent.
Pure BS, but there are a lot of dummies out there in voter land. <shrug>



I am starting to see a pattern emerging:
You are not a Trump supporter.

I know the American health system is bad.
How are you affected in other areas by right-wing policies?
<inquirery mode activated>

I heard somewhere that the number of coloured people finding jobs has improved dramatically under Trump.
Can anyone confirm or refute this?

I'm not a Trump fanboy, but I find that a rather harsh assessment.
And how is he trying to get rid of welfare?
Isn't he just making it harder for "able-bodied" individuals to take advantage of the system by motivating them to find a job?

Just asking.
I don't have a huge knowledge base when it comes to American politics.

The conservatives focused on that in Australia when they first came into power 6(?) years ago.
I.E. Tackle the problem of: an attitude of entitlement on welfare that the left here tends to encourage.
I'm convinced there is a problem here, hence my bitching about it constantly.