On "the issues"

So, how do I support my views? Here's an excerpt (clarified as needed for my audience in italics) from my response to that friend I mentioned in the last post:

I am certainly ill-equipped to speak much about Iraq, except that I know before Saddam and the first Gulf War it was a thriving, modern, egalitarian country with literacy, education, and property rights for all (I know only because I had a dear friend who had to leave when it changed, she was a prime example of their highly educated, successful, high-status women). Of course we might be (our military, rather) trying to help them regain that. Now that we're there, what else can we do? I do not watch the current news or keep up much anymore, I will admit. BUT we are not at war or reconstructing every nation where oppression, massacres, mutilation, and poverty reign: only in those where we have an economic interest.

I think there are liberals and conservatives and those in between in every state. I'm sure with all the great wealth in LA (my friend used to live in LA and commented on the largely conservative public) there is an abundance of Republicanism. Mainly because to a large degree they are the politicians who allow the ultra-wealthy and huge corporations to become more so by providing tax subsidies for them to pocket while cutting budgets for programs like the one I work in, although Democrats do this too, which is what sickens and saddens me about our policy and politics.

I understand a tax cut is felt in your pocket, but your salary and mine are paid by those taxes. The program I manage receives federal money, which they've received less and less of, while the costs of operating the program have gone up, so, while I haven't been compensated fairly, I've been asked to stretch my already tight budget to provide for my 100+ low-income volunteers who help many of those very students who aren't getting the best education because they happen to live in poverty. Not their fault, but you have to admit they'll have a hell of a time getting out of it. College isn't even on their radar, and how would they ever get to India? I couldn't even go to India for a job if I wanted to. Which I don't. (My friend mentioned that people who "choose not go to college", in this competitive, global market, may have to move to India or China, if that's where the jobs are).

But at the same time, a SuperWalmart was built down the road and the County, with tax money, helped them with it, by providing infrastructure and with direct tax breaks. Woo-hoo, they gave a bunch of people minimum wage jobs. If they passed more profits on to their employees and provided health care, etc. etc. etc. I'd maybe be okay with that, but they only keep their workers dependent on them and do not allow them to develop much further. Not to mention sucking money out of the local economy and sending it to their few rich shareholders.

My friend thinks we don't need tax-supported health care, siting that in Japan, the elderly are revered and cared for by the younger generations.

If we had a utopia where our culture understood and taught the young to care for our families and elderly, and to take care of their bodies better, then yes, there would be no need for governmental support for health care. Sadly, we live in a place controlled by marketing and corporations, where children are taught to stay inside because the woods are scary, so they watch TV and grow obese and need diabetes medicine later on. Not all kids, but it is getting worse. But then again, there would still be a need for medical systems since not all illness and injuries are caused by our poor lifestyle habits. I agree in general though that the government should not necessarily provide the insurance themselves. They simply don't do a great job. I don't have a solution, but high insurance premiums affect me too, which are caused by all those people in our culture who are sicker and sicker because of lifestyle issues. I take care of myself and need very little medical attention, but I pay dearly for the "just in case of emergency." A big problem to me is that our policy-makers make it easier and easier for the public to be manipulated by corporate marketing and duped by our media, so most have no idea how they are actually affected directly, and then they do not participate and allow it to continue.

My friend doesn't "care" about global warming since he is not personally a big contributor to it nor does he feel the impact himself (he makes decisions largely based on how they affect him personally).

I don't really care if global warming is, in fact, a reality (which of course I think it is based on my personal research which may not be comprehensive). I think that there are plenty of other reasons to try to live in better balance with the earth. I think we, as a whole, simply use too much (and the US way more than it's share) of our resources and that can't go on forever. This will cause problems not so much for the earth, but for people. Yes, I still use gas and electricity, but I try to do my part to reduce my own need, both for selfish reasons (less $ spent for me) and because if I ride my bike to work a few times a week, those resources last that much longer as a whole. I agree (with my friend) that new technologies and more sustainable energy sources are being developed by those same industries (that produce gasoline and drill for oil, for example), which I think is appropriate, but I think there's room for smaller companies and individuals too. Certainly we have enough knowledge at this point that we don't need to start new drilling or open new coal burning power plants.

This was my "closing statement":

Anyway, I didn't really intend to "argue," but of course I want to support my own views. I don't generally have an issue with the beliefs behind a truly Republican outlook. I understand conservativism in that way, though I don't agree. Unfortunately, I think most often, the politicians actually involved and identified as "Republican" don't hold true to what the term really means: Fiscally conservative, less government involvement, etc. That's been transformed into something entirely different, which is causing a very real economic and social divide in our country and reducing the quality of life for many. Many of whom still support those very politicians who are really working against them.

Whew, just had to share. It really stressed me out for some reason.