Political opinions and views

Post Reply New Topic

I thought it might be good to have a thread where people state their political views and opinions, filling in what they think of these issues... feel free to add as much as you like, up to the point of acceptability for the intended purpose of this thread, and quote and comment on other people's opinions if you have to disagree with them, though NO FLAMING.

All were typed in the order that I thought of them.
________________

Abortion-
Secularism-
War-
Military-
Healthcare-
Education-
Welfare-
Tax system-
Pensions-
Terrorism-
Civil rights-
Same sex marriage-
Economic system-
Capital punishment-
Smoking-
Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)-
Colonialism-
Military intervention to stop human rights abuses-
Civil gun ownership-
Censorship-
Copyright-
Action to reduce the effects of climate change-
Animal rights-
Violence in video games-
Globalization-
Federalism-
Nuclear weapons-
Minimum wage-
_____________________________
Here goes....

Abortion- For, so long as it does not discriminate against Aspies. A foetus is not sentient.

Secularism- For, I am an Atheist.

War- Neccessary, though it should be avoided if possible.

Military- Should be relative to a nation's size, wealth, and population.

Healthcare- Should be free(state run) for all, so long as it is neccessary to ensure the wellbeing of a person. Non-reconstructive cosmetic surgery is not. Though private medical services should be allowed as an alternative.

Education- I support state eduction, including university, though private education companies should be allowed to run as well.

Welfare- Cripplingly disabled people should be free from tax and given enough money to survive and live reasonably, however people who fake disability must be punished. A person who does not work but could potentially should be given less. People who are direly ill should be protected from being sacked.

Income tax system- Should be progressive, and based on careful analysis of costs of living and what people can afford.
(However the maximum rate should be 40%.)

Pensions- Should not be taxed, should be generous, and efforts should be taken to help the old and poor. People should be encouraged to save for their retirement though.

Terrorism- Steps should be taken to peacefully negotiate with and shut down terrorist groups, though if this fails, they must be destroyed using special forces and high-tech weaponry.

Same sex marriage- For, it is their choice, and it bothers no-one except some religious groups and such.

Capital punishment- For, serial/brutal killers, rapists, and peadophiles should not be allowed to live.

Smoking- Total ban, it increases the chances of death for everyone nearby.

Harder recreational drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- Ban, drugs are harmful to society. Some people will disagree with me on this but I understand their reasoning, and have this opinion because I know what such drugs do to people, even cannabis. Should they be legalized it would only make things worse.

Colonialism- For, so long as it is beneficial for both nations involved.

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses- For, such inhumanity must not go untackled.

Civil gun ownership- For, it gives people a sense of security and defence, and people should have the right to defend themselves. BUT- Guns should be confined to people's homes except when there is a security risk outside, and people who want a gun must prove that they are mentally stable enough and law abiding enough to have one. Criminals should be banned from having guns. Only certain guns should be allowed, such as pistols. rifles, and shotguns. Ownership limit must be 21 years of age.


Censorship- If content is harmful to national security, then it must be censored. In certain cases, broadcasters of racist/religious hatred should be censored and punished as well.

Copyright- Content owners must be paid for what they own but at the same time if they are deliberately limiting the availability of their works then they should be given no protection.

Action to reduce the effects of climate change- Neccessary.

Violence in video games- So long as there are age limits and such, no harm done.

Globalization- For, but it must not be harmful.

Federalism- I support a two-tier system. Federal governments should make certain laws, and State governments should make other laws. It allows for more freedom and better management.

Nuclear Weapons- For, they are a deterrent, and have worked so far. The SDI system will not stop thousands of Russian nukes, that's guaranteed.

Minimum wage- For, ensures that people are guaranteed a reasonable amount of pay.

I have a computer program "President Forever 2004 + Primaries." Basically you run for President. Anyhoo, if has a platform list.

Here are some things not mentioned.

Balanced Budget
Stem Cell (Research) (ie: embryonic, adult, funding of, restrictions to, ect...)
Energy (oil, clean coal, wind, solar, ect...)
Environment (EPA, Endangered Species Act, Government position on global warming, market based vs. regulatory based solutions)
Homeland Security
Immigration (Amnesty vs. Deportation vs. Something in Between)
Iraq
Iran
North Korea
Foreign Policy (ect...)
Personal Tax (since strictly speaking one could support a non-income tax based system)
Social Security
(Labor) Unions
War on Terrorism (Generally)

...Pick and choose your topics.

how do you know a politician tells the truth? he opens his mouth. wich is why i'll never be one

Abortion- Illegal, for socailist morals.
Secularism- Should be increased, and orangized religion taxed.
War- Useless.
Military- Should be kept small as possible.
Healthcare- Universal healthcarem and highly taxed private systems co-existing.
Education- Free for all, and private schools, and religious schools should be banned.
Welfare- Strictly watched, and highly funded.
Tax system- low as possible to provide the people with world class services. High taxes for the rich. Tax cuts for the middle class.
Pensions- Increased.
Terrorism- Seek a diplomatic solution to the middle-east and similar problems. Hunt and destroy anti-human domestic groups.
Civil rights- About normal/
Same sex marriage- They have the right to marry.
Economic system- Mixed, leaning towards command.
Capital punishment- Illegalized.
Smoking- Relax smoking laws somewhat, and tear the cigarette companies to shreds.
Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- All non-medicinal drugs should be banned.
Colonialism- Dont care
Military intervention to stop human rights abuses-
Civil gun ownership- As long as it isnt an assualt rifle, anti-tank weaponry, advanced scopes, or incindary weaponry.
Censorship- Ban all politically motivated censorship. And replace our current movie, television, and game rankings systems.
Copyright- Should actually benefit the creators.
Action to reduce the effects of climate change- of paramount importance.
Animal rights- Banned, and its assets transferred to animal welfare groups.
Violence in video games- Freedom of expression!
Globalization- I'm venhementally against the power shift from the poor to the rich.
Federalism- I support centralized government.
Nuclear weapons- I am against the ownership of such doomsday devices.
Minimum wage- Increase it, as to stimulate the economy and help the worse off.

Abortion-I am thinking through this one right now. I am still feeling prone to the idea that government should be morally neutral.

Secularism-Governments should be neutral morally and allow people to choose their religiosity.

War-I am against war as a matter of pragmatism, it wastes societies resources which could be better used elsewhere.

Military-One should exist however, if we cut some of its funding then we could either fund programs more helpful to the people or let them spend the money how they want. We have not had a major war in years and the bomb will prevent most modern wars.

Healthcare-Private, reform the regulatory system to allow for more competition, and possibly provide a voucher system to deal with it. A major issue under the US system is higher consumption of valuable resources and remaining inefficiencies, stronger competition will deal with the latter, people should be able to pay for more healthcare, I also do not buy the lemon model for healthcare models as I believe that the majority of people are risk-averse and don't know a darn thing about their health.

Education-Voucher system as well. They do it in Sweden and current education systems are failing to do what is best. Government corruption in education systems is also ridiculously common.

Welfare-I don't mind an idea like an EITC or some other system of that nature.

Tax system- Simplify it. The tax system should be a relatively equation that can be put on a calculator at its most complex form possibly even a flat tax. Our current tax system is too unwieldy and its rules encourage deadweight loss through accounting practices.

Social Security-I would prefer to not have these things. People can save up for their own retirement. However, my politically flexible side is willing to allow for a privatized plan as such will give people the control, it will cause investment into the economy, and it would prevent a bad government foul up.

Terrorism-Not so worried. We should take some care for it, however, we must recognize that we should not sacrifice more than the risk of terrorism would indicate.

Civil rights-What civil rights? People are people and equality under law seems efficient, effective and fair.

Same sex marriage-Same sex parents have been supported by a few psychological organizations as fit parents, therefore I am fine with it.

Economic system- Capitalist, relatively free market.

Capital punishment- Only if it could be done in a manner that is more certain and less costly to taxpayers. It is a matter of what ends up as being economically efficient. The current capital punishment system isn't efficient, however, I have no moral opposition.

Smoking- I am not a fan, however, society is shifting away from supporting it. I am fine with tobacco existing though. Especially since we couldn't stop it if popular.

Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- Soft drugs should be legalized as it will bring out a part of our economy into the light, it will increase tax revenues and other things. I am against hard drugs for now.

Colonialism-Against, I do not think it to be efficient because of ill-will and military pressure required.

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses- I am suspicious of it and would likely not support it in many cases unless the assurances of clear victory are quite good.

Civil gun ownership- The US couldn't ban guns if they tried. I don't mind a few regulations but really, our largest shooting was a drop in the bucket in terms of total deaths.

Censorship- The government shouldn't censor things in most cases, this leads to the possibility of this use for political ends and oppression.

Copyright- I assume you mean intellectual property? I am generally for it as the monopoly status it temporarily provides gives incentives for production of information.

Action to reduce the effects of climate change- I support pigovian taxes and other methods that go with markets to deal with it.

Animal rights- We live in a human society where people like to eat animals. I also do not see a strong case to make to prevent people from making their own ethical decisions in this.

Violence in video games- Let them have it, if manufacturers don't put it in, modders will anyway. Not only that but parents are responsible for what their children play and blocking video game violence would be a matter of censorship in my eyes.

Globalization- For. Worldwide inequality has decreased according to some studies because of it. If we can create efficient markets in all nations then we all will prosper. However, free trade creates prosperity.

Federalism- For. Centralized government will create laws that are not wise for certain sections of the nation, not only that but people exercise more direct feedback with state governments.

Nuclear weapons-What is there to say? They are there. They will always be. We should just try to restrict access to our enemies.

Minimum wage- Against. I do not think that it is economically efficient, nor do I think it is the most effective way to promote humanitarian ends.

Balanced Budget- I am somewhat against. Although, I do not trust high deficits, I will not claim that having no deficits is necessarily perfect either. I really want to study public finance to learn more about this though. I just know that an interesting blogger known as Skeptical Optimist has come down harshly on this idea.

Stem Cell (Research) - I am fine with it. However, subsidies should only go to funding that the population approves of. Generally speaking it is wrong to make people pay for things they consider immoral and a large segment, for whatever reason, thinks it is immoral.

Energy- Remove restrictions on nuclear power, set taxes on polluting fuels and let things go to their conclusions.

Environment- Pigovian taxes on environmental destruction. Use market forces more.
Homeland Security- Need to cutback somewhat, centralization is a threat to liberty, and government programs and regulations if unnecessary hurt markets.

Immigration- Guest worker program and amnesty for most successful workers. We cannot keep these people out, so we should at keep control. Moving away from Mexico, we should also reduce paperwork and restrictions for skilled immigrants to almost nothing.

Iraq- Try to gain control over the region using whatever methods necessary, use extensive anti-poverty programs, and win through at almost any cost........ if we don't create a stable system somehow then I really really fear the consequences.

Iran- Negotiate them as best possible and use threats as necessary. Negotiate using the help of other nations.

North Korea- Negotiate them as best possible and use threats as necessary. Negotiate using the help of other nations.

Foreign Policy (ect...)-Non-interventionist unless intervention is absolutely necessary. The US should follow US interests, doing such will prove alright for most of the world and will be best for the US.

(Labor) Unions -Should be legal, however, there should be employer freedom to employ workers as desired. I recognize that unions can have negative effects on certain industries but am not willing to attack them all.

I think that that is all topics.

Abortion- complete ban

Secularism- yes there is a seperation of church and state but religion is good for society and the ACLU is terrible for America

War- Afghanistan was completely justified, Iraq was a mistake, but we must stay there for now.

Military- strong military

Healthcare- not real educated about it but I am not against unieversal healthcare. No one should die because they don't have the money for an illness

Education- voucher system---public education I am not a fan of. education should be paid for by the govt, but it should go to private schools

Welfare- against welfare except for the handicapped, mentally ill, and children

Tax system- flat tax.


Terrorism- kill them. we will not negotiate with terrorists.

Civil rights- uuhh, yeah, we have those

Same sex marriage- I don't care if they get married, but I also dont think societies acceptance of homosexuality is beneficial. The only question is whether same sex marriage will promote its acceptance.

Economic system- capitalism, low regulation, strong anti-trust laws

Capital punishment- against in most cases

Smoking- laws against smoking in bars like they have in dc are ridiculous. one can smoke if one wants to

Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- decriminalize the possession of marijuana

Colonialism- colonialism is a two edged sword

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses- yes

Civil gun ownership- gun free zones on vtech prevented the possiblitiy that a law abiding citizen could have had a gun and killed cho sung hui. mentally ill people and criminals don't have a right ot a gun

Censorship- its too frequent

Copyright- no one can actually own an idea. but copy right laws are important for the development of knowledge and products, therefore should be enforced

Action to reduce the effects of climate change- don't believe in global warming

Animal rights- animals are tasty. but I think a lot of animal testing is cruel and unnecessary

Violence in video games- I love it

Globalization- inevitable so lets just guide it in a positive way

Federalism- states rights all the way

Nuclear weapons- they prevent war

Minimum wage- if you want to work for a dollar and an employer offers a dollar, go work for a dollar.

Abortion - pro. last thing we need is more unwanted kids running around. adoption isn't nearly as viable as it should be because too many couples are greedy bastards who opt to have their own kids rather than adopting. generally, i think breeding should be kept to a minimum and discouraged in the lower classes. population control: good.

Secularism - i'm an atheist...take a wild guess where i stand here.

War - when it's necessary, it's necessary and there's no two ways around it. as far as details...it depends on who the enemy is

Military - a necessity not to mention an area that produces some of the greatest technological improvements.

Healthcare - the ultimate form of blackmail. pay me whatever i want or you die. i'm glad that thailand and china and brazil are breaking patents to save lives.

Education - extremely important but our education system is quickly becoming trivia. we need to focus more on creating an environment that creates critical thinkers and creates an awareness of history and a true understanding of science. with that said, intellegent design should absolutely NOT be taught in schools. it's a false science and only works to push the christian agenda in schools.

Welfare - a nice idea corrupted into people who are entirely dependent on it.

Tax system - favors the rich and victimizes the poor (10% of someone's salary who makes $14,000 hurts that person a lot more than the person who has $140,000). i realize that sounds like socialism but it isn't...it's common sense with taxation...yes the rich should be taxed more to allowe the poorer classes the ability to live.

Pensions - i somewhat agree with privatization of pensions are 401k plans. i think it's something best left to the individual to create their nest egg.

Terrorism - i'm generally against it.

Civil rights - i'm more for it than most anyone else here.

Same sex marriage - this belongs under civil rights

Economic system - economics generally hurts my head...mainly because the fiat system we currently have essentially boils down to pretend money and will eventually catch up with all of us.

Capital punishment - this one is extremely hard.....but i have to say i'm against it for now...there's no way of telling beyond the shadow of a doubt in most cases and bias does end up playing a part in it.

Smoking - businesses should have the right to choose if they allow smoking or not. likewise, there shouldn't be bans on smoking in public areas.

Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine) - all for them. i think the worst thing you can do with drugs is make them illegal. believe it or not, all drugs were legal in the US before 1920 or so. drugs were made illegal through means of racist propaganda, general scare tactics, and lies pushed by prohibitionists.

Colonialism - i don't get the question

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses - it depends on what is meant by human rights abuses...by some definitions, we should have invaded all of africa and a good majority of asia by this point.

Civil gun ownership - all for it. people who are for stricter gun laws are generally ignorant people who have an irrational fear of guns and loathe the gun for the act of the minority(and hurting the majority for the sake of the minority generally isn't a good policy).

Censorship - f**k that s**t.

Copyright - a good idea that's been abused by many publications like news papers (see just how far stretching their copyright claims are...it's quite ludicrous)

Action to reduce the effects of climate change-

Animal rights - they have a right to be my slave, clothing, and food.

Violence in video games - all for it. it beats killing people in real life. it's no different than violence in books or movies...and if you don't believe the books part, read up stories of people passing out during public readings of oliver twist, guts or try giving american psycho a read sometime.

Globalization - honestly not informed enough on the issue to make a judgement either way.

Federalism - not quite sure what's being asked here

Nuclear weapons - pandora's box is opened...might as well have as many as we can and keep them out of the hands of theocracies that believe in rewards for dying (like iran).

Minimum wage - generally a good thing but at the same time, i can see how it hurts our economy and encourages the hiring of illegal immigrants for jobs that pay too cheap for crap labor.

Balanced Budget - generally it's a good thing to have a balanced budget....i'm not allowed to spend a few thousand over what i have and i generally try to hold the government to the same standards that i hold for myself.

Stem Cell (Research) (ie: embryonic, adult, funding of, restrictions to, ect...) - all stem cell research. the people who oppose embryonic stem cell research do so out of pure ignorance and only from a religious stance rather than from a scientifically sound opinion.

Energy (oil, clean coal, wind, solar, ect...) - i'm big into alternative energies and i generally think fossil fuels are a losing war for us and we need to impliment and make use of altnernative energies as best as we can and encourage development and improvement of existing alternative technologies. (check out the tesla car)

Environment (EPA, Endangered Species Act, Government position on global warming, market based vs. regulatory based solutions) - it's great to care about the environment but a lot of these groups have been co-oped by socialist communists who have an alternate agenda of anti-corporatism rather than caring about the environment first and foremost.

Homeland Security - is a joke. the FBI and CIA were doing a pretty good job together before the bush administration (the oaklahoma city bombing and the wtc van bombing is a pretty good record overall with everything considered). i think personal liberty is much more important than a false sense of security...but then again, i know that a desire for the government to do everything for you and protect you is the first step towards fascism (see: venezuela and hugo chavez).

Immigration (Amnesty vs. Deportation vs. Something in Between) - i think we should definately let immigrants move here but i don't think illegal immigrants should have access to our social programs...it's a strain on our tax dollars and generally speaking...the money they earn is tax free so they're not even paying for it.

Iraq - we need a new leadership here at home. also, iraq is generally lost. if you don't believe me, reference the USSR/afghani war....it'll be the same story for us at this rate.

Iran - the provocateur. i'm anti-theocracy so i hold a special piece of loathing for them. at the same time, i think it would be a devastating move for us to go to war with them at this time or anytime in the near future.

North Korea - we're not giving enough attention to this....this is the war we should have fought instead of iraq. they actually have nukes now and can actually hit US as opposed to iraq which could only hit israel (and i really don't give two s**ts about them...they've only created problems for us).

Foreign Policy (ect...) - less is better.

Personal Tax (since strictly speaking one could support a non-income tax based system) - cut down government spending and we won't need as much taxes. i also hate the inflation tax.

Social Security - it's theft. it's money that's been spent up and i will never see the benefits from.

(Labor) Unions - organized crime under a legit title. labor unions don't do anything that people could do on their own other than charging you fees so that you can get a job.

War on Terrorism (Generally) - a failure. all we've done is attack terrorists and create enmity in the middle east. to stop terrorism, you need to stop the process of becoming a terrorist and moving towards that side. this is something that many people don't comprehend...mainly because most people are entirely stupid.

Abortion- Absolutely appose the sanctioned killing of human babies.

Secularism- Be whatever you want, just dont try to force others to be the same way.

War- Neccessary, though it should be avoided if possible.

Military- Should be relative to a nation's size, wealth, and population, unless they are surrounded by deadly enemies like how Israel is.

Healthcare- Should not be funded by the government because that is socialism.

Education- I support privatized schools because public schools are generally s**t and are socialism.

Welfare- Waste of American taxpayer dollars and is socialism.

Income tax system- (No held belief as of yet)

Pensions- People should be encouraged to save for their retirement.

Terrorism- I think we must rid our involvement in the Middle East as terrorists fight and attack Americans because we are there in their affairs.

Same sex marriage- It is their choice, I support everyone who fights for gay marriage rights (my brother is gay by the way)

Capital punishment- Serial/brutal killers, rapists, and peadophiles should not be allowed to live.

Smoking- Choice of the individual in public areas, but not private. Also people who smoke should not be allowed to have and raise children.

Harder recreational drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- Theyre a sacred right guaranteed to us in the U.S. Constitution.

Colonialism- Only when needed.

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses- If the powers involved would impact our nation, I would support intervention.

Civil gun ownership- A sacred right guaranteed to us in the U.S. Constitution. However I believe people with a criminal record should be barred from having most guns.


Censorship- If content is harmful to national security, then it must be censored. In certain cases, broadcasters of racist/religious hatred should be censored and punished as well.

Copyright- No one should illegally duplicate other's products and sell them for profit.

Action to reduce the effects of climate change- If its possible to accomplish, I support it.

Violence in video games- The government should have no say in it.

Globalization- As long as it doesnt limit the sovereignty of the United States of America, I support it.

Federalism- I support it totally.

Nuclear Weapons- They are a deterrent, and have worked so far. Must be kept from average civilians, mental patients, and enemy nations that threaten us.

Minimum wage- Against, because it does not help or work.

additionally, i want god removed from the pledge and from money. the founding fathers left god out of the national motto, money, and the pledge for damned good reason.

Abortion- I am pro-choice. There are already enough kids around, if someone decides they are not ready or do not want to give birth they should not have to. If you believe abortion is wrong then go ahead and have the baby, but don't force your opinions on someone else's life.

Secularism- Is this a political thing? To me it is more an aspect of religion. I firmly believe in separation of church and state.

War- generally agaist, but there are cases when war is necessary, like to stop a genocide or something.

Military- Good for national security. Although I think too much money is spent on their weapons and not enough is spent on protecting the health of soldiers abroad.

Healthcare- I think it should be privatised.

Education- Higher standards for schools, I agree with the idea of a voucher system.

Welfare- There should be more assistance to families on welfare. Not money though, but programs that will make them more productive, independent citizens.

Tax system- I hate taxes. I'm really not that interested in them.

Social Security- It should be privatised.

Terrorism- If people are provoked to the point of terrorism, the government is at fault. I also think that people that are pushed to this point commit an atrocious crime.

Civil rights- Are good, discrimination is not acceptable.

Same sex marriage- If they are not harming anyone (which they aren't) and they love each other, then by all means let them have the benefits of marriage.

Economic system- Capitalist, free trade should be a goal that the country works towards, eliminating all subsidies and quotas.

Capital punishment- If someone is going to commit a crime, they should be ready to pay the consequences. However, I don't think we have a right to say who is allowed to live or die.

Smoking- If people want to smoke they should be allowed to smoke, but they should be considerate enough to do it where they won't affect people who don't want to smoke.

Drugs(Excluding Alcohol and Caffeine)- I will take the fifth on this one.

Colonialism- What is this imperialism? If it is imperialism I disagree with it.

Military intervention to stop human rights abuses- There is not a good enough survallience of the world, I think countries wait too long before offering aid in severe instances.

Civil gun ownership- Should be allowed.

Censorship- Should be lessened.

Copyright- I am for it. If a person doesn't think they will make money with a venture then they will be less inclined to be innovative. I think the copyright laws foster economic development.

Action to reduce the effects of climate change- Ehh...I don't know enough climate records to make an accurate call on this topic.

Animal rights- Killing animals should be only when it is necessary and should be done humainly.

Violence in video games- If there is a demand for it someone will create it. If parents are concerned about their children playing it, they should monitor their children.

Globalization- Is another term for imperialism. It is causing the loss of cultures in other areas of the world.

Nuclear weapons- No country is going to give them up or seriously use them, if they did it would be a stupid move and I think they know that.

Minimum wage- I think there are enough labor laws in place to protect workers from exploitation, plus it causes job loss.

Balanced Budget- No country is seriously going to ask that another country pay them back...but I think gov't spending should be purposeful and not excessive.

Stem Cell (Research) - Let people research whatever they want to research. They could find a cure for cancer or aids, you never know.

Energy- I don't know much about this topic.

Environment- Is a nice thing to have, discourage suburban sprawl.

Immigration- Immigration made this nation. The US should make it easier for skilled workers to come. At the same time temporary immigration during harvest seasons should be allowed.

(Labor) Unions - Give power to the workers to negotiate higher wages and job benefits. Allow them unless they are prohibiting the entry of new firms. Besides, they are on their way to extinction in the US anyway.

I find it odd that you praise free trade and attack globalization. Do you have a different definition of globalization than I do? I typically considered globalization to refer often to free trade programs as globalization is to me a term meaning the stronger world connectivity which free trade is a part of. Can I have clarification in the terms used?

In my mind the difference is what role the governemnt plays. Free trade is the theory that 'globalization' takes advantage of. There are subsidies, quotas, and import taxes that countries refuse to get rid of, yet they claim they are a globalized country. So IMO glabalization is a word developed countries came up with to push their demands on lesser developed countries while still protecting the industries that had enough political power but would become vulnerable to competition from the lesser developed countries.

Did I make sense?

So to you, free trade is simply market action, and globalization requires governmental action? Ok, I think that this is a matter of definition.

Yes, that is what I was trying to say. I couldn't find an easy way to say it.

Oh, saying things is what I am here for. I am a little curious though, you are a masters student interested in econometrics, right? Where do you study?

I attend A&M, but I study it mostly on my own. I didn't take an econometrics course as an undergraduate, this semester was the first time I have. They don't offer much in the way of studying econometrics through classes, but my committee is very good at helping me shape a program that lets me pursue my interest in it.