A Right Hook and Left Jab

My dialogue with Manimal Farm vis-à-vis my last posting got me pondering what parts of my personal convictions would raise the hackles of those on the left and on the right of the political spectrum. An unfortunate consequence of trying to stake out middle ground is that you invoke the ire of TWO factions. So without further ado, I bring you:

Beliefs to Annoy the Right

I am an agnostic. There - I said it. I believe in a higher power but I don’t profess to know what shape this higher power takes. I respect and encourage the beliefs of others as long as they come from a good place. I don’t think God, Allah, Ganesha or any other deity would want followers to kill in His/Her name. More people in the world don’t believe in your religion than do - does this mean that the non-believers are going to hell? I think that as long as they live honest and productive lives, they’ll get into whatever pearly gates are open in the afterlife. I am proof positive that not all Harper supporters are religious zealots.

I believe in helping the less fortunate. Charity is the noblest of human undertakings. Without it, we are as opportunistic as vultures. One day I hope humanity eradicates poverty. Not all people are downtrodden out of sheer laziness – it can happen out of circumstance or bad luck.

Prostitution should be legalized. They don’t call this the world’s oldest profession for nothing. Making prostitution illegal drives it underground. This only benefits the criminals and the spread of disease. As long as any sexual undertakings are consensual and between adults, I don’t believe it’s government’s place to get involved.

I am ok with abortion. If you are not willing to ensure that you will provide the proper emotional and financial care of a child you will be bringing into this world, that child might be better off not being born. I refer any reader to Freakonomics Chapter 4. They make a much more compelling case than I ever could.

Beliefs to Annoy the Left

I am a fiscal conservative. I firmly believe that all resources are finite. As such, we must make tough choices to optimize and leverage these finite resources. This means that education, poverty, homelessness, animal shelters, etc. will never get all the money they may need or ask for.

All people are not equal. While it would be nice if the former were false, the statistical bell curve proves otherwise. Some people are taller, smarter or faster and some develop quicker than others. Any politically correct attempts to “mercy pass” students who are not ready for the next grade may make them feel good about themselves in the short run but is setting them up for dismal failure when they eventually hit the real world.

Not all people are worthy of charity. A small contingent of people that rely on welfare, etc. cheat the system. This steals resources from families that actually merit these payments. If there was a system that weeded these cheats out, I would be all for it. I also believe that if you are on some form of government support, you should not be entitled to own a pet. There is something wrong about a ward of the state having wards of their own, be they children or pets.

Bringing children into the world that you cannot provide for financially OR emotionally is child cruelty. Poverty activists love to break out the number of adults and children living in poverty. Why do these activists always forgive the adults for bringing a child into the world that they cannot care for? I would have loved to have children earlier in my life but I elected to wait until I was emotionally and financially ready. Why are others immune from doing this too? There is a plethora of free birth control at medical clinics so the costs of same cannot be an excuse. If you cannot afford children (or pets) with your own means, don’t have them.