ACers; personal preferences
 

I'm assuming that most libertarians and ACers have personal preferences which are not always socially liberal and fiscally laissez faire. For example, it's possible to be personally opposed to abortion, but to hold the belief that it's a private decision. It's possible to think drugs are bad, but to think everyone has the right to use them anyways. And it's possible to favor high redistribution of income, but to think that a state (or anyone) is not entitled to force it.

So (with all the talk about AC lately), it dawned on me that I was curious what personal ideologies various ACers might hold (i.e. what their political ideologies might be if they thought the state was legitimate). I'm basically just curious, because I think some of the ACers on here are interesting, but all we ever really hear from them is their AC positions, which might not say much about what they actually value. I figure ACers (personally) range anywhere from devout hippies to staunch social conservatives, and I figure you all have different views on sharing your money with the less privileged and whatnot. But obviously you never talk about that, because your belief that these things are all personal decisions makes your personal beliefs irrelevant to your arguments.

I don't know if this thread will really work, because talking about your personal preferences isn't something y'all probably care much about doing. But hopefully I've phrased my question well enough to give it a shot. It could be interesting.

So to any ACers who want to answer: Do/did you smoke pot? Do you own guns? If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? Do you give a lot to charity? If your son was gay, how would you feel about that?

Re: ACers; personal preferences
 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/4...392dcd28_s.jpg

PONIES FOR ALL!!

J/K [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I highly doubt that you're going to find many ACists who are social conservatives [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I happen to think most recreational drug use is pretty dumb and often self-destructive but I'd obviously never want to force anyone not to take them.

I really can't think of anything that I'd like the state to handle because I honestly believe the state, in total, always makes the situation worse. Market inefficiencies are almost always brought about in the first place by actions of the state.

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I really can't think of anything that I'd like the state to handle because I honestly believe the state, in total, always makes the situation worse.

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I didn't really mean what would you want the state to handle. More... like, how would you raise your kids? If we did live in AC land, would your neighbors think of you as "the conservative guy" or "the crazy hippy"?

Most people just associate extreme libertarians as thinking drugs are good, etc. Even though really the only stance necessary is that you don't want the state handling it. Whether you personally think drug use is a good thing is a separate issue.

Maybe my question is still not clear, and maybe it was a bad one. But I guess I was more or less wondering what kind of people y'all are.

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I highly doubt that you're going to find many ACists who are social conservatives [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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Oh, and ya, I wouldn't think we'd be likely to have many on here. But you would agree, right, that it's possible to think drugs are bad, that guns are unsafe, that gay marriage is a bad thing, etc., but still to hold the overriding view that the state should not handle any of it (so you'd still be an ACist).

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I highly doubt that you're going to find many ACists who are social conservatives [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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I found it surprising how many ACists are anti-abortion. No need to discuss the merits here, but just to say I was surprised.

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So to any ACers who want to answer: Do/did you smoke pot? Do you own guns? If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? Do you give a lot to charity? If your son was gay, how would you feel about that?

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1) Don't smoke pot or do any drugs. Don't drink much either.
2) Family owns some guns. Will likely own some in the future.
3) I am absolutely not ok with abortion.
4) I don't have much to give right now (college student), but I give some. I also support The Hunger Site, which is free.
5) I would not be very happy, but I'd still love him.

You could probably call me socially conservative on quite a few issues, but I can't stand most of the outspoken social "conservatives" (Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, etc).

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Oops, I somehow skimmed the last line and didn't see the questions [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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So to any ACers who want to answer: Do/did you smoke pot? Do you own guns? If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? Do you give a lot to charity? If your son was gay, how would you feel about that?

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1. I take anything for a legitimate medical reason eg advil for pain, coffee for tiredness etc. I haven't taken anything that's currently illegal but I would take pot if there was a legitimate reason to take it.

2. I own a shotgun but it lives at my parents place. When I have my own place I'll bring it over and take up trap shooting again.

3. I think abortion should be legal but I'd never want to do it.

4. Not enough cash yet but I would if I found a good cause. I'll give to libertarian political campaigns too in a spread-the-word effort.

5. No issue at all. I'd be a little sad for him because I know how hard it can be, but obviously no problem at all.

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I'm not a hardcore ACist yet, but I'm getting there.


Do/did you smoke pot? yeah. I view pot as less risky and healthier than smoking/alcohol (and also more fun) though. I used to have a really bad stigma associated with pot, but after doing some research I was surprised that it was illegal. I don't think I'd try much harder drugs than pot, I prefer to be addicted to as little things as possible (never been addicted to pot...not sure you can be).

Do you own guns? I will probably within 2 years

If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? yeah, although I'm not sure I'd ultimately make that decision.

Do you give a lot to charity? no, I plan to not donate much to charities unless I find something really important. I haven't been convinced of any charities in my lifetime, although I have not done much research.

If your son was gay, how would you feel about that? I'd rather not b/c I'm somewhat awkward around gay people (not much experience), so I'm not sure I could be a good father to him, but maybe if I matured more (I'm 23 now) it might be fine.

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I enjoy smoking weed but I don't do it often because it costs money and I'm cheap. That and I'm more of a beer guy. In the past I've bought a couple onces at a time, sold most of them to friends at parties and smoked some of the profits. This is actually very easy to do when your in your teens or early 20s.

Other then doing coke once and oxycodon once I haven't done any other drugs then weed and alcohol, and while I don't plan to I'm not entirely closed to the possibly of it. Seeing my friend have to go through rehab sure does hurt that possibility though.

I don't own any guns but it's likely I will in the future, if for nothing else but for hunting which I moderately enjoy.

In this stage of my life (19) If I got someone pregnent I'd do my best to convince the baby moma to abort it, and although obviously no one knows for sure, I don't think I'd feel bad about it. I'm only going to be young once, I don't feel like spending them raising a kid just cause a condom broke.

Poor college kid, so very little donated to charity. Honestly I could see myself giving money to charity when I'm in a better position in my life though. In fact I could see myself starting some type of libertarian foundation in the future if I had the chance.

I would love my son no matter what his social orientation was but I'd obviously prefer he be straight if for nothing else but to avoid the social stigma attached to it.

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I'm an anarchist. Not sure yet if I'm anarchocapitalist or something else. Definitely leaning a lot in that direction.

I believe both pot and psychedelics are safe and even extremely beneficial if used intelligently and by the right people. They both have tremendous power for mental deconditioning and creativity, though this power can be hard to handle. I think that's a big part of why these drugs are illegal... they can get you thinking a lot more freely than the powers that be want you to be thinking.

If I'm a capitalist, it's only because there's no better way that's voluntary. I would encourage maximum redistribution of wealth, as long as it's voluntary, even to the point of abolishing private property

That said, I'm not much for charity. Partly because I'm very hypocritical, but also because I'd rather keep my money and use it to make a difference in my own way, even if that happens in the distant future, than trust it to someone else whose priorities/abilities I don't know much about.

I'm very loosely theistic, but I think morality is socially constructed, so there's no right or wrong, only wise decisions and ignorant decisions.

I think abortion is fine, because there's nothing inherently bad about death in the way I view metaphysics. Certainly something to avoid though if at all possible, because of pain it can cause to those involved.

If I ever have kids, I'd welcome a gay son. Hopefully by the time I'm at that stage of life it'll be a more accepting world. I don't even see a need for the division. To me it's like distinguishing between people based on their favorite color or something. Who cares?

Edit: forgot guns. I don't like them, and I'd like to live in a world without them, but since we don't, I'm all for gun rights.

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I fall pretty close to the hippie range of the spectrum. I hate guns and have no desire to own one. I'm completely fine with many drugs although I don't do any myself (anymore). I like to recycle. I'm a staunch animal rights advocate, which is something I'm skeptical about AC handling well. I value eating free range meat when I can, although it's a real pain to do regularly. I would have zero problems with a gay child, male or female and am even slightly offended that you limited that question to one gender. I don't give money to charity, but I plan to whenever my own finances are solid, probably something involving children.

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Drugs: drugs can be great things, if chosen, treated and used correctly. I have used psychedelic mushrooms. Drugs can be very harmful if chosen, treated and used incorrectly. But that goes for just about anything.

Abortion: I view moral agency (and the resulting negative rights theory) as a sliding scale between full moral agency (a ~14 year old healthy person) and property (at the age of abortion: a piece of meat with the mental capacity of an earthworm). So I view the immorality of mistreatment of agents with a varying degree of their moral agency. To conclude: I really couldn't care less what you do with earthworms. On the other hand I have an big respect for people's property, and parents value their offspring *highly*; probably more than anything.

Charity: I view charity as creating a dependency-relationship. I you want to help people you want to make sure that they have relationships of value. For example if they work, it's win-win. So I think it's much more helpful to be an entrepreneur and create jobs.

Homosexuality: I don't intend to beat people's natural values out of them. In fact, quite the opposite.

Environment: all the stuff you see people doing today to 'help the environment' seems utterly moot to be. The real problems are much bigger than all the stuff you can do yourself. It has to do with property, ownership, and the problem of the commons.

Guns: at this moment I'm still scared of lethal guns. I would much prefer to have a defensive weapon myself. For example: rubber bullets or, even better, the ones that shoot little packs of sand that have the impact of a professional boxer giving a hit. On the other hand I do see the value lethal guns have of the potential to scare off people who want to hurt me or take my property (because they are simply risking more).

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Thanks for the replies. As I suspected, you guys vary a bit in your personal views. I'm not an ACist (not technically anyways). I think the lack of trying to force all these various views upon others is a very admirable quality. And I think it's something people tend to forget, since in the heat of debate it always feels like everyone is trying to convince everyone else to think like them.

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Thanks for the replies. As I suspected, you guys vary a bit in your personal views. I'm not an ACist (not technically anyways). I think the lack of trying to force all these various views upon others is a very admirable quality. And I think it's something people tend to forget, since in the heat of debate it always feels like everyone is trying to convince everyone else to think like them.

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http://uob.zarum.de/forum/images/smilies/daumen.gif

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Do/did you smoke pot? Used to smoke it a lot. Now, only very seldomly and only for special events/experiences. Pot is more destructive than most of its advocates make it out to be, it's just that the destruction is very, very subtle. You don't get sick or hungover, you just become a bit relaxed and lazy due to the lowered testosterone levels. This, combined with the high availability and safety of the substance makes it very appealing to do it frequently. Over time, though, it helps cultivate a very unmotivated mental paradigm that is far too content with things; it's good for a while, but it can lead you toward a lower quality of life, and make it harder to move up.

Still, it's a LOT safer than alcohol. Used occasionaly it's pretty harmless.

Do you own guns? I recently moved states. As soon as I get my driver's license changed, I'm applying for a handgun purchaser's permit ASAP.

If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? I'd push the bitch down a flight of stairs belly first if she didn't.

Do you give a lot to charity? Practically nothing. I'm a bit pinched financially at the moment, but honestly I'm not terribly impressed with most charities and non-profit organizations. After having viewed some budgets of local NPO's when I worked paralegal, I was pretty disgusted by how much is getting sucked up in administration fees (non-profit my ass). Personally I think business does far more for the betterment of humanity than charity ever will.

If your son was gay, how would you feel about that? I'd give him a high five. Now I don't have to worry about poorly planned grandkids.

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Hmk,

I agree with your thoughts on weed. On one hand, I can say being exposed to it definitely improved my life. And I realize that's quite a statement to make. I'm pretty sure it opened my mind, or at least expanded it, in a very good way. And I think it's made me more comfortable with my view of the world.

On a completely different note, it can also be nice after a frustrating day of poker. Sit down, smoke a bowl, have a beer and a nice meal, and forget about the day. Helps make the daily grind more doable. I've actually played high for a couple weeks before to get through a losing streak. It probably comes across as stoner rationalization, but I firmly believe (at that time) that I was definitely better off being in the right mood to play, rather than be more aware but dreading what I'm doing.

But otoh, what you say is very true. The people who say weed is great and harmless are as full of [censored] as what the government or a church might say about it. I agree that it's better than beer or cigarettes, but you really need to understand what it can do to you when you abuse it.

Re: ACers; personal preferences
 

Hmk's and your posts don't seem to adhere to my experience. Pot actually tends to increase my attention span, and therefore productivity a lot, strangely enough. I am normally overly anxious and get restless quickly. Pot, at low to moderate levels (can't stress that part enough) calms me down enough to improve my concentration quite a bit, and even more importantly seems to totally kill the procrastination impulse. Anything I do is fun and engrossing, even if it's hard work. One of my favorite things to do after toking is read something challenging or watch a very subtle film or check out art/music I normally find it hard to appreciate... stuff in that vein. I use it pretty sporadically though, and I definitely do notice the downsides you guys are referring to when I smoke too much.

Re: ACers; personal preferences
 

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If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion? I'd push the bitch down a flight of stairs belly first if she didn't.

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bzzzzzt. not at all humorous.

Re: ACers; personal preferences
 

Abortion is an issue that I have long been torn about. The two competing arguments are as follows:

1. Neither scientists nor politicans can assert when life truly begins. Most demarcations are arbitrary. Therefore we should err on the side of life, as perhaps not to infringe on the rights of the unborn. Even if the unborn is property of the woman.

2. Contraception is a very important thing. It pains me continually when I read stories about the urban poor in third world countries having 6 or 7 kids in desolate poverty. No matter what I believe, women in desperate situations will still seek abortions, and their health will many times be threatened by its illegal nature. Moreover, the health of mother isn't just pertinent to her - I think it in a very real way affects the health of the other siblings. It seems facetious, that for a developing clump of cells, we should ensure that 4 children starve rather than having one healthy child live.

Ideological vs. utilitarian. Right now, I lean more towards the utilitarian argument, but it very much conflicts me in discussing the issue.

Re: ACers; personal preferences
 

I definitely get increased pleasure in most things I do. But my thing is I'll just put things off that need to be done if they don't seem particularly exciting. I don't really enjoy reading when I'm stoned. My favorite thing to do is play things like pool, ping pong, beirut (really any sport or pseudo sport that isn't heavy on the running... I hate physical exertion when I'm stoned). Or if I'm just by myself, I don't know why, but I love watching the animal channel on TV. Shows about criminals are really cool too. And playing with my dog is also awesome.

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Do/did you smoke pot?

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Occasionally. I don't think it's that harmful but smoking it all the time probably isn't a good thing.

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Do you own guns?

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No, but because of logistical problems. I live at school now (campus= gun-free zones obv) and when I live at home on vacations and during the summer, my parents have said hell no to me having a gun in the house. Once I graduate and get my own place, I will most certainly buy and own a handgun.

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If you had an accidental pregnancy, would you be OK with abortion?

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Probably not. Abortion is a complicated issue but I pretty much feel the same way as BCPVP and perhaps other ACists. Obviously as an ACist, I wouldn't stop people from having them but who knows how the issue will evolve over the next 20, 30, 50 years.

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Do you give a lot to charity?

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With poker being my only source of income over my four college years, I've been up and down financially. In the times I was doing good, I would give some cash to charities when I could. Tsunami relief, Katrina relief, local charities, etc.

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If your son was gay, how would you feel about that?

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I'm sure it would come as a disappointment at first, but I wouldn't shun him. I'd always be a supportive and loving father as long as my kid is a good person.