Since you asked...

So, my BFF in Massachusetts asked me today, what is my political persuasion?  

Well, that's a very interesting question.  I guess I'm not any one thing.  (Sit back and take a breath, I'm about to go on a rant...)

I am passionate about personal responsibility.  I am not necessarily in favor of the inter-generational transfer of personal wealth. I believe in the necessity of paying taxes, but strongly believe that our government is a steward of those moneys and must be held accountable for spending them in a wise fashion, to create a sustainable society.  I believe that we are all responsible for creating a world that our children and our children's children can live in with a reasonable degree of comfort.  

I believe that our elected representatives should be allowed to serve as long as they are able to do so, in a responsible and fair fashion.  I believe that the government is us, and we are the government.  I believe that the government has a role to play in ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our society have the minimum needed to live adequately.  I believe that the government that governs least, governs best, but that it must indeed govern.  

I am aghast at the vast disparity in wealth in this country.  I am even more aghast in which individuals in this society seem to be able to accumulate obscene amounts of wealth in exchange for efforts which, while valuable, are ancillary (perhaps) to the basic needs of everyone's life.  

I will not tolerate discrimination against those members of our society on the basis of someone's religion, or someone's skin color, or someone's ethnic heritage, or someone's sexual orientation, or someone's political leanings.  I do not believe that people should have the right to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre without some consequence.  

I believe most strongly in personal responsibility, and in keeping one's word.  I detest hypocrasy.  I detest "drama queens".  I detest pettifogging nitpickers.  I detest with all my heart phonies of all stripes.  I detest prevaricators and liars.  (White lies to save the feelings of one's loved ones may be OK... do NOT tell me my new dress makes me look like Shamu, ok?)  

I cannot understand why this country is unable or unwilling to invest in its own future, by ensuring that our infrastructure is maintained and brought up to 21st Century standards.  I am appalled at the knee-jerk reaction to many initiatives of the Federal government, simply because they are that.  

I am despondent about the "me first" attitude I see throughout all sectors of this society.  I have faith in our heritage.  I have faith in the fundamental fairness of the bulk of the American people.  

I have a firm belief that almost every parent wants the same things for their children: that they have a full tummy, a warm and safe bed to sleep in, and a chance to be whatever they want.  

I am saddened by the fact that our jails are so full of people, whether or not one believes that they truly ought to be there.  I am appalled at the callousness of many people toward their fellow men/women.  I am saddened that there is still so much need in this country of plenty.  

I am amazed that there are many who demand "rights" for people who have not complied with the laws of this land; at the same time, I am filled with compassion for people whose lives in their own countries are so horrendous that they will chance death to come to the US to work in menial jobs.  

I am ashamed of my own judgmental nature, and my failure to live up to my basic human requirements: to be compassionate to my fellow man, to love my fellow man as I love myself, and to do unto others as I would have done unto me.  I smack myself in the head regularly for not paying attention to the beam in my eye, while carping about the mote in my fellow man's eye.  

I'm sorry we don't have a monarch (sometimes).  I wish our Congress was more like the Parliament of England.  (I just love the Prime Minister's Question Time...)  

I am appalled at the exaltation of "shareholder value" (which isn't really anything to do with shareholders) over creating a sustainable business model which would support all the employees in a meaningful fashion.  I am saddened by the over-reaching greed of many corporations and their lackeys.  

I am depressed about the tendency to measure a person's worth by the size of their bank account.  I get really depressed about the unfairness of it all.  

I am always uplifted by the spirit of the American people when faced with a tragedy or a crisis. I love our traditions and our customs.  I am proud to be from New York, where a multitude of cultures and traditions swirled around into a great melange of wonderful opportunities.  

I hate the fact that there is still no meaningful mass transit in the San Francisco Bay Area (including, my friends, the Silicon Valley)...

So, what does that make me?  Well, I've been registered as a member of the Democratic Party for years -- longer than I can remember.  I've voted in just about every election that I've been eligible to vote in since I did register to vote, way back when.  Yes, I suck in my breath when I write that check to the IRS every year, but mostly because I know the money (or most of it) will be shredded and sucked into a black hole on a war that ought never have been started, or on programs that are bogus to the extreme.  I guess I'm a quasi-monarchist Socialist on most days... Sometimes I veer toward New Deal Democratic.  Some times, sort of Republican.  Oh, darn, who knows.

This question is right in the forefront of my brain right now.  I'm watching Bill Clinton address the Democratic Convention.  Love him or hate him, he is one heck of a speaker.  (Much like the Dear Leader of The Company, but better...)  He could sell ice cubes to eskimos, I think...  He is unbelievable...  I don't think he really got the recognition he deserves.  (OK, he has got some personal issues but I'm beginning to think that many men are weak of spirit and tend to stray in the physical sense, kind of like stray dogs...)  Thank you, Bill!  One heck of a speech -- but way too short for you!!!  Not even half an hour!!!  We wuz robbed!!!

Isn't this an amazing time in our history?  For the first time, an African-American man is the candidate of a major political party.  And his challenger, right until the last minute, is a woman! (Hey, I'm still irritated that he didn't choose Hillary as his running mate -- I think that ticket would have won the election hands down -- but for some reason, no one called to ask me my opinion...)  Wow...  Who would have thunk it?  What a time to be alive...  Now, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the election isn't marred by some stupid technical issue (hanging chads, anyone?), that the campaigns are not nasty and filthy (yeah, right, sure), and that the wisdom of the masses comes out of it.

And that's all I have to say for tonight.  The timer on the stove is beeping, time to pull the ribs out of the oven, slap the potato salad on the table, and dive in!

Take care, all...  Remember, whatever your political persuasion, it is your DUTY and OBLIGATION to REGISTER and to VOTE!!!!  YES, IT IS!!!

Peace out...