annoyatron: tumbleweed and crickets

My take on the world, as it is…

After having discussions with several individuals of various political homage I have decided to express some of my opinions on the current political climate in the United States of America as well as various topics of interest.

First off, this is a Tumblr post. Don’t get your panties in a twist, m’kay?

Democracy versus Republic

The United States of America is not a Democracy. It is a Republic. We elect our representatives through voting, something that may be construed as a “democratic process.” This does not mean it is a Democracy.

If America was a democracy we would get to vote on things like whether or not America invades Iraq. The majority would decide the outcome, not our elected representatives. The government would abide by that vote and act accordingly.

Dictatorships allow their populace to vote. Sure, it’s rigged from the ground up, but it’s still a vote. Does that count as a democracy? No.

Get it right the first time and stop your yammering about living in a democracy. If you want the majority to decide on major issues; move to a country like Sweden where you will be involved in deciding whether or not the country joins the EU, adapts the Euro, and other important decisions.

Now, some of you are going to delve deep into semantics and start arguing about what a democracy really is. Is it a true democracy? Alright, just give it a rest. America is not a democracy. It is by definition a republic.

Immigration Laws

As far as I know it is still a federal crime to enter this country without going through the process of acquiring either a green card, visa, tourist visa, visa waiver or similar. They are called “illegal immigrants” for a reason. Sure, you may sugar-coat it and change the term to “undocumented immigrants.” That does not change the fact that you need to have documentation to stay in this country legally.

Just because a major part of people decide to commit a crime does not make it legal. According to that reasoning, if enough people commit murder we should look the other way and cut them some slack because there’s so many of them.

You may argue that the illegal immigrants still pay sales tax on goods that they purchase with money they obtain without going through the system. Sales tax makes up for a minute part of a state’s tax income. Most of us pay hefty amounts to both the federal government and the state we reside in because we are legally employed and honest citizens. This includes Medicare, for instance.

If we are to give amnesty to these illegal immigrants I want all legal immigrants to receive a refund of all form fees they had to pay along with their fingerprints, chest x-rays, as well as their immigration documentation destroyed and expunged from all governmental systems. Fair should be fair.

Gun Control

People fear that which they do not understand. Firearms may be a scary concept to some because they feel that these firearms could be used in some type of nefarious act. Sure, that is very well possible. Will law-abiding citizens and residents use their firearms in such a manner? No. If you ban guns you literally disarm the law-abiding citizen.

Trust me, the criminal elements of this country will still have fully automatic AK-47’s and rocket launchers once we ban guns. You don’t believe me? Take a look at countries like Sweden and Great Britain. The crime rate for armed robberies, home invasions, and the like are about two to three times as high as it is in America. Why? Because the criminals know that as soon as they have a firearm they can do whatever they want without opposition.

Then again, I could stop you cold with my ballpoint pen. Should we ban them as well because they could be used as weapons? Hell, if I kick you hard enough in the right spot you will die. Can I still walk on my legs or do I have to ride a wheelchair for the rest of my life?

Freedom of Speech

If some underprivileged farmer in Afghanistan burns the American flag he is allowed his freedom of speech and should be heard. If I decide to go out and burn the Afghani flag I will be labeled a racist and a bigot. How does that compute?

Religion

It has to be stated, I am not of any particular religious affiliation. I am not atheist, since I believe that not believing in something that someone else believes in is a pretty retarded, illogical, and circular concept. I reserve my right to go any damn way I please. That said, let’s get on with it.

A hypothetical cartoonist from Denmark depicts Muhammad through a less than favorable image. The results are a fatwa, a death warrant. An attempt is made at his life because the Qur’an clearly states that any depiction of the prophet is a crime and it should be punished.

Apparently religious views supersede laws of any kind.

America can be considered a Christian country in many aspects. Since this leaves our options fairly open we do not have to stick to the New Testament. Let’s go all Old Testament on them! But hold your horses, of course we can’t act like that, we have to let the dissenters practice their religion without limits, even if that means that old men in Nordic countries are going to get assassinated just because they happened to think of a funny depiction of the Prophet!

People make fun of Jesus and God all the damn time. Do you see anybody being stoned in the square for having a tattoo of Jesus or Maria on their body? No.