This is my 100th political soapbox!
Another victory for persistence!
Another victory for quantity over quality!
For those of you who have followed this sub-group of my blog activity, I thank you! I can tell by the page view counter on my blog, that these posts are being viewed, and in numbers greater than a lot of my other stuff.
The Saturday Political Soap Box began as notes on the note section of Facebook. They would often get a healthy chain of comments. Since moving to the blog, the number of comments have dramatically dwindled. Part of that is the great difficulty that many have in getting comments to post. I have set it to the most liberal (oh, yeah!) and open setting I can find, but it still requires some to jump through hoops and whistles just to comment. But even when I repost to Facebook, Twitter and/or Google Plus, I get very little feedback. I have posted MANY times my question asking conservatives to choose what they want done with healthcare, and they have NEVER responded.
I do get conservative responses when I repost a meme or story form someone else, but not usually my own stuff.
And yet......
I know they're viewed. I have people come up to me and specifically mention the Saturday Political soap Box as something they enjoy. I have a number of fans in Michigan, some who use my posts in their own political discussion groups.
So I will struggle on!
I have covered a wide range of political topics, so many that when current events seem to repeat themselves and fall into familiar patterns, I dust off old posts and just re-post them again. Why keep re-inventing the wheel if I've already done it?
For newcomers, and for others that are not clear of my basic views, here goes:
I consider myself to be Independent Progressive. Although not a traditional Liberal per se, I am close enough that I gladly accept that term. I seem like a Democrat because our politics have grown increasingly polarized. If you can find me a race where the Republican is more progressive than the Democrat, I will happily vote for him.
I vote first and foremost for candidates that will extend and improve access to the healthcare system. The Affordable Care Act is a vast improvement on what we had before, and is succeeding even beyond my expectations. I would love to see us move towards Medicare For All, and I do think we will eventually get there.
I support a top to bottom reform of our tax system, that would include the abolishment of traditional individual and corporate income taxes. My ideas would preserve the progressivity of the tax system, but do so in a way that is less burdensome to the average citizen.
I do not consider myself an isolationist, but I do believe diplomacy, humanitarian support and economic ties are more important than guns and military solutions.
I believe a balanced budget is a nice idea, but deficits and surpluses are sometimes necessary for government to fulfill its obligations. The Progressive Caucus has had a plan to balance the budget and eliminate the deficit and greatly reduce the debt, but it has been ignored by the mainstream media, and by corporate politicians of both parties.
I am proud to have voted for Barack Obama four times, in both primaries and general elections. I believe, even though he has run the country more to the center right than I like, that he has been an effective and pragmatic leader. He has been hampered by an opposition that is vicious and nasty beyond measure, and cares more about his destruction than they do about the country.
Although I will vote for Hilary Clinton in the general election, I reserve the right to support a more progressive candidate. If Elizabeth Warren runs, that will definitely be my candidate. If not, then I will support Bernie Sanders or another progressive candidate, as opposed to a corporate Democrat.
I have many other beliefs and positions, and the best way to see them is to explore the labels at the end of the blog post. I welcome any comment (except racist crap, or stuff where you attack other individual commentators), whether on the blog or other social media.
And unlike DC and Marvel comics and their traitorous renumbering, I promise to stick with my Soap Box numbering.
To #1,000 and beyond!
T. M. strait
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