I believe in redistributionism.
I believe that the people who have the most in society have a responsibility to transfer some of their largesse to those who don't. And it is the role of government to oversee this transfer.
I believe not all of the poor are lazy.
I believe there are as many lazy rich people as there are lazy poor people.
I believe that improving the plight of the poor helps society more than improving the prospects of the rich. And if the government is going to do one, it has to do the other.
I believe taxes, at bottom, are just money. Money isn't everything. There is something very crass about obsessing over how much money one pays in taxes.
I believe "obsessing" and "being concerned about" are not the same thing.
I believe people who think redistribution and socialism are the same thing need a dictionary. Socialists believe the government should own and manage most businesses. Redistributionists believe society will be more successful if the richest people have to give a percentage of their income to help those who are at the bottom.
I believe the free market is the engine of our economy. I believe laws are the brakes. I don't believe in driving without brakes.
I believe people make mistakes. A mistake is not always the same as a crime. As such, the government is not in the business of punishing people, or even holding them accountable, for their mistakes.
I believe a society that measures success in terms of money dooms half of its citizens to failure, since statistically half of all people will perform below average.
I believe that the protection of personal property cannot be the first purpose of government. John Locke said the purpose of government was the protection of "life, liberty, and estate." Thomas Jefferson changed the phrase to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I believe old Tom was onto something.
I believe a philosophy that argues that the prime purpose of government is to make sure people keep what they earn has an existential problem. People usually keep what they have earned, with or without government. That's called survival of the fittest. If you believe in a society where the strong take what they can get, government is not necessary.
I believe the role of government is to make sure that those who have the most got what they have through fair play. If not, that is where the redistribution comes into the picture.
I believe America will not last much longer if we are going to continue to argue that the government is stealing when it taxes, and that it is unfair to the rich when government tries to help the poor.
I believe that opposing a tax increase is every citizen's right.
I believe that opposing a political candidate is every citizen's right.
I believe that in a democracy, majority rules. Once the election is over and once the tax law is agreed upon, an honest citizen stops complaining about the tax and the leadership and accepts that the majority has spoken, because that is what democracy is all about.
I believe the real debate should not be whether the government has a right to redistribute or not, but how much the government needs to redistribute. Our society is being needlessly hindered by empty, absolutist arguments.
I believe conservatives have a right to defend social traditions and institutions.
I believe rigging the system so the rich can keep what they have and accumulate more is not the same as defending traditions.
I believe a society that is rich enough to pay for health care for 85% of its citizens ought to be able to pay for 100% without much of a problem.
I believe global warming is a fact. In fact, I don't see why any belief is necessary here. Global warming is a scientific hypothesis and can be proven scientifically. What party politics has to do with it, I have no idea.
I believe voting is the essence of democracy. If people can't vote, there is no democracy. As such, every citizen should be presumed to be voting legally, and no one should be denied his voting right at the polls unless there is proof of fraud. The burden of proof for voter fraud should be on the accuser.
I believe in not having ill feelings towards my neighbor because of his or her political beliefs. I also believe that statement has to work both ways, if it is to work at all.