Reply #83: Check

[Mattforclark]

- Can we at least agree on these issues? (In no particular order)

1. The Iraq invasion and occupation is illegal.

- I think that legality is an impossible concept to relate to war, especially when you are talking about international law. There is no clear supreme court or anything to say what the law is, and thus you have some people saying it is legal and some that it is illegal. I prefer to leave it at that. Rephrase it to 'The Iraq invasion and occupation was a bad idea' and I entirely agree.

2. A woman (and not the state) should have control over her own body.

- Yep.

3. That the 'war on drugs' is useless and oppressive and that drug 'abusers' should be sent to treatment, not jail. ( Like Limbaugh ). It's a health/medical, not criminal problem.

- Yep.

4. Public education is best because it serves all citizens equally, regardless of social status.

- Yep.

5. Environmental and business regulation is necessary in a free country.

- Yep.

6. That the Constitution / Bill of Rights should be the law of the land.

- Yep.

7. The Free Press has the responsibility / duty to inform the citizenry about their government so that their votes are based on 'informed consent'.

- Yep.

8. The separation of church and state.

- Yep.

9. The 'war on terrorism' is useless and oppressive and is being used by the Bush* administration and Republican party to advance their political agenda and stifle dissent.

- If you mean the phrase and its use as an overarching justification for anything and everything, yes. Al Qaeda & OBL are the 'enemy' (though I hesitate to use war terminology), not an abstract noun. In short, stop fooling ourselves and start protecting ourselves from real dangers.

10. That more than half the voting population doesn't vote because they've given up hope on the political system.

- Yep.

That's everything domestically and everything internationally with some slight changes of phrasing. But those are broad principles, and, of course, the devil is in the details.