I think "political moralizing" is really important, so you can find out what the positions of a politician are and it is part of their job to tell us what to do.
Wow that's a scary consept... a part of a politicians job is to tell us what to do??? - really?

No it isn't my Finlandian friend :)
It's a politicians job to tell me what they think I can and cannot do when it comes to societal matters but most certainly not when it comes to personal matters... period!!!

How much taxes we have to pay
That a societal matter... the government needs taxes to pay for projects for the commen good (welfare, infrastucture, police, firedepartment, libraries, etc.)... so yes they are able to tell me what I have to pay in taxes...

What drugs we are allowed to take
That's a personal matter (as long as I don't drive under the influence, etc.)... so no they should not be able to tell me what drugs to take or not take (I know they do but that doesn't make it right)...

In which cases we are allowed to use how much violence
Violence is a societal matter... because violence per definition always infringes on someone elses rights (and your right to swing your arms violently about stops where my nose begins) and the defending of everybodys rights (especially the weaks rights from the tyranny of the strong) is probably the goverments finest reason to exist...

Where the limits of free speech are
Wow that's scary... the governments job is to decide where the limits of free speech are??? are you nuts???

Sure now it's just burning Qurans which most people agree is just stupid... but what happens when the government decides that criticism of the government falls outside of free speech... acording to you they have the right to do so... what then? what about the right to assembly... does that fall under the governments job to decide wheater it shoudl be allowed? what about...?

That's a dangerous slipping slide to go down my friend... so let me help you... the limit to free speech doesn't exist... free speech have NO!!! limits... period!!! and any government involvement in free speech issues (that isn't to protect someones free speech) better not happen on my watch (that's all I'm saying) :)

How fast we are allowed to drive
Under our limited technical application it's a societal matter because driving to fast kills people and again defending the weak from the strong is why we have a government in the first place... so yes they have the right to tell me how fast I can go in my car (but that said... in my world a much better solution to deaths in traffic would be to demand of carmakers that they build them fittet with cameras and radar and... etc. so they can't crash... but that's just me)...

Therefore it is important to know as much as possible about the moral framework they use to make their decisions
Not really... as long as they stay in their framework of limiting themselves to societal matters and staying out of personal matters their moral reasoning for doing things have no bearing only the limits they put up...

It didn't matter that Bush Jr. was Christian he still went to war, started boundless wiretappings, tortured in Quantanamo, etc...

It didn't matter that Obama was a progressive he still closed Acorn, escalated the war in Afghanistan, gave more power to the private insurance agencies with healthreform, expanded the patriot act, etc...

What you judge a politician on is what he does and what limits he put on your freedoms and not his morals... his stated morals are irrelevant... period!

The ethical development of the human race (or even the American people) is just not far enough to make Anarchy or Libertarism valuable possibilities
Wow your faith in your fellow man is really low isn't it :)
Well we have discussed this before and you know where I stand on Libertarianism and Anarchy so let's leave this one to the previous discussions... suffice to say I disagree :D

If they are also telling you what you should do, you can judge better in which direction they will go, when it comes to deciding what you are allowed to do
Like I said above... the notion that 'stated morals = actions consistent with that moral' is just so laughable it's not even funny... politicians lie and will say anything you want to hear to get you to vote for them (and that goes for all of them)... what you judge them on is not what they say but on what they do... and in that respect morals are (not to repeat myself) irrellevant :D

Love Thothlike

by Thothlike on 09/10/2010 05:38:59 PM EST

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