Healthy, functional, beneficial people (on both the right and the left) tend to explore the negatives in their own psyches, focus on their immediate sphere of influence (friends, family, acquaintances), and tend to probe their own possible shortcomings, even when they are dead on.

Unhealthy, dysfunctional, takers (on both the right and the left) tend to repress their own psychological issues, project those issues on to other people or "the world," and feel self-righteous about their agenda for EVERYBODY (government).

"Are You Religious?"

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Almighty God in Heaven
Thank you for your powerful love toward me
and for my feelings of righteousness
Thy kingdom keep coming

Kind comfort food which art on my plate
Thank you for your ease of ingestion
and for filling me with your spirit
Fatten me full
Give me this day my daily you
For thine is the fullness

Gentle alcohol which art in the bottle
Thank you for your easy mixability
which is better than forgiveness
Make the world look like a better place
Deliver me from my soul
For thine is the numbness

Glorious social cause which art impressively rhetorical
Thank you for your noble appearance
and for making me better than Them who are unforgivable
Defeat all that I fear
Lead me not into self-questioning
For thine is the government funds

Majestic money which art in my wallet
Thank you for your transcendent symbolism
and for boundless hope
Tempt me only with what is obtainable
Satisfy desire
For thine is the stuff
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Take this one-question test learn your basic economic philosophy

Scenario:

You are one of 101 people living on an island. No one can leave the island and no new people will arrive. The 101 of you will establish the island's lifestyle and economy for the foreseeable future.

Resources (money, goods, supplies or other barter for trade) will arrive on the first of every month from some mysterious unknown source.

You all must vote for one of the following two options. Which would you prefer?:

1. Each month, $10,100 worth of resources will arrive. The resources will be distributed equally. Each person will receive $100 dollars worth of resources each month.

2. Each month, $12,000 worth of resources will arrive.

• The resources will be distributed equally, with two exceptions. 99 of you will receive $100 each month, while two of you - the same two people each month - will receive $1,000 each month. 
• The two who receive $1,000 a month will pay a fair hourly wage to anyone who wants to work for them, for as many hours as they wish to work. Thus, those who want to earn more than their $100 per month will be able to do so, by working for one or both of those who have the most resources.
• Both of those who have the most resources will be completely free to hoard what they have, or invest in the services or of others, as they see fit.

One last factor:

Every three months, the "mysterious unknown source" will adjust the amount of resources it sends each month (and thus the percentages each island inhabitant receives). If the "mysterious unknown source" sees that the island is being faithful and productive with the resources that are being sent, it will raise the amount. If not, the amount will be lowered.

Choose #1 or #2, then read the following:

If you would choose #1, you are closer to being an economic progressive/socialist, are more likely to support the rhetoric of Democrats.

If you would choose #2, you are closer to being an economic conservative/capitalist, are more likely to support the rhetoric of the Republicans.

Global Harming

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Girl standing outside the local library, taking a survey for a class project, asks, "Do you believe in global warming?"

Response:

Of course I believe in global warming. The earth has been going through alternate periods of warming and cooling for a very long time. Every educated person knows that.

Now let me tell you what your teacher really wants this conversation to be about:

Do I believe -

#1: That there is an unusual degree of global warming going on right now.

#2: That the warming is caused primarily by human beings.

#3: That if it goes unchecked, there will be irreparable damage to human life on earth.

#4: That business and industry in the United States should be significantly checked in order to avoid tragedy.

My response to all four:

Since there has been no credible, public examination of the possible political agenda behind such ideas, and since scientific fraud receives nowhere near the public attention it deserves, there are higher priority issues about which an intelligent person should currently be concerned.
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