And the Survey SAYS...
A few weeks ago we asked you, the Atlas Shrugged community, to fill out an anonymous online survey. Thousands of you responded and, while we will NEVER divulge any personally identifiable information about any of our members, following are some very interesting meta results.
Gulch, here's who we are...
- - -
Sex
29% Female
71% Male
- - -
Age
6% Under 30
26% 30-49
43% 50-65
23% Over 65
- - -
Marital Status
15% Single
4% Cohabitating
66% Married
10% Divorced
2% Widowed
- - -
Political Affiliation
2% Democrat
18% Independent
23% Libertarian
35% Republican
16% Tea Party
- - -
Voted in the 2012 Presidential Election
93% Voted
3% Did not vote
3% Not registered to Vote
- - -
Gulch, here's who we are...
- - -
Sex
29% Female
71% Male
- - -
Age
6% Under 30
26% 30-49
43% 50-65
23% Over 65
- - -
Marital Status
15% Single
4% Cohabitating
66% Married
10% Divorced
2% Widowed
- - -
Political Affiliation
2% Democrat
18% Independent
23% Libertarian
35% Republican
16% Tea Party
- - -
Voted in the 2012 Presidential Election
93% Voted
3% Did not vote
3% Not registered to Vote
- - -
Previous comments... You are currently on page 6.
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville
Pretty sure at the time of this writing, Congress was all MALE.
The problems always stem from lack of property rights. Property rights' erosion accounts for massive debt, govt over-reach, govt spying on its citizens, graft and gratuity, lack of economic growth and wealth creation. Women cannot be blamed for the decisions of legislators and judges. They are in the minority of decision making power currently and past. As long as enough people in a group feel it's ok to steal an individual's property and ignore their rights, we are doomed to eventual failure.
If you tolerate stupidity, you get more of it.
Then a demonstration of the two systems: The scientists can predict and demonstrate while the religious types could show how their beliefs operate by praying a miracle into being.
The second biggest problem is related to the first: The top-down power structure that has the Feral government making decisions for every community in the Nation. I see this as a direct (and indirect) result of the Supreme's decision in Wickard v. Filburn where they basically decided that every action that "affects" interstate commerce, regardless of how tangential or trivial the effect, is itself "interstate commerce" and subject to congressional control. Whether you have sex with your wife is, under this definition, "interstate commerce" because you may or may not have a child who will someday buy or sell or do something that will affect interstate commerce.
To resolve a large portion of this Country's woes, the first step should be to hold politicians accountable (as in, "send the crooks to prison"). The second step should be to cut the Federal government back to its Constitutional roots - that is, slash its budget by 85%-95%. If a power is not explicitly granted by the Constitution, it is not a legitimate power of the Feral government.
In truth, I am often surprised at how entire groups of people seem to forget what their goals are - and how easily sidetracked they are. There seems to be nowhere, except among the enemies of freedom - any single-minded drive towards... anything.
For another "sexist" read, check out "Weak Link". It's been out for a while, but it's a good assessment of why women do NOT belong in the military... which is topical due to the recent decision by the command structure to further endanger men in combat zones by burdening them with women.
http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/20...
Nope. Science. In fact the CEEB went to great lengths to gender-norm the CLEP exam for Physics and ultimately discovered they could get gender-normed answers - OR - they could test aptitude for doing physics. Not both. Interestingly, where problems called for rote application of a formula, or arithmetic computation, women actually surpassed men. Where they collapsed was in abstract reasoning, and advanced computation.
And this is just a tiny sample of the differences.
But quite beyond that, women are more risk averse than men. Look around at your fellow 14-year-olds. How many female skateboarders? In fact, pick a "risky" venture that you or your friends engage in and ask yourself... How many participants are female?
Even at your age, the difference is apparent. But what it comes down to in later years is that women do not want to depend on themselves. They want to have someone to back them up. They want... government programs.
There's another aspect in play - and you haven't been around long enough to see it happen - but for about the past 50 years, society has promoted women over men. There are scholarships, job opportunities, educational assistance programs that exists only for women. Men are discriminated against. Will we see that discrimination turn? Will men, now the minority in schools (as you've pointed out) and in home ownership now get government assistance for tuition, books, fees, scholarships and home ownership?
Most men just want those programs to go away. But the women? No. The women (the majority) want them to stay. And so they shall... until the government collapses under their demands.
Look at the last election. Even if they were completely duped the first time around - Obama AGAIN? If the average American had any brains at all, they would have elected Ron Paul in 2008 and he would be serving his second term now.
So here's the problem: Pretend you're pitching your plan to a bunch of chimps. They'll listen to you for as long as you're handing out free bananas - then they'll laugh at you, clamp themselves on the ass and throw their shit at you.
I don't think there's any chance of educating the average American anymore because so many now know things that just are not true. Even in this forum, I see charges of "sexism" when all I've done is present facts. Even here, people go off half-cocked, responding to things that were never said. What chance have you among the general population, a substantial portion of which only wants government handouts (and another group of which only wants to profit by providing those handouts via government contract)?
Try reading again. And don't give me that utopian bilge... in America, women are the largest group of government tit-suckers. Who do you think votes for "affirmative action" and welfare? Remember, it can't pass without a MAJORITY... and that's what women are - the majority. They started out in 1869 in Wyoming where women were first given the vote. They voted for more debt and more government. And they have... not... stopped.
The women here in the gulch are decidedly in the minority among women. And "Amazed" lame excuses aside (as if men have so much more "time" than women) the truth is the reason men outnumber women more than 2:1 here is because women don't believe in freedom and self-sufficiency in anywhere near the same proportion as do men.
Statistics are generally worthless and can be spun to mean everything and nothing.
Stupid knows no race, sex or age and infects us all at some point in our life.
Our civilization is collapsing and those who see it will be the ones who decide whether we fall into a dark age or rise into a golden age.
And we will know pain, that is unavoidable now
And which party has been the "social welfare" party? Need some time on that one? Ah, I'll just give it to you: Democrats.
Now in case you missed it in my earlier comments, I've already pointed out that the gender gap is about 20%. But here's the bottom line: For every 10 women like "Amazed", there are 15 women who would sell your freedom in a New York second if they thought it would buy them more government programs.
Another part of the problem "Amazed" is that when people are given the facts, they say something stupid like, "Please keep your sexist comments away from the gulch" instead of, "I didn't realize that most of society's problems arise because women are generally afraid of their own shadows and demand government intervention".
I look forward to your commentary.
A day is a waste if I learn nothing new.
You too!
O.A.
We have a mixed bag here. All but some of the trolls value parts if not the whole philosophy; but few are truly doctrinaire. Some accept all except the abortion position and/or the atheism. We are generally glad to have them here regardless as they examine their premises they may or may not change their opinions; yet it is of benefit for all exposed to the discussion.
The tea party is not monolithic either. The common thread is the desire for a limited government that does not take from the producers that which is their property.
I do feel that some of your statements are generalizations. For instance, are all pro-life people condescending? I believe that would be most difficult to quantify and prove. Even if so, it would not be a convincing argument. It would be an ad-hominem/generalization and no more persuasive than condescension. Your comment regarding the tea partiers and their principles also leave me wondering. I see many who are pro-life, but I would call it a generalization to apply it as common principle or a “platform” of such a diverse group. Nor would I call them all racists because the MSM will go to great lengths to find the one idiot with an offensive sign to broadcast.
If you expect everyone on this board to be doctrinaire, then this would indeed be a dull place to be since there would be no need for discussion. Everyone would think the same anyway. Some of us are still developing our philosophy while others are firm in our beliefs. Such is the nature of a public forum.
Please keep expressing and supporting your positions with rational arguments and your argument will be won in the eyes of import.
I have enjoyed the discussion.
Respectfully,
O.A.
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