the times they have a-changed

3 sentiments that are completely reasonable and in direct lineage of our Englightenment-based political trajectory, and yet that come off seeming "radical" or "knee-jerk leftist" in today's political climate:

1. that a president whose father was director of the CIA, then vice president of the U.S. for eight years, then president for four years, IS NOT a Regular Guy
2. that women should be able to control their own reproduction (mind you: this *does not* mean that anyone wants anyone to have an abortion)
3. that people should just be allowed to get married if they want to for crying out loud; family values=more families; marriage is a political and economic relationship and more kinds of people should be able to enter into voluntary political and economic relationships (mind you: this *does not* mean that you have to like anyone or agree with them or live near them or watch them on TV. it also does not make you less married. but try explaining that to the neighbor hitting his wife)

3 fantasies/sympathies that i hold and that maybe are radical (although i don't really think so ultimately), but never mind them, b/c i'm busy discussing the other stuff, which is just ridiculous

1. a black and/or american indian coup of the government
2. the proportion of federal spending switched, so money to the military goes to the arts and/or the environment and/or public education
3. mandatoroy 2-year military service and/or mandatory 2-year living on minimum wage for all citizens.