Agreed. Overall I consider myself to be a leftist (though I know SJP will disagree because I'm pro-life and pro-capital punishment and am for military action on certain occasions). The main reason I tend to lean left in spite of all of this though is owing the way the right approaches these issues. I'm for capital punishment in some cases as a matter of cold justice, but certainly not something I approach in a vigilante style of 'fry the guy'. There is not necessarily any hatred on my part for the persons who may receive capital punishment, but just a sense of cold justice. But when people start cheering on capital punishment that's a different matter.
Yes, I was joking aobut it to some degree on the thread about the Colonel recently and though am open to capital punishment for him, I would still expect him to receive a fair trial and be treated with respect till the end and still get a proper burial.
Likewise i'm not for sniping at abortion doctors or burning down their clinics. Nor am I for going to war in rage, anger, and racial prejudice. The Afghan War is defensible to a degree, though barely; but what is indefensible is the attitude we take there with us.
In may respects I am quite conservative, but when I see the way the right often cheers death on, it's sickening and frightening, which usually leads me leaning for more leftist politicians to play it safe.
I wouldn't mind seeing a party supporting more right-leaning views but still with a certain dignity.