What if I want no taxes for the lower class lower taxes for the middle class and small business but much higher taxes on the upper class and large corporations

Left.

a very strong military

Typically right, but plenty of examples of marxist-leninist states with strong militaries, such as the USSR or China. And on the less authoritarian side you have the YPG in rojava who was very effective at fighting the Islamic state.

but stronger corporate regulation with more teeth

This one's a little confusing, would probably need more clarification.

to fund public works and social services with the taxes we bring in

Left.

a free and equal society with no hierarchical systems or bigotry, freedom of speech and strong privacy laws with certain restrictions on speech (calls to violence, etc...), very strong unions, a near complete elimination of wall street, and a fair justice system that doesn't target minorities as prey?

Left-libertarian/anarchist.

Also, guns are fine for self defense in my opinion.

At least in America, the guns issue is typically viewed as a left vs. right issue, but there's plenty of folks on the far left that are in favor of guns (socialist rifle association, redneck revolt, John Brown gun club, etc).

Karl Marx even has an often cited quote on guns:

Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary

Which side do I fall on?

Pretty much left. You're certainly left of the American Democrats. Pretty much the only thing stopping you from being a full on leftist is you don't seem to be opposed to capitalism itself. Therefore, I'd say most of your positions sound like they fall under social democracy.

[–] denshirenji@lemmy.world -5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Classifications like those just feel kind of arbitrary. Like I get associating with like minded people, but my point was that trying to classify everything in these neat little bottles don't work. You can make enemies if you don't check all the opinion boxes no matter where you turn.

For example, I would agree with your military assessment as being left, except that military is never something that should be utilized domestically, unless as a very last resort facing an armed rebellion. Otherwise, its for defense and on the rare occasion offense, but should remain strong, very strong. I would much more readily agree with my conservative acquaintances on this issue and have in the number of conversations I have had as an older fellow.

And I'm not an economist nor a lawyer so any thing that I could really offer as far as corporate regulation would be very general things like, "monopolies bad". So it would be difficult for me to really collate some kind of list of laws I think we should have, which speaks to the point that most people aren't experts and just pretend to know the inner workings of systems they have no training in.

I would agree that I fall left of center, but only because it averages out that way. I have some very "conservative" opinions that are dwarfed by the "progressive" opinions that I have. Like, you cant take a bunch of opinions someone has and go, "You are just like those guys!" That will inevitably be proven wrong.

Regardless, I appreciate your response.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Classifying you as a leftist doesn't mean that you have to agree with other leftists on everything, or that you aren't allowed to have a few opinions that are right-wing too. It just means that your opinions tend to fall on the left side of the spectrum.

In other words, people aren't left wing because they identify as left and then that determines their opinions. They're left wing because, regardless of how they came to their conclusions on what their opinions should be, those opinions are on the left.

[–] akariii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Classifying you as a leftist doesn't mean that you have to agree with other leftists

so... like every other leftist out there?

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Lmao yup

[–] denshirenji@lemmy.world -5 points 10 months ago

I appreciate your and and your opinion. I feel that it is important that I stress that anything that I type is not meant as an attack and is merely discussion. I love discussion it brings me a greater understanding everytime I am invited to participate. To the point, what you said in your post is something that I find to be untrue and is the point of what I am trying to say.

Firstly, no matter where you go people vote you off the island if you disagree with group think. I have seen it happen a number of times. There are specific issues that will get you ousted much more quickly to be true, but those issues aren't necessarily core tenets of whatever the group philosophy is.

Secondly, as long as I have been alive I have found people who due to groupthink will always take the group's ideas as a point of fact, creating the situations I am talking about. I am trying to say that the way that we do politics, separating things into large groups creates more harm than good.

I am not left because my ideas are left wing. I am left wing because you tell me I'm left wing. Then I identify as such, then connect with like minded people. Then group think takes hold and an equilibrium is reached wherein each idea is given a value.

Those in the group that disagree on principle risk being removed from the group or having to stay silent while often harmful ideas are espoused. Because at least our group isn't that other one.

This last point is the danger, because, suppose it is true that the group we are discussing is truly better than their opponents. That doesn't then give them immunity from making incorrect choices and espousing dangerous and harmful ideas and tactics. Those arguing for and enacting those can just say, "At least we aren't those guys. They are evil!!" And then commit atrocities in the name of goodness. Because, "Hey, at least we aren't those people."