The Liberal And The Conservative

[WinePusher]

Liberals generally favor government subsidy programs (welfare, social security, medicare), a government regulated market and they favor a type of non interventionist foreign policy. Liberals usually see big coporations as the problem and favor higher taxes and more oppurtunity for poorer americans. Social Liberals are for abortion, gay marriage and illegal immigration

Conservatives generally distrust the government and are propnents of a free market. Conservatives favor a strong national defense and a strict adherence to the constitution. Conservatives are for lower taxes and are generally aganist government intervention and subsidy programs such as welfare. Social Conservatives are aganist abortion, gay marriage and illegal immigration.

So, are you a liberal or a conservative and why?

[East of Eden]

Artifical categorizing to divide the People , AKA "divide and conquer. The fight is between Wall Str. and Main Str. Corporations vs. Democracy.

You think Main Street isn't invested in Wall Street?

Government, not corporations, can raise your taxes, debase the currency, accumulate debt your grandchildren will be responsible for, send you to war, restrict your freedom, etc. The greatest crimes of the 20th Century were committed by governments, not corporations.

[JoeyKnothead]

From Post 11:

You think Main Street isn't invested in Wall Street?

Government, not corporations, can raise your taxes, debase the currency, accumulate debt your grandchildren will be responsible for, send you to war, restrict your freedom, etc...

I think this doesn't accurately reflect the political influence corporations wield. Where "the citizens" have recently bailed out corporations "too big to fail" it is quite obvious to me 'Wall Street' has undue influence over how my tax dollars are spent. Where a government must raise my taxes, or use my taxes to support a corporate entity, it just as well be that corporate entity raising my taxes.

...The greatest crimes of the 20th Century were committed by governments, not corporations.

A subjective measure I don't so much disagree with as I take exception to. Where corporations have influenced the political process for their own aims, and where such aims have been detrimental, I'd say one is just as guilty as the other.

I don't see this argument in terms of whether government or corporations are the greater evil, but that combined they create one heck of an evil.

(edit for speling error that created a grammatical error - and to reflect amazement I could discern the difference)

[East of Eden]

I think this doesn't accurately reflect the political influence corporations wield. Where "the citizens" have recently bailed out corporations "too big to fail" it is quite obvious to me 'Wall Street' has undue influence over how my tax dollars are spent.

If they're too big to fail maybe they're too big. What bothers me is the crony capitalism where those banks close to the administration seem to get special treatment.

Where a government must raise my taxes, or use my taxes to support a corporate entity, it just as well be that corporate entity raising my taxes.

The politicians are doing that, not the corporations.

A subjective measure I don't so much disagree with as I take exception to. Where corporations have influenced the political process for their own aims, and where such aims have been detrimental, I'd say one is just as guilty as the other.

Corporations didn't kill 100,000,000 of their fellow citizens, as tyrannical regimes did last century.

I don't see this argument in terms of whether government or corporations are the greater evil, but that combined they create one heck of an evil.

I would ascribe it to fallen men, who are in every human institution. The Founders recognized this and set up the system of checks and balances. They didn't trust anybody. As one of them said, "If men were angels.....", none of that would be needed.

[JohnnyJersey]

Most Conservatives call me a "liberal", and that's fine with me. I consider myself to be a moderate. I base my political views on my Christian beliefs.

In the end, I am a fiscal liberal and a social conservative. I support the government that God has placed in authority over me as His extension of earthly justice, as taught in God's Word. I don't believe money is worth fighting over for the most part, since as a Christian, I have no money, but rather am a steward of what God gives me. As for basic needs, God will provide for me one way or another - he provides for the sparrows and lilies of the field, why would He not provide for me?

Socially, I guess I'm considered more conservative, since I'm against gay marriage and abortion or any other sin that goes against God's teachings and therefore harms our society. Then again, I am against the gun nuts and their wanting to carry guns around with them everyplace (most of them are wussbags who can't defend themselves any other way).

[Misty]

I voted for Labour for the first time in my life this election, I like Gordon Brown and thought he was the best party leader for PM. I am sorry he is resigning but it is the honourable thing to do. I used to vote Conservative, but that awful woman, Margaret Thatcher, cured me of that, and I have voted LibDem for years until now.

[Cephus]

I am a secular conservative in the truest sense, not this neo-conservatism nonsense that is just religious fundamentalism hiding behind largely liberal fiscal policy. I'm a Goldwater conservative for fiscal responsibility and reasonable, rational social change, not the "change for the sake of change" that comes from many on the left.

[cnorman18]

I am a secular conservative in the truest sense, not this neo-conservatism nonsense that is just religious fundamentalism hiding behind largely liberal fiscal policy. I'm a Goldwater conservative for fiscal responsibility and reasonable, rational social change, not the "change for the sake of change" that comes from many on the left.

Remarkable. I would describe my own political views in precisely the same terms.

Who'd a thunk it....

[MagusYanam]

I'd describe my own political views as economically leftist but socially moderate-to-conservative (what in Britain or Canada might be called a 'Red Tory'). I believe that we propertied members of society have a certain set of duties to help the less fortunate and to push for systemic reforms so that said less fortunate can have a sufficient and humane lifestyle. However, I also feel that modernity has caused massive excesses and huge ideological divides in the country that will be very difficult to heal.

[Euphrates]

Liberalism and conservativism are political problem-solving philosophies. Liberalism would be better described as progressivism. A liberal goes to fix a problem and wants to make some upgrades in the process. The added changes increase the risk potential, but also increase the reward potential. A conservative goes to fix a problem to make it work again without making other changes. Conservatives are risk-averse.

Republicans and Democrats are political parties in America. The Republican Party values a limited government and lower taxes. The Democratic Party values a bigger government and higher taxes.

For the most part, Republicans tend to be conservative because as American government changes, it becomes bigger. Republicans want the government to be smaller and conservatives want to limit change. In the same way, for the most part, Democrats tend to be liberal/progressive because when the American government changes, those changes usually make it bigger.

I still think the original question is valid and important. Are you liberal or conservative?

[cnorman18]

Liberalism and conservativism are political problem-solving philosophies. Liberalism would be better described as progressivism. A liberal goes to fix a problem and wants to make some upgrades in the process. The added changes increase the risk potential, but also increase the reward potential. A conservative goes to fix a problem to make it work again without making other changes. Conservatives are risk-averse.

Republicans and Democrats are political parties in America. The Republican Party values a limited government and lower taxes. The Democratic Party values a bigger government and higher taxes.

For the most part, Republicans tend to be conservative because as American government changes, it becomes bigger. Republicans want the government to be smaller and conservatives want to limit change. In the same way, for the most part, Democrats tend to be liberal/progressive because when the American government changes, those changes usually make it bigger.

I still think the original question is valid and important. Are you liberal or conservative?

And my answer is the same. It depends on the issue.

It is perfectly possible to be a social conservative and a fiscal liberal, and vice versa. One may also be socially conservative on some issues, and liberal (or progressive, if you like) on others. One may be pro-life and pro-gay marriage, for instance.

I am even fiscally conservative on most things, but I am a progressive on health care. SOMETHING had to be done, and the conservative "solutions" weren't.