The older I'm getting, the less liberal I'm getting (Obama, independent, school)

[Hot_Handz]

Originally Posted by bUU

As a person gets older, they either get more self-serving and egoistic, and therefore supportive of more reactionary measures and fewer liberal measures, and more antagonistic toward others living accordance with their own beliefs and values instead of that the older person prefers; or that person gets more compassionate, and therefore more supportive of progressive measures to address the needs of those less fortunate in society, and of liberal measures respecting the right of others to live their lives in accordance with their own beliefs and values.

I will make it simple for you.

Old guards defend norms....just like this generation will when subsequent generations get ushered in. It's only happened everywhere, forever. Unless you're a Tibetan monk.

People serve their own preferences, period. Equality is totally false concept in general and it becomes an outright lie when administered by a ruling class. Those who leverage my existence to a state in the name of "compassion" are not compassionate about MY values and prosperity.

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

Is this a normal occurrence? I'm more of a moderate, but I'm starting to understand libertarian/conservative views when it comes to public policy and economics. I'm still very much liberal socially(this includes gun rights).

This is quite normal.

There's a Bible verse....."When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."

[MyronHarpoons]

Dont worry. I am 20 and grew up a liberal because of my family. Once I started to think, i threw that crap away.

[knowledgeiskey]

Originally Posted by Aldous9

so you now believe in supply side economics?

what about health policy? Every man for himself? If you can't get insurance then tough?

There's no such theory of supply side economics. It's merely a political term.


I'm for health care by whatever means necessary. Insurance does not guarantee good health. The main obstacle we have to overcome is cost, not coverage. There are plenty of ways to minimize health costs. Single payer or individual are not one of them.

[Swingblade]

Originally Posted by MyronHarpoons

Dont worry. I am 20 and grew up a liberal because of my family. Once I started to think, i threw that crap away.

Same here I grew up in a very liberal family, myself and one cousin are the only ones who are conservative. What is funny about that is my cousin likes Cheney, Bush, Limbaugh and I can't stand them I am more of the type that likes Pat Buchanan and the Pauls.

I have noticed that I have softened some of my views with age and knowing the world is not moving in the direction that I want it too. I am not a member of the {R} party and in my younger days I would look over their record and listen and read what they say and if I found fault I 'd vote 3rd party. Now a days I look over their record and give them 3 strikes unless they totally blew it on a major issue. For example if they voted for Medicare part D they would never get my vote.

I do not think I am swinging anywhere left I think I am learning more as life goes by and looking at my younger years I was way too extreme.

[Oleg Bach]

Looking back and remembering my mother who was a character of influence in the community...she supported conservatives...when the local guy running for office attended an event who was conservative ...always asked for my mother's support.

My mum was an immigrant..this was back in the 50s...she was also into free enterprise and figured out she could start a business and make more money that being just a common working Jane...It was common knowledge that conservatives controlled the money supply...so she sided with those who had money...it was that simple.

Later as I left my teens I inadvertently got involved with a young woman...I was from the wrong side of the tracks...She was from the right side..Her father was a very powerful business person who was also appointed to the senate..They were staunch conservatives...I spent about 4 years with these people...and viewed conservative power from within...All I can say is that they were a cold heartless bunch...and it did not end well for me as a young man.


What I did notice with rich and powerful conservatives was they were did not care about left or right wing politics..They played both sides of the fence.

I came to this conclusion one day when I was told that my girls father was entertaining a certain man at the house that afternoon....He was the head of the Liberal party at the time and for a short time became Canada's Prime Minister...

As a young guy I pondered on this scenario.....I thought...."How could the father of this girl who was a super hard nose conservative....Have a cozy lunch in the privacy of his home with what should be an enemy...after all these to men should have been in harsh opposition of each other.

Then I figured out what real conservatives were about....it was not about ideology...it was about money and power...True conservatives don't give a damn about politics.


The cold fact was what I saw way back then - Was that big business controls everything...and big business installs political figureheads. Left and right wing politics is strictly for public consumption...It is theater.

[EdwardA]

As you gain more life experiences the idealism of youth fades away. That is good and bad.

[ray1945]

Originally Posted by bluesjuke

“Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.”

-Winston Churchill

Not so far off the mark. I am a senior citizen and am surprised at some of the views my former 'liberal' acquaintances now hold. When they were younger, with critical thinking skills at their peak, they were able to easily discern truth from fiction and clearly saw through much of the BS that was thrown their way. Now that they are in their late 60s/early 70s and older, too much info sometimes confuses them and they tend to go with whatever is emotionally satisfying, without delving into the veracity of the information being fed to them.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by redfish1

I used to be really conservative, but now I'm more of a moderate. I was raised in a pretty religious home, and I was the first person in my family to earn a real college degree. By the time I was in grad school, I realized that my parents were very simple people. I still believe in fiscal responsibility; however, I find it difficult to go along with the backwards social beliefs that I was taught as a child.

I think that's a good way to put it.


Conservatives --- especially social conservatives --- tend to be "simple" people. Not so sure that I've met many people who have become MORE social conservative as time goes on. I think that's a function of natural intelligence and how susceptible one is to early childhood social programming by (primarily) religion.


Definitely have seen people become more economically conservative. That at least is understandable.

Myself, I've actually become more economically liberal. My time in the workforce has not shown me that it's not worthless louts or welfare queens trying to take advantage and steal money that is the REAL problem affecting my prosperity, but rather the exploitation of workers and a government rigged to ensure that the riches flow to the top at the expense of those on the bottom. Anyone whose been paying attention to where profits, assets and income gains have gone to the past... oh... 30 years or so should come to that same realization.

[cupper3]

I think it was Churchill who said, if you're not a liberal when you're young, you have no heart. If you're not conservative as you get older, you have no brain.