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This kind of annoys me because it's just not true. I'm pretty left wing myself and from the West Coast, but I find most people who live here are pretty conventional and "conservative" in their beliefs and wants even if they vote Democrat. Plus a lot of people vote GOP here. Oregon, Washington and California were "swing states" until up to a couple decades ago and still have a slightly higher proportion of self-identified conservatives than self-identified liberals. Most people here support the death penalty and oppose gun control and many people oppose gay marriage and support the War on Drugs. I'm pretty sure California would be a conservative voting state if the GOP wasn't so racist.
People misunderstand the West Coast mentality. It's not a humanitarian, vegan, feminist, or Marxist identity even if there are a minority of people on the West Coast who are into such things. Nor is it the intensely hedonistic place people might think considering Vegas and Hollywood are here. In fact I'd say Westerners are easily the least "party minded" of Americans, preferring to just hang out with their old friends from high school and most people here are more into drinking than dancing or singing.
It's far more libertarian than "liberal", too - socialism would not fly well even to most "liberal" West Coasters and this region has always been in love with money, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley.
Westerners support gay rights and cannabis mostly out of indifference, it's not because Westerners are more enlightened or compassionate than people from other regions, it's merely they are less likely to be Christians and people don't care about who their neighbors are here, or getting to know them.
The last paragraph sounded pretty liberal in description. San Francisco, LA, Portland, and Seattle are one of the most liberal cities in the US.
If you define "liberal" as meaning "I don't care what you do unless it affects me" yes the West is liberal. However it is NOT progressive or revolutionary which is what people imply when they say "liberal". In fact I would even argue the West Coast is the "default" culture for the entire Anglosphere.
The big cities on the West coast are the drains that all the very liberal people from the rest of the US flow into. Those big cities skew the electoral college.
Liberal and (true) Libertarian aren't too far apart....both have a progressive mindset and are open-minded about others. The West for generations has been a place where people from the eastern half of the US go to escape conservatism and conformity.
Liberal and (true) Libertarian aren't too far apart....both have a progressive mindset and are open-minded about others. The West for generations has been a place where people from the eastern half of the US go to escape conservatism and conformity.
Libertarian is very far from a Leftist/Progressive, though similar to the right wing of American liberals. I think if anything Libertarians are more fervently anti-leftist than religious conservatives, who may support some elements of socialism on humanitarian or charitable grounds.
Libertarian is very far from a Leftist/Progressive, though similar to the right wing of American liberals. I think if anything Libertarians are more fervently anti-leftist than religious conservatives, who may support some elements of socialism on humanitarian or charitable grounds.
I definitely have a strong libertarian leaning, and I tend to be more against the right, especially America's right that has quite a tinge of fascism, with the way they want to be involves in people's personal lives by denying them the same liberties they already have. Yeah, sure, big government is a concern...but in this current day and age, I'm more concerned by corporate money and lobbyists. Apparently, they are the only 'people' that count.
I definitely have a strong libertarian leaning, and I tend to be more against the right, especially America's right that has quite a tinge of fascism, with the way they want to be involves in people's personal lives by denying them the same liberties they already have. Yeah, sure, big government is a concern...but in this current day and age, I'm more concerned by corporate money and lobbyists. Apparently, they are the only 'people' that count.
You sound more reasonable than most self-styled libertarians, who really are just straight up apologists for greed and corruption.
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