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You know how, on an airplane, the oxygen mask comes down and you are supposed to help yourself first then help the kid next to you? Conservatism is sort of like that. If we all help ourselves first, then help our neighbor who needs it, then my neighbor and I help the guy in the next town, everyone is OK.
The libs want us to just send in most of our money, then they'll decide who needs what, and who has too much, etc. This seems highly arrogant to me.
That's a pretty good analogy. Conservatives (classical conservatives, not neocons -- that's a totally different story) trust that you'll help out the kid next to you. Liberals don't, so they tax you, regulate you, and threaten you with fines and punishments to make sure you do.
I don't think the Democrats of today are anything like the ones of old. They seem to be almost advocating socialism, which dosn't seem to be working any place else. Canada went the way of socialism, and now pay a big price for it. Try see a doctor any time you want. If you make over $45,000 a year they take 1/2 of it. Not working in Europe either. People have no insentive to do better, because if you do, you just give it all to the government.
I'm for the little guy, just as much as the rich guy. But, the way I think is a just way, you help the little guy when he is down, to get back on his/her feet. Not to make them dependent on government. When we make people dependent on government, we take away their desire to do what they have to do for themselves. Hence, their dignity go's out the door, they get fatter and fatter until they need the government to buy them an electric scooter so they can still move around. Also, in CA, all the handicap parking places seem to be full of
fat people... Just my observation.
The Republicans have become the Democrats of old. George W is a good spender of our money and will not control our borders. Those two issues have made me mad as h_ll. So, I dont think there are any good Democracts left (Lieberman was the last to fall) and I think many Republicans have thrown their values and whats best for the country out the window too.
If it was up to me, like my PC, I would like to re-boot washington.
Without being pejorative, I believe liberals are more focused upon collective gains and more equitable distribution of benefits. I believe conservatives are more focused upon individual obligations and benefits associated with diligence.
Thanks, I find it interesting that both sides find a need to spin their answers. Even when the basic question is phrased to prejudice neither side, the ability to refrain from slant/spin is obliterated.
I firmly believe that the words liberal and conservative have zero true meaning in modern times. They have become insults just like stupid, idiot and bigot and are generally used by the extremes in the same manner.
That's an easy one. Liberals are bad. Conservatives are good. If America is to survive, we must have more conservatives, fewer liberals, in positions of power. A conservative will actually protect your rights, while liberals will erode them with political correctness, secular humanism, socialistic policies, and diversity(perversity) for every nutty group around, from radical homosexuals, rabid feminists, and geo-political environmental eco extremists. Liberals support abortion (legal murder of the unborn), same sex marriage(destruction of family values and promotion of immorality), hate crimes legislation(designed to silence free speech and viewpoint expression against the liberal agenda). Also, liberals love the 60's radical politics of anarchy, as well as Hollywood's crusade for more profanity, more vulgar movies, attacks against Christianity, and encouragement of neutral values and no values in our culture. Liberals want your children taught (propagandized) in the schools all of the benefits of the liberal worldview. On the other hand, Conservatives are for a sane, moral, free but responsible society in America. Liberalism started out as progressive, but in the form seen today, it is deceptive, immoral, and anti-Christian.
I agree with others here that we need to come up with new words. The meanings of liberal and conservative have become distorted over the decades as each successive generation of politicians and media hacks uses these terms almost entirely for manipulation. The greatest baggage that both of these terms seem to have acquired probably started in the 50s and 60s.
Like many people, I tend to look at an issue and define my position on it. Then, in looking at where I stand on a number of issues, I may be classified more in one camp than in the other. In my case, I'm usually in the progressive camp. However, again, perhaps like many people, both progressive and conservative, my views on issues don't align 100% (or probably not even 80%) on one side.
For example:
Iraq -> NO
Support for our people in the military -> YES
Health care system -> YES
Increased minimum wage -> YES
Amnesty to 'illegal' immigrants -> NO
Tax cuts to the top 3% -> NO
Gun owner -> YES
Killing animals for reasons other than the need for food -> NO
Killing specific human beings (i.e., a death penalty for serial killers, etc.) -> YES
Similarly, I don't think we should be giving welfare to large corporations. And I think we should be helping the poorest in the U.S., but we should be using work programs. Also, I'm very concerned about the environment and I know that businesses will not address sound environmental practices on their own. So, I favor govt intervention in that situation. However, I also relish the thought of being able to put solar panels and wind turbines on my property and not having the government or corporate (utility) interests interfering with that.
I don't find inconsistencies in these views as I think that everything requires a balance. Similarly, I think that someone on the other end of the spectrum might want similar balance. We are just picking different things that we want more or less intervention on.
This being said... What annoys me most when I listen to politicians and people in the media, is the way that specific words are applied to specific terms (i.e., liberal and conservative). And yet, I see in practice that both groups use the same terms but for different things.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:
Liberal: I'm fiscally responsible. I don't want us wasting huge sums of money on a war for oil (but will favor money on a health care system)
Conservative: I'm fiscally responsible. I don't want us wasting huge sums of money on a health care system (but will not object to spending money on the Iraq war).
WANTING LESS GOVERNMENT:
Liberal: I don't want the government stepping in and telling me what to do with my body (pro choice, gay rights)
Conservative: I don't want the government stepping in and telling me what to do with my business or my kid's education
WANTING GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION:
Liberal: I think the govt should step in and do something to improve air quality and to make sure that someone doesn't have to lose their house when facing catastrophic illness (i.e., health care).
Conservative: I think the govt should provide incentives to businesses.
When politicians claim that one group favors things like 'less government involvement' or fiscal responsibility,' are these really aspects of being liberal or conservative? Again, these phrases seem more to me like they are designed purely for purposes of manipulation.
John Flanagan makes too much sense to me.
After all, what use to be bad, is now good. What use to be good is now bad?
Are we bad or good? Why did it all change?
I also wonder too, if you say your christian, why do so many consider that so bad? Most of the christians I know do a lot of good for society. Help the poor, pray for the deprived, donate their time etc.. Seem like to me, they do a lot of good.
That's an easy one. Liberals are bad. Conservatives are good. If America is to survive, we must have more conservatives, fewer liberals, in positions of power. A conservative will actually protect your rights, while liberals will erode them with political correctness, secular humanism, socialistic policies, and diversity(perversity) for every nutty group around, from radical homosexuals, rabid feminists, and geo-political environmental eco extremists. Liberals support abortion (legal murder of the unborn), same sex marriage(destruction of family values and promotion of immorality), hate crimes legislation(designed to silence free speech and viewpoint expression against the liberal agenda). Also, liberals love the 60's radical politics of anarchy, as well as Hollywood's crusade for more profanity, more vulgar movies, attacks against Christianity, and encouragement of neutral values and no values in our culture. Liberals want your children taught (propagandized) in the schools all of the benefits of the liberal worldview. On the other hand, Conservatives are for a sane, moral, free but responsible society in America. Liberalism started out as progressive, but in the form seen today, it is deceptive, immoral, and anti-Christian.
John, you are so wrong that it's pitiful. The benefits to society of being liberal are without question just undeniably huge. This chart at Conservative vs Liberal States (broken link) shows quite well on just one page all the proof needed to show how very, very bad being conservative is against society while at the same time showing how right and good it is to society to be liberal. For instance, if it is highly immoral against God to be liberal, then please counsel me why the divorce rates are so much lower in the liberal states, such as Massachusetts. Also the Bible says that fornication is wrong, yet the unwed teenage birth rates are actually higher in the conservative, bible belted states, such as Oklahoma, while lower in the liberal New England states. I think you'll find that Christian values are most faithfully practiced in the liberal blue states.
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Just my observation.
