Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Both "major" political parties in The United States have moved significantly to the right in recent decades. Contrast Eisenhower and Nixon with Clinton and Obama.
Eisenhower had open disdain for the abuses of capitalism. It should also be noted that labor union membership in the US was at its peak during his administration.
Nixon is the president who fostered two government agencies, both of which are routinely vilified by modern Republicans: The EPA and OSHA. Nixon has often been referred to as "The Last Liberal President".
Clinton was responsible for the financial deregulation which eventually led to the very abuses Eisenhower had warned about. He also was an ardent supporter of trade legislation such as NAFTA and CAFTA--agreements which have contributed to the destruction of the American manufacturing industry.
Obama has built virtually his entire cabinet around Wall Street interests. And, in spite of his promise to end our military incursions, he has deepened our involvement--something that generally rings the bell of die-hard conservatives. He has also marched in line with right wing Republicans when it comes to the erosion of our basis civil rights.
This is one of those "better the devil you know" situations. Maybe it's time to bring back Dick!
From an economic and philosophical point of view, I feel every person is 100% responsible for their own actions. In an idea society the free market would operate without regulation and without government interaction in fiscal matters. In the real world, that obviously is not ever going to be the case. There are always going to be people who wish to push government regulation on a system. The current regulatory system under which our health care industry operates is very centrists. To claim that the government should provide for the individual wants of any of its citizens is a leftist position. Medicare, for example, is a left of center policy. A single payer system is so far removed from the ideal of a free market that I view it as nothing short of extreme. I view a single payer system as a system attempted to be put in place to provide for a citizenry which is too lazy and uneducated to provide for itself.
I am sure people will disagree with me, but given that our current regulatory state is very center of the isle (and a bit left leaning given the entitlement programs already in place), a single payer system is nothing short of extreme.
Until then, I think it is time for you to go back to 8th period gym class.
LOLz. The meanings evolve over time as societies do. Conservatism in its truest form simply means supporting traditional institutions and minimal changes to society. From there, conservatism gets broken down into smaller categories that arise do to external factors.
From an economic and philosophical point of view, I feel every person is 100% responsible for their own actions. In an idea society the free market would operate without regulation and without government interaction in fiscal matters. In the real world, that obviously is not ever going to be the case. There are always going to be people who wish to push government regulation on a system. The current regulatory system under which our health care industry operates is very centrists. To claim that the government should provide for the individual wants of any of its citizens is a leftist position. Medicare, for example, is a left of center policy. A single payer system is so far removed from the ideal of a free market that I view it as nothing short of extreme. I view a single payer system as a system attempted to be put in place to provide for a citizenry which is too lazy and uneducated to provide for itself.
I am sure people will disagree with me, but given that our current regulatory state is very center of the isle (and a bit left leaning given the entitlement programs already in place), a single payer system is nothing short of extreme.
I can see your point, while I disagree with some it.
To the bolded: That's an interesting stance. You don't believe that government and the regulations/laws they impose are designed to protect us from ourselves? Not just something that is being pushed? Our government has become too unwieldly, without a doubt, but there is a purpose in these laws and regulations. Unfortunately, they have become too much.
I've always wondered why right-wingers despise President Obama so much, when his policies are very clearly right-of-center. Despite the "D" next to his name, Obama is far from liberal. In fact, he is socially conservative and fiscally moderate, making him a center-right politician overall. Don't believe me? Well, let's take a look at some of his views and policies:
1) Obama has cut taxes more than Reagan. In addition to extending the Bush tax cuts, he also pushed through new tax cuts in 2009.
3) Obama broke international law to capture and kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, something even George W. Bush and John McCain said they were unwilling to do.
4) Obama has extended the Patriot Act and other post-9/11 security measures, despite his party's opposition to such procedures.
5) Despite his campaign promises and the opposition of many Democrats, Pres. Obama elected to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even voting for a troop surge.
6) Barack Obama opposes gay marriage, and believes that marriage is between "one man and one woman."
7) Despite the constitutional law of separation of church and state, Obama had an evangelical Christian pastor give an explicitly Christian prayer at his inauguration (not that Christianity is conservative -- far from it -- but Republicans often use the faith as a political wedge).
I think people think Obama is liberal because of his party affiliation and the far, FAR right positions of people like Bush, Bachmann, Perry, et al. As modern-era (post WWII) presidents go, Obama is on the conservative side, and on the global scale, he falls well within right-wing political ideology. Europeans would consider Obama very conservative.
Both "major" political parties in The United States have moved significantly to the right in recent decades. Contrast Eisenhower and Nixon with Clinton and Obama.
Eisenhower had open disdain for the abuses of capitalism. It should also be noted that labor union membership in the US was at its peak during his administration.
Nixon is the president who fostered two government agencies, both of which are routinely vilified by modern Republicans: The EPA and OSHA. Nixon has often been referred to as "The Last Liberal President".
Clinton was responsible for the financial deregulation which eventually led to the very abuses Eisenhower had warned about. He also was an ardent supporter of trade legislation such as NAFTA and CAFTA--agreements which have contributed to the destruction of the American manufacturing industry.
Obama has built virtually his entire cabinet around Wall Street interests. And, in spite of his promise to end our military incursions, he has deepened our involvement--something that generally rings the bell of die-hard conservatives. He has also marched in line with right wing Republicans when it comes to the erosion of our basis civil rights.
This is one of those "better the devil you know" situations. Maybe it's time to bring back Dick!
Exactly. I would LOVE to have Nixon or Eisenhower in office right now. This country has moved so far to the right that it's absolutely ridiculous.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
