A legit question here folks. Let me tell you why. I got into a rather heated discussion on YouTube of all places over a video. Over and over I was labelled as Liberal and many times with profanity attached. OK fine. Maybe I am but I posted this same question in that thread and those that repeatedly called me a (name your profanity) liberal never did answer. I did get one decent answer after all the times I posted the question. Seems I am and perhaps a bit more than others. I'm good with that too honestly. This really is interesting to me as I tend to look at things a bit differently. I was being labeled a Liberal there because of my blatant disgust and hatred toward our current administration. Hey, that's how I feel and of course it was the staunch Republicans that attacked me. How dare I say Condi Rice is lying Bush puppet. Get my drift? I'm not here to attack Republicans or Democrats or Socialists or Communists etc. This is just how it played out. Now considering we have a two party system if the tables were turned and the current Adminstration was Democratic would I be labeled as a (once again choose your profanity) Liberal? Hence my question. What is a Liberal? It seems to me it's anyone that has the audacity to question and speak out about things they disagree with within the paramaters of a group that does NOT agree. Looking forward to some responses on this one. clembo
Well here is a broad definition of the term broad: showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant ... having political or social views favoring reform and progress tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
OK, No wonder so many people hate me. How dare I think "outside the box". Putting my blinders back on! Clembo Bad! Clembo Bad! Clembo Bad!
I wonder how you are perceiving the term "liberal." Since the mid-to-late 1960s, a political liberal is entirely different from the traditional liberal. Traditionally, just about everyone that I've encountered on this site would qualify as a liberal thinker. But more than a few of us would bristle if you called us political liberals. For example, I was a history major in college, so I got a degree in the "liberal" arts. However, no one, including all of my professors, would say that I was a "liberal."
Some Liberal policies include suspending a student ffrom school for carrying aspirin in their backpack, while handing out condoms to another and sneaking your 13 year daughter off for that abortion you have no right to know about. Banning the use of the word God in all public places, yet taxing you to build that washroom for the Islamist to wash their feet in the airport. Liberalism is high taxation and keeping power limited to the government, they will decide whats best for you, and who deserves what and how much of it they deserve. Conservatism is cut those taxes, let private enterprise grow and reap income from what the people spend and create, after all, the free market creates competition, and competition creates a better mousetrap. Liberalism seeks to take back those unfair profits the evil corperations make on their investments and productivity because it is not fair, and to redistribute it by raising your welfare check $5 a month. Conservatism understands that corperations do not pay tax, consumers do. After the tax hikes get passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices, the working class and those on government check fixed income suffer, while the evil corperation continues to profit.......( they are evil ) How many jobs do the workers create? How many people have those who punch the clock everyday hired this decade? Last I checked, it was the corperations and small business's that did the hiring. Liberal: give 'em a fish Conservative: teach 'em to fish
Try reading up on the term then come back and tell me it does not mean Libralism Laissez-faire activists support no governmental intervention: free markets, minimal taxes, minimal regulations and private ownership of property. They support negative liberty and oppose positive liberty, such as wealth redistribution, given by the state. However, some laissez-faire proponents, especially those who attend to the Chicago School, prefer Milton Friedman's negative income tax as a replacement to the existing welfare system, arguing that it is simpler and has fewer of the "perverse incentives" of "government handouts". They are based on the belief that redistribution of wealth takes capital from the most productive sectors of the economy, and is enforcing economic egalitarianism, which reduces productivity and the incentive to work. They may further argue that any temporary equality of outcome gained by redistribution would quickly collapse without coercion because people have different levels of motivation and native abilities, and would make different choices based on their differing values. Material inequality, they argue, is a necessary outcome of the freedom to choose one's own actions without imposing on others.
Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. The term is derived from the Latin, com servare, to preserve; "to protect from loss or harm". Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have differing goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo or to reform society slowly, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.
Interesting response and certainly one that does not fit me to a T in any way. Yes, corporations create jobs so we should all be corporations? Wait, who's gonna work for us? Oh yeah, we can outsourse. Screw the guy that worked diligently for you and had a promised pension. I can get some 14 year old in Malaysia to do it cheaper. Hell, I'll supply birth control if she's "working" on the side. Sure as hell makes me want to be conservative. This country is in bad shape and I'm not on welfare waiting for a $5 increase in my check. You know I work for a living. Working tomorrow as a matter of fact. Although I'm not a religious person I could have spent the day with my family. No big deal I gotta feed the machine. As a Liberal,, but certainly not in THE Sense you post, I'm looking for change. Do you think I like welfare? Well, I've seen it too many times. People that get better medical benefits than me although I've worked since I was 14. I'm not for that at all. Make them sweep the streets, shovel snow which would lessen city budgets nationwide. Of course people would lose jobs but corporations could provide those in theory couldn't they? Your definitiion of conservatism meshes corporate and government to scary levels Yes, they would love a permanent lower class that never talks back. It's been thought of before so my wife just googled it. Does any of this sound familiar? "a. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism." We're well on our way there. Government and corporations in collusion, lobbyists spending big bucks to get their way. Oh, yeah. The word being defined is facism. I suppose I shouldn't refer to people as Conservatists now. Neo facists might fit better.
I think he is actualy talking about Socialism, todays Conservatism evolved from 18th century Libralism, hence the comment on Laissez-faire, if you read up on Manchester Libralism, you will come across such people as Adam Smith & Jean-Baptiste Say both who argued the case for free trade etc
DeOrc... In USA it is the Dem side of the aisle that wants to abolish free market systems and regulate everything.....health care and energy being the 2 most obvious. Oh yeah, they went after Bill Gates already...he made too much money, can't have that now can we I was pointing in no individual direction in my thoughts, rather policy in general. DeOrc, Your description of a Liberal fits me to a tee, perhaps the across the pond words are different. I fully support those ideas which you posted as definitions of Liberalism
Considering we're on a political forum I would say I'm looking at it from a political angle. I'm not in the Liberal Arts and I'm not putting butter on my toast liberally. Now how is a liberal thinker different than a "liberal". Same word here and in similar context. Why would I "bristle" at the thought of being called a political liberal? This is pretty much my whole point. There IS NO definition. It is a term tossed out by those set in their ways (rather liberally at that). Media and politicians come up with the "catch all" phrases. I could start slinging out names like liberal just to make people bristle. Quite silly actually. This term is tossed out like we're supposed to be ashamed. Ashamed of what? Speaking our minds? This makes us bad in a country that has Freedom of Speech as one of it's cornerstones? Seems that there are people that think Freedom of Speech is okay as long as they agree with it. You know, I'm good with that too. I see a lot of things I don't agree with. I have purchased a Farrakahn newspaper in the past. My black co workers were appalled. How could I read such rubbish. Well, how can I really attack his views (which are garbage) if I don't respect his right to speak them? Now honestly I do like it here in the forum. We sure don't agree but show enough respect and constraint to keep it "civil'. That's important because change will, and does, come. It's inevitable. As long as communication lines are open it can go much more smoothly. Yeah, Just call me "that Liberal" clembo
