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Conservatives & Liberals; What do you think describes each?
Topic Started: Oct 26 2004, 05:06 PM (504 Views)
teryt
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Missing in Action Member
Thought this might be interesting to see what yall think are words that describe Conservatives & Liberals. (and Chris, please don't take the high road & say "People").

I'll start with a few:

CONSERVATIVES:
Stupid
Heartless
greedy
backward
self-righteous
bigots
old
stagnant
for big biz
homophobes
narrow-minded
war hawks
wants pollution
small government

LIBERALS:
Stupid
emotional
socialist/communistic
young
for the worker
unpatriotic
weak
tree hugging fanatics
tax & spend
big government
progressive

My point is to show what silly stereotypes these are!

BTW: Why aren't there any stereotypes for Libertarians?
My Boast is Christ :pray:
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brewster
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LIBERTARIANS:

Idealistic
Unrealistic
Irrelevant

Out of Power :dunno:


Sorry, Chris! :poke:
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jrf
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Member
Conservatives
robber barons
all for one

Liberals
Robin Hoods
one for all
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Libertarians never had power, Bruce, unless you consider their claim to the classical liberalism that founded this nation.

But you're right, I am idealistic and/or unrealistic in my convictions and principles.

And I like to hold the feet of BSers to the fire.


I listened some to Badnarik speaking to some college kids today. He is much more realistic. More practical. But at the national level largely irrelevant. Yet passionate in his convictions and principles.


Oh, conservative, liberal, as Joel points out (or I interpret), all for one and one for all we are all in this together and had better get it together. Conservative or liberal I care not long as you show conviction and principle.

Rep and Dem PPPs, however, suck big time.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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MDPD6320
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Frank - Gainesville, Florida
What would we do without labels?

I could easily describe myself as a Jeffersonian Liberal, but few would understand
my position and beliefs if I did. In order to be more in keeping with popular descriptions I say:

Conservative:

Smaller, weaker Federal government

Balanced budgets

Strong military

Strict interpretation of the Constitution

Motto might be "Government that governs least governs best"

Liberal:

Strong central government

Social engineering by laws

Redistrabution of waelth via taxation

Believes Constitution is a "living document"

Motto might be "We can do it better for you"

However, I will bet the attributes you list can be applied to both.

Frank
" The government big enough to give you everything you want it is big enough to take everything you have."

"Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue"

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Frank, I have refered to myself as a Madisonian liberal with the same lack of understanding.

Populist definitions of conservativsm and liberalism are BS. Though I chuckle at how well the populist liberal definition you give fits the populist liberal Bush, and Kerry, of course, as well.

I balk however at the notion that your definitions would make he who said this a liberal

Liberty must be limited in order to be possessed.
--Edmund Burke


"Government that governs least governs best"

One of my favorites, too. But who first said it? The Federalist advocate of a strong central government Jefferson? Or that areligious rabble rouser Thomas Paine? Or the political minimalist Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience,
Quote:
 
I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe--"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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MDPD6320
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Frank - Gainesville, Florida

Chris,

A great line by Thoreau, but I have to tell you Paine is the ultimate
rabble rouser, IMHO.

Frank
" The government big enough to give you everything you want it is big enough to take everything you have."

"Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue"

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
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pentax
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Kamloops - BC Interior
teryt
Oct 26 2004, 04:06 PM
BTW:  Why aren't there any stereotypes for Libertarians?

teryt - a couple years ago, a hard-right American aquaintance surmised that in America, I would be somewhat of a Libertarian. Have little knowledge, I went to their web-site, and from there (forgotten just exactly how) to a Forum for Libertarians.

I liked quite a few of the concepts they hold, but the peoples societal opinions seemed to be way too much "F you guys - I'm doing alright.". I suspect that in their versions of America, the poor and downtrodden could just bloody-well fend for themselves. Unfortunately when people get far enough down, they tend to get truly desperate, even to violence on an everyday scale.

I dont know how many saw an early '70's Charleton Heston movie called "The Omega Man" about ONE healthy man, barricaded in a penthouse with an arsenal of weapons and gadgets against the disease and anarchy in his city outside - but thats not the way I would like to live......


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teryt
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Thought of a couple more while driving.

LIBERALS

Whinners
Babies
Amoral
anti-military

CONSERVATIVES

Against middle class
facists
pigs
establishment (does anyone use that any more?)
heartless
fortunate sons


Well I for one, speaking as a conservative, am not like all these things listed here in that category.

How about some of the more liberal folks here - are you guys anything like what is stated here about you?
My Boast is Christ :pray:
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Murray, to a degree your perception of some Libertarians is true. Personally I would state my stance on such issues as if you choose not to contribute or produce, then you deserve exactly what you choose.


Frank, your right on that, Thoreau spark civil disobedience, Paine a revolution.


Tery, each one of the populist definitions of con and lib you and others propose are simply epithets that can be tossed either way. None of them have anything to do with principles. It's the same thing with this election slinging mud to avoid principled discussion of issues.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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Colo_Crawdad
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Lowell
Quote:
 
Conservative:

Smaller, weaker Federal government

Motto might be "Government that governs least governs best"


Throw in the social conservatives that are supporting Constitutional Amendments to limit Freedom of Speech (flag burning), control lifestyles (gay marriage ban), limit personal privacy (ban abortion) and countless other incursions of the Federal government into people's personal lives and it sure plays havoc with those definitions, doesn't it?
"WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US." --- Pogo
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DanielDenali
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Who made this list?
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teryt
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cmoehle
Oct 27 2004, 11:12 AM
Tery, each one of the populist definitions of con and lib you and others propose are simply epithets that can be tossed either way. None of them have anything to do with principles. It's the same thing with this election slinging mud to avoid principled discussion of issues.

Well sure. I thought looking at these common labels might show how absurd the ideas are.

CONSERVATIVES

Baby killers (war)


LIBERALS

Murderers (abortion)
My Boast is Christ :pray:
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
But if dual-use why associate at all? Why not just examine epithets hurled? Less inciteful, more insightful.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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teryt
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cmoehle
Oct 28 2004, 12:47 AM
But if dual-use why associate at all? Why not just examine epithets hurled? Less inciteful, more insightful.

I've heard a few of these stereotypes on here.
My Boast is Christ :pray:
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