The definition of Liberal and Conservative


Bini
 Share

Recommended Posts

Liberals well lets see they gave us the bailout program and how is that working for you?

Conservative they like to see money spent wisely and not go on the we can print more money program.

Me I have to say I am for less government, less interference with my life and most of all if it really isn't good for America why are we doing it. I can see helping people that are down on their luck but not for nothing they should have to do something more then go pickup the money to live.

I would love to see Congress really accomplish something more than take more of my freedoms away think TSA, HSO, EPA and in doing all this good for us look how many Americans can't find work, can't find a decent job, feel safe when walking in their neighborhoods.

If you want to see real change you have to first have the courage to say the Constitution and Bill of Rights are the law of the land. There is no reading into what the founding fathers meant when they wrote free to assemble, freedom of religion, etc. We have career politicians now that was never the intent of the founding fathers, we see only rich people and way to many lawyers in public office. Who in the world said that wealth and a law degree make you any smarter than the farmer who grows or raises the food you put in your mouth each meal.

When we talk about being liberal or conservative I think we need to look at what is best for America in many of our members and not what is good for the stock market, will get you more votes, will create more unneeded jobs for individuals to have a better life style and feel like they are really important when all said and done we still can only put one leg in each leg of our pants each day when we get ready to do to work.

Have you ever seen America so divided? I don't see just one political side in this strange world or even one race it is a mix of some common folks and some very intellectual folks and everyone in between that is wondering what direction are we going and for what purpose. We have walked away from allies and bowed to enemies, we have borrowed money that are our great grand kids will be lucky to see paid off, we have killed the business segment of America look how much stuff is made over seas now, we don't even have enough oil to meet our needs but we have clean exhaust or do we coming out of vehicles, we have high unemployment and it is going to go higher as the price of fuel goes up so will unemployment as sales are going to go down because people can not afford to buy stuff.

Whether you are liberal, Conservative or a little of both we need to really come together as a nation and look for what is best for all of us I don't care your political leanings, your race, social status or even religion if we do not look out for each other we will surely fail as a nation and the world needs someplace where freedom is still real and active and alive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Talisyn

Never asked you to see things the way I do or anyone for that matter

I find liberals who spend money we don't have that my great grand children will be lucky to see paid off for what so far almost nothing is wrong. Sorry if that offends you.

I find conservatives that are so in name only offensive I liberals that are so only for gain also offensive

I have watched those who call themselves conservatives do some very dangerous liberal things all in the name of it is best for the majority. I have seen liberals do some very conservative things when the pressure was there so how true are they to being liberals?

Finally if you don't like what I write don't read it and just press your ignore this person button won't offend me in the least. Have a nice day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Talisyn

Never asked you to see things the way I do or anyone for that matter

I find liberals who spend money we don't have that my great grand children will be lucky to see paid off for what so far almost nothing is wrong. Sorry if that offends you.

I find conservatives that are so in name only offensive I liberals that are so only for gain also offensive

I have watched those who call themselves conservatives do some very dangerous liberal things all in the name of it is best for the majority. I have seen liberals do some very conservative things when the pressure was there so how true are they to being liberals?

Finally if you don't like what I write don't read it and just press your ignore this person button won't offend me in the least. Have a nice day

Reminds me of a recent person who insulted half the population and apologized by saying he overstepped in his attempt at humor but never did say he was wrong in what he said that was insulting. I dont think he realizes yet how insulting he was. Funny how that kind of thing is pretty common.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son once asked me this question.

My answer was that Liberals believe that individual humans, when left to their own devices, will generally choose to be evil over good, and thus require lots of laws and control to keep them under control because Government is virtuous. Conservatives believe that individual humans, when left to their own devices, will generally choose good over evil, and thus should be given maximum freedom because Government is corrupt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like JFK's definition of Liberal:

A "Liberal" is someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

Which just shows that people have been using the 'us vrs them' argument about liberals and conservatives for 50 years now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dictionary defines Liberal as

adjective 1. favoring political reform and progressive government 2. tolerant 3. generous 4. not strict

The dictionary defines Conservative as

adjective 1. in favor of preserving existing conditions 2. cautious 3. traditional

Reflecting on the two definitions there isn't anything to be offended by. But once you apply other notions to the Liberal label and the Conservative label, suddenly there's a line drawn between "us" and "them". How do you define a Liberal person versus a Conservative person. What are you? A Liberal or a Conservative? What stigmas are placed on you because of this line of thinking? What would a middle-ground person be defined as, sharing both Liberal and Conservative views on various issues.

somewhere inbetween, but more on the conservative side.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me, the terms Liberal and Conservative are nothing more than labels that breed contention and strife. We see ourselves as two fighting and competing "sides" instead of a united people. I've never considered myself or anyone else subject to the confines of any labels, political or otherwise, and I strongly disagree with the use of a party system that perpetuates our separation on issues instead of finding common ground. I wouldn't even consider myself a moderate, because this is also a label meant to describe someone playing mediator or who is wishy-washy.

Politics in general have always frustrated me, because I feel like everything is forced into becoming a competition and expected to fit into these labeled ideas that result in angry debates that stop progress and cooperation. We all have our own unique views and ideas concerning what is most important and how things should be run. We can pool these ideas together and develop better solutions for our national and world-wide problems if we would stop bickering and instead look for the good in everyone and their ideas. While we may lean in different directions, I've found that we all generally agree about what is important and ascribing a label to ourselves and/or others fosters arguments instead of comraderie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I define a liberal as someone who likes ... higher taxes, etc. etc.

conservatives like ... more freedom.

I'm beginning to realize that how one answers this question is a fairly accurate indicator of where their personal political views lie. ;)

EDIT:

teach a man to fish? or give them a fish? giving someone a job is much better than giving them a handout imo.

Although, if someone you meet is starving, it might be better to give him a few fishes first until he figures out how to fish. It's hard to learn to fish when you're starving. ;)

Edited by LittleWyvern
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you put things into historical context, were the founders of the Constitution liberal or conservative? What about those that started and participated in the underground railroad, or President Lincoln? How about those who oppose our actions in Viet Nam or Iraq?

Is free agency a liberal or conservative idea? What about charity or compassion? What about morality, or family values? What are conservatives trying to conserve and what are liberals trying to change?What are liberals trying to conserve and what are conservatives trying to change. Researching the answers to these questions might help you identify where you fit. But in doing so you'll probably find as I have that these terms are loaded and at the same time meaningless.

That said, I stick with my 1000ft view I mentioned earlier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL - yes, I'm conservative on most issues.

I agree in feeding people who are starving, but I think privately owned and operated charities are a lot better at this than government programs.

I like how the church welfare system is setup - that first you go to family&friends for help (they are closest to you and know what will help you best) then go to community organizations / church programs, then as a last resort gov aid.

If charities could fill the gap, why are they not doing it now?

Also, why do conservatives complain about welfare, yet they will more then likely accept welfare for their home loans? What costs more food or 17k off your home loan?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read somewhere that if your underwater on your mortgage you could qualify for up to $17,000. My understanding is that the federal government sued fannie may and freddie mac. So far I have only seen one article on it, obviously I am no expert.

Now I will let it get back on topic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes - the scariest part is when the two get together - when corporations are in bed with government... separation of church and state? hopefully everyone would agree in the separation of corporation and state ... there's a conflict in interests when the FDA is in bed with the food corporations, or the gov buys out the auto industry, or tries to take over the banks...

Yes, and actually that is one of the defining characteristics of fascism.

I remember when I was younger and a member of the Teamsters union attending a rally held in Seattle by the AFL-CIO agaist one of our current candidates that was speaker of the house at the time. They handed out signs that decried corporate welfare. I always thought liberals were against it but obviously they are just as engaged as the so-called "conservatives".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How I view the terms Liberal and Conservative.

I believe, as Vort mentioned, they don't really fit. I think Left and Right are probably more accurate terms to describe someones political beliefs.

But since the OP asked about Liberal and Conservative, here are my thoughts.

Liberals value feelings over logic and reason. Liberals do not believe in personal accountability or responsibility. They do not believe in consequences. They believe the answer to most problems is government. They do not believe in freedom of speech (political correctness). They do not believe in choice or diversity of thought and mock and drown out those who think different them they do. They do not believe in concience. They believe charity means forcing (at the point of a gun, ie government) those that have to give to those that don't. They define people by their race. They believe religion is for the weak minded and unenlightened. They believe in freedom FROM religion. They believe in moral relevancy and do not value self restraint. They value nature over humanity.

Conservatives value logic and reason over feelings. They believe in personal accountabilty and responsibility. They believe in consequences and the right to fail. They believe in hard work. They do not believe the government is the answer to every problem. They believe in freedom of speech. They also value choice and diversity of thought. They believe in conscience. They believe charity means giving of oneself and it's an undisputed fact that conservatives give far more to charity than liberals. They define people by their character. They believe in freedom OF religion. They believe in morality and character and self restraint. They value humanity over nature and believe in preserving nature for humanity.

Interesting thought, recent studies sugest that conservatives have sex more often and more fulfilling sex.:bananarockon:

:lol: :lol:

You're joking, right? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't bother reading the thread. This is the history of the term liberal and conservative that I wrote in an old thread. I'll just quote it here:

"Convervative" and "Liberal" the American Way is vastly different from any other definition of the words outside of America due to some shift in leadership within American History (most notably in the split from Britain and then at the time of FDR).

Basically, the difference lies in the following:

A = On one hand: The rights of the individual is greater than the interest of society

B = On the other hand: The rights of the individual is subservient to the good of society as a whole

Liberalism is group A and to counterpoint, conservatism is group B.

Before America became its own country, liberalism (as the term connotates) meant that government should be limited in regulating personal liberty and economic enterprise. Conservatism is the counterpoint to liberalism, where a society's tradition and faith is put ahead of personal liberty and economic enterprise. So, in Britian in the 17th and 18th centuries, liberalism is in group A, while conservatism is in group B.

But then, America ceded and they created their own constitution and successfully shifted the liberal vs conservative paradigm because of the introduction of personal acquisition of property which was lacking in the British feudal system which in-turn introduced the concept of a free-market with limited government regulation. Also, the separation by States introduced State's rights which muddied it some more.

Conservativism maintained that the State is the Society.

Then the Great Depression happened, so then liberalism started expanding their foundation to include protection of the individual from the perils of the free-market system. They started to include that the government can best support the interest of the individual by regulating the economy and providing "safe-haven" welfare for its citizenry.

So, group A versus group B has now expanded to:

Group A - liberalism

1. The rights of the individual is greater than the interest of society in social and moral issues. (e.g. abortion rights, gay marriage rights, etc.)

2. The interest of the individual is better promoted by regulating the economy. This includes government-imposed market correction and consumer protection.

3. The government is responsible for individual welfare. This includes social security for seniors, stringent health and safety regulations, unemployment protection, minimum wage mandate, government grants for the needy, affirmative action for minorities, etc.

4. The government is responsible for environment preservation.

5. The federal government protects the rights of individuals over the states.

6. Progressive taxation on income prevents any individual from having too much burden.

Group B - conservatism (counterpoint to liberalism)

1. Individual rights are representative of attendant moral, religious, political, and civil rights.

2. Free market and personal acquisition of property is good for the society as a whole.

3. Society is not responsible for individual happiness and government should not "take from society" to benefit an individual.

4. Environment preservation is an individual concern.

5. The federal government can only act in areas wherein the states themselves do not have the ability - that is, only limited to inter-state and foreign affairs.

6. Taxation should not be punitive.

So, as you can see, Group A and Group B really has gotten muddled from the first basic definition to the way it is defined now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share