Thread: How to know if you're a liberal

Thanks for posting this, Solletica. It is a fight I have been waging for quite some time.

Lol "freedom."

Such a broad ambiguous term.

I think I can safely say that I support freedom.

Originally Posted by snowden

I think I can safely say that I support freedom.

LIES!!!!

The problem with the terms "liberal" and "conservative" in politics, is that most people (including many on this very board) believe the following:

Liberal = You love gays. You hate guns. You're a communist.

Conservative = You sleep with your sister ... but in the name of God, of course. You hate gays. You want to shoot everyone. The only good black is one who is plowing your cotton fields.

Neither of the above statements is correct at all - but remember, the very first thing to disappear in any discussion about politics is ... fact and truth.

Originally Posted by noahath

The problem with the terms "liberal" and "conservative" in politics, is that most people (including many on this very board) believe the following:

Liberal = You love gays. You hate guns. You're a communist.

Conservative = You sleep with your sister ... but in the name of God, of course. You hate gays. You want to shoot everyone. The only good black is one who is plowing your cotton fields.

Neither of the above statements is correct at all - but remember, the very first thing to disappear in any discussion about politics is ... fact and truth.

Nevertheless, there's no question that a cultural division exists in America between those to whom the term "God", gay-bashing, and bombing Arabs have the widest appeal--termed the right--and those to whom science, the right of individual expression (including sexual expression), and diplomacy have the widest appeal--termed the left.

If this weren't true, GOP pols couldn't win elections simply by promising God, gay-bashing, and bombing Arabs, but, in reality, they do.

Originally Posted by solletica

Nevertheless, there's no question that a cultural division exists in America between those to whom the term "God", gay-bashing, and bombing Arabs have the widest appeal--termed the right--and those to whom science, the right of individual expression (including sexual expression), and diplomacy have the widest appeal--termed the left.

If this weren't true, GOP pols couldn't win elections simply by promising God, gay-bashing, and bombing Arabs, but, in reality, they do.

And you've immediately jumped into stereotypes there. Not ever person who votes GOP believes in God and is anti-gay, and not every person who votes Dem believes in diplomacy (as you state). The problem is that this is the general misconception. There certainly is division, and this kind of stereotyping is at the root of it.

Originally Posted by noahath

And you've immediately jumped into stereotypes there. Not ever person who votes GOP believes in God and is anti-gay, and not every person who votes Dem believes in diplomacy (as you state). The problem is that this is the general misconception. There certainly is division, and this kind of stereotyping is at the root of it.

ah yes not EVERY person...but how many people do you know who are anti-gay and want to bomb arabs that vote for the blue guys?

Originally Posted by noahath

And you've immediately jumped into stereotypes there. Not ever person who votes GOP believes in God and is anti-gay, and not every person who votes Dem believes in diplomacy (as you state). The problem is that this is the general misconception. There certainly is division, and this kind of stereotyping is at the root of it.

Not every person who votes GOP is a God-loving gay-bashing Arab-bomber, but every God-loving gay-bashing Arab-bombing voter does vote GOP.

Originally Posted by bg85

ah yes not EVERY person...but how many people do you know who are anti-gay and want to bomb arabs that vote for the blue guys?

What number would be enough for you to admit that the Democratic party has its share of people that don't like gays or Arabs?

I've been saying this all along...I'm a classical liberal, which makes me a technical conservative. Conservatives, regardless of country, want to preserve national traditions. This country was built on classical liberalism, and so by supporting classical liberalism, you are conservative.

Unfortunately, people like Obama have hijacked the term "liberal" with their neoliberal ideals, ideals that have very little in common with the original concept of liberalism. Thus the need for classical and neo prefixes. I much prefer it when neoliberals call themselves "progressives," as this is more indicative of their communitarian philosophy (and more honest).


As most people don't know or care enough to make that distinction, I self-identify as libertarian to avoid confusion. Also, it helps me avoid the partisan hate mongering that is so popular in our culture today.

Originally Posted by ArmyFerret

Not every person who votes GOP is a God-loving gay-bashing Arab-bomber, but every God-loving gay-bashing Arab-bombing voter does vote GOP.

I take it you've never met the Union vote, have you?

The democrats were the party of unions long before they were the party of political-correctness, and until this past election unions were the core of the democrat's base.

Originally Posted by EagleSeven

I've been saying this all along...I'm a classical liberal, which makes me a modern day conservatives. Conservatives, regardless of country, want to preserve national traditions. This country was built on classical liberalism, and so by supporting classical liberalism, you are conservative.

Unfortunately, people like Obama have hijacked the term "liberal" with their neoliberal ideals, ideals that have very little in common with the original concept of liberalism. Thus the need for classical and neo prefixes.


As most people don't know or care enough to make that distinction, I self-identify as libertarian to avoid confusion. Also, it helps me avoid the partisan hate mongering that is so popular in our culture today.

"Neoliberalism" may actually have more in common with classical liberalism than does what is considered "liberalism" in American politics. Of course, human political vocabulary is such a clusterfuck of isms and neos that it probably doesn't matter.