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Poll - What is a Liberal?
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| Shamen DJ's |
Since some people like to call everyone that doesn't agree with them "Liberals" then I'd like to see them define the word. I'll start.
Being progressive. Finding new ways to tackle issues & problems for improving society. |
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| Kapedan |
| Poll? Yet there is no poll...I wanna vote god dammit! |
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| Lepanto |
| Being progressive does not make someone a liberal but having some stupid ideas is definatly a factor in being a liberal seeing as how they DO NOT think realistically but rather wonder off to some utopian version of this world. |
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| Shamen DJ's |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lepanto
Being progressive does not make someone a liberal but having some stupid ideas is definatly a factor in being a liberal seeing as how they DO NOT think realistically but rather wonder off to some utopian version of this world. |
But hasn't Bush & alot of Conservatives done alot of stupid things, or had alot of stupid ideas also. So that stupidity can be a trait of both sides, especially in their extreme forms. That is why democracy is so important, so that when the country goes too far in one direction the people can reverse it, and is likely the reason the U.S. has been so successful as a country. |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kapedan
Poll? Yet there is no poll...I wanna vote god dammit! |
Weirdest. Poll. Ever.
You mean I get to make my own poll?
How are these results going to work I wonder...:p |
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| washout |
from a southern republican, here is my definition of a liberal.
a direct opposite of the conservative.
mind u, in addition to my right-wing bias, i have been studying the french revolution,
and that pushes me to the farrrrr right.
can u see me ??
hi. |
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| trancaholic |
| A liberal is someone who lives by the following rule: "Any man should be free to do exactly as he pleases as long as he does not prevent others from doing the same". |
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| NeoPhono |
| quote: | Originally posted by trancaholic
A liberal is someone who lives by the following rule: "Any man should be free to do exactly as he pleases as long as he does not prevent others from doing the same". |
I'd say that is more libertarian than liberal, at least in the current American political system's definition of liberal.
I think that liberal is big government (welfare state-esque), politically correct to a fault, Robin Hood's disciples (steal from the rich, give to the poor) and "free thinkers" (abortion, minority rights, drugs, etc.).
That's just my two cents. |
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| MisterOpus1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lepanto
Being progressive does not make someone a liberal but having some stupid ideas is definatly a factor in being a liberal seeing as how they DO NOT think realistically but rather wonder off to some utopian version of this world. |
You mean by spreading the American version of "Democracy" throughout the Middle East by invading countries there one by one, all under the guise of fighting a "war on terrorism" and trying to connect each country invaded to the bastards that actually attacked us while likely manipulating intelligence on their supposed WMD stockpiles, not to mention deliberately bankrupting our own government and thrift spending to buy all of your parties' toys that you've ever so desired, and effectively creating the biggest government ever recorded?
And speaking of big governments, what kind of "liberal" presidents have created the bigger governments over the last 25 years, all as a means of "protecting" us little children and "knowing what's best" in terms of spending our tax dollars - the Bill Clinton types, or the Ronald Reagan/George Bush Sr./George Bush Jr. types?
(hint, it's not the former).
Yeah, I guess liberals like these are really the utopian type after all. |
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| Moral Hazard |
Liberals are those that ascribe to the ideology of liberalism. Liberals seek states enshrining freedom of thought, individual liberty, a minimal role for the state, limitations on the power of religious institutions, predomonance of the rule of law, market enconomies, private property rights, and democratic government.
Unfortunately, most people today focus only on the individual liberty aspect of this and thus paties of the left have been described as liberal when they are actually classical conservative or socialist. Liberalism is a rightward leaning ideology. The US Republican Party is actually a liberal party. |
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| Lepanto |
| quote: | Originally posted by MisterOpus1
Yeah, I guess liberals like these are really the utopian type after all. |
crearly you're the perfect candidate for president with your superb skills of hindsight and knowing the ins and outs of government and economy and being able to suggest relative options for the real world.
At Shamen, i've previously said that neither the "conservatives" nor the "liberals" are the best for governing this or any other nation. |
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| trancaholic |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moral Hazard
Liberals are those that ascribe to the ideology of liberalism. Liberals seek states enshrining freedom of thought, individual liberty, a minimal role for the state, limitations on the power of religious institutions, predomonance of the rule of law, market enconomies, private property rights, and democratic government.
Unfortunately, most people today focus only on the individual liberty aspect of this and thus paties of the left have been described as liberal when they are actually classical conservative or socialist. Liberalism is a rightward leaning ideology. The US Republican Party is actually a liberal party. |
Quite right, the US misuse of "liberal" must be resisted.
Anyways, I'm curious why you say that liberals are "to the right". How do you define "being more to the right"? I'd have claimed that the traditionally overused left-right dichotomy makes no sense once one applies such a high resolution worldview that one is capable of distinguishing ideologies such as liberalism and socialism. |
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