The left still does not get it. Actually, lots of people are still in the dark about what the Conservatives, Liberals, Progressives or Republicans really want. For this reason I will try to begin fundamentally defining each group. I encourage you to put in your two cents (providing you are honest with yourself) and either expand on those definitions or correct me where I'm wrong.
Republicans__ These are mostly politicians but there are many party line voters out there. The politicians are power hungry businessmen with no integrity. They only believe in that which will get them elected and that which will keep them in power. They think that they should lean left when the populous does and lean right when they need a few more votes. they generally oppose Democrats because they have convinced the ignorant masses to do the same and it helps to keep them in power. The followers are the type who generally follow very little politics but know from email bombs that the Dems are bad and must be defeated. this is how guys like Mccain can gain so much power with so few real values.
Liberals__ They are the real tree huggers. They live in a world consumed by emotion. Generally they are very good people who would do anything for a friend and there is no better friend to have. They tend to vote for Dems because the Dems tend to appeal to emotions rather than reason. While liberals make great followers they seldom find their way to lead. they are so concerned with searching for an equal solution to problems that they often react too late to those problems. It is their big hearts that consume the blood that would usually feed their mind. It is not a bad thing to care but they are controlled by caring at their own expense. The down side is that they often feel that they should force others to care as well, that's where they become tyrannical.
Progressives__ This is the German socialist party of the early 20th century. Seriously, look it up. They believe that the only way to have civility is to run society. They see the Constitution as an obstacle to a "great society". If they want to quit smoking they simply outlaw it so nobody can do it. If they want to be vegetarians they outlaw the eating of meat so everything will be fair. They blame the rich for the poor not getting paid to watch the rich work. They hate inequality and feel as if they alone can define what is fair. They are mostly educated but have no common sense. In fact, most of them have spent a lifetime being taught but have never been forced to learn. Think of it like this.. You can be taught that you need a certain amount of flour, sugar and eggs to bake a cake but if you have never made one and tasted it then you've really never learned to bake. This is the case with progressives, they usually hold jobs where they are judged by tenure rather than merit or productivity. Teachers, politicians, government jobs, lawyers and some medical jobs are predisposed to being progressive because they seldom are responsible for earning payroll, it just seems to show up (thanks to taxpayers).
Conservatives__ We are the keepers of the key to liberty. We choose to conserve the philosophy of our founders and hold the Constitution sacred. We believe that government is need to establish a very basic order and to keep people from encroaching on the rights of others (oh, and to provide for common defence). We usually have a great deal of faith, however it is not required. Conservatives (according to every source I've found) are the most charitable group in America. We make decisions mainly on logic and experience rather than emotion. That is, if our dog is in pain and nearly dead, we kill him rather than letting him suffer. We tend to have careers where we are required to solve problems and we are held accountable for those solutions. We are the hunter gatherers, we ask nothing of others but to let us live our lives as we see fit and we prefer to do the same. We know that all rewards require risk and are willing to live with the results of those risks. We protect freedom, even for those who fear it. We fight for liberty so that others can ignore it. We embrace integrity in the face of disintegration.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
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3 comments:
from where I sit:
Republican/Democrats - same category here because they behave very similarly. Fat cats, generally lawyers, into power and getting votes and not embarassing themselves too much. But the MOST important thing is maintaining the status quo - they have "it" (big government) figured out and they are NOT changing it.
Libertarians - personal responsibility - keep government as small as possible - even if it is unfair sometimes. That's OK life is unfair and we should all be left alone unless we mess with someone else's freedom. Perhaps closest to the founders. Carried to the extreme this is also anarcy!
Liberals - ruled by emotions as you say - I actually like you definition a lot. Would help out their neighbor, but would keep doing so way beyond reason, and to the detriment of other who are "well off". Like to affect change through money or the restriction thereof. Somehow bigger financial control government is not an issue.
Conservatives - Generally do not want change. Left on their own we would still be where we started in 1776, where only white, male, landowners could vote or hold office and saw no need to change the fact that the majority of people were denied liberty based on all of the -ism's. Like to affect change through moral laws - blue laws, anti-abortion laws, flag burning laws. Somehow bigger moral government is not really bigger.
My version of history, not what I was taught but what I've learned through the reading of the countless writings of our founders themselves, tells me that most of our key founders were opposed to much of those restrictions. They were only appeasing the landowners in order to gain their much needed support while working to establish stability in the union.
I still have never heard any conservative, be it Rush, Hannity, Beck or any other, suggest any voting restrictions... Other than the provision of identification when voting, which seems obvious.
As for your other examples..
Blue laws- are state and local laws which are well within the rights granted by the constitution.
Anti abortion- The Constitution provides the right to life, liberty and.. well you get the point. If it is immoral to commit murder and it is illeagal to take away ones right to life, then how can one justify killing someone (of any age) just because they are an inconvenience.
Flag burning laws- this is not a conservative thing. Most of us think you should have a right to buy and burn anything you want. Just don't expect us to be your friend if you do it.
The primary difference between a libertarian and a conservative is that a libertarian does not care what others do and a conservative does. That does not mean that we want to force you to do the right thing but we will try to convince you to and we will not support you if we do not like what you do. This was also the attitude of our founders and is the point of the free market.
A nicely-done overview, indeed.
BZ
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