Are you liberal or conservative?

[DrParasite]

No need to justify your decision, no need to defend your choice, or elaborate (unless you want to).

Just a simple off-duty poll.

 

[mgr22]

Depends on the issue.

 

[Aprz]

I am not very into politics, but when I do discuss politics, I definitely see I am very liberal leaning. I don't think there is a single issue that I am considered conservative leaning on, I think. I am thankful most people don't try to talk politics, but I've noticed a lot of pilots are very conservative and talk more about politics than flying. XD

 

[Akulahawk]

I generally lean conservative but I also have some definite liberal leanings too. In some ways, I'm a bit contradictory too... My family has accused me of being a Rush follower, and while I have listened to his show off and on over the years, he was often entertaining and thought provocative, I wouldn't say that I was a follower... as I never have been. Oddly enough, those same people that accused me of following Rush never did listen to a show of his so their attacks of him were always what they'd heard about him from other people that also hadn't actually listened either...

I was more of a follower of Tom Sullivan, who started as a local talk show host here in Sacramento. He's somewhat conservative, but definitely more of a money/fiscal/business guy as that was what he did before going into radio. If something makes fiscal sense, he was more likely to champion that, regardless of which political party championed it.

 

[Jim37F]

I think in terms of domestic social issues I skew towards the liberal side, even libertarian (the government doesn't need to know, or even care, about what's in your pants or what two consenting adults wanna do with each other, science class should teach science, treat people equally)

Whereas on foreign policy I'm definitely right leaning, we should invest in the military enough to fight a major two front war at the same time because do we really want Pax-Putin?? (Fk Putin) Walk softly, and carry a big stick, which means know when not to swing it (we've been a little too swing happy) but drop the hammer when the time comes... Be a friend to our Allies, be a business leader, all that good stuff.

(but besides the Military, the Feds should be funding Infrastructure, Healthcare, you know the whole "Establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the General Welfare, etc stuff...)

(I feel like it's stuff that one of the major parties claims to be about in writing, but their actual actions over the years don't really match all that well...)
With some stuff being traditionally "left" views and others from the "right" as well, so I don't really feel like I match either party. Too right leaning for the Dems, too left/too much common sense for the GOP... too middle ground for anyone.

If that makes any sense

 

[DrParasite]

Since others decided to elaborate, I'm a conservative leaning centrist, with several libertarian leanings. I'm big on the following:
1) personal accountability for ones own actions; if not societies fault that you did something.
2) no one in the government should be telling me how to raise my kids, as long as I am not hurting them, stay out of my life. Similarly, I am responsible for my kids, and the government shouldn't be on the hook to support me for my decisions to have kids.
3) the government is responsible for national infrastructure. roads, bridges, boarder security, military etc. the states and localities have their own responsibilities, and my local taxes should fund my local stuff.
4) I support gay rights. I don't care who you sleep with, date, or are attracted to, because it doesn't affect me. I have gay friends. If they have kids, awesome. If they want to get married, let them. they should have the same benefits as traditional marriages.
5) keep my taxes low, but takes when you need to support the government responsibilities. that doesn't mean raise taxes for pet projects, or social causes, or other pork. Also, we should all pay the same rate of taxes (percentage wise), so people shouldn't be penalized because they worked harder and made more money.
6) 100% union supporter, but I also recognize that it means people who should be fired often don't get fired. a union can protect staff from poor managers (I know this from first hand experience)
7) I believe in rules and laws... and if you don't like the rules or laws, the response shouldn't be to ignore the laws, but to change the laws, using the established processes.

I generally lean conservative but I also have some definite liberal leanings too. In some ways, I'm a bit contradictory too... My family has accused me of being a Rush follower, and while I have listened to his show off and on over the years, he was often entertaining and thought provocative, I wouldn't say that I was a follower... as I never have been. Oddly enough, those same people that accused me of following Rush never did listen to a show of his so their attacks of him were always what they'd heard about him from other people that also hadn't actually listened either...

I was more of a follower of Tom Sullivan, who started as a local talk show host here in Sacramento. He's somewhat conservative, but definitely more of a money/fiscal/business guy as that was what he did before going into radio. If something makes fiscal sense, he was more likely to champion that, regardless of which political party championed it.

Ben Shapiro is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. I don't always agree with what he says, and he's a hard right conservative, but he's factually accurate. I've never listened to rush, but many of my liberal friends seem to ignore what conservatives say, not because of the content of their speech, but because of the history of the person. One of my favorite quotes from Ben is "facts don't care about your feelings," because many people confuse the two, and just because you don't like something, doesn't change it's status as a fact.

I also agree with late Senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan's statement "You’re entitled to your own opinion, you’re not entitled to your own facts." Sometimes people confuse the two, especially when they start making up facts to support their option, facts that aren't supported by any actual evidence that they are factual.

And both the democrats and republicans have their share of extremists and morons, who, for some reason, get re-elected by their constituents. I happen to think the republicans have fewer morons, and fewer people who are out of touch with the common man. And while I wouldn't trust trump to watch my kids, I can't argue with all of the positive things that he and his administration did while he was in the WH.

 

[wannabeHFD]

I used to vote republican, but after trump and how he really brought out the far right, I cant morally or ethically vote that way anymore. Guess Im leaning more left than I thought. Honestly Im not sure where I would place myself but I am a progressive, never considered myself a conservative.

 

[HardKnocks]

No need to justify your decision, no need to defend your choice, or elaborate (unless you want to).

Just a simple off-duty poll.

Conservative....but

Living/Working in Foreign Countries taught me a few things; 1) Americans fail to realize how good of life they have in America and; 2) Support an Administration that adds to your Benefits and Retirement Account to the fullest degree.

I've always followed the Old Adage of;

"If you're not Liberal at 21 You have no Drive and Ambition. If you're not Conservative by 30 You haven't learned anything."

Note; The ages might have to be adjusted to current developmental social levels, as some people don't become solidified untill their late 30's these days.

Most people in America want the same things;

1) Happiness;
2) Safety/Stability;
3) Freedom from Financial Burdens.

 

[DrParasite]

I used to vote republican, but after trump and how he really brought out the far right, I cant morally or ethically vote that way anymore.

Since you mentioned it, can I ask you a question? Other than Trump's personality, which we all can agree is an acquired taste at best, his ultra US centric attitude, and the fact that the far right liked him (despite him denouncing them when they committed crimes), why not? How does one person (who is no longer in office), cause you such moral and ethical angst that you feel you can't vote for the millions in his party anymore?

I am not saying you are wrong, but if I said "I used to vote democrat, but after biden and how he really brought out the far left, I cant morally or ethically vote that way anymore," don't you think that might be an over reaction, especially once biden is out of office?

"If you're not Liberal at 21 You have no Drive and Ambition. If you're not Conservative by 30 You haven't learned anything."

That's an awesome perspective.

 

[Airlinepilotmedic]

My dad always said close to the same thing his quote was “if you are conservative at 18 you do not have a heart, if you are liberal at 30 you do not have a brain.”

 

[mgr22]

My dad always said close to the same thing his quote was “if you are conservative at 18 you do not have a heart, if you are liberal at 30 you do not have a brain.”

I get that, but I'd say I've become more liberal than I was as a young man. I feel less selfish and more open to different ways of looking at things. Again, it depends on the issue, but I think the older me is more open-minded and tolerant.

 

[DrParasite]

Again, it depends on the issue, but I think the older me is more open-minded and tolerant.

so,... you are getting more conservative as you get older?

Studies Show: Conservatives are More Tolerant Than Liberals

redstate.com

Survey: ‘Tolerant’ Liberals More Likely Than Conservatives To Ditch Friends Over Politics

Tolerant. Accepting. Inclusive. Diverse. Familiar buzzwords those on the left love to invoke when talking about themselves.

www.tampafp.com

New study suggests conservatives are no more fearful or threat-sensitive than liberals

New research casts doubt on the theory that politically conservative people are generally more sensitive to negative and threatening information than ...

www.psypost.org

Why Liberals Aren’t as Tolerant as They Think

The political left might consider itself more open-minded than the right. But research shows that liberals are just as prejudiced against conservatives as conservatives are against liberals.

www.politico.com

Campus Democrats are less tolerant than Republicans

Democrats are less tolerant than Republicans on campus.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Why are the Tolerant Left so Intolerant?

The political Left takes pride in its tolerance and acceptance. In my experience, that pride is not justifiable. Stanford, like most universities, is an extremely liberal institution. The University also goes to great lengths to foster an inclusive environment. Stanford provides numerous...

stanfordreview.org

Of course, I am saying this more tongue-in-cheek, but some of the beliefs and stereotypes that people have don't always seem to stand up to actual scrutiny when factually investigated.

 

[mgr22]

Of course, I am saying this more tongue-in-cheek, but some of the beliefs and stereotypes that people have don't always seem to stand up to actual scrutiny when factually investigated.

To me, liberal means being open-minded and tolerant of new ideas. My dictionary agrees. No doubt different meanings could be contrived for the term, but I think that would be largely self-serving.

I don't think all new ideas should be supported or even tolerated just because they're different. I take comfort in life being fairly predictable and don't second-guess my conservative tendency to not fix what isn't broken.

 

[ffemt8978]

All I'm going to say about this is something my grandfather taught me. "It's good to be open minded about every issue, but not so open minded your brains fall out."

 

[Carlos Danger]

I think the left / right or liberal / conservative paradigm is beginning to erode, both politically and culturally, as people come to realize that it is entirely possible to simultaneously hold views that are traditionally viewed as conservative and ones that are traditionally viewed as liberal. For instance, it's OK to vote for a Democratic candidate because you think they are an overall better choice than their Republican counterpart, yet still be in favor of an orderly immigration policy and a strong military. You can personally believe that society functions best when individuals work hard and go to church and strive to adhere to traditional family-centered values, yet still support marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage because you don't think the government has any right to tell anyone what to consume and who to marry. You can be a card carrying member of one political party yet still have civil discussions with members of the other, and even concede that the other side might have some good points.

Of course, there are still plenty of narrow minded folks who have fully committed to one or the other side and seem incapable of having any thoughts that diverge from the policies or views that they've been programmed to believe is the only acceptable position. And more and more, what is promoted in these circles is the idea that anyone who disagrees is not just different, or even wrong, but...evil, and an actual threat. These people are propaganda tools and fortunately, the noise that they make is highly disproportionate to their actual numbers and influence.

A fair amount of research shows that Americans are probably in actuality not nearly as divided on political issues as it appears on the surface; even on the hot-button issues like abortion, gun control, and immigration. When allowed to explore the nuances of individual opinions on these complicated issues, researchers often find much less disagreement in public opinion than you'd think. The problem is that political polls, news interviews, and presidential debates are intentionally done in a way to hide this fact and instead make it appear as though we all hate each other and should fear each other and only Our Team's Candidate can save you from the evil people on the other side of the political aisle.

 

[E tank]

Florida right now is a perfect example of the 'division' narrative being exposed as cultural elite gaslighting. Several independent polls put more than half of registered democrats, let alone republicans, in favor of DeSantis' classroom instruction bill regarding race/gender ideology influenced K-3 curriculum.

Black voters in Minneapolis killed the 'defund police' initiatives after George Floyd was killed. Gallup released a 2020 poll where 81% of blacks nation wide wanted police presence in their neighborhoods to remain the same or increase.

Successful, majority black and brown charter schools that are challenging the establishment education paradigms of race inequality, by out performing white majority public schools (and were widely endorsed by the Clinton and Obama administrations) are being attacked and maligned by the 'new progressives' using false narrative gender/race ideology. They're driving the teachers unions out of their minds because they show that impoverished black kids can out perform 'privileged' white kids given the right setting.

The academic/political/media elite are so insulated in their bubbles that they have to attack anyone, of any gender or race, parent or student, that challenges the script. The really good news is that the cracks are beginning to show.

 

[Akulahawk]

Ben Shapiro is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. I don't always agree with what he says, and he's a hard right conservative, but he's factually accurate. I've never listened to rush, but many of my liberal friends seem to ignore what conservatives say, not because of the content of their speech, but because of the history of the person. One of my favorite quotes from Ben is "facts don't care about your feelings," because many people confuse the two, and just because you don't like something, doesn't change it's status as a fact.

Ben Shapiro is quite the interesting guy and he does seem to make sure he's factually accurate and he seems to be VERY good at drilling down to an underlying motive behind a question he's presented with. In that regard, he can be quite entertaining to watch!

I get that, but I'd say I've become more liberal than I was as a young man. I feel less selfish and more open to different ways of looking at things. Again, it depends on the issue, but I think the older me is more open-minded and tolerant.

More "liberal" in the more classical sense or in a more "progressive" sense? My understanding is that the more "progressive" liberal tends to be less open/tolerant...

Of course, there are still plenty of narrow minded folks who have fully committed to one or the other side and seem incapable of having any thoughts that diverge from the policies or views that they've been programmed to believe is the only acceptable position. And more and more, what is promoted in these circles is the idea that anyone who disagrees is not just different, or even wrong, but...evil, and an actual threat. These people are propaganda tools and fortunately, the noise that they make is highly disproportionate to their actual numbers and influence.

While this certainly occurs among both right and left wing political groups, I see the noise coming from the left being amplified more than what's coming from the right. The political left has also become very, very good at keeping their ranks together. This has the unfortunate result of allowing their more extreme end to drag the group more fervently left. The right isn't necessarily MORE right/conservative, but since the right tends to have a more independent/individualistic streak, it can be like herding cats.

I'm not saying one side is "better" than another. I just hope that one day, the extremes will be ejected from their spotlights and ignored, leaving the rest of us to return to the idea that we're more alike than different and that we actually can get along...

 

[mgr22]

More "liberal" in the more classical sense or in a more "progressive" sense? My understanding is that the more "progressive" liberal tends to be less open/tolerant...

As I mentioned above, I'm going with my dictionary's definition of liberal: "open to new ideas, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others." The same dictionary defines progressive as almost the same. I wouldn't know how to distinguish between the two.

I don't see a hard border between liberal and conservative. There are degrees of each in lots of what I believe. It depends on the issue.

 

[E tank]

I'd say a 'liberal' is an intellectually honest progressive....a 'progressive' is slavishly wedded to a leftist ideology whose narrative must be defended at all costs. There are right leaning equivalents, but I don't think the labels are as well defined.

 

[Martyn]

You had to open it, didn't you...