Conservative or Progressive?

[CoolBlue71]

Jesus! What changed your mind?

… Life. (Sorry to be so short.)

 

[TheFireGod]

I voted Moderate Progressive.

Generally:
-I support the free-market side of the economy. Though I’m against massive corporate/union power and uncontrolled capitalism.
-I’m very liberal on social issues (pro-government recognition of polygamy and incest marriages in addition to same-sex, no late term abortions but otherwise it’s ok).
-Pro-legalization (but a high tax rate, like for cigarettes) of soft drugs for anyone 18 and over. Alcohol drinking/purchasing age lowered to 18 but very harsh penalties against drunk driving. Personally I’m against over consumption of drug and alcohol use.
-Mostly support non-interventionism internationally unless a clear and known enemy attacks citizens or our shores, but mostly pro-gun.

The party closest to my views is the Free Democratic Party of Germany rather than the Republican or Libertarian parties here.

I call myself Liberal though, despite what that term means here even economically, so I use a Free-market Liberal when talking with people.

 

[chrisrobin]

Rigid conservative has 0 votes. Where's pixel? I know we're at least one down there.

Let's not forget laikaNYC. Oh, never mind!

 

[BostonPirate]

Let's not forget laikaNYC. Oh, never mind!

he always comes when you type his name.

Thanks in advance

 

[chrisrobin]

he always comes when you type his name.

Thanks in advance

............

 

[versatileplayer]

This is what is wrong with American politics. We don't think for ourselves anymore. Somehow, we've all been divided up and made to choose sides.

The entire Left v Right paradigm is nothing more than a Madison Avenue marketing campaign.

Politicians are like rappers who bad mouth each other, but who are really in the act of cross promotion.

Both parties are owned and contolled by the same people. Both parties represent the corporations and the status quo. Both parties rip off the public by passing out tax dollars to their donors.

Our media loves this. It's a classic contest/conflict/horserace story, and it's endless. They have created several cable channels to cater to our idiocy. They have created waves of idiots who watch cable television pundits far too much. These fools then believe themselves to be "informed" - when they have really just had their favorite party's talking points drummed into their heads. These poor bafoons then parrot these talking points back and forth at each other.

The politicians have us all in the place they want us. Screaming talking points at each other, hating our neighbors and demonizing each other. Meanwhile, they pick our pockets clean as a whistle.

 

[versatileplayer]

BP,I'd pick centrist but there's no corresponding choice for that.In between moderate conservative and moderate progressive,not comfortable with the more ideological in both wings at all.

Ideological = nonthinking idiot.

 

[versatileplayer]

you only have two choices on purpose and you cant sit in the middle on purpose.

thanks guys...

I will restate the question so that you know you are in the "IF" territory....

if you HAD to place yourself on this scale, where would you put yourself?

You should change your avatar picture from a pirate, to the parrot that sits on his shoulder.

 

[versatileplayer]

I'm progressive.

If a staunch conservative looks at me they'll think I'm a radical communist socialist Obama lovin' liberal. If a rigid progressive looked at my they'd think I was too far right.

That's how far the peg has moved to the right.... the conservatives have become SO conservative that everyone that doesn't align with them appears to be a liberal leftist. It's not the Republican party of Eisenhower, Nixon or even Reagan anymore. It's morphed into something odd.

That's because right wing rhetoric sells in macho America. Caring and thinking are portrayed as feminine in our culture, partly because of the feminist left's demonization of men. It's classic backlash.

 

[versatileplayer]

I don't believe we should be ruled by bankers and markets. They make a mockery of democracy.

The market isn't the answer to every question, but it's a pretty good one to most economic questions. Without regulation however, it's like playing a game of football without rules. Emotions and reactionary rhetoric solve nothing.

 

[versatileplayer]

I picked progressive. I haven't been terribly self-conscious of where I fall on the scale. But I've gone through an attitude change; one that recognizes we need progressive policies because we're too far to the right. And I find D.C. right-wing because the corporate masters don't feel progressive policies—social, economical, political (combination thereof)—is advantageous. The corporatism mentality is to not give a shit about the nature of the platforms of both major parties; they just support the one likely to produce a coming election's victory; and the requirement is that the winning party's candidate, when in office, will not being a threat to corporate interests.

Both parties are OWNED by Wall Street - learn it.

Right now, you are probably paying a higher percentage of your income in taxes than Warren Buffet. Why? Both parties are against you.

The Bush tax cuts - specifically those on dividend income (you'll actually pay lower taxes on this than on money you work for) - bankrupted the Treasury. What did the Democrats do about them when they held the House, Senate, and White House - absolutely NOTHING.

I'm also pretty sure you're paying more of your income in taxes than most hedge fund managers who make tens of millions a year. Why - because the Democrats stripped the language correcting this from the legislation that would have closed this loophole. Why? Some of their biggest donors are hedge fund managers.

There is no "good guy" in American politics.

 

[versatileplayer]

The far right has been pretty successful at branding liberal a dirty word in American politics.

Yup and liberals were spineless and foolish enough to allow them to do so.

 

[chrisrobin]

This is what is wrong with American politics. We don't think for ourselves anymore. Somehow, we've all been divided up and made to choose sides.

The entire Left v Right paradigm is nothing more than a Madison Avenue marketing campaign.

Politicians are like rappers who bad mouth each other, but who are really in the act of cross promotion.

Both parties are owned and contolled by the same people. Both parties represent the corporations and the status quo. Both parties rip off the public by passing out tax dollars to their donors.

Our media loves this. It's a classic contest/conflict/horserace story, and it's endless. They have created several cable channels to cater to our idiocy. They have created waves of idiots who watch cable television pundits far too much. These fools then believe themselves to be "informed" - when they have really just had their favorite party's talking points drummed into their heads. These poor bafoons then parrot these talking points back and forth at each other.

The politicians have us all in the place they want us. Screaming talking points at each other, hating our neighbors and demonizing each other. Meanwhile, they pick our pockets clean as a whistle.

The two-party system is part of the American political tradition, from George Washington to the present. A country like Italy has a multi-party system and as all of us know, Italy is the paragon of thoughtful, enlightened politics.

 

[versatileplayer]

The two-party system is part of the American political tradition, from George Washington to the present. A country like Italy has a multi-party system and as all of us know, Italy is the paragon of thoughtful, enlightened politics.

Oh Italy - did they ever have a government that lived? Sheesh.

The UK has two dominant political parties, but their system has room for others, and they have them, their governments are usually pretty stable.

Much can be accomplished in the two party paradigm. What we have done is polarized the camps so far away from each other that nothing gets done EXCEPT the fleecing of the public by BOTH parties, and that's exactly what they want.

 

[versatileplayer]

How many posts does this guy have to make? Most of them out of anger.

First off, the left does think. And secondly, I don't see much difference between either of the political parties in this country. If you think they are from opposite sides, I'm going to laugh.

At any rate I would pick rigid progressive... but i'm more a socialist. I don't identify with either right wing party in this country.

Both parties have one common goal - rip off America. They are doing a fantastic job at it, and we love it. We scream talking points at each other while they fill their pockets.

 

[construct]

Both parties have one common goal - rip off America. They are doing a fantastic job at it, and we love it. We scream talking points at each other while they fill their pockets.

You know, the parties are one thing, but I think the original post was about where we place ourselves on a conservative/progressive scale. Sure the parties don't live up to any of our ideals, but most of us still use a quick or even quicker label on the scale to describe ourselves (to ourselves if to no one else). I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

 

[versatileplayer]

You know, the parties are one thing, but I think the original post was about where we place ourselves on a conservative/progressive scale. Sure the parties don't live up to any of our ideals, but most of us still use a quick or even quicker label on the scale to describe ourselves (to ourselves if to no one else). I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

At one time I could have agreed with that statement. I no longer can. I have changed my view on that - and I think it's a horrible thing.

It sets us up to be complete ideologues and non-thinkers. Choosing a team sets up a psychology of us v them. American politics is now about people, first and foremost. Personalities drive our debate - not issues. We don't have indepth conversations about policy at all anymore.

The New American Politics of personality cults is just what the media loves. All sizzle, no substance. Great for ratings, great for fundraising - it's destructive to our country. In depth coverage of issues with accompanying policy discussion is dry and boring, and we can't be bothered with it. So, we get screwed.

Our politics has devolved into a sports bar mentality where we each cheer on our respective teams and demonize and hate the other.

We are like children.

 

[versatileplayer]

And this is addressing my points how? Talking points? I speak only with facts and evidence. I'm a socialist. I have nothing to do with either dominant political party in this country. You come in here swinging at people, calling them non-thinkers... what kind of response are you expecting to get?

Your posts are all sizzle, and no substance... using your terms.

Oh quit with your whining victimhood. No one has taken a swing at you.

Here's nice fact for you - YOU are probably paying a higher percentage of your income in taxes than Warren Buffet.

Why? Because special people get special tax rates, like hedge fund managers and those who collect dividends. What has the DNC done to change that? Absolutely nothing. In fact, some Democrats had tried to correct this special taxation of hedge fund manager income - and Pelosi and Obama had it removed from the bill - why? Because some of their biggest donors are hedge fund managers.

How does that square with your socialist ideals? Regressive taxation - from the "progressive" party.

Both parties are crooked. Both parties pass out tax money to their donors.

 

[JB3]

At one time I could have agreed with that statement. I no longer can. I have changed my view on that - and I think it's a horrible thing.

It sets us up to be complete ideologues and non-thinkers. Choosing a team sets up a psychology of us v them. American politics is now about people, first and foremost. Personalities drive our debate - not issues. We don't have indepth conversations about policy at all anymore.

The New American Politics of personality cults is just what the media loves. All sizzle, no substance. Great for ratings, great for fundraising - it's destructive to our country. In depth coverage of issues with accompanying policy discussion is dry and boring, and we can't be bothered with it. So, we get screwed.

Our politics has devolved into a sports bar mentality where we each cheer on our respective teams and demonize and hate the other.

We are like children.

You take yourself too seriously. Your string of posts made me laugh so hysterically that I almost dropped my laptop.

Giving yourself a label doesn't create an us vs. them mentality. That you think so says more about your own politics than it does about anyone else's. It also tells me (and should tell anyone else that reads your comments) that you don't understand what those terms mean and what they're used for if you boil them down to what you posted.

The descriptions above have nothing whatsoever to do with party. They have to do with philosophy. I'm not shocked, based on the content of your posts, that you don't get that.

 

[versatileplayer]

You take yourself too seriously. Your string of posts made me laugh so hysterically that I almost dropped my laptop.

Giving yourself a label doesn't create an us vs. them mentality. That you think so says more about your own politics than it does about anyone else's. It also tells me (and should tell anyone else that reads your comments) that you don't understand what those terms mean and what they're used for if you boil them down to what you posted.

The descriptions above have nothing whatsoever to do with party. They have to do with philosophy. I'm not shocked, based on the content of your posts, that you don't get that.

Slap your label on and join your team and spout talking points from your gurus and be happy.

Feel free to skip my posts if you'd like as well.