Differences between Liberals, Conservates, other Political Lingo?

[WoodysGirl]

Serious question...

Don't want to come across as ignorant, but I have no idea what all the differences are between all the political lingo out there.

Typically when I vote, I throw all of that out of the window, and just go with who I'm more comfortable with in a particular position, from local positions to federal.

Granted, I can pretty much glance and see how SOME things can be defined, but I just wanted to get a read on what some of you all think.

[Doomsday101]

On the local level I tend to vote more for the individual person on the Fed level I admit I vote in large part on the party. I have a lot more in common with the Republican Party and their platform than I do with the Democrats platform thus I tend to vote Republican.

While I know many who talk about voting for the individual that individual for the most part relies on their party to get anything done and that individual beliefs are more in line with the party they belong to.

[iceberg]

Serious question...

Don't want to come across as ignorant, but I have no idea what all the differences are between all the political lingo out there.

Typically when I vote, I throw all of that out of the window, and just go with who I'm more comfortable with in a particular position, from local positions to federal.

Granted, I can pretty much glance and see how SOME things can be defined, but I just wanted to get a read on what some of you all think.

actually it's a good question and got me to pondering. while i'm not a fan of labels we (me included) do tend to talk that way just the same. i went and looked up a political dictionary and here's some of the key terms as they define it.

http://www.iamericanspirit.com/politicaldictionary.html

left-wing - on the left of the political spectrum. The term can include communism, socialism, or liberalism. It originated in the seating arrangements in nineteenth century European parliaments, where the conservatives would sit on the right side of a semi-circle (as seen from the point of view of the presiding officer, often the king) and the socialists on the left. The more radical the group, the further to the left they sat.

Left-wingers advocate generous spending on the welfare state, vigorously promote the rights of women and minorities, are suspicious of high spending on defense, tend to be internationalist in outlook, favor government controls on the free market system, and generally favor social welfare over business interests. In the U.S. the left-wing is not a major factor in national politics, as far as elections are concerned. The Democratic party has some left-wing adherents, but it tries to minimize their influence when election time comes round, since in the U.S., left-wing policies are generally vote-losers. Left-wing groups however, often form powerful interest groups that do exert influence on particular issues. See also communism; liberal; liberalism; Marxism; socialism.
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liberal - in political speech now in the U.S. a liberal is a person who believes it is the duty of government to ameliorate social conditions and create a more equitable society. Liberals favor generous spending on the welfare state; they exhibit a concern for minorities, the poor, and the disadvantaged and often see these conditions as a product of social injustices rather than individual failings. This also applies to crime and juvenile delinquency, where liberals are as concerned with removing the social causes of such behavior as they are with detection and punishment. Liberals also tend to be concerned about environmental issues, the defense of civil liberties, and do not favor excessive military spending. The label of liberal is something that many politicans now seek to avoid, since it is out of keeping with the public mood. In the presidential campaign of 1988 George Bush used this to telling advantage, labeling his Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis a liberal, and making the term sound subversive and un-American. President Clinton tried to distance himself from traditional liberalism in his campaign of 1992, calling himself a New Democrat instead. See also liberalism.

liberalism - in the nineteenth century in Europe, the great age of liberalism, the term stood for freedom from church and state authority and the reduction of the power of royalty and aristocracy, free enterprise economics, and the free development of the individual. Liberalism advocated freedom of the press, religious toleration, self-determination for nations. It was liberalism that established parliamentary democracy. The Founding Fathers might be termed liberals. In the twentieth century, liberal parties were caught in between conservatives and socialists and their influence declined. Today, liberalism stands for something rather different than it did in the nineteenth century (more government rather than less government). See also liberal.
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conservatism - a political philosophy that tends to support the status quo and advocates change only in moderation. Conservatism upholds the value of tradition, and seeks to preserve all that is good about the past. The classic statement of conservatism was by the Irishman Edmund Burke, in his Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), in which he attacked the French Revolution. He compared society to a living organism that has taken time to grow and mature, so it should not be violently uprooted. Innovation, when necessary, should be grafted onto the strong stem of traditional institutions and ways of doing things: "it is with infinite caution that any man ought to venture upon pulling down an edifice which has answered in any tolerable degree for ages the common purposes of society."

conservative parties - political parties that advocate conservatism. In the U.S., the Republican party is more conservative than the Democratic party, and although the Democrats have traditionally had a conservative wing (based in the South) in the last two decades much of it has joined the Republicans. The current trend in the Republican party is towards greater conservatism.

conservative - a person who supports conservatism. Naturally, those who are most conservative are usually those who have most to conserve, such as those who own wealth and property, or who are otherwise privileged, and thus have a stake in the disposition of things as they are. A conservative tends to be for the free market in economic affairs, and against what he calls "big government"-an excessive federal bureaucracy that intervenes in a wide range of social and economic areas. Conservatives prefer a kind of individualistic self-sufficiency. On social issues conservatives are pro-family, anti-abortion, and in general support traditional moral values and religion. Conservatives usually favor a strong military.

[Danny White]

It's not an easy question.

A lot of the lables goes as far back to ancient political philosophy and what it means to be "liberal" or even a "republican" or "democrat" has changed a lot over time.


A classical, Lockean liberal used to be more in line with what you would call an economic conservative today. A more "hands-off" approach to government with less regulation and more de-centralized. The libertarians still lay claim to that definition of "liberal."

But at some point, those who favored a stronger central (federal) government that created and managed broad-based social programs became to be known as "liberals" here in the U.S. They also advocated greater regulation of business and higher tax rates, especially on the higher income brackets.

In resistance to that, "conservatives" advocated a holding on to the economic principles of the past (what used to be called classical liberalism or laissez faire).

I would say that still holds pretty true, that liberals are more in favor of higher taxation, fees, tariffs, regulation, etc, as well as a stronger central government and an active network of social programs that is funded and managed by the central government.

Conservatives, typically, still try to advocate a smaller federal government, preferring local control over federal control. Also fewer regulations and lower taxes along the line, including for businesses and higher tax brackets due to the belief that this is where economic development begins and can have the greatest trickle down impact.

Then, as the social issues have grown in prominence in recent decades, you have the liberals and conservatives staking out their positions on these.

In this way, you typically have the liberals advocating a more permissive, relativistic stance on issues like gay marriage and adoption, abortion, drug legalization... as well as a more hostile stance towards religion in the public sphere.

Social conservatives generally embrace what would be commonly considered "traditional" values, even if it means that the federal government would be needed to preserve those values. Not all conservatives believe this way (libertarians and federalists most notably), but for the most part, those who call themselves "conservatives" these days do.

Typically, conservatives think that unborn life must be protected, and that it is perfectly legitimate for the government to be involved in enforcing that protection.

Also, while no conservatives that I know of would like a theocracy (organized religion running the government) -- most do want our government to respect and acknowledge the fundamental religious principles that were widely embraced as this country was being built.


That's probably longer than you were looking for.

Also, there's a whole host of issues that I left out, such as foreign policy, trade, etc, but it's getting harder and harder to pin these issues on one philosophy or another. I can't figure out what the liberals believe on trade anymore, and there are deep divisions among conservatives (neocons versus traditional conservatives) when it comes to foreign policy.

Hope this was helpful, though.

[burmafrd]

The REAL problem is Liberals who try and appear Moderate (Hilary and a lot of Democrats) and Moderates to Liberals that try and make people think they are conservative (a whole lot of current Republicans). There are only a few Democrats with the guts to admit they are Liberal; and only a few Republicans that really are Conservative. Most of the electorate lean conservative to moderate; but many of them do not vote. Those that vote are split into about 25% Liberal, 25% Conservative, and about 50% Moderate.
That is not even since most of the west and south (Except for the West Left Coast) are much more conservative while the North East, East Coast, and Upper Midwest are Liberal. Most of the big cities are Liberal; much of the suburbs and country areas are Conservative.
What is really sad is the rather pathetic % of eligible voters that vote.

[Rackat]

The REAL problem is Liberals who try and appear Moderate (Hilary and a lot of Democrats) and Moderates to Liberals that try and make people think they are conservative (a whole lot of current Republicans). There are only a few Democrats with the guts to admit they are Liberal; and only a few Republicans that really are Conservative.
You didn't read the OP, did you?

DW and ice pretty much answered it. I am sure others will chime in as well.

[WoodysGirl]

You didn't read the OP, did you?

DW and ice pretty much answered it. I am sure others will chime in as well.
Yeah, I thought they did a really good job answering my question. I feel a little bit more educated. 'Preciate it, Ice and DW. :)

[Danny White]

The REAL problem is Liberals who try and appear Moderate (Hilary and a lot of Democrats) and Moderates to Liberals that try and make people think they are conservative (a whole lot of current Republicans). There are only a few Democrats with the guts to admit they are Liberal; and only a few Republicans that really are Conservative. Most of the electorate lean conservative to moderate; but many of them do not vote. Those that vote are split into about 25% Liberal, 25% Conservative, and about 50% Moderate.
That is not even since most of the west and south (Except for the West Left Coast) are much more conservative while the North East, East Coast, and Upper Midwest are Liberal. Most of the big cities are Liberal; much of the suburbs and country areas are Conservative.
What is really sad is the rather pathetic % of eligible voters that vote.

You didn't read the OP, did you?

DW and ice pretty much answered it. I am sure others will chime in as well.
burmafrd does raise an interesting issue, though.

The thing that does make it most difficult to understand the definitions these days is that people (politicians) call themselves one thing, and act like another.

Back in the day, they knew what things like "republican," "democrat," "liberal," and "federalist" meant and they used those labels so it was easier to understand where they were coming from philosophically.

[Hostile]

Lewis Black had a great line where he said The Republicans are the Party of "bad ideas" whereas the Democrats are the party of "no ideas."

Throwing in some other observations we can break down the word Politics. Poli is a prefix that meas many, and tics are blood sucking parasites. Sort of fitting.

The root word of Senate is from the Latin word Senix. Senile is also from the root word Senix. Also fitting.

Finally in school we learned that Pro is the opposite of Con. It is easy for me to see that Congress is the opposite of Progress. I concur.

The problem I have with politics is really twofold. I do not like that the politics of the party are driven by Special Interest Groups and that people blindly accept those Special Interests as what they should believe simply because of how they are registered to vote. The other problem I have is that people actually believe a party is going to solve all the problems.

No they aren't. I'm sorry to burst any bubbles but anyone who believes that Obama or Clinton are going to solve everything that is wrong because of Bush is deluded. If one party could solve everything it would already be solved. Take a look at the promises being made in 2008. If they don't sound familiar to you then you haven't been paying attention. It's the same promises every election. Better education, better health care, I have all the good ideas, vote for me and your life will improve.

I have a problem with hating someone else because of their politics. Sometime back I admitted that I like Bush and as a reward I got labeled a "Bush boy." That person will never listen to why I like him or to the fact that I love my Governor who is a Democrat. Nope, all they see is red because I have the audacity to like someone they hate.

I've posted in this forum very little. More lately than I ever expected to. I almost didn't and in truth I wouldn't have at all if it weren't for guys like Silverbear, vta, and iceberg PMing me to say my views would be welcome. To be quite truthful, that shocked me. I have never seen politics as a welcome topic. Maybe this forum is a bit different.

I am not governed by a party. Never will be. I probably lean more Conservative than Liberal but I will openly admit that there are Liberal views that I believe have more weight to what I believe than the Conservative opposite does. Now and then I tend to piss off friends who are both Liberal and Conservative. My friend Jim, a staunch Republican, thinks I am a Liberal. My friend Lee, and his wife Doris, staunch Democrats, think I am a Conservative.

I love sharing this story about Lee and Doris. Lee said to me one time, "Mike you are such a hypocrite." I asked how and he said, "you're Pro Life (no I'm not, but I would never tell him this) but you're also for the Death Penalty. It's still killing a human being no matter how you spin it."

I immediately fired back, "Lee you are such a hypocrite." He asked me how. I said, "you scream about needing cleaner air but you drive a Cadillac and you smoke cigarettes." Doris was laughing at this and she said I couldn't say the same about her because she drives a fuel efficient car and doesn't smoke.

I said, "Doris you are such a hypocrite." She was aghast. Doris is one of these anti-fur people and is big into PETA. I immediately told her that I would take it back if she would just do one thing. I offered to take her down to a local biker bar called "The Bashful Bandit" so she could throw paint on some biker's leather coat.

She turned me down. I wasn't shocked. Maybe if there were some old lady bikers. Probably not even then.

The division is only going to grow wider and more hostile as time goes by and it will be pushed widere by the Special Interests and the candidates will blindly follow along hoping for the votes.

I don't believe everything is Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative, black or white. I certainly don't believe either party is going to solve the problems and nothing anyone tells me in this forum or face to face is ever going to change my mind on that.

More confused than ever? Me too.

[Mavs Man]

Conservatives, typically, still try to advocate a smaller federal government, preferring local control over federal control. Also fewer regulations and lower taxes along the line, including for businesses and higher tax brackets due to the belief that this is where economic development begins and can have the greatest trickle down impact.


I'm not so sure it has to do with the so-called "trickle down effect" as much as it has to do with basic incentives.

Case in point - Russian oil. Oil companies in Russia are taxed at higher and higher levels as the price of a barrel of oil increase. How high? After oil passes $27 a barrel, the Russian government takes 80% of any profits. This means that at $107 a barrel (and we're at $117 and rising), an oil company's revenue increases by only $16 a barrel compared to what it was at $27 a barrel. The result? Despite record oil prices and rising global demand, Russian oil production has actually DECLINED in 2008, and is projected to continue dropping for the next several years - because oil companies have no incentive to invest in more research, development, drilling etc. when they will get little to none of the rewards, while risking everything.

The same concept works for individuals. In 1979 the maximum marginal tax rate on individual income was 70%. It was cut to 33% during the Reagan administration. Deficits rose (along with increased government spending) but tax receipts also rose by a third between 1980 and 1990. The "rich" (the top five percent of income earners) also paid a larger share of taxes, paying 45.9 percent of federal income taxes in 1988 compared to 37.6 percent in 1979. This tells me that it resulted in more work performed by upper income earners, based on a major incentive to do so (essentially doubling their take-home income is what I call a major incentive).

[Mavs Man]

Hos brought up the term Special Interests. It's funny to me how a candidate is always against "special interests" - of their opponents. They are always in favor of their own special interests. They just call them "supporters".

[Hostile]

Hos brought up the term Special Interests. It's funny to me how a candidate is always against "special interests" - of their opponents. They are always in favor of their own special interests. They just call them "supporters".George Carlin said it best in his comedy routine "A Place for My Stuff."

Actually this is just a place for my stuff, ya know? That's all, a little place for my stuff. That's all I want, that's all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff, ya know? I can see it on your table, everybody's got a little place for their stuff. This is my stuff, that's your stuff, that'll be his stuff over there. That's all you need in life, a little place for your stuff. That's all your house is: a place to keep your stuff. If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house. You could just walk around all the time.

A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you're saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff!

Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore. Did you ever notice when you go to somebody else's house, you never quite feel a hundred percent at home? You know why? No room for your stuff. Somebody else's stuff is all over the damned place! And if you stay overnight, unexpectedly, they give you a little bedroom to sleep in. Bedroom they haven't used in about eleven years. Someone died in it, eleven years ago. And they haven't moved any of his stuff! Right next to the bed there's usually a dresser or a bureau of some kind, and there's NO ROOM for your stuff on it. Somebody else's junk is on the dresser.

Have you noticed that their stuff is junk and your junk is stuff?

[iceberg]

Yeah, I thought they did a really good job answering my question. I feel a little bit more educated. 'Preciate it, Ice and DW. :)

DW gave some great history there too. after lunch i need to go back and read more.

[REDVOLUTION]

Republicans - Dont use vaseline

Democrats - Do use vaseline

Liberals - Afraid to use vaseline


"What happens when you go through the drive thru? "They Frack you at the Drive thru" - - Joe Pesci

[theogt]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_chart

Basically the 4 possible categories (liberal, conservative, populist, and libertarian) are a function of your position on liberty/freedom in terms of two variables: economic and personal issues.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Nolan-chart.svg/275px-Nolan-chart.svg.png

Liberal - Less economic freedom + More personal freedom
Conservative - More economic freedom + Less personal freedom
Populist - Less economic freedom + Less personal freedom
Libertarian - More economic freedom + More personal freedom

Examples of "more economic freedom": lower taxes, less government regulation in the economy, etc.
Examples of "more personal freedom": less government regulation of sexual preference, abortion, etc.

[BrAinPaiNt]

George Carlin said it best in his comedy routine "A Place for My Stuff."

Actually this is just a place for my stuff, ya know? That's all, a little place for my stuff. That's all I want, that's all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff, ya know? I can see it on your table, everybody's got a little place for their stuff. This is my stuff, that's your stuff, that'll be his stuff over there. That's all you need in life, a little place for your stuff. That's all your house is: a place to keep your stuff. If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house. You could just walk around all the time.

A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you're saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff!

Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore. Did you ever notice when you go to somebody else's house, you never quite feel a hundred percent at home? You know why? No room for your stuff. Somebody else's stuff is all over the damned place! And if you stay overnight, unexpectedly, they give you a little bedroom to sleep in. Bedroom they haven't used in about eleven years. Someone died in it, eleven years ago. And they haven't moved any of his stuff! Right next to the bed there's usually a dresser or a bureau of some kind, and there's NO ROOM for your stuff on it. Somebody else's junk is on the dresser.

Have you noticed that their stuff is junk and your junk is stuff?

Have you seen Carlin talk within the last few years. Man he has really turned cynical when talking politics...real bad. Loved his old stuff but seen him on something a year or so back and it was a little much even for my bush bashing behind.

[Hostile]

Have you seen Carlin talk within the last few years. Man he has really turned cynical when talking politics...real bad. Loved his old stuff but seen him on something a year or so back and it was a little much even for my bush bashing behind.Not in a long time. Lewis Black and Dennis Miller are my favorite Political Satirists by far.

[BrAinPaiNt]

Not in a long time. Lewis Black and Dennis Miller are my favorite Political Satirists by far.

Lewis black kills me...love to watch him, that guy is like a ticking time bomb:laugh2:

Miller I like to an extent but then he gets a little too into it and bores me after a time.