I like to believe I know enough about politics to be able to vote based on my own beliefs. But “beliefs” are a big part of political preference in a two-party system, and I believe I might have narrowed them down…
Liberals: believe life is important
Conservatives: believe their life is important
A lot of people might see this viewpoint as skewed one way or another, but think of it:
Of course, these are all just thoughts of mine. I’m generalizing a whole freaking lot – there are several exceptions on each side.
But just for a second, I’ll stop trying to be fair and balanced (regardless of how poorly I’m doing), and give a little peek into my own political beliefs:
Who’s the real flip-flop?
So what would describe libertarians?
I’m an independent myself, too stubborn and insane to go for the party affiliations. I’m the real flip-flop 😉
YAY LIMBERTARIANS!
I think I sprained my neck reading that.
Yeah, in the stupid, selfish games of politics, I choose just to stay out of it entirely. If I don’t pick a side, the other side doesn’t critisize me.
…let the flaming begin. >_>
I guess you don’t vote, then?
Yeah, pretty much.
(see title)
You described the thing as
Libs-Life is important
Conservatives- Their life is in important.
I tend to see it thusly:
Conservatives- Capitalism First, Democracy Second.
Liberals- Democracy First, Capitalism Second.
Essentially the same thing you said, but opens up the floor a little more. Democracy beleives in the intergration and cooperation of people. In Capitalism, one person is essentially profiting from another.
This also better explains why Canada has Healthcare and why the States have Microsoft. You could also make an argument for both parties being selfish in different ways. Conservativism seems very selfish in an instant gratification/ ball hog kind of way whereas Liberalism is selfish in the long run as it puts into play policies and research that it seeks to eventually benefit from itself.
You can still be conservative in a Liberal setting but it’s hard to do it the otherway around. Take for example abortion. The liberal stance is usually pro choice and the conservative stance is usually pro life. Which accidentally throws your whole ‘it’s the Liberals that think life is important’ into question– but not if you tack on one’s own conscience into the theory.
Anyway, if you’re pro life… that’s it. No abortion, no nothing you and everyone are having babies. If you want to give it up for adoption perhaps in exchange for hospital bills incurred, that’s fine. But you’re having the baby.
If you’re pro choice. You can choose abortion, you can choose adoption and you can choose to keep the baby. Here’s the part of pro-choice, alot of people, probably even pro-choicers miss, you can also choose to be pro-life.
That what cinches liberalism for me, the ability to occasionally sport the conservativism when needed. It also makes it a hell of alot easier to navigate globally which is important nowadays.
Agreed; that’s a good way of putting it.
“Conservatives tend to strive toward things that will make them safer and more advanced”
Stem. Cell.
Hmm
“I’m generalizing a whole freaking lot – there are several exceptions on each side.”
Also, that’s not looking out for oneself, that’s looking out for future generations. It goes in the same boat as being pro-life.
And being pro-life usually isnt looking out for our future either. Unless pro-lifers think impoverished youth who commit crimes becuase they have never been given the opportunity to understand a bright future, thereby increasing demand for law enforcement and filling up jails (because we wouldnt want to spend that money to educate these youths, we’d want to give them vouchers to nonexistant private schools), costing taxpayers millions if not billions of dollars is a great idea. At this point there’s a need for more tax dollars, but the ‘lifers dont want that, they want tax cuts for upper class citizens to buy new yachts which may stimulate the economy in the short term. Fuck future generations though, we need them to look like crap so we can point fingers. Who wants to define “corporate criminal” when its so exciting hear about a poor black kid who commits armed robbery, a poor mexican kid who beats up a rival gang member, or a poor white kid who decides to shoot dope. Pro-life. That’s the life and the reality.
I uh, might have meant pro-choice. Whatever. :\
I hadn’t thought of it that way before… but that’s a pretty interesting way of looking at it…