American ideology

[fpb]

Every time I found myself arguing politics with an otherwise illustrious writer on my f-list (which is richer in fine and great writers than I deserve), I have found my own testimony about my own past, life experience, country and background treated as fraudulent. It was not always the man himself who did it, but if he did not, someone else would

Comments

[expectare]

I'm an American free marketer and I gave up debating politics with...everybody a while ago. It has made my life better. I hope it does the same for you.

[jamesenge]

I know what you mean. It's hard to talk to a zealot (of any ideological stripe), and rarely worth the trouble (at least on the topic of their monomania).

[fpb]

Isn't it?

Alas...

[affablestranger]

I know what you mean. I gave up debating or otherwise much discussing politics at all with, well, just about anyone for the same reason. Either I was lying about things or I was stupid, or at least that what was generally implied when I passed along my own experiences. Generally I believe my health and overall life-outlook is better for it. Just as people are going to do what they want to, they will believe what they want to as well.

[fpb]

I am not going to HIDE my beliefs. I am just going to be very careful who I DISCUSS them with. There's a difference.

And perhaps tomorrow I will feel differently, but today I have had enough. It's not nice to have your own experience denied to your face.

[stigandnasty919]

From the outside looking in, American politics seems to have become incredibly polarised and yet fiscally the two parties appear to be close together.

There seems to be no appetite to accept that someone holding a different view to your own can do so honestly and retain a moral core. So to liberals all conservatives are corrupt and in the pockets of 'big oil' while conservatives feel that, to quote the writer I think you are referring to, "the modern liberal always prefers evil to good, ugly to beautiful".

The other side are always lying, hiding their motives and trying to trick the public into supporting them so they can carry out their evil left/right -wing (delete as applicable) agenda.

In these circumstances debate is not possible.

[fpb]

Especially if you take pride, as I do, in explaining that you are conservative, liberal AND socialist.

[elskuligr]

well, explaining to an American you are socialist and yet not a dangerous anarchist terrorist is sometimes difficult

[elskuligr]

by the way, when you say liberal, you mean politically I suppose? Like valuing the political freedom of individuals and that kind of stuff?

Or are you both socialist and in favour of economic liberalism? or perhaps a form of moderate economic liberalism?

(I know you're fed up with such discussions for today, so a short answer or a link to a previous post will be plenty enough. I'm just intrigued, that's all)