Definition of liberal and conservative.
These terms have been thrown around rather freely the past 26 plus years and I thought I'd take the actual definition and share it with people because I believe that people don't really know what it means anymore and it's more rhetoric (oh weak rhetoric, how little you change the world... and yes I'm being ironic), than an actual understanding of the definitions. Basically I'm testing that belief by this post because I want people to comment with their thoughts and whether the definitions align with what they believe and who they are or WHERE on the sliding scale of gray they may be sitting.
Liberal:
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
So, basically liberal is not limited to traditional means of doing things, dogmas, or bigotry and favors proposals for reform or new ideas for progress as well as being tolerant of the ideas of others. So that sounds LIke I am VERY much a liberal. Let's check the conservative definition.
Conservative:
1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
4.
a. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
b. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.
5. Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
6. Conservative Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism.
7. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural
So basically opposing change, traditional and very moderate/cautious.
This is definitely not me (big surprise, right?). I believe in risk. I believe in changing things that are broken and if one idea doesn't work, trying new ideas instead of saying "i can't" and complaining. I think some traditional things are good, for example manners and a polite society. then again, a little friction helps the world go round too because most people have good ideas or bits of them and when you take all those little good bits and combine them you can get one big good idea.
I'm amused because, by this definition, Washington was not a conservative. Lincoln was not a conservative. Jefferson was not a conservative. These were all people looking for RADICAL change for what they thought was just and right.
So if a person is conservative, does this mean they have no issue with the corruption that is in our government both republican and democrat? Does this mean they support the current war and wish it to continue? Does this mean that they support the economic policies that have put us into extreme debt and wish that to continue?
I'm interested in hearing honest comments, not polarized bs but actual conversation. I know I have a leaning but I AM interested in other points of view and attempting to understand them to some extent. That is one of the defintions of liberal after all... tolerant of other beliefs.
Based on the above definitions, where did you place yourself before I listed this out. Has that changed and if so where do you place yourself now? I'm fully aware there are shades of gray so please don't feel that you'd need to be boxed in on ones side or the other. If you're in the middle, please feel free to ramble about it, but keep it in the context of the above definitions only. i'm mostly interested if the use of the above definitions have caused some people to change where they label themselves on the sliding scale.
The next question I have is do you think these definitions are accurate?
JFK defined what liberal meant to him. I find it ironic that he stated, even then, that democrats cared about budgetting and spending and yet that is a supposed republican issue. I've noticed that democrats are MUCH more responsible with money than Republicans have been. I'm still amazed when I hear "tax and spend" because democrats do more for balancing the budget than republicans do. Anyway, his thoughts on liberalism below and more under the link.
A Liberal Definition by John F. Kennedy:
Acceptance Speech of the New York
Liberal Party Nomination
September 14, 1960
What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."
Continued under this link here: http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html