What exactly is wrong with being conservative?

[creatureofthenyte]

I can see your points pretty well sir... but I am not sure where this statement came from... is this what we were talking about?

Very sharp observation! My apologies,

that comment was in reference to a comment made by Prick in his post in this thread, when he said he was in favor of a socialist government,but takes a lot of heat for that view.

[phee]

Very sharp observation! My apologies,

that comment was in reference to a comment made by Prick in his post in this thread, when he said he was in favor of a socialist government,but takes a lot of heat for that view.

Ah carry on!

[candyman]

I got a story from Wisconsin that I think kinda fits here. We have had two extremes for president, as far that people are concerned, because we had Bush who was "far right" and now Obama who was "far left". Whether or not you agree with where they are on the political spectrum their supporters are often on those extremes...at least the loud ones.

It has to do with the horrible double standards that are in place today. Take it back to the Vietnam era where the "tolerant, peaceful, and progressive" left burned presidents in effigy, burned flags, rioted in the streets for a cause they believed in and this continued until the days of Bush even if it faded in and out during the years. Yes there was opposition to what these people did but they did it and the opposing uproar was kept to a minimum for the duration. Now...well we have the conservative side using some of these same tactics...and it is WRONG?!?!

Obama burned in effigy

I don't even understand the uproar people have started over the LZ Lambeau thing going on in Green Bay. It has been painted as a pro-war event that tries to rope children into the military. It is an event trying to give the Vietnam Vets the welcome home that they never got with a show of period correct military vehicles. I guess the event is automatically linked to the conservative side of things which is probably true. However, once again the Vietnam Vets get to attend an event where their every move is protested and it seems they can never have the peace that they want. Why? Probably because they are lumped in with the conservatives who ALWAYS support wars...never mind that many of them were drafted despite their views.

Why is it wrong to be conservative? Because according the some unwritten laws the conservatives are not allowed to act in the same manner as the liberals and get away with it.

[phee]

Why is it wrong to be conservative? Because according the some unwritten laws the conservatives are not allowed to act in the same manner as the liberals and get away with it.

This door swings both ways....

[TygerLili]

I don't have a problem with liberals or conservatives if they are open-minded to hearing the other side's arguments. Most of the famous, hardcore conservatives, and liberals, are closed-minded and obnoxious about trying to spread their beliefs to everyone. Anyone who can say "Well, I think, blah blah blah, but others think yada yada yada, and that's fine," is cool in my book.

I consider myself pretty close to the middle, with a slight lean to the left. As far as agreeing with views, though, a lot of the people on this board are way too liberal for me, wanting to legalize pretty much everything and give us every possible personal freedom with no regard for how it's going to affect the country and citizens. It's not always possible to give a certain freedom to one group without taking some away from another group, and it seems like a lot of people don't think that through.

I will admit when I hear people say things like "I want to see a return to traditional values," I cringe, for reasons similar to what others mentioned. There were a lot of f-ed up ideas in the history of this country, especially concerning the way people of color, women, gays, and non-christians were treated, and to see our country regress to that would pretty much be my worst nightmare. I realize that is not the only interpretation of that phrase, but it is what comes to my mind when I hear such things.

[candyman]

This door swings both ways....

Yeah I know it has hit me in the ass many times already. The thing that really gets me is that most of the time when a "liberal" group holds a rally in Milwaukee of Madison they get media vans everywhere, police barricades keeping any protesters far away from the activity, and a considerably small amount of protesters.

However, I do not see the same happening for the "conservatives" when it comes to their events. My friend Matt died in Iraq a few years ago and his funeral was protested, both by the Baptists nutbags and another anti-war groups. They were allowed to surround the block and even his damn gravesite. The only thing to stop the protesters was a large mass of Harley Riders. This LZ Lambeau event is basically a large brat fry, or block party if you are nor from Wisconsin, for the Vietnam Vets that deserve a welcome home. There is no promotion of war at this event. While there is security the protesters have already sued and created a big enough stink so that they are legally allowed a booth at this event and floor space too. Then there is the burning of Obama in effigy...as far as I know this it the first time it has happened and already there is an uproar in Madison and Milwaukee and lawsuits are being formed...when it happened to Bush I heard of nothing to stop them it was merely an angry opinion from "conservatives".

Yeah the door swings both ways...but in many recent events it seem like the "liberals" are denying the fact while they give a swift kick to the door so its hits someone else in the face.

[Mean Salley]

LOL.

You're asking people who belong to a "scene" that has it's roots in individual thinking, non-conformity, and artistic integrity why they believe specific things.

Your answer;

Because it's what everyone else is doing, and if you want to be accepted in your favored scene of individuals, follow the rest of the sheep.

That goes both ways, right and left.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

This is what I have observed, and granted this is only my observation. With most conservatives I have observed, they are only conservative until the issue they are conservative about is no longer convenient for them to feel that way any more. For example; I knew someone who had a big problem with welfare and people who live on it, until they found themselves in a position where they needed it all of a sudden and *poof* they still claimed to be conservative but they now had to STFU about welfare because they were on it. There was another person I knew had a problem with people living off "his money for their disability" until he hurt himself and got all butt hurt about how hard it was to get said disability (all of a sudden he changed his mind on the issue when it applied to him! when just a few months earlier he thought it was too easy to get disability).

Ive seen the same with Liberals who have money. They are all for high taxes and social justice.. until someone wants to take their money.

[phee]

Ive seen the same with Liberals who have money. They are all for high taxes and social justice.. until someone wants to take their money.

Indeed..... as I said... people follow the politics that benefit them at the time.

[Raev]

To paraphrase something I overheard on History Channel a while back...

"The usable part of the road is in the middle. Too far right or left and all you do is end up in the gutter."

[Hellion]

I'll stick with being a realist.nough said.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Indeed..... as I said... people follow the politics that benefit them at the time.

and if they stick to their beliefs, they are label fundamentalists.

[Rev.Reverence]

and if they stick to their beliefs, they are label fundamentalists.

...yeah..when did fundamentalist, & progressive, become bad words/insults, & how, can they both be bad words?

[Enishi]

In an idealistic sense I'm quite anarchist, but in terms of what I want to see done in the here and now, I'm more of a centrist/realist.

With that being said, I think both sides of the political spectrum are far too focused on naive feel good rhetoric. It's as if people would rather take a stance which is emotionally comforting, even if it causes massive destruction and increasing debt later on, rather than make hard choices in the present and save the future.

[prick]

Very sharp observation! My apologies,

that comment was in reference to a comment made by Prick in his post in this thread, when he said he was in favor of a socialist government,but takes a lot of heat for that view.

I dont think we would have to be clones of Greece. I think we have the ability to take the idea of socialism and make it work well.Remember that this is MY opinion so it works for Me. If you are conservative its because it works for you. Its like arguing over the best auto company. Its all about what fits the individual.

Edited May 21, 2010 by prick

[kat (1)]

I'll stick with being a realist.nough said.

+1.

[Saint Germain]

Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.

[Helicopter Girl]

I am a libertarian. I hate most of what is called "conservative" today because so many republican leaders sound so uneducated and so do their supporters. But I hate Democrats for the same reasons. I am not sure why now in 2010 people can't see that Socialism can not work. It is too expensive and Europe is suffering because of it and we will REALLY be suffering soon. I rate Bush and Obama as the two worst Presidents of the past 100 years.

Back on point, it looks bad to be conservative because so many who are "conservatives" today sound really moronic. Ron Paul is a conservative and he's great but when most people think of conservatives they think of Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and is that really a group of people worthy of respect? not in my opinion.

then again I think nancy pelosi, barrack obama, keith olbermann and harry reid are just as bad.

[freydis]

Most politicians are awful.

I think the two major parties mostly encompass varying extremes in opinion and behaviour, and its getting worse the farther down the toilet our economy goes. It's bringing out both the best and worst in a lot of people.

Libertarians are interesting, but they have too many ideas that are too major, and too idealistic to work.

Green Party is just a tad too hippie for me...

I've really not seen any parties I relate to.

[Helicopter Girl]

Most politicians are awful.

I think the two major parties mostly encompass varying extremes in opinion and behaviour, and its getting worse the farther down the toilet our economy goes. It's bringing out both the best and worst in a lot of people.

Libertarians are interesting, but they have too many ideas that are too major, and too idealistic to work.

Green Party is just a tad too hippie for me...

I've really not seen any parties I relate to.

You are aware the United States was mostly a Libertarian Nation until 1911, right?

[freydis]

You are aware the United States was mostly a Libertarian Nation until 1911, right?

Pay for use on government services will only create loss of those services for people who need them.

That's one of the more dramatic ideas of the Libertarian Party that I think is a bit too much to work as intended.

I think they'd only succeed in eliminating many (needed) government services.

I think there should be a definite overhaul of the services as they exist, but pay-for-use is going a little far.

Don't get me wrong--I don't like paying taxes either.

I just don't see completely scrapping them as entirely feasible or beneficial.

[Raev]

I am a libertarian.

Ron Paul is a conservative and he's great

First- Horray, another Libertarian!

Second - I heart Ron Paul.

Just thought I'd share for a moment.

[Slogo]

A good example for this: The president is sending troops to the Mex-US border. This is an idea that the conservatives should love but the comments after the story are along the lines of "He's probably using them to take control of Arizona and give it back to Mexico" or "Wait--Obama sent them. Whose side are they going to be on?"

These people cannot stand the fact that he is doing something they agree with. I don't know why. I applauded Bush when he put Robert Gates in as SEC-DEF. Why can't these people do the same?

[Rev.Reverence]

You are aware the United States was mostly a Libertarian Nation until 1911, right?

I'll agree, that many of the goals were Libritarian-ish..

...but:

The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11, 1971.

Please, explain this theory further...

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I'll agree, that many of the goals were Libritarian-ish..

...but:

Please, explain this theory further...

The party was founded in 1971.. not the ideals behind it. Theouogh I disagree with the 1911 year stated, I'd say 1913 when the Democrats and Republicans enshrined themselves in the two party system, I agree with the sentiment.