Conservative or Liberal

[Cangamble]

I'm accused of being a Liberal because I am Godless and believe in separation of church and state.
I just scored 22 on this quiz:

http://franz.org/quiz.htm


I'm very confused. What is the definition of Liberal?

[riskman]

I took the test and scored a 30. Was surprised that it was not higher.

[chickenhead]

I tried to take the test, but the urge to commit suicide was becoming too great, and I had to abort.


Which do you trust more?

Trial Lawyers or
Doctors?

Union leaders or
Business executives?

Professional athletes or
Team owners?

Talk about some underlaid choices.

[robert99]

It is some peculiar form of abuse from conservatives in USA, but in Europe a complement to a person of intelligent and free thought. Don't know where Canada fits in but anyone noticing a Canadian is a complement, I suppose.

As far as I can tell liberalism - a word that has its root in "liberty," is used in the U.S. Constitution, so every decent American is a liberal.

To me liberalism is the freedom to think for yourself and to approach the solving of an issue by considering the problem on its merits, to form consensus, act on the problem then move on to the next.
Liberals tend to appreciate that the World has complexity.

Conservatives may tend to want problems solved by others, they need a strong leader to protect them from the boogeyman and to keep to some well worn simple formula that links with past decisions and tradition. They tend to attack personally any citizen of differing thought as a "liberal" and do not care much to debate the issues in any detail. Quizzes are just too hard and for smart ass college boys.

Of course a true liberal can have conservative views on some matters and liberal views on others. A conservative is stuck.

Someone has put forward these thoughts which may further confuse the issue but would be too illiberal to ignore:

"Knowing about liberal presidents and what they did that was not so liberal could be educational. People need to know that liberals are not the ogres some TV and radio stations make them out to be. They believe in God and are not atheists just because they believe in the Constitution and giving the majority of U.S. population the freedom of choice instead of letting "Big Daddy" government tell them what they can and cannot do.

Our founding fathers stated in the 14th Amendment that everyone was to have equal rights. Liberals believe in abiding by the Constitution. For liberals, cases of morality are usually left to families or religion. We need a good definition and explanation of liberalism and presidents who were liberal and perhaps not so liberal."

[Cangamble]

Doctors, Business Execs, and Team Owners. What is so tough about that?

[Cangamble]

It is some peculiar form of abuse from conservatives in USA, but in Europe a complement to a person of intelligent and free thought. Don't know where Canada fits in but anyone noticing a Canadian is a complement, I suppose.

As far as I can tell liberalism - a word that has its root in "liberty," is used in the U.S. Constitution, so every decent American is a liberal.

To me liberalism is the freedom to think for yourself and to approach the solving of an issue by considering the problem on its merits, to form consensus, act on the problem then move on to the next.
Liberals tend to appreciate that the World has complexity.

Conservatives may tend to want problems solved by others, they need a strong leader to protect them from the boogeyman and to keep to some well worn simple formula that links with past decisions and tradition. They tend to attack personally any citizen of differing thought as a "liberal" and do not care much to debate the issues in any detail. Quizzes are just too hard and for smart ass college boys.

Of course a true liberal can have conservative views on some matters and liberal views on others. A conservative is stuck.

Someone has put forward these thoughts which may further confuse the issue but would be too illiberal to ignore:

"Knowing about liberal presidents and what they did that was not so liberal could be educational. People need to know that liberals are not the ogres some TV and radio stations make them out to be. They believe in God and are not atheists just because they believe in the Constitution and giving the majority of U.S. population the freedom of choice instead of letting "Big Daddy" government tell them what they can and cannot do.

Our founding fathers stated in the 14th Amendment that everyone was to have equal rights. Liberals believe in abiding by the Constitution. For liberals, cases of morality are usually left to families or religion. We need a good definition and explanation of liberalism and presidents who were liberal and perhaps not so liberal."
At least 40% of Democrats believe in God. Yoyo's like to spew out Liberal like it is an insult, but can't define what one is.
I'm a centrist pretty much.

[riskman]

On this board the Conservatives may describe a liberal like this :

They say that Christopher Columbus was the first Liberal. When he left to discover America, he didn't know where he was going. When he got there he didn't know where he was. And it was all done on a government grant.

[Cangamble]

I tried to take the test, but the urge to commit suicide was becoming too great, and I had to abort.



Talk about some underlaid choices.
This test is probably more "scientific" but it takes about 20 minutes to complete:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/test

I scored slightly left to the centre (I mean center, for you Yanks).

[chickenhead]

Doctors, Business Execs, and Team Owners. What is so tough about that?

you trust them to do what? Just some sort of universal "trust"?

I've never understood these sorts of questions.

[Cangamble]

I trust their motives more. I would trust what they say more. If I closed my eyes and fell backwards, I would trust them to catch me more.

[chickenhead]

I wouldn't blindly trust any of them to be competent.

I wouldn't blindly trust any of them to tell me the truth if it conflicted with their well being.





Who do you admire more, unicorns or baby rainbows? ;)

[chickenhead]

I took your other test, dead center between right and left, down two notches towards Anarchism/Libertarian. Had Gandhi and Milton Friedman had an illegitimate man-love baby, I would be it.

[Dave Schwartz]

Robert,

To me liberalism is the freedom to think for yourself and to approach the solving of an issue by considering the problem on its merits, to form consensus, act on the problem then move on to the next.
Liberals tend to appreciate that the World has complexity.

Conservatives may tend to want problems solved by others, they need a strong leader to protect them from the boogeyman and to keep to some well worn simple formula that links with past decisions and tradition. They tend to attack personally any citizen of differing thought as a "liberal" and do not care much to debate the issues in any detail. Quizzes are just too hard and for smart ass college boys.

These may be your definitions, but are significantly different to my definitions. I am not suggesting yours are "wrong" but they do not seem to reflect reality in the liberals & conservatices I know.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

PS: I looked at the quiz and, IMHO, the questions are stupid. So, if I trust the Pentagon more than the U.S. POstal Service that makes me a conservative? Give me a break.

[phatbastard]

looks like i'm a left leaning libertarian


1st test came out a 12

guess that confirms it

[Secretariat]

I scored a 1.

Really all that is needed is question 7.

[Secretariat]

The second test was much more comprehensive, but a better one. GW was in the far right side upper half. The extreme opposite to me.

Here's my placement.

[JustRalph]

I am with Dave on this one. I will excuse Robert from being so totally wrong on the subject, only because he is overseas.

Robert, you couldn't be more wrong. But you are reacting by what you have read and are lead to believe by the media. Not to mention I believe you were trying to insult conservatives. It has been your MO before. I don't know what the hell you have for conservatives over-there, but I define myself as most like a "Reagan Conservative" with a ton of Libertarian values thrown in for good measure

[Dave Schwartz]

Ralph,

You know, it is very instructive, however, to look at this from Robert's point of view.

See how his definition of L's and C's just naturally flatters one and insults the other? My definition, though a little toned down in comparison (I tried to write one) just naturally came out reversed, but still with the same trait: I like the one I believe in and the other, well, they would naturally be insulted by my opinion.

I find this instructive because it shows that on a base level our beliefs drive our assessment of others with disagreeing beliefs.

Frankly, I thought I was more open-minded than that.


I do not feel I am so different than other people. It shows how torn apart this country really is because of the political climate.

When will we understand that there is only "them" and "us" and the "them" are the politicians?

BTW, IMHO, that site/test was designed by a liberal.


Dave

[JustRalph]

When will we understand that there is only "them" and "us" and the "them" are the politicians?Dave

No more true words were ever spoken :ThmbUp:

[hcap]

The second test was much more comprehensive, but a better one. GW was in the far right side upper half. The extreme opposite to me.



I scored almost exactly the same.....

[rastajenk]

You're a little closer to the center than I expected. :eek:

:cool:

[rastajenk]

...may tend to want problems solved by others, they need a strong leader to protect them from the boogeyman and to keep to some well worn simple formula that links with past decisions and tradition. They tend to attack personally any citizen of differing thought... and do not care much to debate the issues in any detail. Quizzes are just too hard and for smart ass college boys.

If that's not a walking, talking definition of Obama-mania, I don't know what is. And I hear tell he's a liberal.

[betchatoo]

Scored a 14 on the first test Somewhat right of Ghandi on the second

[lsbets]

I took your other test, dead center between right and left, down two notches towards Anarchism/Libertarian. Had Gandhi and Milton Friedman had an illegitimate man-love baby, I would be it.

I was almost the same - dead center right and left, but I was down three towards libertarian.

[taxseason]

Ralph,



BTW, IMHO, that site/test was designed by a liberal.


Dave

The Author is a succesful businessman who has started and sold a number of companies.

His political leanings are not transparent.

Here is the gentleman who put together the quiz. He owns and operates a site called netmation.com, his name is Albert Franz.


http://albertfranz.net/

[46zilzal]

Each person is the sum of their opinions/beliefs/thinking. The real folly is for idiots to just pigeon hole each and everyone into either the liberal of conservative camp...

It is pitiful logic.