Posted on 12/10/2004 9:37:54 AM PST by rogerv
Hi, gang,
I was a regular contributor to the Kerry Online Forum and am now a regular contributor to the Common Ground Common Sense forum. I am a liberal, but I'll be the first to admit, I don't have all the answers. In fact, many of hte questions that matter to me probably matter to you too. I'm concerned with questions about how to tame power, whether governmental or corporate. I'm concern with the rule of law and how we can get the powerful to take it seriously. I'm concerned with the erosion of civil liberties. And yes, I am concerned about some things you may associate with liberalism--social safety nets and taking care of those who fall through the institutional cracks.
I'm here because I think agreement is overrated and that critics can be your best friends: they keep you from getting sloppy or careless. At any rate, I think there are things I can learn from you. I don't expect you are all agreed on anything--I expect there is a lot of diversity of opinion here. If you are interested in what I have said over at Common Ground Common Sense, I'm using the same handle both places, and you should feel free to come over and look around.
Anyway, I'm new here. Anybody care to give me a tour?
Here's mine. Call me a "Ron Paul Republican."
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I'm supposedly a Libertarian. Hmmm.
I think elaborating on this answer would be illuminating for us if you wanted to have a conversation. We can't debate or teach unless we know what views you have presently.
Are you here to practice?
On Nov 10 2004, 01:42 PM (Post #59) you wrote the following:
Chapter 10 of Lakoff's book is called "How to respond to conservatives"
Remember that:
1. Progressive values are the best of traditional american values (rla--take note!)
2. The strict father model of the family has been defeateed repeatedly in our history, and we have achieved greater unity each time. (so women's suffrage, civl rights. medicare, etc.)
3. Everybody has both strict and nurturant models--our job is to activate the nurturant model people already have for politics.
4.show respect to the conservatives you are responding to.
5. avoid a shouting match.
6. If you have moral outrage, keep it under control. Lose control, they win.
7. distinguish between ordinary conservatives and nasty ideologues.
8. be calm.
9. be good humored.
10. hold your ground.
11. conservatives have paradied liberals as weak, angry, weak-minded, softhearted, unpatriotic, uninformed and elitist. don't give them any opportunity to stereotype you in any of these ways. deal with the stereotypes when they come up, as they will.
12. by the way you conduct yourself, show strength, calmness and control; an ability to reason; a sense of realism; love of country; command of the basic facts; a sense of being an equal, not superior.
13.many conversatiosn are ongoing. It is your job to establish a psotion of repsect and keep it.
14. don't expect t convert staunch conservatives.
15. you can make considerable progress with biconceptuals, those who use both models but in different parts of their life. (See book for details)
16. Avoid the usual mistakes. Don't just negate, reframe.
17. Once a frame is accpeted into discourse, everything else you say is just common sense (note RLA!)
18. Never answer a question framed from your opponent's point of view.
19. Be sincere.
20. A useful thing to do is to ask a rhetorical question: Wouldn't it be better if...?
21. Stay away from set ups. If the game is fixed, don't play. (e.g., don't go on Fox news)
22. Tell a story.
23. Always start with values.
24. Be prepared.
25. Use wedge issues, where ytour opponent will violate some belief he holds no matter what he says.
26. An opponent may be disengenuous if his real gaols isn't what he says it is. Politely point out the real goal, then reframe.
27. Your opponent may use language that means the opposite of what he says, called Orwellian language. Realize that he is weak on this issue.
28. Rememebr once more that our goal is to unite our country behind our values, the best of traditional american values.
I must be honest you have so far as I have read, held your own. You seem to be fair and open minded so far.
That being said... Time to test the waters of you Ideology.
Nothing to deep, just a sounding to see how deep we are going here.
What are your feelings on personal responsibility? (Are you responsible for yourself or do you feel that the government need to take care of all it citizen... Jobs, shelter, healthcare, etc)
How do you think the US is farining in forgiren affairs. (worldview of the USA.. is the war on terror good or bad etc)
I will limited my curosity right now to those two questions. I know they can be considered hot button issues, but I have faith in you to answer honestly and gives a good idea of where you come from on those points or anything else you would like to expand on.
I myself promise that as long as you can respond clearly and concisely. I will be more than happy to engage in good constructive debate and avoid flame wars.
Once again welcome. If you have not already refer back to Jim Robinson's statement about Free Republic that Old Sarge posted to you earlier. If you do by chance get to stick around long enough to deal with some of the regulars that you see here.. Get use to the term Token Liberal/Democrat... If you last that long it is a badge of honor... you will have survived the den of wolves...(Belive me they can be too... They smell blood...it gets ugly...real horror show.....) :)
There are a tremendous number of recovering Democrats on Free Republic.
I am one of them. The Democrat party used to be a party that very much resembles what Republicans are today. Strong national defense, strong family values, they embraced Religion but they were big on other social issues. Most Democrats were Roosevelt democrats.
The Democrat party was hijacked when they merged with the Socialist party. Now socialism dominates.
The primary difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans believe that the country is great because of the people. Democrats believe the country is great because of government.
Be nice. The guy is just asking questions. Maybe he is sincere.
If not, the mods will take care of it -- they shall surely Zot him and the cybersmoke will rise as a pleasing aroma in the nostrils of the Viking Kitties in e-Valhalla.
I plan to start some threads that will be entirely here. At the moment I'm just getting acquainted. I'm not as troll. I'm in your house and plan to behave myself. That doesn't mean we will agree on everything. That doesn't even mean we will agree on anything! But I think the conversations will certainly be interesting, and perhaps even lively.
Unless a Republican is in office, in which case they don't believe the country is great at all, and drag its flag through the streets of San Francisco and burn it for the cameras.
I took your quiz and I was a libertarian.
I think you got that exactly wrong if flawed means evil.
I said he was here to pick our brains and take it back to DUmmy land. He's here only for information on how to hurt the Republican party. Trust me on this one.
Over 300 posts and not a single response of substance.
That's why they call me "neat and to the point".
I wear black and white goggles to see the world. I have to cross my eyes to see the gray, but it's all fuzzy when I do that.
You call yourself a liberal. What exactly do you believe?
Conservatives believe that man is mostly good, note all the references to creator endowing, etc, early in our history. This leads conservatives to believe that if men and women are left on their own, with little interference from government or criminals or whatever will mostly do good things and society will mostly progress in a good way. Liberals believe that man is mostly evil and that government must intervene to protect society and less fortunate from the evil that men would do given the chance.
LOL!
Bravo! Well said..(Golf Clap)
Welcome rogerv. You are a polite lib, I will give you credit. You should see some that have come here and been zotted away.
Hey Owl, check this out. I am still amazed.
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