(a test from Dennis Prager) ARE YOU A LIBERAL?

his website ^ | Dennis Prager

[doug from upland]

http://www.dennisprager.com/articles_by/liberal.html

Are You a Liberal?

It is my belief that about half of the Americans who call themselves liberal do not hold the great majority of positions held by mainstream liberal institutions such as the New York Times editorial page, People for the American Way, and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. So here is a test of this thesis to be given to anyone who believes he or she is a liberal. If you feel I have omitted a liberal position or have unfairly characterized any of them here, please e-mail me. This is still a work in progress.

Thank you,

Dennis Prager

You say you are a liberal.

Do you believe the following?

1. Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color.

2. Bilingual education for children of immigrants, rather than immersion in English, is good for them and for America.

3. Murderers should never be put to death.

4. During the Cold War, America should have adopted a nuclear arms freeze.

5. Colleges should not allow ROTC programs.

6. It was wrong to wage war against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

7. Poor parents should not be allowed to have vouchers to send their children to private schools.

8. It is good that trial lawyers and teachers unions are the two biggest contributors to the Democratic Party.

9. Marriage should be redefined from male-female to any two people.

10. A married couple should not have more of a right to adopt a child than two men or two women.

11. The Boy Scouts should not be allowed to use parks or any other public places and should be prohibited from using churches and synagogues for their meetings.

12. The present high tax rates are good.

13. Speech codes on college campuses are good and American values.

14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent.

15. The United Nations is a moral force for good in the world, and therefore America should be subservient to it and such international institutions as a world court.

16. It is good that colleges have dropped hundreds of men's sports teams in order to meet gender-based quotas.

17. No abortions can be labeled immoral.

18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section.

19. High schools should make condoms available to students and teach them how to use them.

20. Racial profiling for terrorists is wrong -- a white American grandmother should as likely be searched as a Saudi young male.

21. Racism and poverty -- not a lack of fathers and a crisis of values -- are the primary causes of violent crime in the inner city.

22. It is wrong and unconstitutional for students to be told, "God bless you" at their graduation.

23. No culture is morally superior to any other.

Those are all liberal positions. How many of them do you hold

[Vigilantcitizen]

"I said yes and that's to the smoking one. (Bash away smokers)"

Which stated:

"18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section."

I can relate, I hate having to look at and smell really obese people, and having to listen to screaming children while their parents blissfully ignore their misbehavoir while I'm trying to eat a nice meal.

But, I choose not to go to certain restaurants to avoid these types, not demand the world change for me.

Do you think this should apply to all private businesses nationwide?

[Little Bill]

Hey Brad, where were you when we were collecting signatures to ammend the Mass Constitution to outlaw Queer marriage? We had many instances of the Fags and Dykes interfearing with the signature collectors, threating your granny types.

This is a real issue in Mass, and there are alot of rats headed for their holes.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

1. Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color.

In principle, no.

2. Bilingual education for children of immigrants, rather than immersion in English, is good for them and for America.

Yes.

3. Murderers should never be put to death.

There are murderers of a type that should always be put to death.

4. During the Cold War, America should have adopted a nuclear arms freeze.

No.

5. Colleges should not allow ROTC programs.

Colleges should have ROTC programs for the development of professional officers

6. It was wrong to wage war against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

The US had no choice but to wage war.

7. Poor parents should not be allowed to have vouchers to send their children to private schools.

Such a step would ruin private schools by starting an influx of trash who couldn't control their kids in the first place, ultimately pricing private schools beyond the ability of all but the super wealthy to pay (just like health insurance).

8. It is good that trial lawyers and teachers unions are the two biggest contributors to the Democratic Party.

Who cares?

9. Marriage should be redefined from male-female to any two people.

Again, who cares? It doesn't affect how I order my life.

10. A married couple should not have more of a right to adopt a child than two men or two women.

Married people can be just as rotten as gay people - their status does not make them any better or any worse.

11. The Boy Scouts should not be allowed to use parks or any other public places and should be prohibited from using churches and synagogues for their meetings.

No.

12. The present high tax rates are good.

They're not high.

13. Speech codes on college campuses are good and American values.

No.

14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent.

No.

15. The United Nations is a moral force for good in the world, and therefore America should be subservient to it and such international institutions as a world court.

It is necessary, but subservience isn't called for.

16. It is good that colleges have dropped hundreds of men's sports teams in order to meet gender-based quotas.

Who cares about wrestling, rowing and other non revenue sports anyway?

17. No abortions can be labeled immoral.

No. There are some that I can deem so.

18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section.

No. That doesn't mean that smoking can't be regulated, however.

19. High schools should make condoms available to students and teach them how to use them.

LOL - Yes.

20. Racial profiling for terrorists is wrong -- a white American grandmother should as likely be searched as a Saudi young male.

Think outside the box - the terrorists do. Profiling makes security personnel complacent, and makes it easier for something different to slip by.

21. Racism and poverty -- not a lack of fathers and a crisis of values -- are the primary causes of violent crime in the inner city.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? A lack of fathers and a crisis of values comes along when there is a lack of suitable employment and generalized poverty.

22. It is wrong and unconstitutional for students to be told, "God bless you" at their graduation.

Again, who cares? Pharisaic pronouncements are ultimately meaningless to both the utterer and the recipient.

23. No culture is morally superior to any other.

Absolutely. American culture is far superior to those which relegate women and minorities to second class status.

[luckystarmom]

Do you think pot should be legal also?

I think cigarettes should be in the same league as pot.

I'll never change my mind on the smoking issue, just like you won't change your mind.

So either you can bash me on probably the one thing we disagree on, and it will just show that you are a jerk.

Or you can just drop and be thankful that we probably agree on many other things.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"I'll never change my mind on the smoking issue, just like you won't change your mind."

True.

"Or you can just drop and be thankful that we probably agree on many other things."

It's a deal. Have a nice day. :)

[doug from upland]

Zero. My fingers also drag on the ground.

[CPT Clay]

This is a great list!!! Bookmarked!

[Badray]

I like your questions better that Prager's. Good job.

[EveningStar]

Doug, thanks for posting this. I like Dennis but I haven't listened to him in ages. Interesing list of questions.

[doug from upland]

Just as Sean Hannity "Hannitizes" former libs, Dennis does the same. Many, many people are on the RAT plantation and don't even realize that they share many of our views and values. Keep spreading the word.

[Melas]

1. Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color.

Of course not


2. Bilingual education for children of immigrants, rather than immersion in English, is good for them and for America.

Nope it's bad.



3. Murderers should never be put to death.

I don't trust the state with life and death, that's 1


4. During the Cold War, America should have adopted a nuclear arms freeze.

Too stupid for words



5. Colleges should not allow ROTC programs.

Colleges should be allowed ROTC programs



6. It was wrong to wage war against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

Too stupid for words redeaux


7. Poor parents should not be allowed to have vouchers to send their children to private schools.

I'm against vouchers. Your child should go to a neighborhood or private school. Let your choice of where you live serve as your voucher. This is 2

8. It is good that trial lawyers and teachers unions are the two biggest contributors to the Democratic Party.

Nonsensical question. Would it be better if the contributers were different entities?


9. Marriage should be redefined from male-female to any two people.

Too broad. I don't oppose gay marriage, that's 3.


10. A married couple should not have more of a right to adopt a child than two men or two women.

Awkward wording, and to be honest, I'm not sure.


11. The Boy Scouts should not be allowed to use parks or any other public places and should be prohibited from using churches and synagogues for their meetings.

Too stupid for words again



12. The present high tax rates are good.

They aren't good for me.


13. Speech codes on college campuses are good and American values.

I'd like more specifics before answering.


14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent.

No. Israeli's don't blow up diners with young women.


15. The United Nations is a moral force for good in the world, and therefore America should be subservient to it and such international institutions as a world court.

No.



16. It is good that colleges have dropped hundreds of men's sports teams in order to meet gender-based quotas.

Hyperbole. I can't agree as written, but I agree that it's good that women's programs have expanded


17. No abortions can be labeled immoral.

Of course some abortion are immoral



18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section.

No

19. High schools should make condoms available to students and teach them how to use them.

No, it's not the place of the school to deal with student sexuality, and that includes preaching abstinance too.

20. Racial profiling for terrorists is wrong -- a white American grandmother should as likely be searched as a Saudi young male.

Racial profling is just stupid. It's a weakness to exploit. A Lindh or Lindhette could walk right through that kind of checkpoint.


21. Racism and poverty -- not a lack of fathers and a crisis of values -- are the primary causes of violent crime in the inner city.

Can't go all or nothing on this one either.



22. It is wrong and unconstitutional for students to be told, "God bless you" at their graduation.

It's never wrong for a believer to extend blessings like that. It would be wrong if it were demanded of me in return.

23. No culture is morally superior to any other.

Blatantly false.



So what do we have here? I scored what? 4 disagreements and 3 iffy ones? Does this make me 2/3 conservative?

[glock rocks]

A real liberal believes that a 100% tax rate is reasonable if the person makes too much.

LOL... and "too much" is any amount over the last "minimum wage" set by rats.

[mrbillxx]

These are from a liberal "acquaintance" of a friend. Have at it. His responses are in quotes. He avoiding answering many quite eloquently. No doubt a DU'er.

"None of these are liberal positions. They are written by a right wing nut. I will reword them correctly"

1. Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color.
"Racial preference schemes to allow universities to reflect the racial makeup of society is good. "

2. Bilingual education for children of immigrants, rather than immersion in English, is good for them and for America.
"Total immersion is fine in grade-school. By the time a child is of high school age, it is detrimental since the part of the brain that is devoted to new languages has atrophied."

3. Murderers should never be put to death.
"Not all people convicted of murder have committed murder. It is murder if ONE innocent person is put to death."

4. During the Cold War, America should have adopted a nuclear arms freeze.
"The Verifiable SALT I treaty may have saved the world from nuclear holocaust."

5. Colleges should not allow ROTC programs.
"There are military academies."

6. It was wrong to wage war against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.
"It was wrong to lie to the American public about why we went to war."

7. Poor parents should not be allowed to have vouchers to send their children to private schools.
"Statistically, poor parents don't use vouchers, only upper middle and upper class parents use them. Also, the voucher system does not make public schools better, it makes them worse. Also, a voucher will not get a poor child into private school since most cost more than the credit given. Also, not all private schools are better, ESPECIALLY charter schools in Arizona. How can you have a Charter School system based on the profit motive be better than a non-profit institution?"

8. It is good that trial lawyers and teachers unions are the two biggest contributors to the Democratic Party.
"What difference does this make?"

9. Marriage should be redefined from male-female to any two people.
"Sure, why not?"

10. A married couple should not have more of a right to adopt a child than two men or two women.
"Of course!"

11. The Boy Scouts should not be allowed to use parks or any other public places and should be prohibited from using churches and synagogues for their meetings.
"This "Hitler Youth" organization has the same rights as the NRA to assemble where they wish."

12. The present high tax rates are good.

"What makes you think they are high? Look at Europe."

13. Speech codes on college campuses are good and American values.
"What are speech codes? Cross-burning, in my opinion, is not free speech."

14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent. "Personally, I think that there should be one state in Palestine. Both groups need to learn to live together. Moral issues notwithstanding. Both sides commit atrocities."

15. The United Nations is a moral force for good in the world, and therefore America should be subservient to it and such international institutions as a world court.
"The UN is no more or less moral than the countries that belong to it. The US is 6% of the world population and should learn to get along with the majority."

16. It is good that colleges have dropped hundreds of men's sports teams in order to meet gender-based quotas.
"Many sports, such as football and hockey teach our youth that violence is OK. I am opposed to violence."

17. No abortions can be labeled immoral.
"A woman's right to choose is her business."

18. Restaurants should be prohibited by law from allowing customers to choose between a smoking and a non-smoking section.
"Smoking is detrimental to smokers and nonsmokers alike if done in the same room."

19. High schools should make condoms available to students and teach them how to use them.
"Absolutely!"

20. Racial profiling for terrorists is wrong -- a white American grandmother should as likely be searched as a Saudi young male.
"The TSA is doing just that, searching everyone equally at the airports."

21. Racism and poverty -- not a lack of fathers and a crisis of values -- are the primary causes of violent crime in the inner city.
"Also, the ease of purchasing guns on the street!"

22. It is wrong and unconstitutional for students to be told, "God bless you" at their graduation. "If a person is an atheist, he shouldn't have to hear it."

23. No culture is morally superior to any other.
"Agreed!"

[SB00]

#3 was my only yes.

[doug from upland]

If Dennis had reworded it ARE YOU AN IDIOT, your friend would have done very well.

[Porterville]

I got Freep mail today from a liberal... I am so exited:

"I just wanted to tell you that you are like all americans : you are an ignorant BIG ASS, no smarter than the dumbest APE. I piss on your FLAG, on your bigoted COUNTRY and on your stuuuupid RepubliKKKan PREZ who is the shame of this entire planet, not only of your country. Oh and by the way, if you dind't notice yet, the USA is not the center of the universe."

[SB00]

Me too! I felt my IQ go down a couple of points after reading that.

[katana]

No bashing, you've got a right to absolutely hate the smell of tobacco smoke, but if you believe the government should mandate how a private company (in this case a bar or restaurant) organizes its treatment of its patrons (who can go anywhere else to eat or drink) then your conservative credentials are a bit iffy.

[luckystarmom]

I don't care about a label. I just look at each issue and figure out my stance. If I believed in a label, then I would would vote for whoever is a republican. I've never done that. I've always researched each candidate and vote for who I think meets my criteria. (Which usually is a republican, but I've voted for a few non-republicans.)

There are a lot of public health regulations when it comes to restaurants. I figure smoking is another one.

I don't care what a person does in his home, but out of his home is another issue. I also think that this is a local issue and is not a federal issue.

I live in San Jose. Most of us like the non-smoking regulations. I have never heard one complaint (even from smokers in this area). We all comment about going to other areas where they have smoking in restaraunts and they think it is disgusting. My husband went to Denver a few weeks ago. He took his mom out to eat. He said even the non-smoking areas stank of smoke. He said it was awful.

[mrbillxx]

Not my friend. CoWorker of a friend. I've never met the guy..