What in your opinion, are the differences between a liberal and a conservative? I mean, seriously. rather than name-call, what exactly is it that makes you call yourself a liberal? Give us some details...not just the old, "I care for the poor, I want to help people" crapola. If you're one of those who really, truly believes that conservatives are simply out to make as much money as possible for themselves on the backs of everyone else, then there's no sense in going any further, because the philosophies are simply too far apart.
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Wow, Big B, this is going to range all over the place. It means a lot of things to be a "liberal" But my most recent Voice article gives a pretty good sense of what I think liberals should be up to now--what should be at the center of the project:
"n the last few decades we've seen a structural shift as tectonic in its way as the sectional crisis that preceded the Civil War. Where in the 30 years or so following World War II, a period of Democratic dominance, the real income of the average American literally doubled—meaning that rural families who once kept outhouses on their property were now able to keep a garage—in the 30 years that followed that same average income stagnated, the amount of individual debt exceeding that of individual savings. It happened coincident with a slow and steady rise in Republican dominance, now nearly complete, as corporations were awarded more and more prerogatives. It's gotten worse. From 2000 to 2002, according to the IRS, the average American income dropped 9.2 percent—and the last time incomes fell in this way for even one year was 1953.
"A visionary party of opposition—you might even say a competent party of opposition—would place fixing inequality and stagnating incomes at the center of its political appeal."
The democrat party and liberals in particular have been promising universal health care for some 50 years..... but this year Kerry is going to be the one.....don't you see how silly that is to believe....
BTW many years ago I knew you lefties would focus on the 2004 Pres. election over all else due to Sore/ Loserman and now you are on the verge of still not having White House Congress and Supreme Court again possibly for another 12 years ....what is the motivation/platform behind this?
Hatred of Bush and the doom and gloom Kerry campaign is not helping democrats at all and making liberal a bad word.
Your explication of modern liberalism amounts to: "Corporations are Evil."
Genius.
To your assertion that "fixing inequality and stagnating incomes" should be at the center of liberal political appeal, I reply "it is". Income redistribution is high on the list of priorities for most liberals, taking money away from people who have worked to earn it, and giving it to people who have not.
I also assert that making this "income equality" the center of liberal political appeal is dangerous, considering what we are facing now in the world. Focusing on destroying terrorism should be the primary focus of any political party in this day and age and anyone that doesn't see that is blind. How can we redistribute the incole if we're all dead??? Priorities...priorities...priorities
Mr. Perlstein:
I am proud of my views as a conservative Republican.
I am proud for what my party stands for.
Are you, on the other hand, proud of abortion, taking guns from INNOCENT people, stifling the Christian from his/her views...to name a few.
And, why is it OK for John Kerry and John Edwards to have A LOT OF MONEY, yet we Republicans are constantly called greedy?
I'll await your answers.
Thank you.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics, Rick. You know the old Twain quote, I'm sure. Middle-class real family income jumped 13% during the 1982-89 expansion years (or as you may know them, the greedy Reagan years.) And income needs to of course be measured agains such things as taxes and inflation (ex. for the years 1977 to 1981, taken as a whole, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that wages, on average, increased by 35 percent while prices jumped by 49.4 percent, producing an overall drop in excess of 14 percent in the real value of American paychecks.) We can debate numbers all day and into the night. But we're here for philosophy, really.
"A visionary party of opposition—you might even say a competent party of opposition—would place fixing inequality and stagnating incomes at the center of its political appeal."
A tempting statement, "fixing inequality." In what ways can we do this? I'm not as handsome as George Clooney; do you think you might be able to do something about this? How many inequalities are we willing to fix? Are we willing to do anything at all to fix these things?
Liberals are filled with good intentions. This I acknowledge. But we all know what the road to hell is paved with. I believe this to be an absolute truth: you cannot make equal that which is not the same.
People are different. People have different skills, talents, abilities, and natures. Some will work harder than others, some will work smarter than others. that is a reality that no one on the left seems willing to even recognize. And those that work harder and smarter will usually earn more than those who don't. Is this always true? No. Plain hard work is not always the source of plenty (as PJ O'Rourke said, "The poorer the person, the plainer and harder the work that they do.") But what exactly are the inequalites you're speaking of? If one person earns $10/hr for doing the same job as someone else earning $15/hr, liberals may cry, "That's not fair!" But why not? What about cost of living where each person is? I employ people for a living...and the truth is, many people will take a lower raw salary if they are living in a lower cost area. And I haven't heard one person bitch at me because their salary is lower here. They know it's better overall.
You can no more "fix" inequality than you can "fix" a desert. It will exist as long as people exist. Even the Bible, while admonshing us to do right for others, says the poor will always be with us.
Both the right and the left want poeple to do better. But we, as conservatives, live by the old adage, "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." If you want to advance and earn more money, improve yourself. Learn. Ask questions. The responsibility is yours and no one else's. How many of the union blue-collar workers standing in the rain holding their UAW and KERRY signs, bemoaning the fact that they don't earn as much as others, are actually high school dropouts? Education is the key and I say the responsibility is yours to acquire it. Libraries exist all over the nation. If you are in school, don't waste your time on what the latest clohting styles are. Listen and learn. That is what will advance you, not voting for someone who bitches about how much CEOs make and screaming, "No fair!"
That is the conservative philosophy. You are responsible for your life. I refuse to accept blame for your position in life and will not feel guilty about it. If you truly need help, I will help you (charitable donations existed greatly during the Reagan years--look it up.) but I will not support you forever. Your choices are yours and you will accept the consequences. Or as my Dad might say, "Life ain't fair. Get used to it."
Every single child that escapes the ghetto and poverty to make something of himself or herself gives lie to the liberal mantra "You can't do it! You need to vote for us and we'll give you everything you want!" The reality proves the possibility.
You are responsible for your own life.
That's it, I s'pose.
Oh, one more thing...are Britney Spears's boobs real? :-)
"the last few decades we've seen a structural shift as tectonic in its way as the sectional crisis that preceded the Civil War"
Quotes from the guy's columns? That's not debate. Oh well.