How do you define a Liberal?

Question

I would suggest "one who supports the little guy or the underdog while embracing the values of democracy, human rights, and a relatively free economy. A true liberal also has an open mind to new ways of doing things." I don't think there is anything to be ashamed of there, do you?

NetJnr.. has hit the nail on the head. America became a great country under two, maybe, three (independents who voted at will and choice) political systems. The common denominator was the advancement of America. What we have had over the past 6 years has been incomparable in history. I have always felt I could live under the same roof of any republican, ideologically and politically. However what is happening today is incomprehensible. Divide and Rule is the tactic of the political classes, and I fear if we don't all collectively wake up, we will lose to them.

NSA File Clerk
I am exactly as my name says. I really do not have a political bias. I will call it as I see it and damn the race, gender or politician that I upset. Look at my posts/questions and they will tell you what I think. I am a humanist, with a small 'h'. I refuse to be boxed or affiliated to any particular pressure point.

Answer 1

I am not ashamed at all. I think we are supposed to take care of each other and to help out the less fortunate when we can. I don't believe in having more than I need and when occaisionally I get a windfall, I share my bounty accordingly. I don't understand filthy rich people and they annoy me with their pettiness and greed.

Answer 2

The true liberal is a socialist. The true conservative is a republican-not the republican party, but a person who believes in the values of a republic. America was established as a Republic. Those were the days when America was truly great, before the world started calling us a democracy and our government began acting like a democracy, which is by definition, socialism.

Answer 3

Wondering nailed it pretty well.

Liberals tend to believe in larger government, more "assistance" programs for the needy, and looking to the future.

Conservatives tend to believe in smaller government, personal and governmental fiscal responsibility, and learning from the past.

Notice how far our current government has strayed from these ideals? Hence the term "neo-con" or new conservative.

Someone mentioned socialism so I'll put that in, too.

Socialism is the belief that the state should assume responsibility for all economic planning and direction including control of some or all of the public utilities and natural resources. Venezuela, for example. is democratic and socialist, having state-owned utilities and it's resources, like oil production, controlled by "the state".

I tend to be "moderate", left leaning on some issues, right leaning on others. I am pro-life (with exceptions) but believe that being pro-life means not just caring about the life of a baby before it is born. It means helping that baby and the mother to thrive after birth.

Answer 4

I try not to define people without understanding where they are coming from first. Liberal-leaning folks rarely talk about themselves as Liberals so, my assumption is you want to know what non-liberals think of Liberals. If a person calls themselves a "Liberal" and by it they mean that they wholly subscribe to the political disposition of all Liberal party dogma, the general criticism from non-liberals for such a person seems to be albeit unfair and probably unfounded:

Someone who believes that a country's constitution is and has always been too strict. Someone who believes that same-sex marriage is okay. Traditional morals are unnecessary. Freedom means no rules. Do away with religion. And so on..

Answer 5

A liberal is a left winged Democrat who believes in spending money that is not his to help people they do not care about. They believe in human rights as long as they have someone else to blame if they have to defend someones human rights. They are open minded enough to fight for any cause that is perverse to others. They do believe in free economy since all their money comes from the taxpayers. They do things a new way, they change every time they speak. They are never ashamed of anything they do, no matter how illegal or immoral.

Answer 6

Liberal =

Progressive or to the left of the center. Believes in more involvement of government as a means of helping people, more help for middle and lower classes. More global thinking and more open to multiple viewpoints. More of a focus upon individual rights. Tend to look toward future accomplishments and achievements. "More work to be done." Democrats here in the USA.

Conservative is the antonym, which is to the right of center. Believes in smaller government, more focus on the private sector. To that end, its policies tend to favor the private sector fiscally and from a regulatory basis. Conservatives believe in more emphasis on individual responsibilities. Tend to look backward at the good old days, and traditional ways of doing things/values. "The Founding Fathers believed..." Republicans here in the USA.

Answer 7

Someone, as you said, who supports the little guy or the underdog. However also gives money to lazy people who sit at home and watch TV while hard working Americans pay for their food and drink. As well as, someone who supports gays, abortion, and who wants all Christian values taken out of society because it threatens their way of life. I'd basically say a liberal is a hypocrite because it supports life for the "little man" while ending life for the "little baby". That's a liberal.

Answer 8

In my view, liberals lean to the left politically, which means they favor big government taking care of people rather than people taking care of themselves.

In the US, they tend to fight for the rights for minority groups (like gay rights or illegal alien rights, not racial rights), while decrying and ridiculing the rights of the majority.

For example, they applaud schools that have "Islam days" where students are taught about that religion. But then they file law suits against schools who leave the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance.

Answer 9

Its a good question, I'm a conservative and believe in individual responsibility; so I guess a liberal would be one who believes more in the government \ community and social responsibility of the collective rather then the individual. Hope that isn't simplifying it too much; but they do want more government, less individual control, but in general are freedom loving.

Answer 10

I define a liberal by their political positions: someone who is for abortion on demand, homosexual marriage, taking away people's guns, taking away people's freedom to express their faith in the public forum and higher taxes.

Liberals seem to be stuck in the '60s with free love, the drug culture, the anti-war movement and radical feminism. Liberals are the sort of people who want to pass out condoms in school, but ban passing out Bibles.