A question about liberals vs. conservatives?

Question

Many times here I've read claims that 'liberals will believe anything'. Why is that? I am not from the US, and what I and many others see is exactly the opposite.

Answer 1

What you will see on YA, for the most part, are the extremists who don't mind blowing everything out of proportion. If you don't agree with Bush, you are labeled a liberal. If you are labeled a liberal, you support terrorism. I am a moderate, but since I detest Bush, I MUST be a liberal. Since I find this war obscene and Bush's lies to get us there even more obscene, I MUST be a liberal. I tend to like Republican economics but approve of Democratic social stands. Outside of that I am entitled to object to this war, but not without being labeled a liberal once again. Our country has been stringently divided among party lines - at least until the mid-term elections happened. Since then the number of Republicans who find Bush's war a failure has risen dramatically. At least now they are more willing to stand up and say so. There are still citizens who support Bush and his war policy, but they are dwindling rapidly, though they go yapping and snarling about liberals to the end, without acknowledging that many in their own party have had enough as well. They just say oh they aren't REAL Republicans then. As though being a Republican means putting on blinders and putting your fingers in your ears to be a real one.

So what you are seeing from an objective viewpoint is true. The majority of Americans clearly do not support this war, or George Bush, we made that abundantly clear in the mid-terms. So who is willing to "believe anything?" The few remaining Republicans who follow Bush like lemmings going to their demise.

Answer 2

The problem with "Liberals" and "Conservatives" is that they are too far apart.....they are polar opposites. Neither side will acknowledge there is a "middle ground". Both sides think of themselves as just that....Sides, and all they seem to do is sling mud at each other. Neither side will recognize that some ideas presented by the other may actually have merit. Neither will bend or compromise. It's "their way or the highway".

There are too many people who are in the middle and not on either side. Many issues we have today could be solved if we could all just work together, for the good of all instead of for the good of "the party".

Answer 3

Why is it necessary for either a conservative or a liberal to make such an obviously baseless claim about their political opponents? We ought to be able to be political opponents without being enemies. It is too facile to ascribe moral or intellectual deficiencies to those with whom we disagree (i.e. '______ is evil' or '____ is an idiot', with Bush, Clinton, Gore, Cheney, Hillary, Reagan, or anyone else in the blank). I believe neither side is superior in either of these respects. I would be considered conservative or libertarian, but some of the best and brightest people I know would be considered liberal. Both sides desire essentially the same outcomes--we differ on principles and ideas concerning the most effective means to those outcomes. We all want prosperity, security, freedom, a reduction in human misery here and in the world. I believe liberals tend to value "fairness" much more highly than conservatives, and I believe each would typically have a different definition of fairness. I believe conservatives value individual liberty more highly than do liberals, and consider these other values as contingent upon it. As a conservative, I would argue that the facts of the last hundred years demonstrate the superiority of the 'classical Liberal' framework: free enterprise, the rule of law, limited government. No doubt my liberal interlocutors would examine those same facts and come to an equally valid but far different conclusion.

It would be far better for the advancement of ideas if we would endeavor to understand one another, rather than destroy one another. Granted, I am biased, but I believe there are many more conservatives who understand liberal thought (many conservatives are former liberals) than liberals who understand conservative thought.

Our ideas will have to compete in the free market of ideas, and may the best ideas win.

note to kennyj: actually, the facts show that the higher one's level of education, the more likely they are conservative

Answer 4

Generally - and this is a broad generalization, realize - liberals are viewed as being morally and politically "loose" while conservatives are viewed as morally and politically rigid. Conservatives are loath to change their views, whereas Liberals seem to champion whatever "new cause" popped up that year (i.e. gay marriage). Conservatives are traditionalists and like the "old ways", while Liberals always seems to be wavering in what they believe.

Now, as I said, that's a BROAD generalization.

Personally, I've always thought the only difference between Conservatives and Liberals was morality. In a Liberal's view, conservatives have too much morality - in a Conservative's view, liberals don't have any.

Answer 5

Some conservatives here believe that liberals paint a distorted picture of how bad certain uncomfortable social woes are. Like poverty, racism, educational differences... I'd say that conservatives paint too simplistic a picture, without considering that a mentally handicapped man can't work and study to better himself, especially in expensive US cities.

I think too many programs exist for the superpoor, too few to help regular working Americans to make it day-to-day, and not enough to support infrastructure.

Answer 6

In my observation, every liberal I have known has been willing to believe anything that they like the sound of. If it agrees with what they already believe, they will assimilate any new information into their beliefs. Even if their original belief was also false. They don't need concrete proof of things at all. I'd be curious to know what you find opposite to this stereotype. I have known some truth-minded liberals that approach things from a factual standpoint, but concerning grey areas side to a liberal bias (nothing wrong with matters of opinion), but the majority follow the stereotype.

Answer 7

Yeah, it's the opposite. I'm very liberal, and I usually question things. A lot.

Answer 8

Liberalism is not a US bound ideology. You would be considered a liberal. Liberals believe in pacification, they are looking for a Utopian society. Conservatives use logic and facts to guide their decision making. Conservatives understand that Utopia is unattainable. Libs believe what they want, while Cons believe in reality.

GOP= You did belief it. That's why Congress gave the nod to go into Iraq. Dem's and Reps alike make up congress. Face the facts.

Answer 9

Liberals didn't go to war based on the words of a guy named 'Curveball'.

Answer 10

I would assume that this saying is meant to indicate the liberals are too openminded, that they lack the "moral fiber" (Biblical influence) to approach any given important situation.