Is it possible to have strong political opinions and yet still see the other side's point-of-view 100% clearly?
2007-02-07 03:23:44 · 16 answers · asked by tangerine 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Only if someone is completely open-minded, but since facts are facts, the final answer is no. Because some are blinded, or because some are unable to see the truth. In other words, no one can see the whole truth, since only the government knows. Or do they? LOL. Most everything seems to be an opinion either for or against the other side. However, there is COMMON SENSE, but most people don't understand what that means. Damn shame, huh?
By the way, if someone is completely open-minded, chances are they won't belong to a political party!
2007-02-07 03:32:50 · answer #1 · answered by xenypoo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think its possible, but not probable. Way too much unecessary and unfounded hate coming from both sides. Every time I try to get an answer about all the questions that I have about conservative policies, I get a tirade of what liberals do and did and are not doing and the words stupid, hate and idiot come up a lot. But I don't hear much about the question that I asked. My better half is a conservative, so I am lucky because he answers the questions that I ask without ever insulting me. I do the same for him. We have healthy political debate without name calling or finger pointing all the time. Because of him I can understand what the intention was with a lot of things going on whether I agree with them or not. He understands my views too, although he thinks that I am a dreamer. But I think we are the exception and not the rule.
2007-02-07 04:05:30 · answer #2 · answered by babygyrl_nyc 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ohhh sure it is. I always listen to both sides of the argument and I have 100% clarity on both sides. Some issues I agree with the opposing side, and some I don't. Anyone who cannot view both sides and pick out what's right and wrong?...seriously needs lessons in the school of hard knocks and to live a little longer before expressing an uneducated opinion.
2007-02-07 03:29:35 · answer #3 · answered by chole_24 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is possible, just do not be dogmatic too the point where you cannot listen to the either side at all. If you are truly willing to be open-minded and listen to the other side then logic and common sense will prevail. I am not religious, however, I do see good points to all of them that would be good to incorporate into my own personal beliefs. I know it can be hard because the other side can be complete d*cks, that does not mean the ideals or concept are without value.
2007-02-07 04:04:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe I can UNDERSTAND the other side, even if I don't agree with it.
An example or two: Liberals tend to believe that we need government to protect us from big business. Conservatives tend to believe that big government interferes with the small businessman. Each side is trying to help "David" against "Goliath" - both are motivated by noble concerns - but they see the facts on the ground differently.
Likewise, liberals tend to see the UN as having the role of counterbalancing the nationalism and disputes among nations, including the US. They see it as the impartial tribunal trying to impose fairness. Conservatives tend to see the US as the best hope for securing peace and justice, and seek to combat the corrupt and autocratic states of the UN. Everyone wants fairness; they just disagree on what's fair.
So yes, I think we have to try to understand the motivation of the other side, even when we don't agree.
2007-02-07 03:32:43 · answer #5 · answered by American citizen and taxpayer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
For over 75 years the primary way the Democrats have obtained votes is through the promise of government largesse. Over time it became clear that the tax burden required to maintain the system of largesse came directly at the expense of the private sector's reinvestment of its own earnings - and because it's an income tax, the cost came primarily at the expense of the most successful firms and individuals, thus limiting their growth. Private sector investment creates jobs - in other words, the money you take from me to fund benefits for some guy who lost his job at the widget factory is money I would have spent on a widget, in which case he'd still have his job. It's a solution that re-recreates its own need - the same policies that buy votes with handouts cause a certain portion of the voters to need those handouts - - a self-sustaining machine!!!
But you need SOME growth, SOME success - you need people to tax - and so you had to resort to monetary policy to get that. But of course that isn't efficient - it doesn't allocate capital as efficiently to its best use as does the successful firms' reinvestment of their own earnings - and monetary inflation can't last forever - at some point the money needs to be sucked back, or else it all ends up on the beach in the form of stagflation.
When that happened in the 1970s, we elected Reagan, who reversed the "machine" - cutting tax rates and spurring natural job growth, enabling the Fed to clamp down on inflation, which remains in check to this day. It is now the case that 1 in 11 households has 1MM in net worth outside of home equity and 1 in 4 has between 100K and 500K in net worth outside of home equity. In real dollars it was more like 1 in 50 and 1 in 10, respectively, a generation ago.
The Dems' perspective is "we need to raise taxes again and reverse this because the more people are financially independent of government, the more voters can't be bought with the promise of government programs."
BTW I WAS a Democrat, grew up lower-middle-class, but I developed an interest in money and finance and read up on the subjects, discovering quickly that the Democrats' STATED perspective was complete crap and that the "machine" was really what they are about. So ultimately, if you're intellectually honest, facts will get through the bias.
2007-02-07 03:25:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 3⤋
No, everyone's political bias and beliefs will interfere with that. Everyone has a flaw in their political beliefs which prevents them from seeing everything 20/20. Some of the causes are exposure to certain ideas, lack of education, or just plain stupidity. When I see Liberals wanting to get out of Iraq, I see a group that hates our president so much that they want everything he does to fail. It's not about protecting our troops, or securing the homeland, it's about believing that your party is better.
2007-02-07 03:25:49 · answer #7 · answered by Pfo 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes. I always see all sides of a debate , everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just like I am entitled to agree or disagree!
2007-02-07 03:34:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I am a Democrat. I see the Republican side very clear.
2007-02-07 03:29:22 · answer #9 · answered by jl_jack09 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bush supporters are in a class all by themselves. No...they can't see clearly past their own stupidity.
2007-02-07 03:46:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋