for you, is the term 'radical' good or bad?

Question

...and why?

Answer 1

For me the term radical is rapidly losing its context. In the US and Canada ,especially with the Conservatives , the term radical has become almost a slur, as in the radical left or the radical right.

Radical has always been synonomous with the term extremist and extremism is NEVER a good thing.

It's funny on the little Mosque on the Prarie last night they dealt with this in a very comical way. A white kid wanted to convert to islam and became more radical than the most radical muslim on the program. The muslims at the mosque litterally went to the other extreme to get rid of the new convert so he decided he was going to become catholic and as my best friend said the character became more catholic than than the pope himself.

That's the problem with radical anything ,but especially converts, they're too extreme and aren't really representative of how the ' real' people in a religion or politics feel or act. They become uber judgemental and arrogant and think that they are the only ones who KNOW anything.

That's why the term radical to me is losing its true meaning and so is neither good or bad.

Answer 2

It depends on what text you use it in.

A radical member of a religion or political party is probably not a good thing.

Radical wheels on your car probably is a good thing (until you have to buy tires)

On here when someone uses the term they are probably trying to insult someone.

Answer 3

Both. Depending on how you use the word. Like a "radical change", it could be a good or bad change but it is a very big change.

Answer 4

It would have to be bad because we are all now saying Radical Islam

Answer 5

BAD. God save me from ALL radicals. Radicals never see the other side of anything in any way other than just plain wrong. Their minds are alreayd made up and you can't confuse them with the facts.

i.e. See KOOKOO BANANAS the poor boy is so filled with hatred of Bush he doesn't understand what was the intent.

Answer 6

it depends on the context.
sometimes a radical chance is good
or a radical decision needs to be made.

radical believers,who think that there ideas should be forced upon other people,is bad.

Answer 7

For me, "radical" is neither good nor bad. It's that bent check mark you use when you want to take the square root of a number.

Answer 8

I think it is good. When someone calls me a 'Radical Fundamentalist' because of my anti-abortion beliefs, I realize that I have usually gotten to them.

I wear the title with pride.

Answer 9

A radical is an Anarchist whether or not of your party affiliation.

Answer 10

It's a adjective. Whether it is good or bad depends totally on the noun it modifies.