Conservatives: How well can you articulate your political position?

Question

This is part two of a socio-political experiment.

Hypothesis: Conservatives can better explain what they believe in according to the rules laid out below.

List at least three things that, as a conservative, you strongly believe.

No name calling.

No stating your belief as a negative (e.g Wrong: I don't believe in taxes; Right: I believe in a fair tax that does not punish success)

No euphemisms (e.g. call it what it is)

WOW!!!

Here is the score:

Conservatives
20 Answers Total
3 Could not / would not follow directions
85% solid answers


Liberals
5 Answers Total
2 Could not / would not follow directions**
60% solid answers

** I actually think that 3 could not follow directions but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt. One answer includes "freedom of choice" which I think is libspeak for abortion but maybe not.

What happened to all the liberals?!? Were they unable to rise to the challenge?

Only fair that I also give my answer here:

I believe in the *natural rights of man* that no government can deny

I believe the primary function of the federal government is to provide for the common defense (everything else is suspect)

I believe in the power of self-determination

I'm going to put this question to a vote now - there are too many great answers to choose just one. On the liberal side I'm going to choose. Thanks all!!!!!

... I also believe that Congress is too powerful and there should be term limits.

Answer 1

1. Strong National Defense

2. Sound Fiscal Policy

3. Smaller Government (fewer laws and regulation)

Unfortunately, item 3 has been totally abandoned by the current Administration. As for number 2 above, I believe you can grow the economy out of deficit, that's what happened with the Clinton Administration and that's what happened with World War II debt, so we aren't too off course on #2, but #3 we are out of control (as for abortions, let people make their own decisions, I believe it's killing and a sin, but I'm not going do have one and anyone who does isn't hurting me, let God decide what to do with them, there will be abortions regardless of whether they are legal or not).

Answer 2

1. One Nation Under GOD, in whom we trust. (true protection).

2. The Constitution Of The United States Of America, and The Bill Of Rights.

3. Family. a man, a woman, and children= marriage.

4. Everyone conceived in a woman's womb should have the Right To Life.

5. Smaller Government- We The People.

6. A Strong National Defense

7. A freer way of life for those who have served- they have already paid for it with their lives.

8. Fair taxes.

9. Fair Justice.

10. Fair Laws.

Answer 3

1. I believe in strong fiscal responsibility. Our current republicans have gotten away from that ideal. Social programs, though needed, should be much more heavily scrutinized and regulated to prevent fraud and abuse. There should be tighter limits on welfare. If you are physically able to work, there should most definately be a shorter more restricted timeline to recieve financial aid. The IRS code has got to be abolished. All it is is a tool for the government to dig deeper and deeper into our pockets with the most complicated document ever divised by man. I don't even want a flat tax, I'm more inclined to look deeper at a national sales tax. Providing refunds for basic subsistence to everybody and those that fall under a certain income level. This would ensure that ALL U.S. residents will pay taxes, not just legal, law abiding citizens.
2. I believe we need to get back to our grass roots traditions and beliefs. The only thing modern day civilization has done is promote crime, violence and loss of self respect by many. Sex, drugs and rock and roll has taken on a whole new meaning as we watch young teenagers doing things that are just down right dangerous. I am for letting prayers being said in school. I did, and it never hurt me. We said the pledge of allegiance and took pride in our country. Today all we have is a lot of angry, bitter people. Much of this could be taken care of if we could go back to the one parent works and one parent stays home idea. This could be accomplished through massive tax reform, reductions, cuts and fairness.
3. I'm not a hard core christian conservative. I could care less about what gay people do in their bedrooms. If they want to get married so be it. They are Americans to for crying out loud. They pay taxes, they help drive the economy just like every body else. They deserve the same rights as heterosexuals as far as insurance, death benefits and hospital visits. The one thing I'm most definately against is abortion for "convenience" sake. If you think your old enough to have sex, your old enough to use birth control or to take on the responsibility of a child. The only time I believe a woman should have the right to choose is in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother. In my humble opinion abortion is murder of the most innocent. The only ones that really understand that concept is a parent or someone that just has a basic sense of decency and respect for life.

Answer 4

I believe that people's success is largely due to their own actions and choices. So are people's problems.

I believe that the solutions to peoples problems also lies best in their hands. The government can't do much if the person doesn't have the will to make themselves better. Success isn't given.

I believe, like Ronald Reagan said, "Government isn't the solution, government is the problem." If the government didn't try to micromanage everyone else in this country and tried to manage their own behavior, they'd be more respected.

America is the greatest country on the planet, because it is the most free on this planet. In many countries, when you ask a child what they want to be, that's already been determined. Here in America, it's an open ended question. It's up to you to make it happen.

Answer 5

Sorry but I answered this for liberal but will cut and paste that answer here. I will admit this is a pretty lame position to be in, but, Chainsaws answer is outstanding. And to the rest of the answerers, WOW I am really impressed, what a great bunch of articulate logical answers. I think I am going to have to reconsider my affiliation and maybe become a conservate capitalist. Very frigging impressive, congrats to you all.

Superior hypothesis and so far the answers you have received are bearing it out.

Being a liberal capitalist I will offer my perspective on the question

I believe in the Ten Commandments as they set the basis of my moral compass

I believe in the Bill of Rights and our Constitution, that these ten rules are all we need to live in a civilized society

I believe in personal responsibility, what happens to me is the result or lack thereof my individual efforts

I know this if four but duty calls
Always Faithful to God, Country and the Corps

"The greatest threat to mankind and civilization is the spread of the totalitarian philosophy. Its best ally is not the devotion of its followers but the confusion of its enemies. To fight it, we must understand it." -- Ayn Rand

Answer 6

Pretty good.

I believe socialism(i.e. "Democracy") should be laid to rest once and for all and our republican form of government be fully and truly reestablished.
I believe we should repeal the "Federal Reserve Act" as well as the "sixteenth amendment".
I believe that the decision of abortions should not be left up to the federal government thus overturning the decision of "Roe vs. Wade" and that the decision should be left up to each individual state's duly elected representatives on the matter. or take it one step further and actually restore individual sovereignty and let that person decide for themselves as an individual.
I also further believe that the federal government should have no say in public and/or higher education whatsoever.
I believe in defunding "all" federal funding for all social energy production systems used throughout the United States.

But these are just a couple of things i believe.

Answer 7

I believe in smaller government.
I believe it shouldn't be a crime to make money in this country.
I believe people shouldn't look to government to solve their problems.
I believe I can be trusted to make everyday decisions, like use my seatbelt or have my child wear a helmet. I don't need to be told how to live life. I already know how and if I screw up I have only myself to blame.
I believe in private property even if the Supreme Court doesn't.
I believe that the Second Amendment is not a group right but a personal one.
I believe voting age people are not children and shouldn't be treated as such.

How's that?

Answer 8

Taxes-Much like the wording within your question, I believe in a fair-tax system in which individuals aren't punished for success. I believe the best way to achieve this end is through a flat tax system or, possibly, a national sales tax based on items purchased.

Abortion:I believe that abortion is too often used as birth control and/or to avoid "inconvenience" to the lifestyle of the "mother" (using that term loosely). Abortion should, in my opinion, be available only in the following cases...the life of the mother is in jeopardy, rape & incest...period.

Gun control:With over 20,000 gun laws on the books covering everything from the purchasing, storage, transportation and discharging of said weapon I do not believe we need further gun laws that only punish legitimate gun owners and reward criminal behavior. We need to enforce those laws currently on the books.

Immigration:America allows in millions of legal immigrants each and every single year. I believe those that shirk our laws and come here illegally should be sent right back where they came from...regardless of what the media tells us about them doing jobs "Americans won't do". Americans have done those jobs throughout our country's history and would do them now.

National Defense:I believe our governments most important responsibility is to protect this great land and it's citizenry. Aside from maintaining infrastructure and providing law enforcement that may well be their ONLY responsibilities...but that's another matter (the libertarian in me I suppose).

If attaining that end requires military action outside of our borders...so be it. In this day and age America faces a threat unlike any seen before in her history. To sit idly by and wait to be attacked again is ludacris and assinine (Clinton anyone?).

Torte reform:The courts in this country are innundated with the most absurd claims by folks on both sides of the spectrum...the sue-happy folks and the victims of said folks. We need to institute real changes in how our civil courts are ran.

Criminally, our courts have become a joke. We prosecute the most ridiculous of crimes and let the serius offenders right back onto the streets way too often. The amount of drug users that flood our prisons is a trasvesty. Meanwhile, activist judges are routinely sentencing child molesters and rapists to probation and/or minimal jail time...sad!

I could go on & on...but I'll leave it at that for now.

Answer 9

believe that immigrations should be done legally. For those that are here illegally and are hard working trying to make a better life for themselves and their family, there should be some guestworker program and assistance to start their legal imigration process, for those that are not, deport!

I believe that we should have less government in our lives not more, and that you get out of life what you work for, not by what is givin to you. I don't mind helping those less fortunate than myself (I was one of those once) but I want to do it when I want to do it, not because the government says so or taxes me unfairly to promotoe one of their social welfare programs.

I believe in the Capitolist society that we have and if you work hard you will get to where you are going (I am a great example of that), and in order to have that I firmly believe in our National Defense (or Offense) and that though we are a nation of immigrants, we need to define our borders and close them to legal immigration only!

Answer 10

I believe that government equals force.

I believe in government limited to the functions for which government is necessary - i.e., that are required for civilization to survive and cannot be handled without government force.

I believe in individual freedom in ALL spheres because the division among those spheres is subjective - one person might like to spend his time at the shooting range, another might like to spend it with another man, I like to collect Asian antiques and antiquities. Your right to own a gun is not of greater or lesser importance than a homosexual's right to engage in that action, or my right not to have my money taken away from me to support government intrusion into areas outside its core function of protecting its citizens' liberty.

I understand that politics is in the end, subjective. This is because a political position is a set of values applied to a set of facts.

However I know that in most instances the facts are readily ascertainable: Tax revenue IS soaring. The economy IS performing well by any objective measure. The rich are richer but there are also a lot more of them. There are more poor people but the increase is about 1/3 the rate of illegal immigration from extremely poor countries.

Thus, while, because a position involves application of a set of values to a set of facts, there are a range of final positions on the issues, the range is limited by the facts.

Additionally, words have meanings beyond good or bad. Sustainable doesn't just mean good, it means you realistically can repeat the process - and it implies that the alternatives are not capable of repetition, will physically or economically be unreliable in the near future. Thus "sustainable development" is a meaningless term.

Similarly, "justice," "liberty" and "equality" have meanings apart from "good" - using force to impose some end that you believe to be "good" is almost always the opposite of justice, liberty and equality.

You can believe in a government that takes my money and gives it to another but it is a lie to call that social justice, protection of individual liberty or imposition of equality, because I didn't get my money by taking it from him. He may not be at fault that he is poor but I am not either, thus it is not just to take it from me, you violate rather than protect individual rights in taking it from me, and you are treating us inequally.