Why do the children on this site that claim to be educated, not know the difference between a Liberal and?

Question

a democrat, or the difference between a conservative and a Republican.

Answer 1

Because they're idiots who believe that "liberal" and "conservative" are political parties, rather than political ideologies. They are too stupid to understand that a Republican can be liberal and a Democrat can be conservative.

Answer 2

Because Conservatives are rarely found in the Democrat Party (though there are still a few), while Conservatives tend to put ourselves in the GOP, but I do know what you are saying, and I have pointed it out before in other questions. That being a Conservative or Liberal is a political ideology, while being a Republican or Democrat is a political party.

Answer 3

Well, Liberals are most generally Democrat, as most of the ideologies of the democratic party match those of the liberals, and conservatives are generally republican, as the republican ideologies mostly match those of the conservatives. Yes, there are differences, however, in general, democrats and liberals are one and the same, as are conservatives and republicans; this confuses most people, and, thus, they equate the two.

Don't get so annoyed. You know that you are right, and that is all that matters.

Answer 4

"Why do they confuse the two?" We live in an age of sound-bites rather than substance. It's a whole lot easier to lump everything into a black and white world with no gray than to think things through thoroughly. I know it's illogical, but the idea that "anything that takes longer than a drive through is just too complicated" is pervasive.

I know a woman who will load her kids into the car (5 minutes), drive across town to her "favorite" fast food joint (7 minutes), wait behind 7 other cars to place her order (7 minutes), wait for those cars to clear so she can pick up her order (8 minutes), drive home (7 minutes), unload the kids (3 minutes). She does this, she told me, because she doesn't have 30 minutes to cook a meal. Instead of a 5 dollar meal at home with a fresh salad and a hearty soup, she'll have spent closer to $30 on kid's meals and French fries. That fast food joint across town is her favorite, by the way, because it is the least expensive.

We as a group seem to have lost the ability to think things through with any depth at all. In fact, my answer is so long that many will not even finish reading it.


Edit - this originally led my answer, but since Bugged in Mn addressed it, I'll edit it and move it down here: I frequently find questions interesting that I don't have anything to say to. I've never had the experience you report, and if it makes you feel any better, I do sometimes star questions simply because I like one answer or another and want to keep track of it, even though I have nothing to add. Many seem frustrated at "violations."

Answer 5

I can only speak from the Conservative point of view.

For one reason, in a two party system, Conservatives are forced to decide which party to align themselves with (not that it is a hard choice really). But Republicans are not Conservatives. The republican party has a large number of conservatives in it.

Secondly, not knowing the difference is called laziness

Answer 6

Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of government that consider individual liberty to be the most important political goal. Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment.

Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Different forms of liberalism may propose very different policies, but they are generally united by their support for a number of principles, including extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market or mixed economy, and a transparent system of government. All liberals – as well as some adherents of other political ideologies – support some variant of the form of government known as liberal democracy, with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law.

Conservatism is a line of reactionery thought that endorses some rejection of liberalism.

Answer 7

Hey, at least they aren't playing video games. I like it because they are thinking politcally and while their ideas will probably (hopefully in many cases!) change as they mature, at least they are thinking about it. And they will figure it out. Since only about 30% of eligible teen voters (18 and 19 yrears old) vote, these kids here are learning something.

So I cut them some slack.

But they do tend to see every issue in black-and-white. And that needs to change.

Answer 8

Because you have people like Jade up there who can't see beyond their own personal bias to view issues as a whole. If you listen to the other side of the debate you get a broader understanding of the issue at hand. Perspective is everything.

Answer 9

They confuse Ideology with party. Though it is generally so that Republicans better represent conservative views and Democrats are almost totally liberal in this day and age. I can name quite a few liberal republicans in office now but I can't name a single conservative Democrat.

Answer 10

People on this site have pretty much turned it into liberal vs conservative.