I want the word liberal back

[Quantum Windbag]

The modern Left, calling themselves liberals, claim they embrace change. They have even been known to point to studies that "prove" that the ability to accept change gives them an evolutionary advantage, and an edge in intelligence. They claim this makes them smarter than conservatives, who they argue want to keep things they way they were done in the good old days. Yet they refuse to accept the one area of change that is undeniable.

The days when we can pretend the rest of the world doesn't matter are long gone. The economy is global now, and the US can no longer compete in the world market just because the Left insist that more regulations and higher taxes will solve all our problems. Politicians stand up and defend the "Buy American" ideal. They like to pretend that they can come up with the magic combination of taxes and spending that will magically grow the middle class. They like to pretend that they care about Main Street, and they even demonize Wall Street and corporations.

Corporate CEOs live in a different world.

No, not that one, the politicians have just as much money and more power than CEOs, and always will. The world that CEOs live in, the one the Left pretends doesn't exist, is a world where free trade is going to happen despite the government.

Clinton did not sign NAFTA because he loved corporations, he signed it because somebody sat down and convinced him the world that exists is not the same world that he learned about in school. The US needs free trade to survive in the world today, and no amount of political posturing is going to change that.

Liberals, if you are not going to accept the world the way it is stop pretending you are smarter than the people who you claim are afraid of change, even though they eagerly embrace it. Get out of the way, give me my word back, and start calling yourself what you are, conservatives.

 

[hipeter924]

I am a classical liberal, not to be confused with a neo-classical liberal or a social liberal. The left and right scale is nothing more than an artificial force used to divide society into two opposing camps, whilst playing class warfare. Edited.

 

[IanC]

Bertrand Russell-

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent that in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

somehow the definition of liberal has changed in the last 50 years

 

[jillian]

The modern Left, calling themselves liberals, claim they embrace change. They have even been known to point to studies that "prove" that the ability to accept change gives them an evolutionary advantage, and an edge in intelligence. They claim this makes them smarter than conservatives, who they argue want to keep things they way they were done in the good old days. Yet they refuse to accept the one area of change that is undeniable.

The days when we can pretend the rest of the world doesn't matter are long gone. The economy is global now, and the US can no longer compete in the world market just because the Left insist that more regulations and higher taxes will solve all our problems. Politicians stand up and defend the "Buy American" ideal. They like to pretend that they can come up with the magic combination of taxes and spending that will magically grow the middle class. They like to pretend that they care about Main Street, and they even demonize Wall Street and corporations.

Corporate CEOs live in a different world.

No, not that one, the politicians have just as much money and more power than CEOs, and always will. The world that CEOs live in, the one the Left pretends doesn't exist, is a world where free trade is going to happen despite the government.

Clinton did not sign NAFTA because he loved corporations, he signed it because somebody sat down and convinced him the world that exists is not the same world that he learned about in school. The US needs free trade to survive in the world today, and no amount of political posturing is going to change that.

Liberals, if you are not going to accept the world the way it is stop pretending you are smarter than the people who you claim are afraid of change, even though they eagerly embrace it. Get out of the way, give me my word back, and start calling yourself what you are, conservatives.

cute rant.

liberalism is not the same as being a spoiled brat who hates rules.... well, except when they tell women what to do with their bodies, of course.

that aside, i think bill was a generally good president. but sighing NAFTA was not beneficial to us. he should never have given in to the right on that issue.

 

[onecut39]

Bertrand Russell-

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent that in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

somehow the definition of liberal has changed in the last 50 years

Oh sure. "Liberal" has been demonized, and demonized well. This probably was started in a more genteel way, by Reagan, and set on the path we now find it by Gingrich.

Edited

 

[onecut39]

The modern Left, calling themselves liberals, claim they embrace change. They have even been known to point to studies that "prove" that the ability to accept change gives them an evolutionary advantage, and an edge in intelligence. They claim this makes them smarter than conservatives, who they argue want to keep things they way they were done in the good old days. Yet they refuse to accept the one area of change that is undeniable.

The days when we can pretend the rest of the world doesn't matter are long gone. The economy is global now, and the US can no longer compete in the world market just because the Left insist that more regulations and higher taxes will solve all our problems. Politicians stand up and defend the "Buy American" ideal. They like to pretend that they can come up with the magic combination of taxes and spending that will magically grow the middle class. They like to pretend that they care about Main Street, and they even demonize Wall Street and corporations.

Corporate CEOs live in a different world.

No, not that one, the politicians have just as much money and more power than CEOs, and always will. The world that CEOs live in, the one the Left pretends doesn't exist, is a world where free trade is going to happen despite the government.

Clinton did not sign NAFTA because he loved corporations, he signed it because somebody sat down and convinced him the world that exists is not the same world that he learned about in school. The US needs free trade to survive in the world today, and no amount of political posturing is going to change that.

Liberals, if you are not going to accept the world the way it is stop pretending you are smarter than the people who you claim are afraid of change, even though they eagerly embrace it. Get out of the way, give me my word back, and start calling yourself what you are, conservatives.

At the time I thought NAFTA was a good thing. At the time I thought there were provisions for the support of unions in Mexico. At the time I thought that would allow for the raising of the Mexican worker and ease the huge differential in labor costs. At the time I thought the treaty would be enforced.

Looks like I was wrong about everything.

 

[The Rabbi]

While we're at it I want to reclaim the word "gay" to refer to a person who is happy rather than a person who commits unnatural acts.
And I want a re-do on "Negro" which is far more descriptive and accurate than "black" or "African American".

As to NAFTA, it proves even Democrats understand economics to some degree. I wish people who consider themselves conservatives would take a lesson.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The modern Left, calling themselves liberals, claim they embrace change. They have even been known to point to studies that "prove" that the ability to accept change gives them an evolutionary advantage, and an edge in intelligence. They claim this makes them smarter than conservatives, who they argue want to keep things they way they were done in the good old days. Yet they refuse to accept the one area of change that is undeniable.

The days when we can pretend the rest of the world doesn't matter are long gone. The economy is global now, and the US can no longer compete in the world market just because the Left insist that more regulations and higher taxes will solve all our problems. Politicians stand up and defend the "Buy American" ideal. They like to pretend that they can come up with the magic combination of taxes and spending that will magically grow the middle class. They like to pretend that they care about Main Street, and they even demonize Wall Street and corporations.

Corporate CEOs live in a different world.

No, not that one, the politicians have just as much money and more power than CEOs, and always will. The world that CEOs live in, the one the Left pretends doesn't exist, is a world where free trade is going to happen despite the government.

Clinton did not sign NAFTA because he loved corporations, he signed it because somebody sat down and convinced him the world that exists is not the same world that he learned about in school. The US needs free trade to survive in the world today, and no amount of political posturing is going to change that.

Liberals, if you are not going to accept the world the way it is stop pretending you are smarter than the people who you claim are afraid of change, even though they eagerly embrace it. Get out of the way, give me my word back, and start calling yourself what you are, conservatives.

cute rant.

liberalism is not the same as being a spoiled brat who hates rules.... well, except when they tell women what to do with their bodies, of course.

that aside, i think bill was a generally good president. but sighing NAFTA was not beneficial to us. he should never have given in to the right on that issue.

I don't hate rules, I just ignore them, totally different.

NAFTA resulted in years of prosperity here, how was it not good?

 

[hortysir]

Stringent fits better

 

[uscitizen]

The modern Left, calling themselves liberals, claim they embrace change. They have even been known to point to studies that "prove" that the ability to accept change gives them an evolutionary advantage, and an edge in intelligence. They claim this makes them smarter than conservatives, who they argue want to keep things they way they were done in the good old days. Yet they refuse to accept the one area of change that is undeniable.

The days when we can pretend the rest of the world doesn't matter are long gone. The economy is global now, and the US can no longer compete in the world market just because the Left insist that more regulations and higher taxes will solve all our problems. Politicians stand up and defend the "Buy American" ideal. They like to pretend that they can come up with the magic combination of taxes and spending that will magically grow the middle class. They like to pretend that they care about Main Street, and they even demonize Wall Street and corporations.

Corporate CEOs live in a different world.

No, not that one, the politicians have just as much money and more power than CEOs, and always will. The world that CEOs live in, the one the Left pretends doesn't exist, is a world where free trade is going to happen despite the government.

Clinton did not sign NAFTA because he loved corporations, he signed it because somebody sat down and convinced him the world that exists is not the same world that he learned about in school. The US needs free trade to survive in the world today, and no amount of political posturing is going to change that.

Liberals, if you are not going to accept the world the way it is stop pretending you are smarter than the people who you claim are afraid of change, even though they eagerly embrace it. Get out of the way, give me my word back, and start calling yourself what you are, conservatives.

cute rant.

liberalism is not the same as being a spoiled brat who hates rules.... well, except when they tell women what to do with their bodies, of course.

that aside, i think bill was a generally good president. but sighing NAFTA was not beneficial to us. he should never have given in to the right on that issue.

Ross was right about NAFTA.
And to compete in a free trade world we need to lower our lifestyles.

 

[The Rabbi]

Germany has higher wages than we do and they seem to compete just fine.

Some people with no background in econ really shouldn't be discussing it.

 

[uscitizen]

Germany has higher wages than we do and they seem to compete just fine.

Some people with no background in econ really shouldn't be discussing it.

Germany has a higher quality of leaders than we do.
And they are more socialized than we are too.
Much more regulations on everything, etc.

 

[Peach]

I am a classical liberal, not to be confused with a neo-classical liberal or a social liberal. The left and right scale is nothing more than an artificial force used to divide society into two opposing camps, whilst playing class warfare.

I think the purpose is to sell products, primarily media, but also clothing, personal care items, and even groceries. Most are in the middle in this nation, but most also have strong emotional reactions to particular issues.

 

[hjmick]

I want the word "gay" back...

 

[hortysir]

I want the word "gay" back...

K


your gay

 

[hjmick]

I want the word "gay" back...

K


your gay

My gay what?

 

[hortysir]

I want the word "gay" back...

K


your gay

My gay what?

I was just posting with TDM


Sorry



You're gay


betters?

 

[Peach]

I want intelligent conservatives back, like Buckley; the remaining intelligent conservatives are discussed less than the freaks. The few that remain, George Will, Krauthammer, Arnhart, are bleated out by the recent crop of sideshow attractions. (Beck, Coulter, and Matlin are more shock jocks than commentators.) Colin Powell is an exception, but he may have given up with the "infotainment/FOXtops' crowd taking over.

 

[midcan5]

QW, OMG that made no sense? Did I miss a coherent thought in there somewhere? Were you drunk? Or your meds wore off? Or you fell on your head? It was like a thought occurred to you, then you had another, then another. Please explain to me what that was about?

 

[The Rabbi]

Germany has higher wages than we do and they seem to compete just fine.

Some people with no background in econ really shouldn't be discussing it.

Germany has a higher quality of leaders than we do.
And they are more socialized than we are too.
Much more regulations on everything, etc.

All those things are irrelevant if you are making the claim that we cannot be competitive in the world economy with high wages. I have pointed out Germany has high wages and is still very competitive. That is a refutation of your point.