The Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives

[Sundial]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives... The groups filled out questionnaires about their own beliefs and how they interpreted the beliefs of their opposition. They then rated how much insight their opponents possessed. The results showed liberals believed they knew more about conservatives than conservatives knew about liberals. The conservatives believed they knew more about liberals than liberals knew about conservatives. Both groups thought they knew more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves.

I believe I do know more about conservatives than they know about liberals. Here are three elemental principles, or fundamental beliefs, of conservatives:

• Our economic system is fundamentally fair. It rewards hard work and initiative, and punishes laziness and ineptitude. Rich people deserve to be rich, and poor people deserve to be poor.
  
• The government is fundamentally bad. First because it disrupts the natural outcomes of the free market, and second because it lacks free market discipline, and is therefore inefficient and corrupt.
  
• When the government disrupts the natural outcomes of the market, it disincentivizes hard work and initiative, and creates a "free ride" mentality among the people.

There are more, of course, but these are three that more or less unite conservatives. (Others divide them.)

My predictions are these: 1.) That the majority-conservatives on this board may nit-pick, but they'll agree that these are three fundamental beliefs of the conservative movement; and 2.) that few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

 

[Kuros]

few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

(1) Fairness

(2) Harm-reduction

John Haidt

The rest are details.

 

[editec]

Most the self proclaiming conservative hereabouts are NOT remotely in tune with liberal thinking.

But then many of the self proclaiming lovers of conservatism here are not truly interested in discussing the issues so much as they take pleasure in being rude to people.

Few of them would last long in a FTF discussion, I suspect.

Or if they did their tone would get a LOT more respctful.

 

[Sundial]

few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

(1) Fairness

(2) Harm-reduction

John Haidt

The rest are details.

I think you need more elaboration than that. Are conservatives against "fairness" and "harm-reduction"?

 

[Sundial]

Most the self proclaiming conservative hereabouts are NOT remotely in tune with liberal thinking.

But then many of the self proclaiming lovers of conservatism here are not truly interested in discussing the issues so much as they take pleasure in being rude to people.

Few of them would last long in a FTF discussion, I suspect.

Or if they did their tone would get a LOT more respctful.

What's strikes me about conservatives on this board - not all, but many of them - is how angry they are, how quick they are to resort to personal attacks, and how often what they have to say seems to be little more than regurgitation from Rush/Beck/Drudge, etc.

 

[percysunshine]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives....

Well there is your problem. Liberals will lie and claim to be conservative. They should have checked everyones voting record.

 

[Mr.Nick]

Progressives are stupid or nefarious?

 

[yidnar]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives... The groups filled out questionnaires about their own beliefs and how they interpreted the beliefs of their opposition. They then rated how much insight their opponents possessed. The results showed liberals believed they knew more about conservatives than conservatives knew about liberals. The conservatives believed they knew more about liberals than liberals knew about conservatives. Both groups thought they knew more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves.

I believe I do know more about conservatives than they know about liberals. Here are three elemental principles, or fundamental beliefs, of conservatives:

• Our economic system is fundamentally fair. It rewards hard work and initiative, and punishes laziness and ineptitude. Rich people deserve to be rich, and poor people deserve to be poor.
  
• The government is fundamentally bad. First because it disrupts the natural outcomes of the free market, and second because it lacks free market discipline, and is therefore inefficient and corrupt.
  
• When the government disrupts the natural outcomes of the market, it disincentivizes hard work and initiative, and creates a "free ride" mentality among the people.

There are more, of course, but these are three that more or less unite conservatives. (Others divide them.)

My predictions are these: 1.) That the majority-conservatives on this board may nit-pick, but they'll agree that these are three fundamental beliefs of the conservative movement; and 2.) that few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

the biggest and most profound difference between libbs and conservatives is personal responsibility!!conservatives believe the individual is responsible for his or her actions and success in life while libbs believe outside governing forces are responsible for actions and success !!hence the reason libbs fight for abortion rights....children are a big responsibility which is something anathema to the liberal mind set!! there are many many more examples to prove this to be fact!!

 

[yidnar]

Most the self proclaiming conservative hereabouts are NOT remotely in tune with liberal thinking.

But then many of the self proclaiming lovers of conservatism here are not truly interested in discussing the issues so much as they take pleasure in being rude to people.

Few of them would last long in a FTF discussion, I suspect.

Or if they did their tone would get a LOT more respctful.

talk about partisanship!!!

 

[Avorysuds]

Nothing, they both love spending more than we have on social stuff and they both like killing people in the Middle East. Progressive Liberals are the same as Neocons, prove me wrong.

Where are Democrats and Obama’s polices different from that or the Republican congress before them and Bush? Oh I know, they expanded most of the Bush ear polices…

 

[Mr.Nick]

Most the self proclaiming conservative hereabouts are NOT remotely in tune with liberal thinking.

But then many of the self proclaiming lovers of conservatism here are not truly interested in discussing the issues so much as they take pleasure in being rude to people.

Few of them would last long in a FTF discussion, I suspect.

Or if they did their tone would get a LOT more respctful.

What's strikes me about conservatives on this board - not all, but many of them - is how angry they are, how quick they are to resort to personal attacks, and how often what they have to say seems to be little more than regurgitation from Rush/Beck/Drudge, etc.

Of course I'm angry you dolt - your philosophy is only destroying the world.

Its funny how snug and stupid you are... Your ideas don't work yet you pretend they do.

I'm sure in your mind unemployment is really at 3% and everyone worships the ground Obama walks on and hes the best president ever...

Oh yeah, now back to reality....

 

[percysunshine]

The really funny people are the people who claim to be liberal who are actually conservative in outlook and deed. In only takes about 2 or 3 questions before they start to fidget and stammer.

 

[yidnar]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives... The groups filled out questionnaires about their own beliefs and how they interpreted the beliefs of their opposition. They then rated how much insight their opponents possessed. The results showed liberals believed they knew more about conservatives than conservatives knew about liberals. The conservatives believed they knew more about liberals than liberals knew about conservatives. Both groups thought they knew more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves.

I believe I do know more about conservatives than they know about liberals. Here are three elemental principles, or fundamental beliefs, of conservatives:

• Our economic system is fundamentally fair. It rewards hard work and initiative, and punishes laziness and ineptitude. Rich people deserve to be rich, and poor people deserve to be poor.
  
• The government is fundamentally bad. First because it disrupts the natural outcomes of the free market, and second because it lacks free market discipline, and is therefore inefficient and corrupt.
  
• When the government disrupts the natural outcomes of the market, it disincentivizes hard work and initiative, and creates a "free ride" mentality among the people.

There are more, of course, but these are three that more or less unite conservatives. (Others divide them.)

My predictions are these: 1.) That the majority-conservatives on this board may nit-pick, but they'll agree that these are three fundamental beliefs of the conservative movement; and 2.) that few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

2/3rds of your post is correct but it is not that government is bad,it's that big over reaching totalitarian government is bad....just a little nick picking

 

[Sundial]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives....

Well there is your problem. Liberals will lie and claim to be conservative. They should have checked everyones voting record.

I never know on this board if someone's being sarcastic. So I just have to ask. Are you serious?

 

[Mr.Nick]

The really funny people are the people who claim to be liberal who are actually conservative in outlook and deed. In only takes about 2 or 3 questions before they start to fidget and stammer.

Conservative and Liberal by definition are the same thing. At least here in the US.

Conservatives are only trying to conserve the general principals this nation was founded on, which were and are liberal ideas...

Progressivism er modern liberalism is a whole different animal.

Progressives want us to move away from those general beliefs that built this nation and move on to their communist ideas.

We didn't come to this New World to repeat the same authoritarian mistakes we fled from.

This is the Land of The Free.....The land of trial and error.......

 

[Charles_Main]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives... The groups filled out questionnaires about their own beliefs and how they interpreted the beliefs of their opposition. They then rated how much insight their opponents possessed. The results showed liberals believed they knew more about conservatives than conservatives knew about liberals. The conservatives believed they knew more about liberals than liberals knew about conservatives. Both groups thought they knew more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves.

I believe I do know more about conservatives than they know about liberals. Here are three elemental principles, or fundamental beliefs, of conservatives:

• Our economic system is fundamentally fair. It rewards hard work and initiative, and punishes laziness and ineptitude. Rich people deserve to be rich, and poor people deserve to be poor.
  
• The government is fundamentally bad. First because it disrupts the natural outcomes of the free market, and second because it lacks free market discipline, and is therefore inefficient and corrupt.
  
• When the government disrupts the natural outcomes of the market, it disincentivizes hard work and initiative, and creates a "free ride" mentality among the people.

There are more, of course, but these are three that more or less unite conservatives. (Others divide them.)

My predictions are these: 1.) That the majority-conservatives on this board may nit-pick, but they'll agree that these are three fundamental beliefs of the conservative movement; and 2.) that few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

I am a conservative and I take issue with 1 and 2.

Not all the rich deserve to be rich, and not all the poor Deserve to be poor.

I do not believe the Government is fundamentally bad. It is however rather clumsy and Inefficient and often is not the best answer to a problem.

3 is partially true. Liberals act like it is all or nothing. They act like Conservatives want to Over site by the government of the Private sector at all. This is not correct. I most definitely want the Government keeping an eye on the Private sector and making sure they are not fucking us all over all the time. However that does not have to mean tons of Burdensome Regulations. The Biggest problem with the lead up to the Financial Crisis was not so much a lake of Regulations, it was a lack of enforcement of existing Regulations and an appalling lack of over site.

As far as your Predictions. With me you failed. I do not generally agree with your statements.

I am not even going to try and tell you what Liberals believe in. As I am not going to act like you just have an pretend I know more about what motivates another group than the people in it do.

 

[dcbl]

MODERN Liberals believe:

1. The government should play a strong role in ensuring fairness & financial security (IE - providing for the basic needs of) for ALL citizens
2. Basic inequalities built into the system prevent the little man from getting ahead, or from even adequately surviving & that it is our job as a nation to "level the playing field" & ensure equal opportunity through legislation & laws
3. Since wealthy individuals & corporations are basically greedy & only care about themselves, we have a duty to implement laws & regulations that will prevent them from running rough-shod over ordinary folks & that the markets CANNOT be counted on to bring about equity & fairness

ALSO, many modern liberals believe that their opponents on the right are fundamentally uneducated religious extremists that care nothing about science & education...

 

[tonystewart1]

Liberals view govt as good. They see govt as a force that could bring good to the world. Ease the suffering of those that suffer. They feel that those who are wealthy have an obligation to those without. They dont trust that peoples self intrest can direct the economy in a good way. They distrust human desire and despise greed.

Am I getting close to a liberal mindset in a non judgemental way.

 

[Ernie S.]

From an experiment performed by some social scientists in 2001.

They had subjects identify themselves as either liberals or conservatives... The groups filled out questionnaires about their own beliefs and how they interpreted the beliefs of their opposition. They then rated how much insight their opponents possessed. The results showed liberals believed they knew more about conservatives than conservatives knew about liberals. The conservatives believed they knew more about liberals than liberals knew about conservatives. Both groups thought they knew more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves.

I believe I do know more about conservatives than they know about liberals. Here are three elemental principles, or fundamental beliefs, of conservatives:

• Our economic system is fundamentally fair. It rewards hard work and initiative, and punishes laziness and ineptitude. Rich people deserve to be rich, and poor people deserve to be poor.
  
• The government is fundamentally bad. First because it disrupts the natural outcomes of the free market, and second because it lacks free market discipline, and is therefore inefficient and corrupt.
  
• When the government disrupts the natural outcomes of the market, it disincentivizes hard work and initiative, and creates a "free ride" mentality among the people.

There are more, of course, but these are three that more or less unite conservatives. (Others divide them.)

My predictions are these: 1.) That the majority-conservatives on this board may nit-pick, but they'll agree that these are three fundamental beliefs of the conservative movement; and 2.) that few, if any, of the conservatives on this board will be able to articulate liberal principles in a way that liberals themselves will agree to.

I'll give that a shot"
Liberals know best how to spend your money.

It may be more accurate to say that it is impossible to articulate the principle of those that have none.

 

[Sundial]

MODERN Liberals believe:

1. The government should play a strong role in ensuring fairness & financial security (IE - providing for the basic needs of) for ALL citizens
2. Basic inequalities built into the system prevent the little man from getting ahead, or from even adequately surviving & that it is our job as a nation to "level the playing field" & ensure equal opportunity through legislation & laws
3. Since wealthy individuals & corporations are basically greedy & only care about themselves, we have a duty to implement laws & regulations that will prevent them from running rough-shod over ordinary folks & that the markets CANNOT be counted on to bring about equity & fairness

ALSO, many modern liberals believe that their opponents on the right are fundamentally uneducated religious extremists that care nothing about science & education...

That's more or less true, as far as it goes. I'd quibble a little bit:

• Providing for all citizens does not mean just sending checks. I think liberals more or less conceded (along with Clinton and welfare reform) that "just sending checks" is not the way to go.
  
• Two is OK. Liberals might phrase it a little differently. Something like, "We, as a country, have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable among us."
  
• Liberals would not say that all wealthy people are basically greedy and only care about themselves. Many of us, for example, have a lot of respect for Warren Buffet, who is one of the richest men in the country. We'd also say that regulation is necessary not just to protect ordinary people, but to protect the environment and the financial system itself.

But yeah, I'd say that's pretty close.