Conservative Or Liberal

[FreeThinker]

I want to know who makes up the majority on this forum. Please be honest.

I didn't make an independent option simply because most people can identify themselves as being either slightly to the right or left.

 

[cnredd]

here are the stats...

http://www.debatepolitics.com/stats.php

 

[FreeThinker]

here are the stats...

http://www.debatepolitics.com/stats.php

Those numbers can't be right. Every thread I have seen on this forum has twice as many liberals as it does conservatives.

 

[cnredd]

Those numbers can't be right. Every thread I have seen on this forum has twice as many liberals as it does conservatives.

Once you take your horseblinders off, things become much clearer...

We have idiots that say this place is SOOOO Liberal, and idiots who say this place is SOOOOO Conservative...

That's when you know you're right there in the middle...When everyone on the extremes cry...:shrug:

 

[Comrade Brian]

I agree with cnredd, this place is fairly even on the number of liberals and conservatives. Though the statistics did show there are more conservatives than liberals.

Also FreeThinker, make a better poll, I am neither liberal nor conservative, I am quite different from either.

 

[aps]

I totally agree with Brian. This place is about 50-50 with liberals/cons.

cnredd, those statistics are fascinating! I am surprised at how few women are on this board. No wonder I like it here so much.

 

[Gardener]

How about an option for "I reject false dichotomies"?

A few observations in general here, though, including the following:

The terms can be fairly well meaningless if they are based solely upon labeling and not the actual underlying principles involved. All this "I am a liberal" or "I am a conservative" does not actually mean that the people who self-identify in this fashion are actually advocating liberal or conservative principles. As a case in point, if a self-identified "socialist" offers opinions that are in diametrical opposition to socialist values when it come to economic policy or worker's rights they really aren't acting as advocates for socialism. A libertarian who supports discrimination against gay people isn't supporting libertarian values and there rae plenty of opportunities for people identified as liberal or conservative to misrepresent those ideologies.

I find all this "I am a liberal" or "I am a conservative" stuff (as opposed to I am advocating liberal values here or I am advocating conservative values there) to be pretty tiresome at times to tell you the truth because it only acts to invert the relationship between people's values andt heir politics. Instead of saying "I believe in these values, therefore my opiniopn on this subject is such and such", there is a great tendency to say "I am a liberal and liberals support this, so I should too". It is the conformity of opinion I reject, and especially when much of that conformity does not really stand up to the rigors of the ideologies, themselves. It's not a club one joins

When people start a sentence with "those liberals", or "you conservatives", I usually find myself stopping right there because I figure the person ereally has little to offer. If the world were black and white, it would be painted as such, and so dividing the world into just two choices only draws a line between people.

In any case, though, I am quite liberal on some issues, moderately liberal on others, fairly centrist on one or two and would fall on the conservative side on another one or two.

 

[earthworm]

Spoken eloquently, Gardener
I too, am an "independent" - for want of a better term..
In some ways I am a moralist, yet I feel prostitution should be legal, taxed, controlled.
The same with marijuana, but I would never touch the crap.
In many ways I am a pragmatist
I may be a "retro", believing that many answers to our problems are in the past.
Perhaps I am a futurist, I am surely not religious.... I vehemently do not believe man should pattern his life literally after the Scriptures or the koran; but that he should be influenced by them and other great writings..
I despise most advertising
Hate those who try to control others

 

[26 X World Champs]

Those numbers can't be right. Every thread I have seen on this forum has twice as many liberals as it does conservatives.

Perhaps liberals are more passionate and post more often? Afterall we have a lot more to complain about.