What is a Liberal really? I've allways had questions on the matter

Im asking four questions

1.) What's your definition of a "Liberal"

2.) Are you a Liberal?

3.) Which political party do you support

4.) Which Liberal or non-Liberal stances does your political party support

Hello,

I consider myself a liberal. Conservatives are often more greedy and pursue self-interest. Liberals, on the other hand, work for the good of the people.

On the political spectrum, the left includes the liberals, democrats, and communists. While radical leftists are often considered communists, just realize that communism - in its purest form, the way Marx imagined it - is NOT evil nor was it meant to be. In fact, Marx hoped for more of a "Utopia." Of course, while it may have worked in theory, power hungry dictators used it to their advantage.

As many of you know, Communism works for the good of the people. Hence, the "Utopia" Karl Marx envisioned. Liberals, and other leftists, usually have a similar way of thinking albeit they're not as radical for the most part. Rather than imposing tax cuts on the more fortunate, I'd prefer that everyone receive an equal amount of tax cuts regardless of income.

So what are Liberals? Liberals are people that have a sense of justice, an open mind, and commonly are less greedy/evil. We want a better world for everyone; not a better world for the privelaged few even if we belong to that category.

So when Bush called Kerry a liberal, he was complimenting him

Originally posted by aukaiman55
So when Bush called Kerry a liberal, he was complimenting him

No, he was inadvertently insulting himself because he lacked an understanding of what a Liberal is.

Originally posted by aukaiman55
So when Bush called Kerry a liberal, he was complimenting him

Of course Bush meant it in a derrogatory way, though as a so-called "liberal" myself, I took it as a compliment to Kerry!

Somewhere along the line, the term "liberal" assumed a negative connotation, and I think politically it is associated with ideas like sky-high taxes and "hand-outs" like welfare.

"Liberal" is such an umbrella term that it is impossible to really define, and many people who consider themselves liberal do so for different reasons.

Myself, I believe that I'm a liberal because I believe in things like letting people live how they want to as long as they're not hurting anyone else, even if it's not the "norm" (i.e., I think gay marriage is OK); that we should have some safety nets for those who are less fortunate in society; and that we should have greater concern for our environment.

And I suppose I identify most with the Democrats, though I lift my political ideology from other parties like the Republicans (iwth more "conservative" ideas like smaller government), too.

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.

Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.

Very good description of what it is to be liberal IMO. Free-thinker, open-minded, progressive. Whereas conservative means, keeping the status-quo, feareful of change (losing power), haves continue to have, have not's continue to not have. Reason why I definitely consider myself liberal/Democrat b/c when I think of where this country has been before and who's still in control of the GOP.....I don't want to regress.

I am a Libertarian and i get lumped into the liberal catagory.
Im socially liberal and fiscally conservative.to republicans (mainly neocons) this makes me a liberal. lol

Well, all I know is that if 80% of this country knew voting Libertarian = no income tax... Libertarian would win

If you controll the media, you controll the people -.-

You Americans are so funy sometimes

I.

Best thing would be to go to the Liberatarian Party website. I don't know the URL off-hand, but if you type Liberatarian Party in Google, it will take you there.

It is a huge site, and somewhere in there, should be an answer to everybody's questions.

I don't know, but it could be possible that more Democrats would register as Liberatarians (I would), if only they would be eligible to vote in the Primarys. Maybe some states allow that, I don't know. But none that I've ever lived let you vote the Primary, unless you are registered either a Democrat or a Republican.

Sucks, but Liberatarian is about the only truly reasonable party.

Originally posted by aukaiman55

1.) What's your definition of a "Liberal"

2.) Are you a Liberal?

3.) Which political party do you support

4.) Which Liberal or non-Liberal stances does your political party support

Spanner in the works time. Let's try an Australian perspective.

1a.) Hey mate - why did you get banned? (crickets roar in response).

1b.) A Liberal is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, that is, an arch conservative, generally with monarchistic establishmentarian predispositions, more akin to the UK Tories than the US Republicans. But even so, Liberal Party leader and weasel PM John Howard as head of the Liberal Party is the most sycophantic brown-noser of George W Bush in the southern hemisphere. A Liberal is therefore someone who supports Neo-Con agandas for war profiteering.

2.) No. I do not support the Liberal Party as a viable means of progressing economic or social agendas except myopically.

3.) None.

4.) Not applicable.

In summary, when in Australia be careful to distinguish your capital-L Liberals from your small-l liberals as they are not one and the same.