OMG...I'm A Conservative!!!!

[iamjoy]

I looked it up in Merriam Webster's. There are several definitions, but among the politically related...

- Advocating support of established institutions
- Tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions or institutions
- Marked by moderation or caution

Then I looked up Liberal

- Not bound by orthodoxy or traditional forms
- Broad Minded

In thinking about Social Security, I want it to stay as is, not privatize it. This means that I am a Conservative for wanting to preserve it in its current form, and all those who wish to change it are Liberals. Another definition of Liberal is lacking moral restraint, and anyone who advocates destroying Social Security is definitely lacking in the morals department.

[ExclamationPoint]

1. Bad dictionary

I looked up 'pagan' there and this is what it said:Satanist or Heathen, which in modern day I hope you know, is not true at all.

Here's another definition for liberal: Open minded, willing for things change for the better

Conservative: Close minded traditionalist, not willing to change under any circumstances

Here's a conspiracy theory: Maybe Miriam Webster is a bit conservative, eh?

[iamjoy]

3. By That Definition Too

I am not willing to change on Social Security.
Of course, I don't think the changes they want to make are for the better.

[Orangepeel]

2. there's nothing about the current bunch power that is conservative

the huge budget deficits, the expanded governmental powers, invasions of other countries...

[leveymg]

4. That's Ok, your positions are still progressive in my book

Fact is, many so-called conservatives are actually radical reactionaries (including Shrub), while many "radicals" on the Left are really within the mainstream of contemporary western (European) politics. Just goes to show how far to the Right American political discourse has shifted.

By today's world standards, we're normal - they're not.

It might not be such a bad idea if American liberals started to embrace our identity as being part of the global mainstream, rather than being being so defensive about the "L-word". Better, we might simply call ourselves "progressives".

By the way, the rest of the world uses term "liberal" to mean advocates of Free Trade, which is a position that straddles the Left and the Right. American political lexicon is so screwed up that we can neither understand ourselves nor anyone else. This may account for a lot about our rapidly declining status and legitimacy in the world, and the fact that the mass media doesn't seem to notice.

As Orwell pointed out in "Politics and the English Language", democracy is made impossible by the corruption of communication. Perhaps, the confusion built into American political discourse is no accident.

War is Peace. Slavery is Freedom. Liberal is Conservative.

[noamnety]

5. The liberals want to conserve things

the environement, the budget, benefits

the replunderers want to destroy things.

[IronLionZion]

7. Conservatives like to "liberate" things

like your money, your job, your health care, your social security, and oil in Iraq

[IronLionZion]

6. why try to label yourself?

[greenohio]

8. LOL. Be careful, you might get purged.

[w4rma]

9. That's another reason I prefer "progessive". Most of the stuff that Dems

support is policy that is currently in place or used to be in place.