Mommy, What's a Liberal?

[woodsprite]

That's the question my 6yo asked in the car last night. The whole family was there, w/ hubby driving. I think the question stemmed from a meeting over the weekend we had with a friend where we were discussing a political documentary he's putting together. I tried to answer both for my 6yo and my young teen.

I told my son that being a Liberal means that you care about other people, even strangers. You accept the fact that people are different, and that the differences are what makes life interesting. You don't expect everyone to be the same color or religion or think the same. If you have enough (money, stuff, food, etc.), then you feel comfortable and want to share with people who don't have enough. You care about our environment and the world we live in, because you understand that we all share that and we all have to do our part in taking care of it. It means really trying to live the values that we learn about in Sunday school, not just saying we do.

The opposite of Liberal is Conservative. If you're conservative, you really would like everybody to be the same as you. If they're different from you or from the way you think they should be, then that's not good. Conservatives keep their money and possessions close to them. Their stuff is their stuff and they're not interested in sharing as much, whether it's stuff they've earned or gotten in other ways. Every man for themselves, because you have what you need/want. You're responsible for yourself. They don't care as much about the environment because they think everything on earth, all its resources, are here to be used up.

After we got home, I asked hubby how he would have answered that. He said he would have told him "Go ask your mother". ;)

BTW, our son's next question was "What is communist?" Hubby took that one!

[longship]

1. Nice story.

Worth a recommend.
:kick:ed

[StraightDope]

2. Wow. Nice job.

And as for the "What's a communist?" question...

When I was 10 years old, I asked my father, a rabid Righty, "Hey Dad? Why doesn't everyone just get rid of money and only take what they need? It seems like it would be a lot simpler that way."

His reply, paraphrased, of course, "That's Communism! We don't believe in that here in America! Who the hell taught you about that shit?!"

To which I replied, "Well, Dad, nobody taught me that. It was an idea that I had, and it seems like it would make more sense than the way that America works."

Ever since that day, we haven't seen eye-to-eye. At least your children have the benefit of enlightened parents...

[bluerum]

4. Quite an insight for 10 year old!

[StraightDope]

6. I always was a mite precocious...

Now I'm just drunk, and frequently. Helps to ease the pain of living in a world gone mad. Beer #4, here I come!

[immoderate]

3. A very fair explanation.

Imagine what a conservative parent would have said.

--IMM

[StraightDope]

5. "Imagine what a conservative parent would have said..."

No need.

http://www.amazon.com/Help-There-Liberals-Under-Bed/dp/0976726904

:puke: Enough said...

[woodsprite]

7. Don't have to imagine. All I need do is look at my SIL w/ her 5 kids. nt

[FormerDittoHead]

8. A simpler difference...

I appreciate the differences you pointed out, but sharing isn't really the core.

By investing in education, for example, liberals know that in the end, they themselves will be better off.

There's a simpler but core difference that a 6 year old would understand:

Liberals care about the future and want to make it better for everyone, especially children and even including animals. Liberals believe people are basically good and want to do what's right for most people.

Conservatives do not care about the future, especially so for other people, their children and even less about animals. Many of them hope for the world to end. They believe people are basically bad. They lie to get their way, even when they know what they're doing is wrong.

That pretty much sums it up.

edit: spelling

[FormerDem06]

11. Spot on, with a couple of thoughts added in...

on Liberals:
==============================================================
Liberals believe people are basically good and want to do what's right for most people.
==============================================================

Some do this to a fault. They will let anyone pass as good even when what they are doing is completely wrong. For the most part you are right though.

On Conservatives:
===============================================================
They lie to get their way, even when they know what they're doing is wrong.
===============================================================

While this is true about some conservatives, it seems to me that this happens the minute you step foot into Washington, Liberal, Conservative or whatever. I still don't understand why, but people seem to lose their way when lobbyist money and keeping thier job comes to the forefront (H. Clinton, J. Lieberman, T. Kennedy and his windmill farm opposition, etc. etc. etc.).

Just a few thoughts.

[Zodiak]

15. I would argue

that there are no "liberals" in office in any appreciable number, so I am not sure that comparison with beltway dems is in order. Ted Kennedy is, at best, a moderate liberal.

Now, if you want to find liberals, many of them can be found amongst the people, but liberals in general are not allowed to play in Washington. This, in my opinion, is why we find ourselves in rightwing hell right now (no opposition from principled liberals).

[FormerDem06]

17. That I can agree with....

Kennedy is a moderate Dem, but he's one of the more liberal dems in the congress. That kindof sets my hypothesis slightly further right than it should be.

[Zodiak]

19. Kennedy is one of our most liberal senators

Which means he votes against Bush's right-wing measures about 80% of the time. He and Kerry are ideological brothers when one reduces votes to a mere percentage. (#6 and #8 most liberal).

But he is a senator, which, like the Supreme court, has no true "liberals". Harkin is as close as we get (He is 89% against Bush's right-wing policies).

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Zodiak%20Ironfist/4

The House has a few, though. Conyers, Kucinich, the CBC, PDA...not enough to fill a thimble considering the 435 members.

The average DUer would have voted against these Bush's policies 100% of the time, so I would say that true "liberalism" is the province of the People at this point. Sad, really, because a lot of talk swirls around "liberals" on Capital Hill, and none of them are there to defend themselves even though true liberals are a consierable percentage more of the population than the 1% representation they have.

Funny how the average Democratic moderate from the 1970's is now considered a far left liberal nowadays because the huuuggge rightward frame-shift.

[electropop]

14. I agree with FormerRush AND the O.P.

Both are important components of liberal thought. As a pragmatist, I find Former****Fan's viewpoint a bit easier to sell to cons: it's just a smarter, future-looking form of selfishness, and selfishness they understand. "Enlightened self-interest" is my quick summary of liberal pragmatism.

[FormerDittoHead]

20. Enlightened self-interest

I don't have any problem with putting as enlightened self-interest.

Here in New Jersey, for example, property taxes are going through the roof (like we're alone)?

A recent LTTE said that he thought that he shouldn't pay as much in property taxes as he had no children.

A neighbor of mine, however, put it in two very good ways:

1) To WHOM to you expect to sell your house to when you get ready to sell it? High school drop outs or college graduates? Which market would better increase the value of your home?

2) Properties in towns with good schools ALWAYS sell for higher amounts....

[electropop]

21. And who do you want paying into Social Security when you retire?

Again, enlightened self-interest.

[MissMarple]

9. Your husband's take on "conservative",sadly that's what it's come down to.

These people are ruining our country and trashing the Constitution...our LIBERAL Constitution.

[raccoon]

10. Great job! Your kids are lucky to have you as their mom. nt

[Gregorian]

12. That was really well stated. Check out my recent thought...

While riding my bike through the forest.

A liberal is a person with the kind of behavior that is prescribed by every religion.

[woodsprite]

13. Exactly. My daughter quoted the bumpersticker. n/t

[bdamomma]

16. very good explanation

I remember when I asked my mother and father what is the difference between Democrats and Repubs, my father who was a strong democrat said, republicans are for big business, and democrats are for the working people. He was right.

[tomreedtoon]

18. This almost demands a "Shut Up" joke...

...as once practiced in the pages of the old "Cracked" parody magazine. Some examples:

KID: Mommy, what's a liberal?
MOMMY: Shut up, kid and pour more gasoline on that church.

KID: Mommy, what's a liberal?
MOMMY: Shut up, kid, and keep shooting at your lesbian sister.

KID: Mommy, what's a liberal?
MOMMY: Shut up, kid, and drink that Kool-Aid.