So tell us: Do you consider yourself an economic progressive, liberal, moderate, or conservative.

[liberaldemocrat7]

So tell us: Do you consider yourself an economic progressive, liberal, moderate, or conservative.

Put the word in your first subject title.

Progressive or Liberal, to me means, you will raise taxes according at MINIMUM to inflation and per capita increase factors to keep the social safety net going and possibly to include new social programs or expand existing ones.

Moderate, to me means, you will cut spending in some areas and increase spending in some areas to maintain per capita and inflation levels for the existing social safety net but you will not favor raising taxes.

Conservative, to me means, you will not consider raising taxes and won't increase the social safety net funding whatsoever, in fact you would call for cuts in the social safety net.

[stimbox]

1. Do a poll instead.

Progressive or Liberal.

[eyesroll]

2. What if I don't want to raise taxes at all, but cut a bunch of war, earmark, and other BS spending

to keep the social safety net going and possibly include new ones or expand existing ones?

I guess I'm a progressive/liberal in some respects and a moderate in others.

[liberaldemocrat7]

4. I would call you a moderate.

.

[KG]

3. commie!

comrade, you have nothing to lose but your chains!

[stimbox]

5. So true.

[JDPriestly]

6. Your question is loaded.

For me, the issue is not so much raising or not raising taxes but rather getting more for the money we spend. The whole privatization mania is a waste and unjust allocation of taxpayer money. Too much of of our tax revenue goes to reward a few politically well placed businessmen, investors and CEOs, and too little goes to provide first-rate services, solve real problems and pay competent people to work serve the public.

Mind you, there are a lot of things I do not want the government to do. I don't want them to make or sell me my clothing. I don't want them to run the company that repairs my plumbing or builds my house. I don't want the government to raise or process my food. The list is long.

But, I do want the government, not private industry, provide police and security, to provide education and run the schools K-12, regulate private industry to protect workers, the public and investors, and to do many other things. I do not want the government to hire Halliburton and Blackwater to provide military defense or to police the streets. I want to keep Social Security public. I don't want it privatized. I do not want private courts or prosecutors. I don't want private companies collecting my taxes.

So, your question is not a question to which I can respond. Your choices are based on a conceptualization or differentiation that I do not accept as relevant to the real issue. For me, it is not a matter of whether I favor raising or not raising taxes. I want government that provides good services to all the American people in a fair way at reasonable cost. Stop paying tribute to the CEOs of Halliburton and Blackwater and other private companies to perform tasks that government can do better at lower cost.

[FatDave]

7. Liberal, but not exactly by your definition

[mondo joe]

8. I increasingly find these labels harder and harder to use to describe myself.

It's all situational. As a policy I think those with the greatest wealth should be taxed the most, and social safety nets should be supported - but they must also show they are a good investment of limited public resources.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

15. Best answer yet ---it is all situational.

I'm a little bit of everything and despise being slotted into a category.

[sutz12]

9. Progressive/Liberal I guess.

I favor progressive taxation. Yes, the wealthy should pay more. Currently, I would definitely ramp down military spending, as in the Bush War, and would start replacing the social spending the neo-cons have been gutting.

I'm liberal in that I favor government operated schools, roads, military and probably medicine.

I hate the current corporatist control of everything. The looming recession/depression worries me, as I see a lot of similarities between the corporate culture now and from the 1920's with the lack of regulation and accountability.

Actually, I am a bit of a fiscal conservative, in that I favor vigorous oversight of spending and independent accounting of expenditures, but I have no problem with raising taxes to pay for meaningful and productive social programs.

[ThomWV]

10. You are mixing things that aren't particularly related

For instance, why whould you think it is necessary to raise taxes to increase something (factors?) related to the 'social safety net' (whatever that is) and to introduce new programs as may be needed. No such increase is necessary, just rebudgeting. Rebudgeting is, in Goverement, a politicaly driven game, not an economic one. So what you seem to try to be putting into one framework are two things, first the basic economics - which have little to do with the rest of the question - and then the political drivers to spend our money on productive matters rather than other things.

[Whisp]

11. I used to belong to all of those religions at one time or another but

I've converted to Narcissicm

(woody allen can't spell)

[LeftishBrit]

12. Progressive/liberal, if I have to choose one of the labels

I'm a Europaean-style Socialist: I believe in a mixed economy with a role for private enterprise/ capitalism BUT I think that the public services should be publicly run, and oppose any privatization of such services. I am also a strong believer in a welfare state. I would totally accept paying more taxes, IF it went toward decent public services and improving the social safety net, and not towards a tragic and worthless war.

Down with Thatcher and her legacy!

[OHdem10]

13. Economic Liberal -- You are correct I would not have a

problem raising taxes. I add that responsiblity on part of
the Congress must be carefully practiced. They should take
care not to overreach.

However I do not have a problem with wise taxcuts. What do
you have to cut in order to give taxcuts??? I would have
a problem if giving taxcuts means you have to cut the Social
Safety Net.

[Bright Eyes]

14. I'm for a progressive tax

As well as expanding social programs and cutting back the military.

I guess that makes me progressive.

[Breeze54]

16. My definitions

A Liberal



"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.
The people themselves are its only safe depositories." - Thomas Jefferson

"Unless the mass retains sufficient control over those entrusted with the powers of their
government, these will be perverted to their own oppression, and to the perpetuation of wealth
and power in the individuals and their families selected for the trust."
- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots... and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson

The Founding Fathers Were Liberals.



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A Moderate



A Conservative





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A Progressive