i posted this in another
thread:
Quote:
but really, i don't understand the use of the term 'liberal' as a slur. by strict definition, wouldn't we all benefit from being open minded, tolerant and respectful of views and opinions other than ours, and receptive to change and progress? regardless of political parties, that is the basic philosophical framework of our government. i will challenge any democrat as vigorously as i challenge any republican, and i hope everyone else will do the same. many have laid down their lives so that we could do just that, and we honor them by enjoying those rights to the fullest extent. perhaps this is a topic for a new thread?
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these are interesting times. the united states is seemingly split down the middle in terms of opinions, but the current information climate tends to oversimplify and cloud complicated issues. party politics engages in putting words into their opponents' mouths and effectively redefine positions until they are straw men they can topple easily. there is an us and them stance where people seek information only from biased sources and each side blames the other of spin and slander.
so what does it mean to be conservative? what does it mean to be liberal? are these stances exclusive of the political parties or are they integral? do people really understand these labels' true meanings or even how they have come to be used (or intentionally misused). what positions do they really believe in and what ideologies do they truly represent? is it even possible to characterize such complicated schedules of beliefs into just two sides? and why do conservatives hate liberals so much?
please treat this seriously, and try to avoid knee jerk posts that slam and perpetuate stereotyping. let's cut through that crap and get to the bottom of the divisiveness. i wonder if we are not as polarized as we are led to think, but have bought into the labels so the parties and special interests on both sides can better steer and control us to their own agendas.