Quote:
Originally Posted by ottopilot
Come on Will... I think we're talking about the extremes here... not the average, where most of us agree on more than less. Words like fascist, socialist, communist, progressive, conservative, liberal and libertarian, all have specific and different meanings. I believe most, like in religion, have no clue regarding the history and core philosophies of the political movements they subscribe. Unfortunately, some really bad guys came along and gave certain social concepts a really bad image (mass murder, racial purity, concentration camps), and it's understandable to want to divert those stereotypes on to their political adversaries. Did I mention that Hitler was also insane?
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I don't call myself a leftist because I don't think the label is as good as progressi or liberal, but I'm certainly what you'd call a leftist. I vote with more liberal candidates, I don't believe in hard-line collectivism, but I do believe that collectivism has a serious role to play in a fair and equal society. I believe religion has no place in government, I'm not a big proponent of the Second Amendment, I believe in social justice, I support unions (for the most part), and I believe in welfare. I'm not a history expert, but I'm aware of the roots of many of my political beliefs and I've studied people that came before me that shared them. I'm a big fat leftist. Am I like Hitler or the Nazis, simply without mental illness or emotional instability? That seems to be what you're suggesting.