Have you ever been conservative, or have your views ever changed?

I have any number of issues in which I share either the position of the conservative political branch or one more like their view than that of their opposition.

Conversely: I have any number of issues on which my position is more closely aligned with elements of the liberals.

I've got quite a few neither side of that coin has considered.

I find most people assume an awful lot about my positions usually because of one thing I've disagreed with them on.

In looking at my conservative friends and co-workers: I find that they are usually staunchly conservative on everything except what has happened to them personally. If they've been on welfare, that's the only thing they side with the liberals on. If they have had a parent in a nursing home, healthcare is the one thing they side with the liberals on. If their relative needed marijuana, they want it legal. If their child got arrested, they are more liberal on reformation. If they have a gay child... and so on and so forth.

It seems, and I know this is not universal and I know that this will come across as offensive, but from where I sit, it honestly seems that conservatives generally lack the ability to look at something from someone else's perspective. That doesn't mean they are wrong on a given thing; but it does allow an awful lot of lock-step positions.

How quickly things change.

I'm still very much left leaning, but I now consider myself a proponent of Social Democracy, rather than just strictly a moderate liberal.

I was a leftist communist liberal until my early 20s, then I grew up and I'm pretty center right now.

I am still pretty conservative by many standards. I support low gun control except by those that have mental illnesses and criminal records that include violence or any kind of felony charge. There is a lot of government restrictions that are not constructive that I oppose. Constructive regulations are a good thing but over-regulation is a bad thing.

But I am often considered or labeled a liberal because I'm a feminist, animal rights activist, pro-marriage equality, anti-war pagan that wishes to solidify our secularized government from religious encroachment.

shahz said:

I was a leftist communist liberal until my early 20s, then I grew up and I'm pretty center right now.

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To be fair, as a liberal, I find systems like anarchism and communism, while in theory could work, in reality to be flawed and just unrealistic. In my short 23 years on this earth, I've gone from a lukewarm conservative, to a communist, a libertarian, to a democratic socialist, to a basic center left liberal, and now finally a social democrat.

In some ways, I think it could be attributed to "growing up". Or just realizing that some ideals are best left on paper.

StarryNightshade said:

To be fair, as a liberal, I find systems like anarchism and communism, while in theory could work, in reality to be flawed and just unrealistic. In my short 23 years on this earth, I've gone from a lukewarm conservative, to a communist, a libertarian, to a democratic socialist, to a basic center left liberal, and now finally a social democrat.

In some ways, I think it could be attributed to "growing up". Or just realizing that some ideals are best left on paper.

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Based upon the above, I've chosen your theme song.....

Revoltingest said:

Based upon the above, I've chosen your theme song.....

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StarryNightshade said:

To be fair, as a liberal, I find systems like anarchism and communism, while in theory could work, in reality to be flawed and just unrealistic. In my short 23 years on this earth, I've gone from a lukewarm conservative, to a communist, a libertarian, to a democratic socialist, to a basic center left liberal, and now finally a social democrat.

In some ways, I think it could be attributed to "growing up". Or just realizing that some ideals are best left on paper.

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Correct SN, but Socialism has some attractive features.

I'm borderline fascist but believe in the US Constitution and Bill of Right. Even though the Governemnt itself and the judicial system abuse it when they want to.

I'm a conservative traditionalist but I just quit caring. As soon as Barack Obama became the failure of a US President and Leader he is today.

I am going to dodge this Hate Obama rant about how he monopolized healthcare and also became filthy in the process by undoubtedly having stock in "Universal Healthcare". Although he has the right to.


Lets see... Obama Hate... He's a weak leader that my people ignorantly voted for just because he was black.

I understand civil rights but believed in the 'cabin policy' or don't ask don't tell. But I also believe in honest society, not strictly organized or enforced.

I just quit caring, I plan to purchase some property and move way out in the woods in my future with no cable television.

I voted to Romney in 2012. Say what you will, I see a powerful and great leader in the man. Despite his sarcastic personality people don't pick up on.

Romney's policies weren't terrific but he wanted to create jobs. He really didn't seem to give a **** about taxes just increasing the corporation complex, creating jobs.

You dreags want jobs, join the legion.


PS.

I hate Barack Obama, the worst President in US history, Right next to Richard Nixon.

I believe Universal Healthcare is a scandal.

Errr....coming back to the OP, no, I have never been conservative.

I believe in socialism (of a limited form) more now than I did for many years, but I find myself more conservative on many issues. I can't really get my head around what is going on there...

I voted strictly Republican for 25 years, became Independent last year, then became Democrat this year. I have gone from conservative to moderately liberal just since 2012. Crazy...

I'm a human animal who started out intoxicated by ultra left wing ideology. As I grew more mature I naturally gravitated to the Liberal Party of Canada, eh, and happily sat in the camp as a card carrying member for about 20-25 years. After the Liberal brass politically assassinated Jean Chretien, I found it difficult to keep up my party membership, and like the Liberal Party of Canukistan, I was lost in the political wilderness for a couple of years. Then, to my horror, I found myself inclined to vote for the Conservative Stephen Harper. The first time, I had to hold my nose, but since then, I've grown quite happy of his leadership. Meanwhile the beloved Liberals are still lost in the wilderness and are currently pinning their hopes on Trudeau 2.0, err, the younger... err, Justin, the entitled heir to lead Canada... I don't share their hopes and see their choice as little more than desperation. Meanwhile, Harpo is still looking pretty good. So, though socially liberal, I'm a true heart conservative to the core now in all other matters.

I grew up in a conservative Republican family and considered myself one until I reached the ripe old age of 16 whereas I was appalled on the Republican resistance to end racist laws. When I started voting, I typically split my vote most of the time, but gradually I went in the direction of one of my political science professors who said that it is generally better to vote straight ticket unless a particular candidate(s) within that party are incompetent or dishonest, I have followed his advice now for over 30 years, voting straight Democratic most but not all of the time.

As a kid growing up in the 1950's I was an Eisenhower Republican. I became a Democrat in 1960 because I couldn't support Richard Nixon. I turned 21 in October 1967 and in March 1968 learned that Robert F. Kennedy was running for President. I was thrilled thinking my first presidential vote would be for Bobby, then came June 5th and my heart was broken although I did vote for Hubert Humphrey (Nixon again). From then on, as the Republicon Party went further and further to the right and the Democratic Party became Eisenhower Republicans I became more and more of a Theodore Roosevelt Progressive.

"Political parties exist to secure responsible government and to execute the will of the people. From these great tasks both of the old parties have turned aside. Instead of instruments to promote the general welfare they have become the tools of corrupt interests, which use them impartially to serve their selfish purposes. Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics, is the first task of the statesmanship of the day." -- Theodore Roosevelt, "The Progressive Covenant With The People" (August 1912)

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TPaine said:

I turned 21 in October 1967 and in March 1968 learned that Robert F. Kennedy was running for President. I was thrilled thinking my first presidential vote would be for Bobby, then came June 5th and my heart was broken...

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That was the worst political day for me in my long life. I was so saddened I couldn't even watch the funeral train or the funeral itself. And several years before that I actually was more a Republican, as were my parents. I learned to really like John Kennedy, but Robert became my all-time favorite politician.

metis said:

That was the worst political day for me in my long life. I was so saddened I couldn't even watch the funeral train or the funeral itself. And several years before that I actually was more a Republican, as were my parents. I learned to really like John Kennedy, but Robert became my all-time favorite politician.

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I do enjoy listening to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. when he is on Ring Of Fire radio. Although he's one of the hosts he takes a lot of time off so you usually just hear Sam Seder and Mike Papantonio, but there interesting, too. If your interested their website is http://ringoffireradio.com/
BTW, thanks for letting me know about this site!

TPaine said:

I do enjoy listening to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. when he is on Ring Of Fire radio. Although he's one of the hosts he takes a lot of time off so you usually just hear Sam Seder and Mike Papantonio, but there interesting, too. If your interested their website is http://ringoffireradio.com/
BTW, thanks for letting me know about this site!

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You're welcome, and I'm glad to see ya here.

lunamoth said:

I have recently decided I am for the death penalty. This is a big change for my overall lifetime liberal view of things.

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I agree with you that there are certain circumstances in which the death penalty is appropriate. Psychopathic serial killers cannot be cured so I have no problem with executing men like H.H. Holmes (killed between 100 & 200 people), John Wayne Gacy (killed 33 boys and men), Jeffrey, Dahmer (murdered 20 men), and Ted Bundy (killed over 100 women). However, I also believe that the lethal injection method is flawed and must be replaced. Slate magazine wrote an article in May of 2014 that says that nitrogen gas asphyxiation may be the answer. One paragraph in the article reads

This new proposed method, known as nitrogen asphyxiation, seals the condemned in an airtight chamber pumped full of nitrogen gas, causing death by a lack of oxygen. Nitrogen gas has yet to be put to the test as a method of capital punishment—no country currently uses it for state-sanctioned executions. But people do die accidentally of nitrogen asphyxiation, and usually never know what hit them. (It’s even possible that death by nitrogen gas is mildly euphoric. Deep-sea divers exposed to an excess of nitrogen develop a narcosis, colorfully known as “raptures of the deep,” similar to drunkenness or nitrous oxide inhalation.)

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http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...thod_of_execution_save_the_death_penalty.html

No matter what method is used no one should be executed unless there is absolutely no chance the accused is not guilty.