Forgive my ignorance, but what makes a liberal or conservative?

[credance]

I don't know what a liberal does, or what a conservative does. They both sound like good concepts to me.
I need a little more information.
Are these people part of a group that has a guide line of how things should be?
Do parties determine how this person thinks?
There are many things on the planet that need immediate attention.
Adjustments must be made.
Do we have a candidate capable of working with the world to make these changes beneficial to all who want to live in peace?

Peace can't be found at the end of a bloody sword, although a bloody sword would be a clear indication of who your enemy was. Most fighters aren't that noble these days, Many fight at a distance, especially our leaders. How far are our leaders removed from the reality of the situation.
Most of our young men want nothing more than to come back to the life they knew before. Most will not get that chance.
Homicide/Suicide bombers are at the mercy of their leaders who also fight at a distance. I am shocked that there have been so many of the lowest members of their numbers, who have nothing to lose, commit this act. When you think you have hit bottom you can only see up.
If my family was slaughtered by an indiscriminate patsy in the market place I would carry my hurt and anger to the grave.
Who can help us regain our mutual respect for each other (and to say it never existed is counter productive).

 

[Neo-Logic]

The media does .... hehe.

Well lately, I think the individual topics merit the mark of liberal or conservatism. The sides of the political parties and the ideologies in which they represent have changed over and over and today, they're just mixing and matching that I'm just so damn confused ....

Hell, if I get confused enough, I might start watching FOX or start going to Wikipedia and youtube for all my information.

 

[Willamena]

Forgive my ignorance, but what makes a liberal or conservative?

We do, hun.

 

[Izdaari]

I am neither liberal nor conservative, but libertarian. That means I'm pretty consistently in favor of those policies that I see as maximizing individual liberty. Very generally speaking, I'll side with the liberals on social issues, but with the conservatives on economics and foreign policy. I am a member of the Libertarian Party, but it doesn't determine my thinking. I don't always agree with it (most notably on foreign policy), and I don't always even vote for it. So why did I join? Because it comes closer to what I believe than any other party.

 

[Dunemeister]

These terms are outdated but have a surprisingly long shelf life.

 

[rheff78]

Well, now you can have a liberal republican and a conservative democrat. That makes it even more confusing. I didn't help at all did I?

 

[credance]

At this point I have to wonder if anyone knows. Let me try again.
What is a conservative trying to conserve?
What is a liberal trying to liberate?

 

[Father Heathen]

Also, the terms "liberal" and "libertarian" have slightly different meanings in Europe than they do in the U.S, adding to the confusion.

Here are my over-simplified definitions:

Conservative: For fiscal and economic freedom, but desires the state to restrict and regulate social and personal freedom.

Liberal: For social and personal freedom, but desires the state to restrict and regulate fiscal and economic freedom.

Libertarian: Desires freedom in both social and economic areas.

Authoritarian: Desires for the state to control and restrict freedom in both areas.

 

[rheff78]

True Heathen. To over simplify it more. Most liberals want more power in the federal government, while most conservatives want less government interference in their lives.

Note: This maybe way oversimplified as I'm sure you will get both saying that is not necessarily true.

 

[Izdaari]

Also, the terms "liberal" and "libertarian" have slightly different meanings in Europe than they do in the U.S, adding to the confusion.

Here are my over-simplified definitions:

Conservative: For fiscal and economic freedom, but desires the state to restrict and regulate social and personal freedom.

Liberal: For social and personal freedom, but desires the state to restrict and regulate fiscal and economic freedom.

Libertarian: Desires freedom in both social and economic areas.

Authoritarian: Desires for the state to control and restrict freedom in both areas.

I think that's about the best way to oversimplify it. :yes:

That's a compliment, not a criticism. Any such summary is necessarily an oversimplification, as I'm sure FH well knows. :yoda:

 

[Scott C.]

At this point I have to wonder if anyone knows. Let me try again.
What is a conservative trying to conserve?
What is a liberal trying to liberate?

I think conservatives want to conserve moral values. They see them as not changing. They want to conserve the original meaning and intent of the constitution and not change it due to changing culture. They want to conserve or save money. A conservative person is fiscally frugal. A conservative person is more likely to dress traditionally, since they tend to conserve the way of doing things.

A liberal person takes just that, a more liberal approach, to morals and money and the constitution, and maybe to dress and appearance.

I know I'm generalizing and my answer is not complete.

 

[Father Heathen]

I think conservatives want to conserve moral values. They see them as not changing. They want to conserve the original meaning and intent of the constitution and not change it due to changing culture. They want to conserve or save money. A conservative person is fiscally frugal. A conservative person is more likely to dress traditionally, since they tend to conserve the way of doing things.

A liberal person takes just that, a more liberal approach, to morals and money and the constitution, and maybe to dress and appearance.

I know I'm generalizing and my answer is not complete.

Except there is nothing in the constitution about imposing ones personal moral values upon others through legislation, and as of late it's the conservatives who've been trying to undermine the constitution. It's about rights and liberty. Which side of the political spectrum has been trying to limit these 2 values?

 

[Scott C.]

Except there is nothing in the constitution about imposing ones personal moral values upon others through legislation, and as of late it's the conservatives who've been trying to undermine the constitution. It's about rights and liberty. Which side of the political spectrum has been trying to limit these 2 values?

For example, one needs to liberally interpret the constitution to find in it a protection of a woman's right to an abortion. A conservative interpretation of the constitution finds no such right in the constitution.