Are you a liberal?

[lwcon]

[Don Caballero]

1. 1000 percent liberal

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Don Caballero]

12. Only to rid our streets of firearms.

It would be temporary. Most everyone agrees that the fascination Americans have with firearms is a direct correlation with our high violent crime rates.

[slackmaster]

19. I don't view use of force to impose your will on everyone to be a liberal idea

Even if you think it would be in peoples' best interests.

As Samuel Johnson or Karl Marx or Dwight D. Eisenhower may or may not have once said, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

[MicaelS]

21. "Temporary measures"

Tyrants down through history have promised that. And we have seen the results. You're just another tyrant in Progressive clothing.

[nikto]

76. Sorry, but THIS Liberal BELIEVES IN GUN RIGHTS

Guns are like drugs--You can make 'em illegal, but folks'll still go buy 'em.

And Liberals may need 'em as much as anybody!!

I'm as Liberal as you can get, but not on the gun issue----Not anymore.:hippie:

[Atticus]

80. +1

[Swamp Rat]

23. According to the link you provided and post #21 it would have to be a "foreign military".

:wow:

[superduperfarleft]

24. I've been long convinced that this one is just mocking us. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

49. You're not the only one --

We are being played. :eyes:

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[roguevalley]

72. flaming, leftest, radical liberal. that's me and that was my entire family on

both sides going back three generations.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. Entrapment... I plead the FIF. n/t

[daleanime]

4. Rum or Scotch?

:evilgrin:

[kentauros]

33. Rum.

Always.

[H2O Man]

3. Different people

on DU define "liberal" and "progressive" in distinct ways. By the definitions that I learned, which date back many a decade, I am a progressive.

[lwcon]

5. How do you define the difference? n/t

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

9. Depends on the status quo of the comparison medium...

A few areas I contrast with the status quo are energy, guns, and schools.

I think nukes are acceptable until renewables can actually bear the burden of our energy needs. Evidently, this is blasphemy to many.
I've been called a gunnie, gun-nut, slack jawed yokel... Evidently, many of the self proclaimed "far-left" are anti 2nd amendment.
I don't believe (when implemented correctly) charter/private schooling is bad. It has benefits and pitfalls just like public school.

I'm more of a "by the issues" guy and dislike blanket positinos and stands on issues. If a change can be effectively implented resulting in the overall benefit of society (everyone) and such a change does infring on our liberties... then I will support it. I have NEVER walked into a polling booth and just voted for a person with a certain letter by thier name.

So here on DU, I suppose I am not as liberal as most.
Out in the real world or on right wing sites... you get the picture.

[H2O Man]

38. Briefly:

{a} Liberals believe that "the system" can be fine-tuned for everyone's benefit;

{b} Progressives believe that "the system" needs a radical overhaul.

[nikto]

77. H2O Man, I guess that makes me...

A flaming PROGRESSIVE.

[slackmaster]

7. One from Column A, two from Column B

I'm libertarian on issues of personal choice, liberal on justice and equality, and conservative on taxation and government spending.

[frazzled]

8. Self-identification is not very helpful

There are people who see themselves as the most ultra-liberal whom I would find libertarian on some issues and actually conservative on others. I consider myself a liberal (pretty much in the mold of, say, Dick Durbin), but some would identify me as being too centrist. It's all in the eyes of a beholder.

There are even days when I swear the distinction between a Tea Partyer and a self-identified "progressive" are altogether indistinguishable.

In the end, we need to move away from identifying with movements and get on with solving problems. Just like we are asking Congress to do.

[leveymg]

10. It's a silly 19th Century economics term that doesn't mean anything, anymore.

Nor does conservative, for that matter. Today, there are three generally meaningful political designations in America: Progressive; Corporatist; and Teabagger Batshit Crazy.

I am definitely neither a Corporatist nor a Teabagger. I am wary of Progressive because it, too, may have some baggage that I'm uncomfortable with.

[JackRiddler]

39. Agreed. Liberal nowadays a usually meaningless term.

Once it meant economic liberalism of the 19th century.

Liberal democracy still sort of means something, even if these have mostly been hollowed out into Potemkin democracies.

Liberal today is the attack phrase of the right wing for anything they are against at any time. (Just because they're against it doesn't mean you have to saddle yourself with it.)

In the corporate media, it's presented as a bogus counterposition to "conservative." These are the only alternatives, and they come fully packaged. Both are completely divorced from reality. "Liberals" are for "government" even when they're giving the house away to the corporations. "Conservatives" are against "government" even when they're raising the budget to new highs and launching new wars. "Liberals" are conservative in that they wish to preserve present institutions. "Conservatives" are radicals who wish to establish a theocracy. Etc.

The poll is silly for not offering options that mean anything.

[nikto]

79. A true Liberal-Progressive...

Prefers his conservatives fricaseed for breakfast.

[Kitty Herder]

54. I agree. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Iggo]

11. edit

heheheh...all better now.

[daleanime]

13. How did you know?

:shrug:

[Iggo]

16. Damn! Not fast enough!

:rofl:

(For the curious, my original response was "No, but your mom is.")

[Lilith Velkor]

14. Nope

I'm a leftist. As I understand it, liberals/progressives believe capitalism can be redeemed, whereas I believe it should be taken out and shot before it kills any more of us.

[dmallind]

27. That does not make you a leftist, it makes you either

a socialist or a communist depending on your preferred replacement for capitalism (assuming of course you don'ty really prefer the feudal system or absolute autocracy)

[Lilith Velkor]

29. Since when is a socialist (or communist) not a leftist?

I find this reply baffling. There are already two perfectly good words for "quasi-leftist who embraces capitalism" in this country, such as "liberal" or "progressive," so why try to claim "leftist" as well?

[H2O Man]

41. If one looks

at this in a historical context -- for example, the 1900s -- one should be easily able to identify numerous examples.

[Lilith Velkor]

51. Alright, point taken

I'm just saying that the notion that the far left is somehow not the left is, well, baffling.

[TBF]

43. They want to claim it so they can destroy it. nt

[leftstreet]

73. +1

[DCBob]

15. You need to define a liberal...

There was a test someone posted several months ago that determined how liberal/conservative a person was based on answers to a series of questions. That was interesting.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Pigeon holes are for pigeons.

[Aristus]

18. You know what I always say:

Liberal till I DIE, motherfuckers! B-)

And the 'absolutely notters' can get lost!

[igfoth]

20. I am so Liberal

I can make Jane Fonda look like a rabid ChristoFascist Reich Winger!

[closeupready]

22. 100%, and not a bit bashful about saying so.

n/t

[superduperfarleft]

25. Nope, not at all. I'm a leftist. n/t

[kgnu_fan]

26. I am a progressive.

Sometime "AMERICAN liberal" causes bring out anti-progressive agenda such as imperial oppression of other culture and suppressing self-determination of people.

[mdmc]

31. i think you mean neo-liberalism

I am a big government, tax and spend liberal..

[kgnu_fan]

52. If Krugman claims to be a "liberal",

then neo-liberalism is the same thing as liberalism...

When I asked him what does "conscience of liberal" mean, his answer was horrific to my mind. The word "liberal" has confused many American people over the last several decades. In Krugman's world, people of other culture and other countries only have to serve "the empire".

[mvd]

28. I'd say so, based on the below:

I'm pro-tax the rich, pro-regulation, pro-single payer health care, pro-marriage rights for all, pro-choice, think socialism should be mixed with capitalism, anti-death penalty, pro-separation of church and state, pro-union (even when they defend a member to a fault, it's like an ACLU situation,) pro-environment, anti-NAFTA and unrestricted free trade, pro-civil liberties, anti-war, etc.

[Joe the Liberal]

30. Duh? n/t

[KamaAina]

32. Absolutely not.

I am a progressive.

The difference? Liberals believe the status quo can be made to work for people, as long as you put enough Band-Aids on it. Progressives believe the system needs a radical overhaul.

[old mark]

34. A liberal with guns.

Lots of guns, but not as many as I want.



Some nice guitars, too...
But they are not protected by the constitution.

mark

[BlueIris]

35. Yep. Liberal. nt

[nyc 4 Biden]

36. Bleeding Heart Liberal here! (me thinks)

my views...

-Treat others how they want to be treated.
-Bigger social safety net.
-Universal Healthcare (including dental and mental health).
-Increase the % of Unionized workers.
-Diplomacy/Cooperation and focus on Aid not War. Stop our imperialist actions (esp. in Latin America)
-Stop the privatization of our government(especially public education/DOD).
-Gun Control.
-Womans Choice.
-Pro science.
-Act now to slow Global Warming.
-NO TO FREE TRADE.
-Pro public works programs.
-Pro investment in infrastructure/ public transportation.
-Total revamping of the Prison Industrial Complex. Focus on Rehabilition not making prisoners MORE violent.
-Pro Marriage Equality For All.
-ELECTION REFORM NOW. (new system ala stephen spoonamore: when you vote you get a receipt with a serial number and the chosen candidate on it. the next day you look up that number in a local paper to see which candidate it correlates to, problem solved.)
-Public Financing Advocate.
-Pro heavily increasing funding for Public Broadcasting.
-Reinstate Glass Steagall!
-Regulate Regulate Regulate (Finance, Consumer Protection, FDA, EPA, etc)
-Expand Animal Rights (stricter rules on agribusiness ie slaughterhouses, focus on sustainability and compassion ie Controlled Atmosphere Killing)
-Investigate/Prosecute BushCo
-Depoliticize the US Attorney's Office
-Internet Access for all
-Increase the size and scope of Peace Corps / Americorps
-Restructure the Senate to properly represent the population.
-More Transparency in Gov't.
-Separation of church and state.
-End corporate welfare
-great focus on small business support - thus JOBS!
-ENFORCE ANTI-TRUST LAWS! too big? break them up!!
-Raise min wage.
-End derivatives black market and regulate the unregulated hedge funds.
-No warrant-less wiretapping.
-No Torture EVER!
-Fight Terrorism with police action not war. Fight for hearts and minds.
-Prepare children for the real world by mandating classes teaching: (in addition to standard subjects) CAREER PATHS, personal health, personal finance, small business ownership, civics and require volunteer work.
-Increased funding for library system.
-Complete switch to renewable energy, not nuclear or food based fuel either.
-Revamp the electrical grid.
-Care for our wounded service members, our elderly, our sick, abandoned youth and poor.

...whew (those are my positions) does that make me a liberal, I dont know...

ETA: Reinstate Glass Steagall!

[RadicalTexan]

37. No, I'm a radical.

NT

[Winterblues]

40. But I am not a Democrat

I am Liberal through and through but I am not a Democrat. I vote with Democrats almost all of the time but not always. I vote for the person and the issue.

[TBF]

42. No, I am far left. Not liberal. n/t

The system's gotta go.

[mochajava666]

44. I'm an empathetic bleeding heart liberal

I wish the Democratic Party held more of those beliefs.

[RedRoses323]

45. Far, far left.....

:beer:

[kestrel91316]

46. Special request to the mods that those who voted "absolutely not"

be immediately TSed for being on DU in direct violation of the rules.

[LeftishBrit]

48. Not necessarily - some could mean they're to the left of what's normally called liberal

I didn't vote, as I think there are subtle differences in the way the term 'liberal' is used in the UK and the USA. In any case, I'm a left-winger, and vote for a Lib Dem MP, who is rather to the left of the Labour government.

[kestrel91316]

55. That's not it. DU has a growing RW minority troll population, and it's time to get rid of them.

[bobbolink]

58. Bingo!

[scarletwoman]

62. Thank you. I wasn't going to vote, but thanks to your post I decided to vote "absolutely not".

So go ahead and insist that I be tombstoned.

Without offering a definition of "liberal" this poll is at best silly, and at worse useless. I'm a social liberal and an economic leftist.

Interestingly, from my nearly 9 years on DU, I have found that those who trumpet their "liberalism" the loudest, are those with whom I have least in common when it comes to where the rubber meets the road poliitcs-wise -- to the point where I have come to despise "liberalism" and have no interest in identifying myself with those who claim it.

Love me, I'm a liberal (Phil Ochs)

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

sw

[kestrel91316]

47. PROUDLY left-leaning and very liberal in most areas.

[taught_me_patience]

50. Free market liberal.

[scarletwoman]

68. Which is exactly why I refuse to use the label "liberal" for myself.

I fervently desire the death of capitalism. And if I won't live to see it, I hope my children do.

[taught_me_patience]

83. Please look up the recent history of South Korea

and then tell me how "bad" capitalism is.

[anonymous171]

69. So basically you are a liberal who likes gays and minorities as long as they have money. nt

[rcrush]

53. No comment.

[Blue-Jay]

56. Can't vote.

I certainly *consider* myself to be a liberal, but there's no good definition (or purity test) that I've ever seen.

[bobbolink]

57. Radical, from the word which means "root"

Getting to the root of the problems seems central to me.

Calling teabaggers "radical" is obviously a misuse of the word.

[Odin2005]

59. Absolutely!

[asdjrocky]

61. I'm a radical.

There usually isn't a box for people like me.

[Raine]

63. Yeah which seems to make me an enemy of the Democratic party

since us Liberals are responsible for all the ills of this country and any failure the Democrats have had. :argh:

[LWolf]

64. Other: define liberal.

I am well to the left of the majority of the nation. I'm to the left of much of this "left-wing" discussion board.

On the political compass, I'm a leftist-libertarian.

[sendero]

65. I dunno...

... I believe in gun rights. I believe in the right to choose.

I believe in economic justice, the kind that is almost non-existent in today's society. I think war should be a last resort not a trifling undertaking. I think our financial system is spinning out of control and needs a serious bout of re-regulation which so far is not happening. Go figure.

I believe our healthcare system, including patient care and pharmaceuticals, is on a path to self-destruction.

I believe government can help, but only if it does the right things. Right now, it's not doing a very good job of fixing problems that frankly it allowed to happen.

I don't know if I'm a liberal or not, don't really care. But call me a conservative and you're looking for a fight :)

[nikto]

78. sendero,

I'd call you a potential Comrade-In-Arms.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

66. I'm Labor

[scarletwoman]

70. EXCELLENT answer!

:applause:

[Dinger]

67. Flaming, Bleeding Heart Proud Liberal!

Proud of it!:patriot:

[SmileyRose]

71. No. I'm a fucking liberal pinko commie socialist.

And I want all the republicans in Georgia to know I exhale (and sometimes fart) into your breathing space every single day.

[NorthCarolina]

74. Move over Ghandi, I'm to the left of you. nt

[nikto]

75. I chose "Absolutely", because....

There was no category called, "F--K Yeah".

[WillyT]

81. John F. Kennedy: Acceptance Speech of the New York Liberal Party Nomination - 1960

John F. Kennedy:
Acceptance Speech of the New York
Liberal Party Nomination



September 14, 1960

"What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.""

The rest: http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html

Proud Liberal here!!!

:patriot:

[FarLeftRage]

82. I am a far leftist, socialist and proud of it.

So that does not make me a liberal...

[4_TN_TITANS]

84. Old-fashioned Southern Liberal ( they do exist)...

Meat-eating, gun-toting, nature conserving, all-inclusive.

It's almost forgotten that the acclaimed "Southern Hospitality" didn't come from close-minded, self-centered, neoconservative types. It came from people of the land - farmers, who would open their homes and give of their means freely to meet new travelers and hear their different stories and news from around the country.