The forrest for the trees......

[Spinoza]

Currently......
There are 2 threads on the politics board......
(DEMS increase Debt limit etc., and ALL 50 states are more conservative than liberal)
That once again are FLAMING a debate that has been raging here for as long as I have been spray painting my never humble graffiti on the almost always interesting (to me) walls of dawgland.

YES......
I am referring to none other than the damn near constant WAR of mostly meaningless words and paragraphs that routinely SPIT on the reasoned reality of what it actually means TO BE A CONSERVATIVE vs. what it actually means TO BE A LIBERAL!

INMHO
The VAST majority of this truly trite NONSENSE stems from the petty political machinations, and the lemming like lunacy, of BOTH republicans and democtats.

SOMEHOW......
The university EDUCATED dawgs who frequent this message board have CONFUSED what it honestly means to be a CONSERVATIVE vs. what it honestly means to be a LIBERAL, by significantly diluting each of these generally sincere and genuine philisophical stances with the pompous paradiddle of our modern American TWO PARTY PLOITICS......
And have thus hewn their respective paths to a plethora of plateaus, from which few remain even remotely able "to see the forrest for the trees".

SO......
If you have read the above, and you are able to supress your initial GUT/EGO reaction to toss this missive into your Spinoza TRASH bin......
PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG!

You may do so quite easily......
IF you are able to momentarily cease placing burnt offerings before any of your preferred republican or democrat political gods......
And SIMPLY explain in your own 25 or less (or more) words......
What it actually means TO YOU......
To be a CONSERVATIVE......
TO be a LIBERAL!

Allow me to suggest a very simple and seemingly reasonable first line for any such straightforward response......
The most significant characteristics of any individual who is truly a CONSERVATIVE/LIBERAL are......

Cheers.

[RougeDawg]

I avoid following politics more and more as I get older. However, this question caught my attention for some reason.

My definitions:

Conservative - Ideals of fiscal responsibility and local governance trump utilizing the government to help/enforce social agendas.

Liberal - Utilizing the government to help/enforce social agendas trumps fiscal responsibility and local governance.

Pop culture definitions:

Conservative - Good or uneducated.

Liberal - Evil or too educated (out of touch with the real world).

Practical definition:

They are synonymous.

I'm a Libertarian for the record.

Glad you're posting again Spin!

[Yarfunkle]

Liberal and Conservative are now used as buzz words with loaded conceptions for each, as you well know. It's time for the paradigm to shift. How about now Conservative = Flubberative and Liberal = Diffabal. Then we could load these terms with whatever we want!

[Spinoza]

Liberal and Conservative are now used as buzz words with loaded conceptions for each, as you well know. It's time for the paradigm to shift. How about now Conservative = Flubberative and Liberal = Diffabal. Then we could load these terms with whatever we want!

What DOES NOT amaze me......
Is the FACT that when EVERY alleged "conservative", and EVERY alleged "liberal" in dawgland is offered a genuine forum in which to define/explain the actual meaning of 2 uncomplicated words that they routinely use/toss about so freely and recklessly......
Only 2 dawgs bark or bite......
While all other dawgs fail to offer so much as a halfhearted scatch at a supposedly pesky flea.

While one might conjecture that all such silent dawgs may be quietly pondering some reasonable and meaningful reply......
Even a brief review of the last pages of the Sen-elect Scott Brown thread on the politics board should make it obvious to even the most the casual observer that a goodly number of dawgs prefer to continue their HABIT of pissing on a dead tree, rather than bothering to notice any obvious forrest.

More to come......

Cheers.

[dawg80]

It is "forest" with one "r".

You are a moron, also with one "r".

[Tech77]

Conservatives believe less is more when it comes to government. Liberals believe goverment should have a major role in all aspects of our lives.

[Spinoza]

It is "forest" with one "r".

You are a moron, also with one "r".

Now that you have EXPOSED me for the MORAN that I am......

Would you care to share your wisdom with all who may view this thread, and explain what it actually means to be a conservative......And to be a liberal?

I'll not presume for others......
But I know I would truly enjoy reading any such correctly spelled effort.

Cheers.

[techman05]

It is "forest" with one "r".

You are a moron, also with one "r".

Not if you are a Gump.

I like the definition that Glenn Beck gave last night.
The Conservatives are always thinking of the ways they can fix what we have right now.
The Liberals are always thinking of ways to save the world.

So, to him, conservatives are logical realists while liberals are hopeless dreamers.

[brtransplant]

Conservatives believe that they deserve to reap the benefits of their hard work. Liberals also believe that they deserve to reap the benefits of the hard work of conservatives.

[dawg80]

Conservatives believe that they deserve to reap the benefits of their hard work. Liberals also believe that they deserve to reap the benefits of the hard work of conservatives.

sad...but true.

[hoppinmad]

Woody Allen is the quintessential liberal. Dirty Harry is a conservative.

[LATechBanjo]

Liberal = A belief that fairness is the ideal and should be legislated.

Conservative = Fairness and success is provided by nature, but it must be earned rather than given.

[RougeDawg]

Liberal = A belief that fairness is the ideal and should be legislated.

Conservative = Fairness and success is provided by nature, but it must be earned rather than given.

That is pretty good!

[gimpcoach]

The ONLY difference between a liberal and a conservative is that a liberal recognizes the conservative's right to exist.

[hoppinmad]

The ONLY difference between a liberal and a conservative is that a liberal recognizes the conservative's right to exist.

...and under the table, is chipping away at those rights.