In my recent blog entry about the record price of oil, I alluded briefly to the fact that liberal concepts can actually be more truly conservative than those expressed by the conservatives.
I’m not the only one to see that.
R.J. Eskow, writing for the Huffington Post, made the same point a few weeks back.
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April 19, 2006 at 9:52 pm |
Actual liberal values:
1. To to keep the weak weak, keep the homeless homeless and keep the powerless powerless. (this increases the need for bigger government funded social programs)
2. Protect those wanting to harm our citizens.
3. Make it so hard for small businesses to start and make a profit that government must be there to “support” the little guy. Let’s not forget that those nasty big corporations are supporting both sides of the aisle.
4. Attack coruption as long as it doesn’t get in the way of electing left wingers.
5. Give special rights to minorities who already have a higher than average income. Support NAMBLA.
6. Limit every religion besides atheism.
7. Keep poeple out of our wilderness.
8. Increase the taxes of the working class on up to give to the poor so they have no desire to go to work thus once again preserving the need for big government.
9. Get rid of the military — San Francisco’s City Manager says we don’t need a military and the city would not allow a Navy ship to dock in thier port.
10. Conserve the right to work the political system to our advantage and complain when the evil conservatives do anything similar.
11. Dumb Conservatives.
12. Conserve the right to destroy innocent life when we have many other ways to get the same thing.
13. Conserve our future through Government programs because the people certainly could not get by on their own.
May 8, 2007 at 12:25 pm |
Brian…yes…you are 100% correct….by the way, Hannity won the debate!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829941/posts
May 8, 2007 at 2:04 pm |
Derek, many people think of the political spectrum as a left/right continuum, but sometimes people describe all the philosophies as circular, where extremes actually meet if they go far enough. On broad scales, it can be tough to discern this phenomenon, but on single issues, it is noticeable.
Plus, the definitions of “liberal” and “conservative” tend to change over time.
May 9, 2007 at 2:28 pm |
You’re right, Jennifer. The labels have shifted over time (a topic I’d like to address sometime, but I’m not holding my breath). And there is a level of looping going on. Good observation.