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In your own words, how do you fefine a democrat, republican, or libertarian; Curious
Topic Started: Nov 3 2011, 01:15 AM (275 Views)
Mike
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Without linking to or cut and pasting an answer, if you are a democrat, republican or libertarian, I ask that you define what the party or philosophy entails and why you support it.

I find too many times folks call themselves something, yet when asked to define what they mean, end up staring back with a blank look on their faces.

I should probably include the terms Christian, atheist and agnostic, but may be they should be the subject of another thread.
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Chris
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Should be Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or fill in blank your party or independent. We don't define them, the parties do, we either align with them, or register with them. I align as none of the above, in TX we don't register, I tend to vote Republican and occasionally Libertarian nationally but locally usually. I may not vote nationally this next election.

Or should be conservative, liberal, libertarian, which, to me, have to do with principles, add statist, and I'll refer to the Nolan Chart for convenient definition:

Posted Image

You could overlay the two, parties and principles, but I find it less valuable:

Posted Image

I'll note that back in the days of Open Roads General/Around the Campfire I was more of a centrist, but labeled it radical centrist. Things have changed.
Edited by Chris, Nov 3 2011, 01:56 AM.
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tomdrobin
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They are all political parties, with libertarian being an ideology as well. Democrat ideology tends toward liberal, and Republican towards conservative. Then you have the social vs fiscal conservatives and liberals. It appears to me the Republicans have moved dramatically towards conservative and libertarian in the last few years. The Tea Party being a big enfluence in that change. So, much so, that if there are moderate Republicans anymore they are keeping a pretty low profile to avoid being labeled rinos and thrown under the bus. I think there is a wider range of ideology with the democrats, from the ultra liberals to the blue dogs.

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Libertarian
The preamble outlines the party's goal: "As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others." Its Statement of Principles begins: "We, the members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual." The platform emphasizes individual liberty in personal and economic affairs, avoidance of "foreign entanglements" and military and economic intervention in other nations' affairs and free trade and migration. It calls for Constitutional limitations on government as well as the elimination of most state functions. It includes a "Self-determination" section which quotes from the Declaration of Independence and reads: "Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance as to them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty." It also includes an "Omissions" section which reads: "Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed to imply approval."[3]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States)

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Conservative
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s.[1] Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and a defense of "Western civilization from the challenges of modernist culture and totalitarian governments."[2] The history of American conservatism has been marked by tensions and competing ideologies. Economic conservatives and libertarians favor small government, low taxes, limited regulation, and free enterprise. Social conservatives want a strong government to enforce Christian morality. Neoconservatives want to expand American ideals throughout the world.[3] The conservative movement of the 1950s attempted to bring together these divergent strands, stressing the need for unity to prevent the spread of "Godless Communism".[4]

Russell Kirk, conservative pundit
In the 1980s President Ronald Reagan solidified conservative Republican strength with tax cuts, greatly increased defense spending, deregulation, a policy of rolling back Communism (rather than just containing it), a greatly strengthened military, and appeals to family values and conservative Christian morality. The Reagan model became the conservative standard for social, economic and foreign policy issues, and that period of American history became known as the "Reagan Era".[5] After the fall of Soviet Communism in 1991, key conservative domestic issues become what conservative columnist William Safire calls "God, guns, and gays". Conservative voters tend to oppose abortion, gun control, and gay marriage.[6][7][8][9] From 2001 to 2008 Republican President George W. Bush stressed cutting taxes, increasing spending, minimizing regulation of industry and banking,[10] and the use of American military power to fight terrorists, promote democracy, and secure American Oil interests in the Middle East.[11]

Other modern conservative beliefs include opposition to a world government (a view shared with many anti-globalists on the political left), skepticism about the importance or validity of various environmental issues,[12][13][14] the importance of self-reliance instead of reliance on the government to solve problems, support for the state of Israel,[15] support for prayer in the public schools,[16][17] support for the right to bear arms,[18] opposition to embryonic stem cell research, opposition to illegal immigration, support for a strong Law and Order policy, strict enforcement of the law, and long jail terms for repeat offenders.[19]

According to a August 1, 2011 poll, 11% of American voters identify themselves as "very conservative", 30% as "conservative", 36% as "moderate", 15% as "liberal", and 6% as "very liberal".[20] These percentages have been fairly constant since 1990.[21]

The meaning of "conservatism" in America has little in common with the way the word is used elsewhere. As Ribuffo (2011) notes, "what Americans now call conservatism much of the world calls liberalism or neoliberalism."[22] Since the 1950s conservatism in the United States has been chiefly associated with the Republican Party. However, during the era of segregation many Southern Democrats were conservatives, and they played a key role in the Conservative Coalition that controlled Congress from 1937 to 1963.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism_in_the_United_States

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Liberal/Progressive
American progressives tend to advocate progressive taxation and oppose the growing influence of corporations. Progressives are in agreement on an international scale with left-liberalism in that they support organized labor and trade unions, they usually wish to introduce a living wage, and they often support the creation of a universal health care system. In the United States, liberals and progressives are often conflated, and in general are the primary voters of the Democratic Party which has a "large tent" policy, combining similar if not congruent ideologies into large voting blocs. Many progressives also support the Green Party or local parties such as the Vermont Progressive Party. In Canada, liberals usually support the national Liberal Party while progressives usually support the New Democratic Party, which traditionally has had provincial electorial success in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism




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Chris
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Tom, libertarian is not Libertarian, one is a principle, the other a party.

Conservatism actually begins with the Old Right back in the 20s and 30s, classical liberals, libertarians--see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Right_(United_States). This was before liberal and conservative were associated with parties as both parties were represented in the Old Right. Kirk along with Buckley and others were New Conservatives, and since FDR and the progressives had adopted liberal, they adopted conservative. There were attempts to fuse the old and new, and even today Republicans pay lib service to the classical liberal/libertarian principles, but nominate New Conservatives.

Just as the meaning of conservatism has changed, so too has the meaning of liberalism, classical liberalism is a wholly different set of principles from modern liberalism.
Edited by Chris, Nov 3 2011, 05:46 AM.
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tomdrobin
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Chris
Nov 3 2011, 05:45 AM
Tom, libertarian is not Libertarian, one is a principle, the other a party.
Isn't that what I said? I do think the Libertarian party is more libertarian, than democrats are liberal or republicans are conservative.
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Chris
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tomdrobin
Nov 3 2011, 05:54 AM
Chris
Nov 3 2011, 05:45 AM
Tom, libertarian is not Libertarian, one is a principle, the other a party.
Isn't that what I said? I do think the Libertarian party is more libertarian, than democrats are liberal or republicans are conservative.
I didn't think you did, given "They are all political parties" but OK, it was mainly just that phrase.

Yes, those parties tend toward those principles, but the Reps are split, as I briefly indicated, and I think the Dems too, between more moderate Blue Dogs and socialist left--but I don't know that history.

Another oddity of the word liberal is we, at least in the US, tend to mean modern liberalism when looking internally, but still maintain the older, classical meaning when looking externally in trade and foreign policies. For example, liberal Democrat policy tends toward protectionism, but a liberal trade policy is more open and laissez faire.

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Chris
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Obviously we haven't complied with Mike's request to put it in your own words. Let me try that...


Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians as well as liberals and conservatives, in general, are all for government to enforce their particular personal values, libertarians are for liberty, the liberty for each of us individually to pursue our particular personal values, and for government to protect that liberty and no more.


Now that's something you all can take potshots at.
Edited by Chris, Nov 3 2011, 11:46 PM.
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I am a social democrat with fiscally conservative leanings.
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