Define a 'Liberal' or a 'Conservative'

liberals tend to believe the government is the answer for just about anything. they also believe that high taxes on the wealthy will solve most of our fiscal problems. liberals also tend to want more social "justice", right to gay marriage etc. however, not all liberals can be classified with such beliefs and not all conservatives are opposed to such beliefs.

conservatives tend to care more about fiscal conservatism, however, the so called religious right has become a large voice and base. the religious right tend to believe that the bible should be the foundation of our laws, while the non religious or religious conservatives who believe the government's role and religion's role should have as separation as possible, do not tend to hold those beliefs.

this is why most people are said to be called "middle road" because they do not embrace any so called set ideology that we have come to generally understand to be liberal vs. conservative. the largest difference between the two camps is probably fiscal policy and we have seen how that policy changes in both camps depending on who is in power.
 
Bfgrn said:
William E. Gladstone who F.A. Hayek considered one of the great minds said: "Liberalism is trust of the people, tempered by prudence; conservatism, distrust of people, tempered by fear."
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That's kind of funny, because William E. Gladstone was actually kind of a conservative when it came to the people. His opponent, Disraeli, was a proponent of populist conservatism.
 
I think that conservatives and liberals are just labels that are applied to different groups that appear in different societies that are really responding to the current needs of each society but clothe themselves in ancient rhetoric to gain more legitimacy. For instance, in countries where socialism was huge, liberals were pushed to the right and began to operate much like conservatives operate in other countries. After their initial radicalism died down, socialist parties moderated a lot and just became generic parties of the center-left. In countries in which socialism never became huge, liberals became parties of the center-left.

There are some peculiar cases, such the Liberals of the UK. Labour became huge, but the Conservatives also stayed huge, pushing the Liberals out of the way. They nearly died as a party, but they were able to stay center-left because they never had to operate in one of the roles. I have no doubt that if Labour hadn't replaced them, they basically would've been today's Labour. Similarly, if they had been able to replace the Conservatives, they would look much like the Conservatives do today.
 
Also, although Liberals root word of "liberty" seems to imply something libertarian, it's important to note the "liberal" also has the meaning of "giving" or "generous", and has had for a long time. Liberalism evolving into a left-wing ideology doesn't seem to be so bizarre under such a view.
 
I imagine the definitions change constantly depending on which state or country you are in at the time.

However, from my experience hanging round these places -

A liberal is more likely to call you a fascist c***.

A conservative is more likely to call you a commie c***.

Little do they realise that they are all stupid fucking c***s.

Good Day.
 
The claim that liberals trust people and conservative fear them is laughable. If the basis of the liberal philosophy is trust, why is government intervention and regulation such a key part of their governing?
 
WinterBorn said:
The claim that liberals trust people and conservative fear them is laughable. If the basis of the liberal philosophy is trust, why is government intervention and regulation such a key part of their governing?
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Because of the axiom, if you give people an inch, they'll take a yard. Regulations and intervention are necessary to protect people from themselves.
 
For me, note this is not the classical def's..

A liberal is one who belives very basically that people (not corporations) should be free to do anything they choose unless and until it materally and directly negativly affects the rights of another person. (note I am not using the republican defination of person because I am specifically excluding corporations).

A Conservative is one who does not belive that the government should be involved in providing a basic amount of economic oppertunity/freedom for everyone, and socially one who belives that tradition and the historical way of doing things should be perserved, using the government if necessary.
 
Liberals trust in the inherant good nature of all people.

Conservatives seem to belive in the inherant good nature of corporations and that rules need to be enforced to curtail the inherant bad nature of people.
 
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