Question for left wingers

[Ripsnort]

Does this describe you to a tee or what!?

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20030812.shtml

What makes a liberal?
Dennis Prager

August 12, 2003

Why do people hold liberal-left positions? (Liberal and left were once very different, but not anymore.)

This question has plagued me because I have long believed that most people, liberal or conservative, mean well. Very few people wake up in the morning planning to harm society. Yet, many liberal positions -- I emphasize liberal positions rather than liberals because most people who call themselves liberal do not hold most contemporary liberal positions -- have been wreaking havoc on America and the world.

How, then, can decent and often very smart people hold liberal positions?

There are many reasons, but the two greatest may be naivete and narcissism. Each alone causes problems, but when combined in the same person, they are particularly destructive.

At the heart of liberalism is the naive belief that people are basically good. As a result of this belief, liberals rarely blame people for the evil they do. Instead, they blame economics, parents, capitalism, racism, and anything else that can let the individual off the hook.

A second naive liberal belief is that because people are basically good, talking with people who do evil is always better than fighting, let alone killing, them. "Negotiate with Saddam," "Negotiate with the Soviets," "War never solves anything," "Think peace," "Visualize peace" -- the liberal mind is filled with naive cliches about how to deal with evil.

Indeed, the very use of the word "evil" greatly disturbs liberals. It shakes up their child-like views of the world, that everybody is at heart a decent person who is either misunderstood or led to do unfortunate things by outside forces.

"Child-like" is operative. The further left you go, the less you like growing up. That is one reason so many professors are on the left. Never leaving school from kindergarten through adulthood enables one to avoid becoming a mature adult. It is no wonder a liberal professor has recently argued that children should have the vote. He knows in his heart that he is not really an adult, so why should he and not a chronologic child be allowed to vote?

The second major source of modern liberalism is narcissism, the unhealthy preoccupation with oneself and one's feelings. We live in the Age of Narcissism. As a result of unprecedented affluence and luxury, preoccupation with one's psychological state, and a hedonistic culture, much of the West, America included, has become almost entirely feelings-directed.

That is one reason "feelings" and "compassion" are two of the most often used liberal terms. "Character" is no longer a liberal word because it implies self-restraint. "Good and evil" are not liberal words either as they imply a moral standard beyond one's feelings. In assessing what position to take on moral or social questions, the liberal asks him or herself, "How do I feel about it?" or "How do I show the most compassion?" not "What is right?" or "What is wrong?" For the liberal, right and wrong are dismissed as unknowable, and every person chooses his or her own morality.

A good example of liberal narcissism is the liberal position on abortion. For the liberal, the worth of a human fetus, whether it is allowed to live or to be extinguished, is entirely based on the feelings of the mother. If the mother wants to give birth, the fetus is of incomparable worth; if the mother doesn't, the fetus has the value of a decayed tooth.

There are not many antidotes to this lethal combination of naivete and narcissism. Both are very comfortable states compared to growing up and confronting evil, and compared to making one's feelings subservient to a higher standard. And comfortable people don't like to be made uncomfortable.

Hence the liberal attempt to either erase the Judeo-Christian code or at least remove its influence from public life. Nothing could provide a better example of contemporary liberalism than the liberal battle to remove the Ten Commandments from all public places. Liberals want suggestions, not commandments.

[Saurdaukar]

[Toad]

Yeah...... The Ten Suggestions..... sounds so laid back.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Toad
Yeah...... The Ten Suggestions..... sounds so laid back.

LMAO!!!!

[Wanker]

Does this describe you to a tee or what!?

No.


There are many different flavors of liberals out there, as there are many different flavors of conservatives.

Nice try to paint with a broad brush, though.

Anyone who believes that there is one and only one definition of a liberal or a conservative, or even a moderate.....is a fool.

Rip, surely you are smart enough not to believe all that crap you post here?

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by banana

Rip, surely you are smart enough not to believe all that crap you post here?

From the discussions I've had over the years, pretty much paints the picture I've seen at a generalized level.

[sonofagun]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
From the discussions I've had over the years, pretty much paints the picture I've seen at a generalized level.

Ya know what they always say, when you're young and liberal, it shows you have a heart.  When you're old and  conservative, it shows you have a brain.  Or words to that effect, anyway.

[Toad]

That's a Churchill quote...... sorta.  

I kinda a figure it goes along with "When you're young and have no money, it seems smart and easy to spend someone else's money. When you're old and have worked all your life to earn what you have, it seems like other folks ought to do the same and spend their own money."

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Toad
That's a Churchill quote...... sorta.  

I kinda a figure it goes along with "When you're young and have no money, it seems smart and easy to spend someone else's money. When you're old and have worked all your life to earn what you have, it seems like other folks ought to do the same and spend their own money."

Actually, Churchill never said it as I found out last year at their web page.

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/

Go to Speeches/Quotes, then "Quotes falsely attributed"

[Sandman]

For the liberal, the worth of a human fetus, whether it is allowed to live or to be extinguished, is entirely based on the feelings of the mother. If the mother wants to give birth, the fetus is of incomparable worth; if the mother doesn't, the fetus has the value of a decayed tooth.

Bingo... but it's not narcissism. It's the desire to keep the government out of decisions that should be entirely personal. The moment someone starts yapping about making abortion illegal, they then follow up with a list of exclusions and reasons why it would be allowed.

Seems to me that the right is constantly looking for ways to legislate morality.

[Yeager]

Liberals suck, are stupid, mean, condescending and just plain moronic people.  Cant stand em.  Some people think they are liberals but are just repressing horrible childhood memories and usually snap out of it around 45 yrs of age.

[Ripsnort]

Hey banana, for the record, you're a democrat, you're the farthest thing from a Liberal I've ever met (unless you are indeed porking that blow up sheep you had!)

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
Bingo... but it's not narcissism. It's the desire to keep the government out of decisions that should be entirely personal. The moment someone starts yapping about making abortion illegal, they then follow up with a list of exclusions and reasons why it would be allowed.

Seems to me that the right is constantly looking for ways to legislate morality.

Like Gun control, right? Yep! Leave our Gun rights alone!

[Saurdaukar]

Originally posted by Yeager
Liberals suck, are stupid, mean, condescending and just plain moronic people.  Cant stand em.  Some people think they are liberals but are just repressing horrible childhood memories and usually snap out of it around 45 yrs of age.

Hope you dont mind, Yeager.  

[DiabloTX]

Sandman, I agree its not narcissism, but rather "how do I feel right now" syndrome with out thinking about the future consequences of one's actions.  That is the big difference.  Responsibility, or should I say the lack there of, is the single most over-looked charateristic by people today, especially those of younger ages.  I was no different when I was at that age, but as I have gotten older I see that actions DO have reactions.  Gonna have unprotected sex at 19?  Better be prepared to deal with the consequences.  The biggest difference is thus, Liberals "You can't do anything without OUR help!" Conservatives "You can do it on your own and we can show you how."  Those are broad geralisations but it clearly illustrates the basic core philosophies of each camp.