Sorry to start a thread like this up, but I didn't know where to go. For the last few months of the Presidential campaign, I have been looking at Ron Paul for president. I mean, I loved his idea of somewhat isolating the US to build our national markets and start fresh. One day, a friend of my dads (both dad and him are in their 40s) said that the true Conservative shouldn't stand by Paul. Now, I am confused. I learned that the true Conservative focused on national values and the Constitution, but he says that guys like Romney are more Conservative, despite allowing an unconstitutional war to wage on. Are there any Conservatives on this board that would like to add their views?
well good conservatives are conservative. don't initiate wars like the democrats have for 220 out of the past 230 years promote small government with minimal interaction in developed markets promote self reliance promote free markets tend to believe that the proletariat is incapable of making truly informed decisions and operates predominantly on instinct and as such suffers FYI ron paul is more a libertarian. on that note, I hope he wins. FYI Romney would be classified as a neo-conservative, which is effectively an off shoot of past conservativism with leanings towards large government and high spending. Neoconservativism works to some degrees, typically the rich become richer under the paradigm they attempt to establish and the hope is that capital infrastructure improves and that the wealth trickles down from there. Personally I don't consider neoconservatism to be conservative.
In most cases, a conservative means exactly that... someone who conserves. This would be to reduce government spending (programs like healthcare and ----), decrease taxes, and many other things. Those are just big ones. However, I'm more of a libertarian myself. Libertarian is more "let idiots be idiots, winners win". Stuff like that. Government won't level the playing field for anyone, but more let it be Dog Eat Dog, and best man wins.
Ron Paul is a Libertarian, and his views fall more closely in line with mine than the others. Having said that, what is seen as a "true conservative" in modern days has shifted considerably from what it should be (i.e. the President and company). Having said that, Paul doesn't have a prayer in the world of getting the Republican nomination; doesn't spout the party line like the others. A true conservative favors, among other things: - Strong self-reliance and independence. The government should not be holding your hand for things like health care. - Small government. The solution to the nation's problems is not to throw $500,000,000 at it and create yet another beaurocracy -- we have more than enough already. - Stay out of unnecessary foreign wars (i.e. Iraq). The government does not need to be going to war unless said war is absolutely necessary to the security of the nation and its interests (this does not mean that we shouldn't have a powerful military, however). - Economic independence. It is not the government's job to give a few million of our tax dollars to a museum intending to recreate Woodstock (yes, f*ck you, Hillary Clinton). In the United States, that will translate to: - F*ck socialized health care over here. Yes, Michael Moore is a lying *sshole. Yes, the idea of Hillary Clinton becoming the president scares the living sh*t out of me. - Things like gun and knife control and bans on things like alcohol and cigarettes are not the job of the federal government, and as such a federal law restricting things as the above can f*ck itself (however, the States reserve the rights to do the above. See the ninth and tenth amendments). - If it's not in the Constitution, the federal government should be doing f*ck all about it. No, Hillary, giving $5,000 to every newborn for college education is not in said document. - The government shouldn't be interfering in my daily life. This means that whether or not my employer grants me x amount of time to eat is up to that employer, not some congressman. Conservatives will favor more strict interpretations of the Constitution, whereas liberals will favor more loose interpretations (i.e. you can own firearms vs. you can only own these types of firearms). Conservatives will place more emphasis on personal responsibility, whereas liberals will place more emphasis on the government's getting involved in how people live their daily lives (enter things like socialized health care and, for the matter, socialism). However, do your own research; form your own opinions. You do not need to be a conservative/Republican simply because Daddy is one, and vis versa. What your parents believe politically will often not be what you believe. If more Democrat/Republican ideas appeal to you, so be it. That's why it's fun to be an Independent.
It is a shame I cannot give you reputation for that wonderful analysis. Anyways, no, I came from mixed backgrounds in terms of my parents - mom being a bleeding-heart Liberal and dad being your old-fashioned Conservative. For a long time, I was a Liberal, but over time, I felt my opinions towards things changed. I started getting annoyed with the concept of a foreign war, I felt silly seeing my government give money to people who can't help themselves at such a high rate, and I just felt that people were not using the liberties given to us to the fullest. Look, I love things like proper education and civil rights, but I was always getting annoyed when Liberals were trying to help those out of sympathy rather than what is right for the state. Maybe I am a Libertarian or maybe I am an old-fashioned Conservative, but I find myself angry with where both parties have gone today.
do note that the expansion of civil rights has in the past been enforced the most by the conservatives. typically a liberal has suggested it, and a conservative did it. that said I'm white male and upper middle class so that hasn't exactly helped me any, and I'm a greedy ------.
Liberals want socialism and Conservatives want capitalism. (Condensed version) Liberals want to help everyone and Conservatives want to help us. Liberals want peaces and Conservatives want whatever they can get. Liberals believe in the greater good and Conservatives know that there is now such thing.
I'd say tehre are a fair number of innacuracies in that. in the united states, how many wars were started by conservatives... how many were started by liberals? lets count liberals First Barbary War War of 1812 Second Barbary War Mexican-American War American Civil War World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Aided in Coups in central and Southern America Attempted overthrow of the Cuban Government Somali Civil War Sino-Indian Border Conflict Operation Powerpack Operation Eagle Claw Yugoslav Wars conservatives Spanish-American War(lasted 1 week) Philippine Insurrection Iran-Iraq War Gulf War Afghanistan Iraq I'm not going to bother and count... since everyone asside from myself is so enlightened as to the foreign policy of the US for the last few hundred years, why don't you tell me how many American lives were lost in "liberal-initiated" conflicts and how many were in those by the conservatives. Then count how many wars the liberals ended and how many the conservatives ended. I might be wrong, and it is politically incorrect, but traditionally, the conservatives have been the ones who implemented shifts towards social advancement via the enforcement of law, have typically stayed out of war and have kept their ---- straight. todays republican party is not conservative. it's "neo-conservative" that's smart talk for "radically diferent"
I can best summarize my political views in 1 statement, similarly said by Chris Rock: Any man who makes up his mind before hearing the issue is a fool. In my opinion, a good conservative is one who wishes to withhold high standards of the past with some liberal views based on the advancement towards the future. In my mind, too many presidential candidates make up their mind before an issue is even placed on the table purely because of their political views of the party they represent and for this I redirect you back to my statement above.
How many of those wars started by liberals framed our nation and implanted us in history and as a world power? How many of those wars were started because of petty reasons by conservatives? In my mind, the wars in which liberals were 'responsible' for are what shaped our nation to what it is today, and those which conservatives have instigated are simply struggling to uphold the ideas which liberals brought to the US. Without the liberal wars, the conservative wars wouldn't have taken place because the US wouldn't even be a nation, so in my mind, the deaths during the wars in which liberals instigated are worth far more than any of the lives fought in any of the conservative wars.
overthrowing democracies and replacing them with dictatorships in favor of US agendas isn't exactly fitting of such said definition.
Variant on which war? We overthrew a dictatorship (kinda) to even become the US, without that, we wouldn't be who we are today, liberation is what has made the country what it is today, conservatives simply seek to uphold the values liberals set forth first without drastic changes resulting in adaption to the future. Your government, since your clearly picking conservative, however, has destroyed multiple nations preferred method of government to force its own favored government on them (see: iraq) because it believes it has a say in what every other nation in the world is doing and feels they have the ability and thus should use that ability to demonstrate a force of power, which is something you can't deny.
no, the US has in the past over thrown legitimate governments and established dictators to improve ourselves economically. I'm going to call you out on this. You mention Iraq, yet fail to mention Guatemala. That's damn hypocritical. You also fail to realize that the majority of the so called liberals also backed the republicans policy with their votes. Their just as guilty in this case. my government nothing - I'm not a neo-conservative republican. I'm a traditional republican/libertarian. There is a tremendous difference.
Ron Paul IS the definition of a good conservative. Yall have to understand that the republican party has lost it's way. The political parties are backwards. Republicans are supposed to not want war and whatnot. Republicans down through history have been elected to end wars not start them. Ron Paul is truly the only chance we have at restoring the republic. I don't hear any other candidates speaking strongly about the constitution, the only one is Ron Paul. I am a hardcore Ron Paul fan and will do whatever it takes to get him into office. RON PAUL 2008 !!
