Why do Republicans LOVE to overuse the word Liberal?

[cucumber]

Originally posted by: DT4K

Originally posted by: DigDug

Liberal

Its the only multi-syllable word that the majority of the Republican populace even knows. That, and "commmie". I mean, its part and parcel of how republicans evangelically preach - they use labels for the notion of the "bad guy" as a way to get across the simplistic binary to the neanderthals they manipulate.
Marlboro Joe in Bumnutts, Texas, couldn't understand why he was getting poorer and poorer until the Republicans told him that it was "the liberals" fault. So now, Marlboro Joe feels sleeps a little easier (with a little help from a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon) knowing who's the "bad guy".

Holy fvcking hell!! Denouncing anything Republican as mindless, simplistic, and basically evil is ridiculous. If you consider all republicans to be a bunch of backwards white trash hicks, how do you see democrats?

Any Republican being just as narrow minded and prejudiced as you would see all Democrats as mindless, dumb, hackie sack playing, pot head communist hippies.

If you view either party only in their worst most stereotypical way, you'd be just a stupid and backwards as they are.

I'm not taking sides because I do have very mixed feelings about both parties and tend to agree and disagree equally with them both, but if you're being serious and not just talking crap or flame baiting, you're a complete idiot.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: DT4K

Originally posted by: Insane3D

I believe that Republicans compete with Democrats for what they believe in, and Democrats compete with Republicans for employment. I think Democrat's ideals are just tactics to gain power, and do not realistically help anybody.

Translation:

Republicans are right, democrats are wrong, therefore Republicans are better than democrats.

Same old partisanship that get's nowhere...

How about facing the reality that both "sides" have valid ideas and POV's, and no one POV is "superior" to the other?

Do you feel that having such a one sided view of things is a good thing?

If you don't think your own point of view is "superior", than why the fvck would you have that point of view?
Obviously each side thinks they are the one's who are right. If they didn't, they wouldn't stay on that side.

Republicans use the word liberal as a derogatory term just as democrats use the term "right-wing" or "religious right" as a derogatory term.

No, of course you think your personal POV is better, but the difference is realizing your POV may not be better for everyone else. It is also about realizing that alternate POV's are just as valid and worthwhile as your own, and respecting them as such, instead of just writing them off as crap, and generalizing by labeling them as a part of a certain group.

It's a big country with lots of people from diverse backgrounds, and the fact that everyone doesn't feel the same about certain issues is a good thing. What we should be doing is working toward resolving differences and finding common ground instead of making everything adversarial.

The way things are in this country now, someone could create a new limitless clean source of energy and want to share it with the world, but if he was labeled a "liberal" or a "conservative", there would be a segment of people who would refuse to hear anything about it simply for that reason alone.

Also, I firmly believe most people in this country are not Democrats or Republicans or blindly follow the party line, but rather they tend to side with both parties depending on the issue at hand, their background and POV.

Personally, I hate all generalizations. It's easy to label someone and stick them in a certain group who doesn't agree with you. They then become one of "them", and therefore anything else they say is obviously not worth hearing.

 

[thatsright]

WOW, even thought some of the posts in here have been a bit 'off topic' (how appropriate for 'Off-Topic'!), most of your guys comments have been very good, and a few dare I say, actually insightful.

I didn't mean to turn this into a flame-fest, thought admittedly I knew it would probably go that way.

Thought it is certainly refreshing to see again how most of the ATF members are not WAYYY too uptight, and can actually take some humor with their politics. :thumbsup:

And as Homer Simpson said it best, "Go Back to Massachusetts you Pinko's."

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: UglyCassanova

Originally posted by: Gurck
Dear god, mods please!

SO who stuck the gun to your head and made you click on this thread. You don't like it, IGNORE it.

Pretty hard to, there's not even any room for interpretation - this is a full-blown P&N thread; it's demo vs. repub and has all the prerequisite namecalling. Who put a gun to your head and made you browse OT? If you like changing the world by calling people asshats over the internet, STAY IN P&N

 

[Amused]

The real question is, why are liberals so insulted by being called a liberal?

Another question is, why did liberal come to mean socialist, and libertarian come to replace the classical meaning of liberal?

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: thatsright
When ever I hear a Republican politico who's running for office, or describing the ills of our country, I can always count down the seconds till I hear the word 'Liberal.' It usually pops up in the second or third sentence.

Living in Boston, it sort of reminds me of the VERY tired, hackneyed phrase "Yankees Suck, Yankees Suck, Yankees suck, that RedSox fans chant at games. Just like 'Yankees Suck,' Republicans saying 'Liberal' all the time is getting 'O so tired.

I'm surprised the hardcore Democrats in the USA haven't thought of a similar, compact word that connotes soo much to disparage republicans?

Get the lighters and matches out. Kindling is above.

When you're a fascist, 'liberal' is the worst word you can come up with

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Amused
The real question is, why are liberals so insulted by being called a liberal?

Another question is, why did liberal come to mean socialist, and libertarian come to replace the classical meaning of liberal?

Can you explain further? I didn't think that libertarian replaced the classical meaning of "liberal".

 

[Ornery]

If our elected officials spent half of the time trying to work thorugh the differences in opinion, reach compromises, and actually *gasp* get things done as they do villifying the other "side", imagine what could get done."

Your idea of "getting things done" is implementing more money pit social programs like Social Security and National Health Care. Uh... NO THANKS!

I consider myself to be VERY liberal, but I sure as hell don't agree with the Democrat's Socialist agenda. If that's what the liberal moniker has come to represent, then so be it. If that's what Dems represent, then call it what it is, so they can't wriggle into office by pretending to be moderate.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: Amused
The real question is, why are liberals so insulted by being called a liberal?

Another question is, why did liberal come to mean socialist, and libertarian come to replace the classical meaning of liberal?

Can you explain further? I didn't think that libertarian replaced the classical meaning of "liberal".

Why, yes, it did.

Definition of a classical liberal:

Someone who believes that the State should play no role in the economy.
Someone who believes that the State should not regulate personal behaviour.
Someone who believes that the State should be completely removed from religion.
Someone who beleives that the State is made up of individuals.
Someone who believes that those individuals should have their rights recognized.
Someone who believes that no person or group should act in such a way that impinges on the rights of another.

That is now the definition of libertarian. Liberals believe in tight government controls of the economy, denounce economic individualism and push nanny-state laws on others. In other words, liberal has come to mean socialist to varying degrees.