Is America a mainly Conservative Country?

[Fr331anc3r]

Our democrats are so conservative that they would be considered part of a conservative party in most other 1st world country. Of course we are conservative.

 

[Bat Vader]

I suppose we are bit more Conservative than Liberal. I have sick of politics. I used to like having political discussions but now politics is just crap. People insult others because they can't accept others have a different opinion and most politicians care more about their money or getting re-elected than about the country or the people they serve.

I understand not all politicians are like that and some pry do want to help America and the world but the majority of politicians care more about themselves.

 

[Agayek]

Your arguments are all based on personal experience.

I was speaking in larger terms than your six friends. I'm talking about a system of suffering that continues to perpetuate itself because no one has made a counter-system that prevents it from happening to anyone.

Your particular examples may have worked hard, but they must have had some good luck too. To be specific, living in California wasn't necessarily a bad scenario to find work and therefore get into a better situation compared to most states, at least before the current recession. Not to mention, your soon-to-be doctor friend chose to be intelligent at an early age. Not everyone is so responsible in childhood, and if they're not and the parents aren't for them, then they're screwed - for life. A culture of no support does not allow most people to remove themselves from poverty.

Calling others lazy is an excuse for not proving yourself the better man, and helping them to stop suffering. It's selfish and cruel. Especially when it comes to the intellectually and physically disadvantaged, who, before current health care reforms, would have had no support if born into poverty (which many are, that being the reason for becoming disabled half the time).

That's true, it is based on personal experience, but it stands as proof that such a thing is possible. The current system has a tendency to reward people who are willing to work (for the most part, there are always exceptions), so I don't particularly see a pressing need to change it.

I will agree that it is extremely hard for someone raised in poverty to reach a Upper-middle class/rich level of income, and that it requires some measure of luck. That said, I will argue that it is certainly possible to meet a perfectly acceptable standard of living, no matter what class you are born into, with some elbow grease.

Personally, I'd be content with making $20-25/hour for the rest of my life (which seems to be just a bit on the high side for quasi-skilled labor around here), in one of the highest real estate value areas in the country. If I wasn't though, I'd definitely be capable of saving whatever extra and teaching myself the skills needed to advance further. Especially with the advent of the internet and the Repository of All Knowledge, aka Wikipedia.

What I'm trying to get at is that it is completely possible to reach a "non-poverty" standard of living, even if you start at the very bottom of the income scale, with a bit of work.


On a side note though, why do I want to be the better man? It's a proven fact that human beings (on average; again, there's always exceptions) do not appreciate things they are given. Make people work for it, and it becomes both much more likely to be kept, and much more appreciated.

 

[Treblaine]

Look the whole point of democracy is to vote people in who do more than just parrot public opinion, that's what referendums are for.

The point of voting someone in is not "will this guy vote exactly as I will vote" but rather "Will this guy make best decisions overall". You ARE submitting a lot of your decisions to him or her as the masses judge that they will make the right decision, even if it's not the same decision they'd make even as an aggregate group.

If it is somehow a compulsion for politicians to directly follow the poll opinion of the population well then why not just get rid of the Senators and Representatives all together! We have the technology to let every single piece of legislation be decided by referendum, just do it via the internet. But sometimes the majority want what will harm a minority. Sometimes the population has to just take their bitter medicine as their elected leaders realise it is for the greater good.

Democracy is to vote people into power on that basis that they are GOOD people and they care for the welfare of each and every one of their citizens.

Of course 75% will be opposed to to this healthcare bill as THEY WON'T BENEFIT FROM IT because the majority ALREADY have health insurance but what about the little guy? How will the last 10% of Americans get medical insurance?

You are depending purely on altruism with just following public opinion.

One cuts, the other chooses, that's what happens when people vote politicians into power.

Technically, the US is a republic, rather than a democracy, for precisely the reason you mention.

Democracy is mob rule.

Republics are electing officials to make the major decisions.

Yes, Res Publica, concerning the people

But I wouldn't get too caught up in semantics though perhaps the Republicans should consider that and be wary just going by opinion polls again may come to bite them in the ass.

But from the wording of the US constitution "by the people and for the people" kinda implies "ok you republicans and democrats, now just play nice and learn to get along".

But true, the function of politicians in a democratic republic is precisely to prevent the negative effects of mob rule.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Unfortunately, yes, albeit the fact that Conservatives have been fucking the US up for too long than I care to mention.

 

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

I think as it stands, they're becoming more and more Liberal, but they do have a very strong Conservative presence. I'd say they're almost exactly in the middle, with Conservative policies making up the majority, but Liberal policies making gains.

They are, however, further Right than us (Canada), so they're sitting in the middle, but on their right ass cheek, they'll switch to the other cheek when it gets tired.

 

[Kair]

USA's liberal is Europe's conservative.

 

[dfphetteplace]

I have yet to see an major news media outlet that is liberal. The big news networks are all owned and run by republican and neocons. Most people are liberal, although the right has done a good job at making that seem like something to be ashamed of. Most right wing ideologue goes against what most Americans believe, they are just loud and have a lot of money backing them. From the 2008 election though, it didn't seem to help at all. You get republicans that said during the whole health care thing that the Democrats went against what Americans wanted, failing to realize that over 70% of Americans are in vary of health care reform. I myself am for universal health care, since I see the end results of poor or no health care every day, and I think some of my coworkers deserve good health care, being in the kind of work we are. I'm sick of seeing firefighter die of cancer because we can't afford health care.

 

[JohnnySex]

Unfortunately we are very conservative... Which is why I'm going to move to Canada.

 

[Sjakie]

I think America was bought and payed for long ago. So it doesnt matter what 'side' it is, as long as big businesses get what they want

 

[Feller1948]

Most European countries are right of center, America is the same way. If you want to learn more go to the conservative Heritage Foundation or simply google "Index of Economic Freedom" and it lists over like 200 countries and ranks them on their economic standpoints. This is a loaded question though, as most Repubs are NOT conservative. It is a myth the Repub=conservative. Repubs spend as much or more money as the liberals do. I'm a libertarian and I can tell you that in my opinion our last "conservative" and good president was Calvin Coolidge. Repubs dont want a Muslim Empire or an Atheist Empire, but they have no problem with a Christian Empire. They claim now to be against all the spending Obama is doing, yet they had zero problem with it under Bush. They just dont like what the Administration is spending money on, they have no problem with spending though. This is why I have zero faith in government actions and have a complete belief in the free market; one is effecient and works well, the other doesnt. A conservative should want to spend less-period. Not just get upset because they are spending on A instead of B. This whole bs happened back in the 50's. The Right turned into a socialy conservative party with ambitions of "defeating the evil atheist Soviet Union." Since the 50's conservatives have preached small govt. but have spent like drunken sailors. Hell Reagan spent like crazy, and he made almost libertarian statements at times. Read Murry Rothbard's "The Betrayal of the American Right" if you want to learn more about the change in the Right during the 50's and 60's. In conclusion, govt sucks, markets are great and dont vote...please for the love of god..dont vote.

"My freedom is more important than your stupid idea."

 

[tehroc]

he hasn't done jack to help unemployment. he's stimulated government spending, but he hasn't stimulated the economy. unemployment is still through the roof and he's more concerned about democratic pet projects and his healthcare bill...not that I could do any better or that mccain would have been better, just sayin...

What's he suppossed to do about the job situation when the conservatives, The Party of No, control most of the jobs? Corporations control most of the jobs and corporations would prefer their workforce to be beaten and broken of their wills. Hence the situation we are in now.

Also, to all those people that had their jobs ripped from them just so the employer can exploit some illegal immigrant by paying significantly less then industry standards, don't think it was done for some "liberal" reasoning of ethnic diversity it was done purely on the "conservative" principal of greed.

America is like a reverse fascist state, corporations control the state.

 

[Feller1948]

You havent seen any major liberal news outlets?! Are you serious!?!?! CNN or as I call it "the Clinton News Network" is uber liberal! New York Times? Last time I checked the last Republican presidential candidate they supported was Eisenhower. They havent backed a Repub in over 50 years. MSNBC? I guess they dont count as major though, I think the PBA during its last tournament sponsored by Denny's had a larger audience than most MSNBC broadcastings. LA Times?? Chicago Tribune?? Huffington Post?? Good lord I could go on and on. Most news outlets ARE liberal leaning. This is because a lot of broadcastors have this misconception that their job is to persuade; instead of inform. Fox News is def. conservative, but there are not that many major news outlets that are conservative. John Stossel of 20/20 is a libertarian, as am I, so watching his segments are nice because he actually inform people about good sound economics, and has guests that arent just talking heads or come with a "liberal media approved" stamp on them. Simply look at how the media is lauding over Obama and tell me that most media outlets arent liberal. The problem is that most news people dont read or educate themselves on the issue they are reporting; if it bleeds it leads. Its all about ratings baby.

 

[Feller1948]

LOL to all you out there who think that employers want their work forces "beaten down" and think that for any reason big business is a republican controlled field, you need to educate yourselves. O another thing, the president has ZEROOOOO!!!! NOTHING to do about employment. Can I say that again?? ZERO! The market decides these things! Now a president can make a situation worse, al a Hoover and FDR prolonging the Great Depression by doing stuff, but a president does not control the economy. Markets do that people. A lot of you sound like pissed off little angsty teenagers who really really need a economics lesson. A good econ class too, not a state approved brainwashing session. Google Austrain Business Cycle Theory, read it and them come back to me. We arent supposed to have some centraly planned and controlled economy, last time I checked the Soviets were wrong. Capitalism = WIN Communism = FAIL. And no capitalism is not evil and it did not lead to the housing and current financial crisis, thank Allan Greenspan, Fannie and Freddie, The Fed and reckless govt. spending for that one.

 

[Ph0t0n1c Ph34r]

AWWW HELL NO!

Nearly the entire media is left wing, and the media controls the people.

I myself am mostly right wing, except for the religious shit.

For more details on my politics, ask...

Except Fox is the biggest Media outlet in the country, and is the biggest, craziest shit I have ever had the displeasure to watch. I would watch it for laughs, if it's obvious homophobia and racism didn't get me mad.

But that is the thing. Fox, while being the largest media outlet, is still outnumbered by the other large media companies (MSNBC and CBS come to mind) which range from some-what to bat-shit bonkers liberal. I view myself as a conservative with some liberal ideas throw. in, and from what I have seen, Fix buts the spin on most things that don't really matter, it's just to make money. In terms of poltical spin, I think they are just as fair as all the others. Any form of media is inherently biased.

 

[Ph0t0n1c Ph34r]

he hasn't done jack to help unemployment. he's stimulated government spending, but he hasn't stimulated the economy. unemployment is still through the roof and he's more concerned about democratic pet projects and his healthcare bill...not that I could do any better or that mccain would have been better, just sayin...

What's he suppossed to do about the job situation when the conservatives, The Party of No, control most of the jobs? Corporations control most of the jobs and corporations would prefer their workforce to be beaten and broken of their wills. Hence the situation we are in now.

Also, to all those people that had their jobs ripped from them just so the employer can exploit some illegal immigrant by paying significantly less then industry standards, don't think it was done for some "liberal" reasoning of ethnic diversity it was done purely on the "conservative" principal of greed.

America is like a reverse fascist state, corporations control the state.

Because, you know, there are no such things as labor unions, which happen to be ( for the most part) extremly liberal? Or that a fascist state means that
there would be: (a) A dictator of some kind, (b) severe censership of the media, and a bunch of other thing that I don't want to get into. Are you honestly suggesting that the corparations fully control the government and it's people, and have the ability to completely sway elections,and suppress freedom of speech? You sound like either a 14 year old from Long Island or a college student. I find your almost conspiracy style theory laughable. You clearly have not opened a history book in a while.

 

[Treblaine]

Well, to be fair, you only really pulled down one of my quotes, and after Nixon the Republican and Democratic parties switched sides. And I had no idea Xbox live banned gay users. And no, I did not catch the Magic Negro thing from Spike Lee, but Rush Limbaugh is racist. Does that mean all of them are? No. Just the fact that even though the majority of them aren't, they still put up with people that do. Which is essentially closet racism.

Well not sure I made myself clear but I think I said (or meant to say) Microsoft banned OPENLY gay users. So if you called yourself "Gay-Ben" (Valve fans will get that joke) or if you happened to meet another gay person online and chat them up then you'd be liable to be suspended till you go back in the closet for being "offensive" to other users.

"after Nixon the Republican and Democratic parties switched sides"

I'm intrigued by this. I know the Nixon-Watergate scandal hit the Republicans harder than a god damn tactical nuclear strike and Neo-conservatism seemed to grow out of those ashes... but how precisely do you see it as the Republicans and Democrats "switching"? Like what did one do/believe that then they no longer did to be taken up by the other side?

...

On Rush Limbaugh, never heard him speak but from what I've read he probably is a bigoted hateful racist (or at least an idiot who thinks he can use racial epithets to win arguments) but he isn't a politician. He's nothing but a glorified shock-jock... IMHO he is as relevant to the Republican Party (conservatism) as Howard Stern is the the Democrat party (and liberalism). Or more appropriately he is like Michael Moore, an outspoken extremist that a LOT of people may listen to just for the shock factor but the MAJORITY think both are just idiots and a minority opinion.

In fact Limbaugh is pretty out of step with the rest of the republican party as he highly opposed both John McCain's candidacy and seemed more interested in merely sabotaging the Democrats with his ridiculous Operation Chaos plan. Limbaugh may be the SINGLE LARGEST radio show but that's still only 13 million regular listeners out of a population of 300 million. Largest =/= majority nor consensus.

 

[dmase]

It would appear to be, yes. Although Obama did get it, in a highly contested election.

Perhaps the country as a whole is slightly more liberal, but the conservatives are very vocal.

That's how I see it anyway, I haven't been following American politics lately. It's a bit...odd. Bricks through windows, tea parties and all that.

I'm gonna assume no one else said what i was gonna say 6 pages is to much to wade through.

Obama one by what was a landslide and everyone new he was gonna win from at least 3 months before possibly sooner because everybody figured the democrat was gonna win. All these people voted for the Democrat without knowing what he stood for and he did what he said he was gonna do... now everyone is pissed. Health care reform and financial readjustment is what he ran on and now everyone is pissed because he did what he said he was gonna do. I on the other hand wasn't old enough to vote and was a big supporter of health care, which I'm a little pissed about.

Like I told someone the other day America's politics are like a beauty contest whoever says they are a certain party will vote for that party and depending on what party is in favor at the time, not what the specific candidates stand for and whether they are intelligent. It just depends who you like more blonds or brunettes

 

[Decabo]

Mostly mild liberal, it only seems mostly conservative because there and loudest and never shut up...

WHAT? You're joking, right?

Who were the people screaming "We want change!" all over the media? Who are the people who never shut up about how articulate and perfect Obama is? Conservatives? Please. The conservatives are far more quiet with the exception of the Tea Party.

Screaming? They chanted it an Obama rally, yeah. I don't recall them having pictures of McCain as Hitler, Joker, or some tribal African. The conservatives talked about how great he was as speaking more than anyone, mainly in the vain of the celebrity commercial, or Palin poking fun at his teleprompter. Or people in McCain rallies yelling that Obama's a terrorist, or calling him an Arab, or yelling that he's not a citizen. Conservatives under the Obama administration have been louder than Liberals have ever been.

On CNN and MSNBC, all I ever heard in election period was about how great Obama is. I STILL hear that even after his approval ratings have fallen, if less so.

Oh really? Liberals were just as loud during the Bush era than conservatives are now. How about General Betray Us? How about the countless photos that have Bush as the devil and in numerous other things? I'm sure there is at least one picture comparing Bush to Hitler. I just found a few looking up Bush Hitler in Google Images. I also found comparisons of Bush to terrorists, Stalin, etc. Liberals were as loud, if not louder during the Bush era than they are now.

Then you weren't watching the news when FOX News said he went to a madrasa, or when Lou Dobbs repeatedly suggested he wasn't an American citizen, or when FOX News did a story on his fist bump with his wife being a "Hesbolic fist jab." Or when he scratched his cheek with his middle finger and MSNBC did a story on whether or not it was a concealed flipping off.

If you believe any of those things are on the scale of the Tea Party, which has had as many as 70,000 people attend, you are a fucking moron. I don't recall liberals having signs saying "We came unarmed this time." Obama was compared to terrorists long before Bush was, especially that famous video of him turning into Osama bin Laden.

 

[Eggsnham]

We hate when people under 18 know about sex.

We hate when people under 21 have a sip of alcohol.

We hate Marijuana.

We love when FOX news does a story on "The Evils of *Insert Liberal idea here*".

We, as the citizens, constantly get ignored if the topic at hand is against Capitalism/Democracy, in any way, shape, or form. Regardless if it makes sense.

We will gladly have our 18 year olds go to war, where they'll learn to pick up a gun and kill others for the gain of the American peoples, but say no when it comes to alcohol.

Yes. I think we're just a tad bit Conservative.

I think I'd better start learning to like Hockey and memorize the Canadian National Anthem...