Why Are You Conservative? / Why Are You Liberal?

This won't surprise many of you, but I'm the most conservative/right-wing person most of you will ever know.

I was raised in a nominally Republican household. I knew my parents voted for Republicans, but we never discussed politics. For most of my 20s, I was essentially apolitical. I voted for Republicans, but I couldn't have explained why.

In 2009, I read Mark Levin's book "Liberty & Tyranny" and it changed my life. I've been a voracious consumer of political philosophy and economics ever since. Mark Levin, Mark Steyn, Thomas Sowell, Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, David Horowitz ... anything that will shore up my ability to defend conservatism and free-market capitalism.

Today, I spend the bulk of my time defending Christianity and conservatism on a full-time basis.

Yes. The issue of drug legalization, in particular. The idea offends my sensibilities as an addict, but I can't deny the economic merits of it. Plus, I can't imagine a bigger 'f*** you' to the Mexican drug cartels, which I hate with the burning heat of a thousand suns.

 

I'm a liberal because it's the right way to be. Conservatives have terrible values. Deep down they're all about keeping middle class white americans privileged & taken care of. All the minorities & poor people can suffer and die for all they care.

 

One of the causes I'm rather conservative is that porn and all sexual freedom is supported by all liberal parties in the world. Even if they sometimes not openly support porn they remain silent.
Name a liberal party which is against porn and sexual freedom. You won't find any. If you find one then post here the link to prove that a liberal party can be anti porn.
Why are we on this site? We can thank all liberal parties in our countries that they permitted the law to provide us porn.
You can find conservative parties which are against porn, prostitution.... but no liberal one is against these.
PMO addicts, continue to support liberal parties and vote for them - your children will have the same fate as you. Maybe you'll meet them here on this forum some years later.

 

Be yourself

 

First of all, I'm from the UK so some of the terminology might not match up with the US Liberal/Conservative split.

I was originally a Liberal Democrat supporter of the social liberal wing (More left wing). However, I become disillusioned with left liberalism and have become a strong Labour party supporter. (Yes, I'm a Socialist.) However, I am strong supporter of the co-operative movement and worker co-operatives rather than traditional socialism. (Social Democrat would probably closer define me with a hint of Georgism)

Has your upbringing influenced your views?

Yes, strongly. My mother is a Labour supporter but not very political. However, I was taught at an Anglican Primary school before going onto Grammar School and then College. Surprisingly, my earliest political views stem from primary school. Although, I'm not very religious, I cannot deny the effect its teaching had on me.

Has PMO / NoFap caused you to change your views?

Nope, still VERY socially liberal. I don't push my views onto others and don't want them pushed onto me. What you do in your personal life is your own business.

Have you ever changed your views on certain issues?

Not recently but I have changed over the years as I stated above.

Would you ever change your position?

To become a Conservative? Nope. Sorry, I can't see anything that would draw me to modern Conservatism. I disagree strongly with their economic policies, I disagree with their social policies. I disagree with their foreign policy..

Back to Liberalism? Yes, it is very possible.

Awaits attacks.

 

Taking drugs is a choice too but tell me why all countries in the world fight free selling and taking drugs but above all western democraties tollerate porn industry?
If something is legal and not prohibited it becomes accesable for all including children and spreads fast.
Imagine what if beating women became legal and not prohibited but only a free choice ( as in most Moslem countries). Do you think women would be much more often abused or not?

 

It's sadly the fate of political consciousness to become a barren dichotomy between left and right [a spatial metaphor originating in the French revolution], or, when that fails, to become totalitarian.

 

Ah, but that would be like an intelligent dialogue from which a greater synthesis might occur.

Politics/ democracy is doomed. It can only work when the population is moderately well-educated, not when it is completely dumbed down.

 

I consider myself a liberal.

I try not to talk politics, though, because I tend to be a bit biased. When I do this I tend to put all conservatives in the same box, which is always a mistake. I'm starting to understand the dangers of becoming "too" liberal, or in other words, completely enveloping my self-identity with a particular political party...it really does produce hatred and bitterness for the other side. I see my liberal friends preach love and compassion, then turn around and show zero love and compassion to anyone who identifies as a conservative. This is something from the left that I do not support at all.

I admit that since I've identified a little too much with the left that it has stunted my ability to understand the right, but I think I'm starting to get better. I supported the last presidential regime, though I'm starting to understand the frustration that came from the Republican party during the last 8 years. Even if I disagree with certain positions, I can (usually) come to a place of understanding.

I also admit that there is much that I have to learn as well. I can't pretend to have the answers for everything. All I know is, no system is perfect, and any system that is put in place will have individuals who exploit the system for their own personal gain. I have no solution for this.

My strongest belief, which is stronger than any "liberal" belief that I have, is that the left and the right *can* come together to create something spectacular...but are too stubbornly clinging to their positions to have any serious dialogue.

 

It seems to me a simple solution would be to outlaw any financial contributions to a political candidate or elected official from any for-profit corporation or organization. The reason there are problems is because of corruption and financial incentives. The Congress in the US is generally fabulously wealthy, which is not how it is supposed to be (they are supposed to represent the people). Everyone knows that they can get make a lot of money by getting into Congress (not because of the salary, but because of connections, passing laws to benefit themselves, lobbying, taking money from corporations, etc). If this is removed, then I imagine it would actually lead to solutions to problems.
A second way to improve things is to pass the Buffett law - no standing member of Congress is eligible for re-election if a balanced budget is not passed.

Part of the problem was pointed out above - there is a green party, libertarian party, etc, etc, but everything is reduced to liberal vs. conservative.

 

Most of the liberal policies proposed for helping poor minorities end up keeping them enslaved. Minorities are no longer enslaved by chains. They're just enslaved by the welfare state.

Sowell FTW: