Crazy Over All The political jargon?
Gordon K. Glatz
May 21, 2007
We hear all these terms bandied about, in the political arena ever day in the news. They have always been a wonder to me, as I must admit I am ignorant of what they mean. The more I get in to politics the more I wonder just how they apply to me; I ask my self just where do I stand? What am I?
Since I hate parties as applied to politics and governments, and I am usually not a joiner. I vote for the person I feel is best for the job, and for the legislation, that I think is in the best interest of the people.
So am I "Left", "Right", Liberal, or Conservative? I was dammed if I knew, so I decided it was time to look in to just what these terms meant. After some time, and a lot of reading, this took me back in time to the original beginning of the terms. Where it seems it came from which side of the room the legislator set, the Left being for a king or noble type government, and the other against it, or for the rule by the people.
Now down through the years these terms have switched sides and associations with Liberalism, and conservativism. Back and forth and back again. Until I had a headache with the whole thing, but I finally came to the modern consensus of the terms. It seems that, Democrat's = Left, Liberal or Progressive, and Republican's = Right, Conservatives
From Wikipedia: Depending on the political affiliation of the individual using them, these terms can be spoken with varying implications. A 2005 poll of 2,209 American adults showed that "respondents generally viewed the paired concepts liberals and left-wingers and conservatives and right-wingers as possessing, respectively, generally similar political beliefs", but also showed that around ten percent fewer respondents understood the terms "left" and "right" than understood the terms "liberal" and "conservative", sounds like me.
So I made a list of what I am fore and against.
AGAINST:
(1) Since, I do not like socialists, and communist: The contemporary left in the United States is usually defined as a category including social democrats, socialists, communists, and some anarchists.
(2) To much regulation: The contemporary left usually defines itself as promoting government regulation of business, commerce, and industry.
(3) Opposition to: immigration control,
(4) This is another reason for me not being a Republican: Wikipedia: In 21st century American politics, there is considerable confusion over the meaning of the term "liberal". Beginning in the early 1990s, Republicans have made a concerted effort to change the meaning of the term through the process of framing. Instead of arguing against liberal beliefs, framing changes the meaning of the word in the public consciousness, so that a belief in equal rights for all Americans is framed as "special rights for homosexuals", a belief in the rights of those accused of crimes is framed as "soft on crime", and a belief in freedom of religion is framed as "hatred of Christians". This has been successful to such an extent that the term "liberal" has become stigmatized and is now generally avoided by those running for office; "progressive" is now often used instead of "liberal". Although the two are related, they are distinct political ideologies.
FOR:
(1) Protection of fundamental rights (especially freedom of speech and separation of church and state); and (Providing it includes poor whites) government intervention on behalf of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities and the poor.
(2) The American right is broadly defined by upholding of constitutional law, protection of fundamental rights (especially the right to own firearms),
(3) Opposition to governmental regulation and income redistribution,
(4) Opposition to reverse discrimination. These stances are motivated by traditional values (conservatism), protection of freedom and the rights of private individuals (libertarianism), or doubts about the benefits or efficacy of governmental regulation.
So did I find where I belong? Not really, it seems I am some where in the middle. So come Election Day I will just do like I always do, and vote for who I think is the best regardless of their politics.
Copyright May 2007 by G.K. Glatz
Since I hate parties as applied to politics and governments, and I am usually not a joiner. I vote for the person I feel is best for the job, and for the legislation, that I think is in the best interest of the people.
So am I "Left", "Right", Liberal, or Conservative? I was dammed if I knew, so I decided it was time to look in to just what these terms meant. After some time, and a lot of reading, this took me back in time to the original beginning of the terms. Where it seems it came from which side of the room the legislator set, the Left being for a king or noble type government, and the other against it, or for the rule by the people.
Now down through the years these terms have switched sides and associations with Liberalism, and conservativism. Back and forth and back again. Until I had a headache with the whole thing, but I finally came to the modern consensus of the terms. It seems that, Democrat's = Left, Liberal or Progressive, and Republican's = Right, Conservatives
From Wikipedia: Depending on the political affiliation of the individual using them, these terms can be spoken with varying implications. A 2005 poll of 2,209 American adults showed that "respondents generally viewed the paired concepts liberals and left-wingers and conservatives and right-wingers as possessing, respectively, generally similar political beliefs", but also showed that around ten percent fewer respondents understood the terms "left" and "right" than understood the terms "liberal" and "conservative", sounds like me.
So I made a list of what I am fore and against.
AGAINST:
(1) Since, I do not like socialists, and communist: The contemporary left in the United States is usually defined as a category including social democrats, socialists, communists, and some anarchists.
(2) To much regulation: The contemporary left usually defines itself as promoting government regulation of business, commerce, and industry.
(3) Opposition to: immigration control,
(4) This is another reason for me not being a Republican: Wikipedia: In 21st century American politics, there is considerable confusion over the meaning of the term "liberal". Beginning in the early 1990s, Republicans have made a concerted effort to change the meaning of the term through the process of framing. Instead of arguing against liberal beliefs, framing changes the meaning of the word in the public consciousness, so that a belief in equal rights for all Americans is framed as "special rights for homosexuals", a belief in the rights of those accused of crimes is framed as "soft on crime", and a belief in freedom of religion is framed as "hatred of Christians". This has been successful to such an extent that the term "liberal" has become stigmatized and is now generally avoided by those running for office; "progressive" is now often used instead of "liberal". Although the two are related, they are distinct political ideologies.
FOR:
(1) Protection of fundamental rights (especially freedom of speech and separation of church and state); and (Providing it includes poor whites) government intervention on behalf of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities and the poor.
(2) The American right is broadly defined by upholding of constitutional law, protection of fundamental rights (especially the right to own firearms),
(3) Opposition to governmental regulation and income redistribution,
(4) Opposition to reverse discrimination. These stances are motivated by traditional values (conservatism), protection of freedom and the rights of private individuals (libertarianism), or doubts about the benefits or efficacy of governmental regulation.
So did I find where I belong? Not really, it seems I am some where in the middle. So come Election Day I will just do like I always do, and vote for who I think is the best regardless of their politics.
Copyright May 2007 by G.K. Glatz
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