vint2: your point is well taken. In a survey of self professed conservatives, they were asked to select the quotes from previous presidents of the US that most reflected their point of view. The majority of chosen quotes came from none other than JFK. IOW, terms and their meanings become pliable in the great soup of politics. Still, some basic definitions hold for the definition of liberal or conservative as it relates to the relationship of a citizen to that citizen's state.

Conservatives hold the citizen above the apparatus of the state and place more faith on the individual than the state. In essence, conservatives believe that man is essentially good and that there exist principals that are universal and true ("we hold these truths to be self evident"). OTOH, liberals act upon the notion that man is inherently misguided or bad and requires the state to define the parameters in which he can operate, all for his own good and the greater good of society. In their view the state is superior to the individual. The liberal argues that values are situational and that no principal is immutable.

Now, vint2, given those definitions, review your last sentence and see in which catagory you belong. I believe the values you espouse are solidly conservative.

Handloader, I have to agree you are right, limit government,uphold the individual citizen, and I never doubted my conservatism and am pleased that it shows!!! We don't want to hide our light under a basket!!!

vint2 wrote:

Handloader, I have to agree you are right, limit government,uphold the individual citizen, and I never doubted my conservatism and am pleased that it shows!!! We don't want to hide our light under a basket!!!

I tend to agree with the quote by Will Rogers that Keetowah had for a tag line previously, something like "we should be thankful we're not getting all the government we pay for" I think I paraphrased. In Canada, I feel like we're all walking a little lopsided because the govt has its hand in everyone's pocket.

I have this concern every time a politico says he/she is representing the wishes of the majority, so's the guy with the rope at a lynching. What's supposed to happen when the majority is wrong? Remember, Hitler was elected.

These are all reasons why we need a grassroots that understands and will vote to keep politcos honest. Too many people don't like what is happening, but are not willing to get off their nether end and work to change it!!!!

I agree with Handloader's statement.
There is a big difference between Liberals and leftists.
Like my signature says, I am not a liberal, but there are many liberals that I admire and respect.
Our late Senator, Paul Wellstone was such a man.
Even though I disagreed with him, he was an honest man, and genuinely looked out for the little guy.
Hubert Humphrey was another good man, and in hindsight, I wish that he would have defeated Nixon for the Presidency.
It is the hardcore leftists that we have to watch out for.

I am a traditional Conservative, which puts me squarely in Vint's camp.

Eric

What we need is someone to run this country the way our founding fathers intended it to be. What we have now is a far cry from it.

Were Liberals, Conservatives and Leftists even part of the government that they formed... I don't think so. Atleast not is the sence of what we have today. They would be outraged if they could see what has become of this once truly great country. After all, isn't that basically the reason why we declared our independence in the first place?

Whatever happened to We the People, For the People and By the People?

Now what we have is the Greedy Rich for the Rich and By the Rich. This country is being run into the ground and we're letting it happen.

Where can you find politicians who will follow the Constitution?
Look at the Libertarian Party. They even have a few representatives in office in DC!
I vote with them any time I can because I still believe in the separation of powers that the Constitution defines - and so do they.

Indeed, indeed! d_hoffman we have few politicos willing to follow anything but their own ambitions! They certainly do not follow the desires of the voters or the constitution!. I believe that you may be right, Paul S, but I have not followed the Libertarians closely enough to know who is in congress under that banner. I am very much inclined to go that way!!!