Thread: "Our Fading Heritage" US Civics Quiz

Originally Posted by nine castles

"Liberal" as in the rhetorical scare-word, the thought-teminating cliche that is applied to anyone using government for something you don't like. Like socialism lite, liberalism is nothing but a political pejorative to you. If you think Ollie Cromwell or I are liberals, well... then whatever you mean by it is such a wide definition that it has lost all meaning to you.

Oh, yeah, I forgot, you can tell me what things mean to me now. It was in that memo you sent me.

Not liberal as in the rhetorical scare word, liberal as in on the left side of the political spectrum. In the last political science book I had it was illustrated on a line, so I'll present it to you that way. Everything left of the middle had 'liberal' over it and on the far left side is communism. Everything right of the middle had 'conservative' over it and on the far right side is fascism.

But, instead of arguing, let me just ask you this: Do you consider yourself a conservative or a modern conservative?

Originally Posted by Mr. E

Not liberal as in the rhetorical scare word, liberal as in on the left side of the political spectrum. In the last political science book I had it was illustrated on a line, so I'll present it to you that way. Everything left of the middle had 'liberal' over it and on the far left side is communism. Everything right of the middle had 'conservative' over it and on the far right side is fascism.

A deeper understanding of political theory than what you got in POLS-105 might help you here. I'd love to help you out but I don't think you want to know.

Originally Posted by Mr. E

But, instead of arguing, let me just ask you this: Do you consider yourself a conservative or a modern conservative?

I might as well ask you if it's true that you no longer beat your wife. Get a grip.

Originally Posted by nine castles

A deeper understanding of political theory than what you got in POLS-105 might help you here. I'd love to help you out but I don't think you want to know.

I might as well ask you if it's true that you no longer beat your wife. Get a grip.

Politics is not my strong suit, economics is, but nothing I could learn about politics would change any of my opinions whatsoever, just perhaps some of my terminology.

I'm going to ignore that last part, mainly because it is a ludicrously imperfect comparison. I actually have a pretty strong grip, and getting stronger. I've been slowly taking up rock climbing.

Originally Posted by nine castles

A deeper understanding of political theory than what you got in POLS-105 might help you here. I'd love to help you out but I don't think you want to know.

Nah, a good POLS-105 course would at least teach you about dual axis considerations of gov't -- I'm hoping you don't come out of intro with the belief that political action can be measured on a 2-dimensional continuum.

And now that I'm not drunk, Atmos, I haven't somehow missed that some people are content to sit back and let others take their licks. I am proposing that if you are willing to trade your own personal economic wellbeing for other people getting screwed, you're acting in an abhorrent amoral fashion. I'd also propose that this is largely due to you being fed the red, white, and blue from an early age much in the same way others are fed evangelical Christianity. But yeah, its easy to say "screw the other guy" when you're seated in a position of privilege.

That doesn't negate the fact that we're facing the worst crisis in years that will have real, embodied effects for some Americans -- even if they're the Americans you don't give two shits about.

It also requires a view of America as the center of the universe without attending to the other hundreds of companies that will take much bigger dumps as the result of our financial crisis.

But as long as you get yours, everything's cool, right?