Leaving before I get banned.

I was jokin' ... ;-)

I just saw this thread and I'm not going to take the time to read the previous pages. I just want to say to you Wilso...take a break if you really feel like you need to. I will miss you. I enjoy your posts and yours is a much needed voice here on A2K.

If you want, please check out some of the other 'light' topics. Please don't be away for too long.

Approx half the people on this thread are not US located. And certainly not the original poster.
We do try to balance the US-centric view of many!

Alas, we too, here in 'Merica, have cats . . . we desparately need some balance . . .

Liberals are our mainstream right. But they have moved more to the right recently - and are pretty conservative on social issues, as well as economic.

Thus they are now to the right of classic liberals on economic issues, and well to the right on social ones.

I have no idea what you are talking about, Dlowan. Our liberals in America are more "liberal" than they have been in the past couple decades, thanks to assimilation of socialist ideals from the cold war and European countries.

I find the terms "liberal or left" and "conservative or right" to be confusing because they change over time, and mean different things to different people.

I am not from America.

American politics are skewed welll to the right by world standards.

Liberals in most places are rightish. Only in the US - of "western democracies" - is liberal and left seen as in any way synonymous.

Have you missed the rest of the conversation on this thread?

I think, nimh has put it very nice ... and correct.


(Austria is center Europe, right? :wink: )

Have we all forgotten about Wilso?

Wilswho?

I've always thought of me as a liberal when by all your defs I am left of that. This and a five dollar bill will get me one decent loaf of bread here.

edit

sorry, duplicate post

Yes, we know, osso :wink:

Indeed, Set. And I'm a Brit, living in London.

KP

Details, details . . .


SueZ wants us all to sit down, shut up and listen . . .

<...singing...> "Oh, say can you see..."

Oh, sorry - I thought I had to be 'Murican to be here!

Good points from many, here, particularly nimh's postings on the difference between "liberal" and "left-wing" in European terms...I have a feeling that American political language (as I have experienced it) tends to confuse the two:

- social liberty to behave as one wishes (liberal/libertarian)
- redistributive economic policy (left/socialist)

Plently of the economic right believe in freedom of choice, particularly market freedom.

To re-iterate my views of the purpose of the left and right views of "freedom":

Right - believe in the freedom FROM imposed restrictions/regulations (and therefore reduce governmental intervention to a the minimum level required to prevent anarchy)
Left - believe in the freedom TO participate in all aspects of life (and therefore increase governmental intervention to promote the rights of those who would otherwise lack opportunity)

Very good to discuss terms without the attacks, here. The "Wilso memorial thread" is a good one!

KP

Rather appropriate, that, KP, given Wilso's signature line:

A liberal looks at those less fortunate and says "damn, I may have to give them some of mine".

A conservative looks at those less fortunate and says "damn, they may try to take some of mine"

sounds like the protocol for AIDS prevention.