RateItAll: The Opinion Network

I'm an independent, but I agree more with the right than the left.

I am so far to the right I just hope I don't wind up around the other side and end up like one of the guys from Montana in a militia or something.

I'm a fiscal conservative, unlike the current presidential administration (at least as evidenced by their deficit managment). Apart from that I'm a pragmatic Liberal, although I am far too cynical from working in politics to have much faith in the practical application of political ideology. Like Enkidu, I have serious questions regarding most RIA reviewers understanding of conservatism and liberalism. Given the knee-jerk garbage both sides spout on here, most couldn't tell a conservative from a catfish or a liberal from a ling-cod.

Not firebrand conservative on the one hand, nor moderate-conservative on the other. I mainly believe in limited government and as much personal liberty as possible.

I describe myself as conservative for the most part, with moderate views on some issues.

I was searching for logical, accommodating, intuitive moderate who understands everyone else's views and never offends them with his own but I couldn't find it. I guess this is close enough.

US Conservatism appears to be far more rightleaning than the Conservatives here in Europe and strangely, here in the UK, Blair is behaving like a right wing socialist. (His party is meant to be socialist)That's how grey true life is..it's not black and white. Briefly, here's a rough guide to the parties at home (if anyone is interested): BNP: Rightwing party wanting Britain back for the British. It doesn't want to be part of the Bush regime, nor the EU except for certain Christian countries. UKIP: wants nothing to do with the EU or the Euro, hates muslims and wants to line up with the Christian groups in the States even though very few people go to church in the UK. Conservative: wants to work on a pick and mix basis with the EU, may limit immigration but won't stop it, wants to decrease taxes and increase pension rights, not a fan of the NHS but wants to keep it but in a reformed state, other worthwhile goals, cool on homosexuality but not against, now angry at the UK's involvement in Iraq. Liberal Democrats: Hot on education and increasing taxes to pay for it, firmly for the EU and against the Iraq war, freedom and equality for everyone and a high standard of living, prefers multilateral arrangements, Greens: well, you can guess that one. Labour: Originally a socialist, inclusionist party, against management, for the unions, immigration always increases whenever they are in power, supports the NHS but wastes millions of taxes that they forever raise to pay for it; however, Blair has turned it into a rightwing party, still the same Labour probs but now aligned to neo-conservative values, privatise everything but still charge high taxes - the Conservatives now seem less conservative than this bunch...Socialist workers party: extreme left wing party. There you have it. So how two parties can represent everyone, I have no idea. Maybe we should pick and mix the best solutions to run the country from all parties...generally most people would like to tread a 'centre' path.

Obviously it's a terrible ideology to be associated with. Oh really Chauncey. And I suppose the liberal ideology is great, right? Well, I didn't know ideology that doesn't allow letting criminals who kill many innocent people get away with only life in prision was terrible. I didn't know that ideology which protects a persons 2nd amendment rights was terrible. I didn't know not being helpless and not removing our missile defense system was terrible. I'm proud to belong to this so-called terrible ideology because if it weren't for conservatisim, the US would have become a third world nation a long, long time ago.

That is about 99% me. The rest I'm working on.

I don't believe that these labels really should apply to anyone. You shouldn't buy ideological thinking lock, stock, and barrel. There are many sides to different political issues and they aren't addressed by means that can be characterized as conservative or liberal. I hate to typecast my political beliefs, but if I were to define myself politically, I would say that I'm a conservative. A good political system promotes stability but yet is reactive to natural change in society. I really consider myself a true conservative, not a neo-conservative or any other variant. One of my favorite political philosophers is Edmund Burke, the father of the modern conservatism. He was a British Member of Parliament during the the late-18th Century who was a strong critic of the methods used by the Jacobins during the French Revolution. He believed that political change happens not from the top down but from the bottom up. People must demand change, not a small group of elites in society. That's why ultimately the French and Soviet Revolutions were doomed to fail. As opposed, the United States withstood the test of time because it was by and large a populist revolt led by yes some elites in society. The key was that the people asked for change, there was an element of hubris in the other two revolutions. Prudence in the policy making process is key. Instability should be prevented; that causes a nation to lose a level of legitimacy. That means taking steps to make sure the government balances it's budget every year, that makes sure that the government is close to the people and not just representative of powerful interests. That is why smaller government is better; it ultimately allows for more accountability, something which is necessary in our system. Conservatism is about advocating government which doesn't simply spend our future away in worthless ventures. Generally, I consider myself a fiscal conservative and socially moderate to liberal. This is a good balance; it allows for the realization that change is a part of any dynamic society yet at the same time it acknowledges the need for maintaining legitimacy through a healthy fiscal policy.

Conservatives often have the idea of looking to what we are currently doing, and looking to the past for answers. Where as, liberals want to make change, bravely strike out where no one has gone before. While both of these ideas are good, I think that when it comes to how a government acts conservatism is the best of these ideas, cuz if it has been done before, and it worked, then it should work again if it is done again. This sort of falls into the idea that if it is not broke, don't fix it. You can call me backwards, but thats what I think.

I am definitely a liberal, not a conservative. I do not support the president's policies, nor his views on the Bill of Rights, guns, and everything else.

I do have some conservative ideas like smoking is unhealthy, being promiscious is not good for your health, and drunk drivers should be punished heavily. I do think Bush is an allright president. I do also think that guns should be legal. However, the fact on the basis of censorship I do not believe in. I would never put a blanket over a nude painting or photograph. I respect art.

I will be a conservative until God strikes me dead!

moderate conservative would probably be more accurate.

Just as I am a liberal in some ways, I am also conservative in others. I have a very strong moral code that I stick too feverishly. I believe that profanity is the language of the senseless. I believe that drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes are useless, body-destroying substances that should be thrown off of the face of the planet (a little liberal thinking there, huh? :)) I believe that women should be placed on a pedastal. They should not be objectified like useless pornography does, but treated with respect. I believe that manners are important and everyone should think before they act. In short, I have conservative morals, but liberal political ideas.

I am an enthusiastic conservative and a Bush Republican. Ha ha! April Fool's!

I'm a strong believer in individual responsibility, which is commonly claimed as a conservative value (though it is also the core value of what is known as classical, or philosophic Liberalism -- how many people writing reviews on RIA really have an understanding of what liberal and conservative mean, either today, or in history?) Some of my ideas of fiscal responsibility also might rate as conservative (e.g. I think balanced budgets are good, both in personal life and for the government). Other than that I'm a screaming liberal.

Oops...I guess I didn't read this right at all when I did the last review...I thought we were reviewing LadyShark...but anyways, I think I am barely conservative.....

Conservatives have some positive attributes. They are quite recalcitrant when it comes to political, social and economic change, but I do believe that the stability of the country is what is most important to them even if some of their methods and reasons for maintaining that stability are antiquated. Of course with the economic chaos in America right now some liberalization in the conservative camps would not hurt.