I wish liberals would be more consistent. I realize that conservatives aren't always consistent either, but at the very least most conservatives have a baseline of core beliefs. Liberals are slippery. They don't seem to have a baseline, or adhere to basic principles that guide them.
For example, a Republican President is responsible for gas prices, economic ups and downs, oil spills, hurricanes and scandals in the military. A Democrat President is subject to the whims of congress and almost everything is out of his control and therefore, he can't be held responsible for anything that happens while he is in office.
A conservative sees these viewpoints as contradictory, a liberal will argue both of these points in the same breath. I suppose it's easier to feel like you are winning your point when you can change your baseline assumptions that way.
Liberals seem to think that, even though the current administration was unable to influence the economy in any meaningful way, that more of the same policies will somehow work in the future. Although I'm sure we won't be able to hold them accountable for those policies if they fail again.
So what is the basic assumption? Are the President's policies pointless because they are always overtaken by circumstances beyond his control? Or are they vitally important because they determine the course of our country? The answer appears to be: sometimes the former and sometimes the latter. Depending on who the President is and what point you are trying to make.
For example, a Republican President is responsible for gas prices, economic ups and downs, oil spills, hurricanes and scandals in the military. A Democrat President is subject to the whims of congress and almost everything is out of his control and therefore, he can't be held responsible for anything that happens while he is in office.
A conservative sees these viewpoints as contradictory, a liberal will argue both of these points in the same breath. I suppose it's easier to feel like you are winning your point when you can change your baseline assumptions that way.
Liberals seem to think that, even though the current administration was unable to influence the economy in any meaningful way, that more of the same policies will somehow work in the future. Although I'm sure we won't be able to hold them accountable for those policies if they fail again.
So what is the basic assumption? Are the President's policies pointless because they are always overtaken by circumstances beyond his control? Or are they vitally important because they determine the course of our country? The answer appears to be: sometimes the former and sometimes the latter. Depending on who the President is and what point you are trying to make.
I think the real answer is that it depends on the President. A strong leader takes circumstances into account and moves his agenda forward as much as he can, a weak leader is overwhelmed by circumstances.
But as far as baseline assumptions go, I think a core conservative belief is that the government has a limited ability to make everyone's life fair and wonderful. A President really is not responsible for gas prices or the direction of the economy as a whole. He can move the country and the economy in a basic direction though. And it matters what policies he endorses because people who make decisions look to him for leadership. (There's that word again.)
Contrast this with the liberal belief that the government can eliminate inequality if they can just make enough smart laws and regulations. I find it so odd that believe so adamantly in the power of the government to make people's lives better can't seem to take responsibility when that power makes people's lives worse.
Contrast this with the liberal belief that the government can eliminate inequality if they can just make enough smart laws and regulations. I find it so odd that believe so adamantly in the power of the government to make people's lives better can't seem to take responsibility when that power makes people's lives worse.
So, to me, the difference in core beliefs is this: conservatives believe in only the amount of government necessary to ensure health and safety, enforcement of property rights and fundamental laws and a basic safety net for those who truly can't take care of themselves. Liberals believe that the government can "fine tune" laws and regulations to the degree that they can eliminate, for lack of a better word, unhappiness.
I'd like to see the Republicans start an ad campaign where they interview business people who are effected by all these little regulations. Like the hardware store that can't keep coffee and doughnuts out for their customers because of a regulation that says they have to have a full kitchen. Or someone who is holding off on hiring because of the tax or healthcare laws. Just show the effects of all the government interference.
