What does it mean to be conservative or liberal?

JCricket · #1 12-10-2017, 12:09 PM

The question is not what does it mean to be republican or democrat. It is what does it mean to be conservative or liberal?

I went to the gun range this morning. It was an interesting experience. I go usually during the week mid day and it is kind of quiet. Today it was packed at opening.

Here is something that jumped out at me. Almost everyone there had trucks. Most of the truck were very loud(exhaust) and extremely flashy. They were lifted, oversize wheels. extra chrome and bug guards and tinted windows and ......... In a nut shell, they were trucks with attitude. Lets move onto the drivers. They were much the same. T-shirts and hats with strong messages. Most had some sort of camo or military look. If not they were darker colored clothes. Here again attitude. I kind of stood out like a sore thumb. Blue jeans, light colored polo, kakhi jacket and a bone stock f150. When I got into the range every person I saw was sporting either a massive handgun that was essentially black, or a tactical style rifle. Where was the old blued and walnut? My rifle was a vintage stevens .22lr, blued and walnut, some scuffs scratches, but an excellent shooting rifle. The few people who stopped to talk to me gave me the courteous "nice rifle" and moved on.

So what conclusions can a person draw from this? Probably not a lot, at least not definitively. I assume a large percentage of these folks were republican. BTW - the name of the range is "Bluecore Shooting center"

To me being conservative means having savings accounts, keeping the old truck running, spending money only when you need to, being quiet and reserved in your speech. It means taking a little bit slower approach to life.

Being liberal was more like what I saw today.

Just made me think about how much people have changed over the last 30-40 years.

So thoughts?

finnbow · #2 12-10-2017, 12:31 PM

In short, liberals welcome change and conservatives are frightened by it (and arm themselves accordingly).

CarlV · #3 12-10-2017, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnbow

In short, liberals welcome change and conservatives are frightened by it (and arm themselves accordingly).

That and IMO Republicans used to be for small as well as all businesses, but not anymore. A group of greed mongering Libertarians bought it. A fanboy name group still blindly vote against their own interests as they, GOP, are giving every last penny they can to themselves.
Dems used to be for unions and workers but they have been bought as well just not anywhere the scale of the GOP, nowadays the young millenials vote against Dems too and are voting away their futures and hopes of retirement with medical.
I'm neither, left of both and very happy with it. If I was going to raise a family I would learn a skill that would let me move to NW Europe and leave, preferably to my paternal grandfathers hometown of Copenhagen.

JCricket · #4 12-10-2017, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarlV

That and IMO Republicans used to be for small as well as all businesses, but not anymore. A group of greed mongering Libertarians bought it. A fanboy name group still blindly vote against their own interests as they, GOP, are giving every last penny they can to themselves.
Dems used to be for unions and workers but they have been bought as well just not anywhere the scale of the GOP, nowadays the young millenials vote against Dems too and are voting away their futures and hopes of retirement with medical.
I'm neither, left of both and very happy with it. If I was going to raise a family I would learn a skill that would let me move to NW Europe and leave, preferably to my paternal grandfathers hometown of Copenhagen.

Bullseye!!!!

The rich get richer. The working man works harder. And everyone is getting more and more angry and pointing fingers at each other while the real thieves make off with our childrens' future. The terms liberal and conservative are now used to keep us in a tribal camp and angry at each other so we cannot see the real thieves.

Dondilion · #5 12-10-2017, 02:16 PM

The Dems terribly undermined their argument when they used another member of the Clinton team.

BlueStreak · #6 12-10-2017, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dondilion

The Dems terribly undermined their argument when they used another member of the Clinton team.

Yeah, the one who learned her political chops from her rich Republican daddy and Barry Goldwater............

JCricket · #7 12-10-2017, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnbow

In short, liberals welcome change and conservatives are frightened by it (and arm themselves accordingly).

Interesting thought. I think it is correct in it's application, but I don't think it actually meats the Webster's definition of conservative vs liberal, so to speak.

BlueStreak · #8 12-10-2017, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCricket

Interesting thought. I think it is correct in it's application, but I don't think it actually meats the Webster's definition of conservative vs liberal, so to speak.

The Websters definition no longer applies as so many "Conservatives" I meet these days have no clue what Conservatism actually is. They seem to think it's the GOP that wants to protect the social safety net and legalize marijuana ferfuksake.