- 07 Dec 2011 22:27
#13847053
I have talked to a lot of (American) conservatives in my day and it seems one thing I have noticed is that conservatives seem to think that anything that is not ultra-conservative is automatically liberal. For instance, I call myself a centrist and when I describe such views to my liberal friends they give it to me that I am a centrist and not "one of them" but if I describe my views to conservatives they usually say I am liberal.
For instance, I support an individual right to own guns but reasonable restrictions like background checks and registration requirements. Liberals grant this to be centrist but conservatives say it is ultra liberal.
I oppose government run health care, instead I favor a national health insurance policy with private delivery, something along the lines of France, as opposed to the Beveridge system of England with public hospitals and what not. Liberals grant this to be centrist, whereas to conservatives it is "socialist."
I oppose gay marriage and favor civil unions. Liberals grant this to be centrist. Conservatives think it is liberal.
I oppose socialism and free market capitalism, favoring capitalism with reasonable regulations. Liberals grant this to be centrist but conservatives always say it is liberal if described in any greater detail beyond the surface.
I just don't get it, here I am as a pro-life moderate who opposes affirmative action and accepts the necessity of restricting immigration yet time and time again conservatives are always calling me liberal even though I am not, whereas liberals give credit to my views for what they actually are. Liberals do not see me as one of them, but conservatives always seem to see me as a liberal. Why? Why is everything that isn't ultra-conservative automatically far left?
Additionally, why is it that conservatives in America always think they are the victims? America is the most right-wing country in the industrialized world yet conservatives act like unless it is totally their way, we are living in a dystopian socialist society. I don't get it. Additionally the whole media hates conservatives (even though only MSNBC seems to display a liberal bias, and its bias is not as strong as FOX's) and all professors are immediately biased against conservative students (even though I went to a public university back when I was a libertarian conservative fully expecting my views to be ripped apart by radical socialist aging hippie professors and found no such thing). Basically anybody who is not out preaching ultra-conservatism is a socialist, there is absolutely no middle ground. Why? Why? WHY???
For instance, I support an individual right to own guns but reasonable restrictions like background checks and registration requirements. Liberals grant this to be centrist but conservatives say it is ultra liberal.
I oppose government run health care, instead I favor a national health insurance policy with private delivery, something along the lines of France, as opposed to the Beveridge system of England with public hospitals and what not. Liberals grant this to be centrist, whereas to conservatives it is "socialist."
I oppose gay marriage and favor civil unions. Liberals grant this to be centrist. Conservatives think it is liberal.
I oppose socialism and free market capitalism, favoring capitalism with reasonable regulations. Liberals grant this to be centrist but conservatives always say it is liberal if described in any greater detail beyond the surface.
I just don't get it, here I am as a pro-life moderate who opposes affirmative action and accepts the necessity of restricting immigration yet time and time again conservatives are always calling me liberal even though I am not, whereas liberals give credit to my views for what they actually are. Liberals do not see me as one of them, but conservatives always seem to see me as a liberal. Why? Why is everything that isn't ultra-conservative automatically far left?
Additionally, why is it that conservatives in America always think they are the victims? America is the most right-wing country in the industrialized world yet conservatives act like unless it is totally their way, we are living in a dystopian socialist society. I don't get it. Additionally the whole media hates conservatives (even though only MSNBC seems to display a liberal bias, and its bias is not as strong as FOX's) and all professors are immediately biased against conservative students (even though I went to a public university back when I was a libertarian conservative fully expecting my views to be ripped apart by radical socialist aging hippie professors and found no such thing). Basically anybody who is not out preaching ultra-conservatism is a socialist, there is absolutely no middle ground. Why? Why? WHY???