What kind of liberal am I?

Attacking the myths about liberals

1. They're for abortion.

No. Personally I'm against abortion. But what I'm for is giving ALL humans capable of making decisions the RIGHT to make decisions about their own bodies. It's between them, their healthcare provider, and their God. It has nothing to do with the rest of us.

2. They're for gun control.

If, by this, you mean, they're for people controlling their guns, yeah. I believe in safe, responsible gun ownership. AND the ability to hit one's target.

3. They're for rampant taxation.

Personally I prefer Intelligent Taxation. I want to see our money spent wisely, with all due consideration. I want to see schools built to code, with all the newest technology, but without the huge marble edifices (contractor boondoggle) that some people seem to think are necessary. A school needs to do what it's built to do--it doesn't have to look particularly pretty.

When I pass a road crew working, I want to see five people working and (at the most) ONE person watching...not the other way around.

Don't YOU?

4. They're for unlimited social programs.

I want to see social programs that MAKE SENSE. I want to see a safety net capable of catching someone who needs help, getting them back on their feet, and making them MORE productive members of society than they would have been without that assistance. I want to see welfare recipients go out and get a job that pays more into the system than it takes out.

I want to streamline programs, eliminate bureaucratic waste, and make them more easily reformed when necessary to deal with new developments and new technologies.

5. They're pacifists and appeasers.

Come say that to my face. ;) Seriously--I believe in restricting conflict to when it's absolutely necessary. War against an overt aggressor is one thing...war against a 'notion' or 'idea' is something else. Terrorists are criminals, not soldiers. One hunts them down, arrests them, indicts them, and puts them on trial. One does not attack a country allegedly hoping that all the terrorists flock there and die in glorious battle.

6. They're anti-business.

I'm anti-corruption. When the needs of businesses outweigh the needs of the people who SUPPORT those businesses--as employees or customers--I've got an issue with it. When legislation comes along that inflates profit at the expense of the taxpayers who keep businesses running, I'm against it.

7. They don't have any constructive ideas.

We have plenty of ideas. Ours just aren't delivered in bombastic fashion by a complicit media that prefers sensationalism to substance.

Liberal on social issues, Conservative on money issues....the new right is so far to the right that it has pushed most moderates into the liberal camp. The issues that unites us is the neocon/ fundamentalist mentality.

conservative. Very well put, Mythsaje.

I prefer the "Radical Middle" myself...

With a nod to Thom Hartmann for that particular phrase. LOL

I sometimes refer to myself as a "Teddy Roosevelt progressive."