So...anyway. HOW is a liberal/progressive SUPPOSED to live?

I pre-rinse my dishes before I load em into the electric dishwasher.

I own TWO SUV's (one was mom's, she died and does not drive it anymore. The other a friend let me buy off him - I want a smaller car but credit score sucks and I cannot buy one with a loan).

I smoke. Though I usually roll my own as it is about $1 pack versus $4+ a pack for regular smokes. I can roll a pack in 5 min - about the time it takes me to fire up the SUV and drive to the big corporate store that sells the big corporate brand smokes (oddly enough - mostly made in the USA, unlike many other things....)

I work for one of the largest banks in the US. And one with a history that is not always pleasant.

I home school.

I am a christian by choice.

I write code for both Unix and Windows based operating systems - so I guess I support Microsoft and SUN (I generally write code for Solaris version of Unix). I don't anything apple, including an IPOD.

I have a cell phone. I have two dogs I feed (money I could be spending on the homeless I guess).

I have health insurance (insanely priced, spend almost as much on it a month as I do my mortgage).


I am not sure what liberal credentials are supposed to be.

I support capitalism and socialism as existing together. Take care of the basic needs and allow people to prosper beyond that - but never forget what all of us humans need.

So how do we judge what a liberal is anyway? Is there a list I can download and check off each morning to ensure I am pure?

I want to fight for the poor - indeed I do. But I also want to have wealth. And I want others to have it as well. The peace of mind that comes from not worrying about having something shut off, being evicted, etc. I want that for me and everyone else.

I know not all people ARE equal. Some are mentally ill, some physically. But all are humans and should have some basic rights and have their basic needs met in the richest country on the planet.

We can have it all really - is that so bad??? Is there something wrong with establishing a base line for all our fellow humans and then allowing those who want more to get it and have it??

I almost bought an 11,000 sq ft mansion in Cambridge, Ohio. $189k. HUGE F'ing place, dirt cheap. Would that have erased my liberal leanings?

The only thing I can think of here is how some people use the Jesus quote: "Sell all you have and follow me" - which I think has been used poorly over the years.

We can put others' needs before our own, but there is no reason we cannot accomplish both - especially when you think about the fact we can go to the moon and send rovers to mars. We can do it all - with the right people and the right mindset in power.

middle aged, veteran, F150 pick up truck driven, grits eatin' country listenin' southern white male, What am I? Down here in the south they call me a "YELLOW DAWG" Democrat and proud of it. So much for stereotypes!

maybe???

That's all that matters. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else, so YES, please keep paying your health insurance and utility bills.

We all have to make choices based on our circumstances. No one can judge those choices, but of course people often try.

I would make different choices if I were in your circumstances (as I understand them). For example, I would sell the SUV's and buy one car with better fuel economy. Or if I couldn't accomplish that, I would try to minimize my impact by planning my trips in advance, exploring public transportation for my daily commute, etc.

If you make different choices, that's your business. No one choice makes you liberal or conservative. Even the few choices you've talked about don't automatically make you liberal or conservative. I could argue that your working at the evil bank is taking money from them that they might otherwise use for devious purposes! :)

In my life, I have found that the more I know - the more I learn about the world - the choices I make change.

I had a staunchly vegetarian roommate in college who was always trying to push people to accept her choices, and it really taught me a lot about resisting the temptation to make other people make the same choices that I have made. It doesn't work.

I don't share your philosophy about being wealthy. Instead, I want everyone to have ENOUGH and no one to have TOO MUCH until everyone has ENOUGH.

We'll kill the other planets later.
:eyes:

be having fun".

Now and then it seems to be the definition of liberal too. :-(

:sarcasm: