I've always been called a "liberal"

[Sematary]

I've been posting on political forums for alot of years. In fact, some of you may have been in grade school when I started doing this. For all of those years, posting on "conservative" political forums, and being the voice of smaller government and non-interventionism, I have been called a "liberal" and - believe me - much worse. But, I've endured the ridicule, and the hatred and the laughter, because I know that I am NOT a liberal, but am - really, a conservative, of the type that Barry Goldwater would be proud. I believe in small government - and non interventionism in the personal lives of the people (aka - you and me). I believe in non-interventionism on a global scale and I believe in limited government in our personal lives - a libertarian view - a conservative view. I have accepted this label as a "liberal" with honor because I know that the "conservatives" are no longer conservatives but are instead, fascists and socialists. I have accepted this label because I know that "liberals" are not liberals, but are, instead, socialists. Conservatives have become fasicsts and "liberals" have become socialists. I proudly call myself a "liberal" because in the classical sense, I am. A liberal wants change. A liberal wants equality for all - but not through government writ. A liberal wants his government to be something we don't have to think about. THAT is why I am a liberal - yet, a conservative, that I hope Barry Goldwater would be proud of.

[PimpBlimp]

People are dumb, what else can I tell ya?

[hawkeyenick]

libertarian

[hambone1982]

Word

[jumpyg1258]

I still get called a liberal when I clearly state to people that I am libertarian.

[Ron Paul Fan]

We have not left the conservatives. The conservatives have left us.

[N13]

Radical

[ThePieSwindler]

The word liberal has been perverted in America. In other nations, what we call libertarians would be considered liberals, for the most part. Its just that here, FDR took the word and made it into something that meant big government and "social justice" and "moving forward" into such a government. Liberal and conservative always have different contexts in different places at different times.

[nist7]

The meaning of the labels conservative and liberal have changed over the years. Ron Paul is what we would call a classical liberal. The modern liberal label has been perverted by socialists.


18th Century England: Conservative = monarchist big gov./feudalism/temporal powers of church: Liberal = small gov./limited gov./free market/individual rights, source of phrase "liberal democracy" (small limited gov. democracy) and liberalized trade (free trade) and European "liberal" parties refer to small-gov. history (if not always to current policy).

American Founders = liberal (original meaning), so, unlike Europe, America started liberal (no feudalism). Historians who say Founders were conservative refer to conserving 18th-Century English liberalism after Britain ended Salutary Neglect (deregulation/small gov.) to increase centralization/regulation/taxation on the colonies.

20th-Century American leftists/socialists perverted popular term liberal into liberal = big gov./unfree markets/centralization so old liberals (small gov.) switched to term conservative as in conserving original liberalism.

Modern confusion leads small-gov. folks to terms such as "neoliberal" or "classically liberal" or "libertarian" or now "paleoconservative" to distinguish from neocons who are more like 18th-Century European conservatives.

Meanwhile, the 20th-Century American "liberals" (big gov.) such as Hillary now call themselves "progressive" so they can ruin that term too.

Historically speaking, we're actually true liberals ;)

So confusing......lol

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=49624&highlight=18th

[hard@work]

You know guys ... when you have truth on your side you can throw it right back at them.

Just be clear, "you are not a real conservative". It's the truth.

[me3]

It's not just liberal, but conservative that gets tossed around like an epithet sometimes.

I'm not into labels. There is right and wrong, the shades in between are irrelevant.

[1town]

Well, I feel libertarians get alot of shit from both sides of the aisle, because we are against regulating most things. So a leftie might agree on the drug policy, but be against the 2nd amendment, while the rightie will be for the 2nd amendement, but against the drug policy.

The two wings want to control people in their own ways, and this freedom idea suits none of them.

[justinc.1089]

Ok if we look at a political view table chart thing this is where the labels fall as they are accepted in America today:

----------------------------------------------anarchy

-------------------------------------------libertarianism

-------------------------------liberalism-------------conservatism

communism/socialism-----------------centralism---------------neo-conservatism/fascism


-------------------------------totalitarianism/authoritarianism

(The dashes are just there to hold the spaces)


So since liberalism and conservatism are both close to the center they can be easily confused, and the meanings can change over time like we have seen mentioned here constantly. I think both of them being close to the center is also why we see lots of people that consider themselves liberals and lots of people that consider themselves conservatives supporting Paul. I think the truth is people see the same general meaning behind liberalism and conservatism, and just get caught up in the error each political thinking contains.

Sadly both of these are giving way to there extremes in America and many people are moving along with the change.

[Alex Libman]

The terminology is FUBAR. The opposite of liberal is illiberal! The opposite of conservative is reckless! There's no contradiction to being a "liberal conservative"!

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I've been called insane

[nist7]

I've been called insane

ha!

Ron Paul supporters have been called many names.....:o

[kojirodensetsu]

Well, I feel libertarians get alot of shit from both sides of the aisle, because we are against regulating most things. So a leftie might agree on the drug policy, but be against the 2nd amendment, while the rightie will be for the 2nd amendement, but against the drug policy.

The two wings want to control people in their own ways, and this freedom idea suits none of them.
Yes. I feel that too many times people just want things their way or the highway. That the country should feel how they feel. Which is why I think the libertarian party doesn't get that much support. Libertarianism takes ideals from both liberal and conservative, and people are just not willing to compromise. This is why I laughed when in a debate Hucklebee stated that the first thing he wanted to do was bring America together. Under his administration, to quote George Stephanopoulos, "that's not gonna happen."

[idiom]

Technically Ron Paul's platform is a radical or a constituional fundamental platform. It could also be classed as reactionary.