The political threads brought this on. Liberal - fears - religion - social program funding - pot stash Conservative - fears - taxes - biz and enviro regulations - "moral decline" Party funding Dem - trial lawyers - unions, esp public sector - ama - minority vote brokers Rep - Oil - Military - Accounting - religious right vote brokers Please give your own fear and greed list.
I fear flying, and I fear planes flying into buildings. I fear anyone who would want that to happen. I really cannot think of anything else I fear...that is IT!!! make it stop!!! oh, I also fear the wrath of heyschweetie.
Pasox2: I'm not sure I totally agree with your assessments of the various ideologies. Let me try my own. I'm not sure liberals fear religion. The traditional definition of the left would be the opposite of fascist. Most liberals fear the subversion of differing ideologies through the use of a single one. Religion sometimes can take a dictatorial position if applied incorrectly. So, liberals fear that their freedoms will be undermined by overly-harsh regimes. Most liberals I know ARE religious - either Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or Jewish. Jews, in particular, are mostly liberal in terms of their political alignment. As for "pot stash," I know lots of liberals who have never touched the stuff, myself included. Maybe better definitions here are: Fear: Restrictive Social Policy Desire: Open, progressive policy I don't think conservatives fear taxes. I just don't think they like them, especially when handed to social programs with which they disagree. I do agree they are not in favor of stringent regulation on business and they are concerned with a "moral decline" in America. Maybe more aptly stated: Fear: Lack of moral clarity in society Desire: Preserve and support tradition After all, the word "conserve" is in conservative. This isn't bad, but I think that you could also include environmental groups, consumer groups, farmers and the Jewish lobby. Ironically, democrats are still strong in states like Michigan and Idaho - industrial and farm communities - because of their ties to labor even though they have been positioned as the party of the "liberal elite." The biggies for Dems are the unions and the lawyers. They fully expect the dems to protect them if they financially support them. Generally good here too, though the military has no money to spend. I think you could replace both oil and weapons manufacturers with big business. The GOP is a wealthy party because of its ties to big business and the religious right, all of whom are, generally speaking, wealthy and willing to spend their money if it COULD mean influence. The biggest problem with either political or social ideology is that neither truly addresses the majority of Americans who sit in between the two extremes. That's why I've ALWAYS thought this country was ripe for a third party - one that balances the compassion and progressiveness of liberals and the pragmatism and traditional ideologies of conservatives. Unfortunately, no one has figured that one out yet.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Jeff. It just seems so much of the posturing from ideologues and pundits can be reduced to fear-mongering, ego-stroking and pollyanna-baiting. I think it's instructive to deconstruct the criticisms and assign the money source of a complaint. When something becomes an issue, there's usually an interested party driving the agenda.
I fear either side getting complete control of the House/Senate Exec. branch Democrats and Republicans act as their own system of checks and balances
1.Republicans in the whitehouse. (DAMN!) 2.Republicans in control of congress. 3.Rupublicans in control of anything.
There are only 2 things I fear and one of them is nuclear war... (what's the other?) Carnies...very small hands...smell like cabbage. Serious note: The only thing I take umbrage with is the thought that the big companies give to Republicans exclusively. They give to EVERYBODY. When there is a big vote coming up in Congress the corporate checkbooks open up to anybody (Republican or Democrat) who is in a position of influence regarding that committee. Need I remind again that 2 of the largest contributions from Enron went to Bentsen and Jackson-Lee?
If we're just talking politics, my fears are... * The dangerous, excessive, and growing political power of lobbyists. * Affirmative action, as I see it as building the walls higher when we should be tearing them down. * The increasing need for answers of any kind, in this case political, to be of the easy variety, preferably ready-made to fit into a soundbite.
That's true with Enron but that is because they were based in Houston. If you look at the big financial companies and energy industry giants, they far and away give more to the GOP. Check http://www.opensecrets.org/ . Of course, the Dems are no saints either. They'll take it wherever they can get it. They ALL peddle influence. It is the nature of politics, sadly.
Yup. That's why I'm in favor of campaign finance reform. Sadly, meaningful change will never occur so long as money is considered a form of speech.
Why? You have to understand that when an important vote comes up in Congress there are the potentially affected companies...checkbook open. The result is that what is best for the American people doesn't necessarily drive the vote.
Lol! No, I meant that you were starting to scare me by writing something I could have written myself. ( See no. 1 of my fears)
If someone could figger that one out, I would actually join a party...My philosophies do not fully align with either party...and the libertarians or the green party don't fully do it for me either.. So I end up having to pick and choose between the various candidates based on what little I can find out about them...which has become harder and harder since most of the time candidates don't talk about anything but what is wrong with their opponents. No talk about the issues, just mud-slinging.. Fear: Political figures deciding for me what and how to live my life...if what I am doin isn't hurting anyone, why tell me I can't do it...?
