Progressivism

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   chasingcarsposted 14 years ago

   Right wingers have called me a leftie and a lot of other names which they seem to feel are bad things;  on the contrary, I am an unrepentent leftie and proud of it.  I will not be "reframed" to suit your pre-concieved ideas of what a progressive/socialist/commie/pinko, etc . is, and I don't buy a whole-cloth dogma, but my progressivism is more an attitude of weighing each situation on its merits and considering  how the situation affects everyone involved, not just the insiders.  In short I will define myself, and I invite other lefties to do the same.  Turdblossom is not spoken here.
          I believe in the intellect and common sense of discarding failed experiments like our last 10 disastrous years of "free market" economy, in  listening to skilled intellectuals who work for everyone's best interest and whose common- sense approach to good government results in a healthy democracy for the common man.  (I know-- you righties have claimed the word "commonsense" for your own, but you have proven you have none.)
       I believe that in granting all citizens respect, the assurance of safety from the tyranny of a radical minority and the bully pulpit of wealth and political power, and a fair and level playing field, especially through the provision of a good education, we build a better nation and a more established democracy.  In other words, we progress and not regress to our bitter and wrong past mistakes. 
        Left-wing government is more democratic than a right-wing government.  We look out for everyone--even races you hate.  Too bad for you. 
        American capitalist are Darwinian and need no protection from the likes of you; they eat you for an appetizer.  Like you used to say to us "unpatriotic Americans" who fought the stupid and wasteful idea of the Iraq war, don't let the Statue of Liberty hit you in the ass on your way out to Nazi-land, and take your Confederate flag with you. (The Nazis were and are right-wingers--not communists--fact check.)
      I am more likely to stand by the defenseless rather than by the powerful bully;  I don't worship at the altar of financial wealth.  On one hand I care about the wealth inherent in having good health; on the other hand, I find that financial wealth is transitory and tends to build corrupting power in the wrong hands. 
       I search vigorously for the truth; I don't get my ideas from my back fillings like the screeching viragos Palin and Bachman, and I tend to tune ranters out.  I detest liars and cowards who hide behind a movement to destroy other people's reputations.
       I believe illegal immigrants are low-level criminals, but they don't deserve abuse anymore than any other human being.  If you want to solve most of the illegal alien problems, help Mexico become a prosperous nation.  We don't have much of a problem with the Canadian border.  We need to separate those who come because they think they can earn a better living here from the drug lords and terrorists who waltz freely across our borders.  By the way, since right-wing Arizona is probably armed like a third-world junta, why hasn't that stopped the kidnappings and why are you blaming the interfering government you hate so much for not protecting you?  And why are none of you hypocritical drug-users and arms traffickers not blaming yourselves for the criminal uptick?  Yes, I have gone to up-scale parties where I saw judges snorting coke.  Drug distribution is a problem of the upper class who has the money to purchase drugs. 
            I'll draw my own conclusions about right-wingers from observation and let you define yourselves, but I will define my own political position myself.  Not ashamed of it.  I still have a soul.

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      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "Left-wing government is more democratic than a right-wing government.  We look out for everyone--even races you hate.  Too bad for you.  "
      
      
      You're just another hysterical partisan given to assumption and hyperbole. Got it.

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2. 74

   Arthur Fontesposted 14 years ago

   I despise the whole right/left paradigm used to seperate us free born Americans.
   
   As a fellow American we do not need to disagree with each other simply by a self imposed label.  Your opinion is just as valid as anyone else's opinion.  You are also free to disagree with another's opinion without it turning into a personal issue.
   
   The individual is what counts, the true minority in this country.
   
   
   I have been a defender of the defenseless for as long as I can remember.

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   1. 67

      ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Ah but Arthur, it's important to realize that a Progressive doesn't believe in the individual.  In fact, you could characterize Progressiveism as the new aristocracy.  Progressives believe that only they know what the right thing to do is and that the "unwashed masses" need to be compelled to do the right thing.  I can think of fewer things that are as un-American as that belief.
      
      In that I find it strange that CS can believe that he believes in standing against the "tyranny of the minority" while supporting Progressive ideals.  Note also that he paints anyone who disagrees with him as a racist hater.  Basically it's a morally bankrupt Left who is trying desperately by pushing all the emotional buttons that have worked in the past in a frantic attempt to distract people from how badly they've screwed us.  It'll be interesting to see how people feel about left-wing Progressives in a year or so.

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         Arthur Fontesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I might disagree with a person but I disagree with a fellow human being, not a left wing commie socialist label of any kind.
         
         Labels create division simply by applying them.  It is hard to find common ground when we  stand on opposite ends of the field hating each other simply by what side of the field you choose to occupy.

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         1. 67

            ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            When labels are misconstrued, you're right.  However labeling things according to the definition is only telling the truth.  Saying a Progressive in a elitist is telling the truth.  The intellectual heyday of the Progressive movement was in the 1920's.  Read some of the contemporary works by the philosophical writers of the time.  Reading it after the fact of things like the gulags and Holocaust, what they wrote in the 1920's is rather chilling.
            
            Then there's George Bernard Shaw who felt that you had to go before a board every few years and had to justify your existence, otherwise you'd be killed.  He also wanted scientists to create a "humane" poison gas so those to be killed wouldn't suffer.

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            1. 74

               Arthur Fontesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I agree but in a civil discussion if you disagree with someone and your only rebuttal is "yeah that is because you are a North leaning thespian"  You are not going to be able to continue the conversation in a civil manner.

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                  ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Of course not, but that's only in situations where people aren't really interested in discussing things, but by trying to bully people into shutting up and sitting down and not to disagree with them.

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   goldenpathposted 14 years ago

   I know what's "progressive."  It is "progressively" depressing when running for the restroom and that golden palace seems to get farther and farther away.
   
   Calgon take me away!
   

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