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How Liberal Are You?


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2010 May 2, 9:05am   15,442 views  85 comments

by PeopleUnited   ➕follow (2)   💰tip   ignore  

Wikipedia says "Liberalism (from the Latin liberalis, "of freedom"[1]) is the belief in the importance of liberty and equality... ...The revolutionaries in the American Revolution and the French Revolution used liberal philosophy to justify the violent overthrow of tyrannical rule, paving the way for the development of modern history in tandem with liberal history.... ....Words such as liberal, liberty, and libertarian all trace their history to the Latin liber, which means "free"... ....Liberal could refer to "free in bestowing" as early as 1387, "made without stint" in 1433, "freely permitted" in 1530, and "free from restraint"—often as a pejorative remark—in the 16th and the 17th centuries."

At the core, liberalism is about what you would or would not allow.

Would you allow corporations to contribute to political campaigns?
Would you allow corporations to dictate their own salaries and bonuses?
Would you allow federal workers to have a union?
Would you allow medical doctors to practice without a license?
Would you allow citizens to seek medical care from a "doctor" who does not have a license?
Would you allow people to eat food that is known to cause disease if consumed in excess?
Would you allow people to consume in excess?
Would you allow businesses to sell to people in excess of their needs?
Would you allow a wealthy person to live in luxury while their neighbor goes without?
Would you allow police to ask for proof of citizenship/visa?
Would you allow police to create random checkpoints for drugs or drunk drivers?
Would you allow US military to attack and occupy foreign nations?
Would you allow US military to detain foreigners for extended periods with no trial?
Would you allow people to carry concealed weapons?
Would you allow people to use narcotics?
Would you allow people to use alcohol?
Would you allow people to sell alcohol?
Would you allow people to sell narcotics?
Would you allow people to manufacture their own alcohol?
Would you allow people to manufacture their own narcotics?
Would you allow government to restrict travel?
Would you allow people to travel without restriction?
Would you allow public nudity?
Would you allow burning of the American Flag?
Would you allow cruelty to animals?
Would you allow people to express racism, bigotry etc...?
Would you allow the government to punish people based not on what they do but an opinion of why the did it?
Would you allow someone to see you naked as a requirement for your free travel?
Would you allow corrupt and/or bankrupt corporations to fail?
Would you allow the government to take money from savers/workers to bail out speculators?
Would you allow people to smoke?
Would you allow people to smoke in public?
Would you allow tobacco ads on TV?
Would you allow alcohol ads on TV?
Would you allow prescription drug ads on TV?
Would you allow nudity on TV?
Would you allow pornography on TV?
Would you allow pornography on network/public TV?
Would you allow people to educate their children free from government interference?
Would you allow people to seek the medical treatment of their choice?
Would you allow parents to seek the medical treatment of their choice for their own children?
Would you allow the free exercise of religion?
Would you allow the right to bear arms?
Would you allow the right to bear any and all arms?
Would you allow government to require background checks as a stipulation for acquiring the right to bear arms?
Would you allow government to require registration as a stipulation for retaining the right to bear arms?
Would you allow people to not buy health insurance?
Would you allow people to not save for retirement?
Would you allow people to opt out of government entitlement programs?
Would you allow states to succeed from the union?
Would you allow a private bank to debase the currency?
Would you allow citizens to establish their own currency?
Would you allow people to prohibit homosexuals in their place of business?
Would you allow homosexuals to refuse to hire heterosexuals at their place of business?
Would you allow Muslims to refuse to hire Jews?
Would you allow people to refuse to join the military?
Would you allow people to work for a wage that is acceptable to them without interference from the government?
Would you allow businesses to refuse to pay "minimum" wage?
Would you allow people to work for benefits that are acceptable to them (including none) without interference from the government?
Would you allow government to take money from workers in the form of payroll and income taxes?
How much money would you allow government to take from workers in the form of payroll and income taxes?
How much would you allow government to restrict travel?
How much would you allow government to tell parents how to educate their children?
How much would you allow government to restrict what companies can sell or do?
How much would you allow government to dictate the rules and choices of the people?
How much salt would you allow people to eat?
How much beer would you allow people to drink?
How much meth would you allow people to do?
How much hate speech would you allow people to do?
How much money would you allow businesses to make?
How much money would you allow wealthy people to have/keep?
How religious would you allow people to be?
How much time on the internet would you allow?
How much of a carbon footprint would you allow?
How much liberty would you allow?
How liberal are you?

« First        Comments 57 - 85 of 85        Search these comments

57   tatupu70   2010 May 8, 11:33pm  

AdHominem says

Right now, in America you are free to buy or not buy health insurance. If you choose to buy health insurance, you agree to let someone else decide what treatment is covered. If you choose not to buy health insurance you are free to decide what treatment you will pay or not pay for.
Would you prefer that we nationalize health insurance or health care so that someone else makes decisions about your health?

That is really a dumb post. Under all those scenarios, you are free to seek treatment or not--you have the ultimate control. The only difference is who pays for it.

In the first scenario--large profit maximizing companies decide whether or not to pay for your treatment. Or you can pay for it out of you pocket.

In the second scenario--you pay for everything out of your own pocket, assuming you can afford the treatments..

In the third scenario--it depends on which system would be implemented, but it would probably be Drs. deciding whether or not your treatment is covered. Or you could pay for it out of your pocket as in the other two scenarios.

Does that help your understanding AdHom?

58   jkl   2010 May 9, 2:00am  

liberal and conservative are pigeon hole categories, and i can't honestly see how any free thinking individual would allow themselves to be thrown into either hole, how about thinking for yourself for a 'change'

59   elliemae   2010 May 9, 3:04am  

surfingerman says

liberal and conservative are pigeon hole categories, and i can’t honestly see how any free thinking individual would allow themselves to be thrown into either hole, how about thinking for yourself for a ‘change’

Careful - the Bobsey triplets will attack you and claim that you're nazi-like. Dunno why... must make them feel better about themselves.

60   jkl   2010 May 9, 5:02am  

every time i get called a nazi i wear it as a badge of honor, everything in the world is nazi apparently.. or so i have learned over the past few years

61   jkl   2010 May 9, 5:06am  

lets se, against illegal immigration.. nazi against soicalist health care.. nazi check, support govt health-care.. nazi check, obama bails out banks and corporations, nazi check, im more interested at this point at what isn't nazi , i don't think anyone knows

62   PeopleUnited   2010 May 9, 5:23am  

tatupu70 says

AdHominem says

Right now, in America you are free to buy or not buy health insurance. If you choose to buy health insurance, you agree to let someone else decide what treatment is covered. If you choose not to buy health insurance you are free to decide what treatment you will pay or not pay for.

Would you prefer that we nationalize health insurance or health care so that someone else makes decisions about your health?

The only difference is who pays for it.
In the first scenario–large profit maximizing companies decide whether or not to pay for your treatment. Or you can pay for it out of you pocket.
In the second scenario–you pay for everything out of your own pocket, assuming you can afford the treatments..
In the third scenario–it depends on which system would be implemented, but it would probably be Drs. deciding whether or not your treatment is covered. Or you could pay for it out of your pocket as in the other two scenarios.
Does that help your understanding AdHom?

Lets see if this helps your understanding tat:

like you said the only difference is who pays for it, but that makes all the difference doesn't it.

Under the third system the citizen's savings/earnings are involuntarily confiscated.

Not very liberal is it? How liberal are you?

63   bob2356   2010 May 9, 5:26am  

AdHominem says

If you choose not to buy health insurance you are free to decide what treatment you will pay or not pay for.

What that actually means for the people who do not buy health insurance is that they are free to choose what treatment they pay for or what treatment they let everyone else pay for. That's the problem. If I knew that the people who didn't pay for health insurance weren't using mine instead, I wouldn't have a problem with the current system.

64   simchaland   2010 May 9, 11:57am  

It's irresponsible to own and operate a body without health insurance just like it's irresponsible to own and operate a car without auto insurance.

Car drivers without auto insurance force others to pay for their accidents instead of being responsibly covered in the case of a wreck.

People without health insurance force others to pay for their injuries and illnesses instead of being responsibly covered in the case of illness or injury.

More to the point, we all have a 100% fatal disease. It's called "life" and everyone has an expiration date. It costs money to die. When you die without health insurance it costs the taxpayers and people left behind to treat you in your final moments and then dispose of your body properly. If you are a responsible person, you get insurance to prepare for the inevitable.

65   tatupu70   2010 May 9, 12:19pm  

AdHominem says

Under the third system the citizen’s savings/earnings are involuntarily confiscated.

No they aren't. If the citizens elect officials who pass nationalized health care, then they've effectively made the choice to pay for healthcare... That's the way a republic works.

66   elliemae   2010 May 9, 1:00pm  

simchaland says

When you die without health insurance it costs the taxpayers and people left behind to treat you in your final moments and then dispose of your body properly. If you are a responsible person, you get insurance to prepare for the inevitable.

Health insurance doesn't pay for the disposal of a body after death, nor does healthcare reform require this be covered. Mortuaries usually serve community hospitals under a rotation basis- and if there's no other payment and for whatever reason the deceased doesn't qualify for burial assistance thru the county or state, the mortuary eats it.

Also - most people die with health insurance - Medicare. If you're over 65, you're covered.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but this is how the system works.

67   PeopleUnited   2010 May 9, 1:44pm  

bob2356 says

What that actually means for the people who do not buy health insurance is that they are free to choose what treatment they pay for or what treatment they let everyone else pay for. That’s the problem.

simchaland says

More to the point, we all have a 100% fatal disease. It’s called “life” and everyone has an expiration date. It costs money to die. When you die without health insurance it costs the taxpayers and people left behind to treat you in your final moments and then dispose of your body properly. If you are a responsible person, you get insurance to prepare for the inevitable.

What you are implying here taken to its logical conclusion is exactly what has happened in other totalitarian regimes. You have defined life in terms of dollars and cents, combined with "obligations" to society.

Under this mindset it is perfectly reasonable to tax people to pay for their own and others "health care" if they are irresponsible enough to refuse to save for themselves. Taken to the logical conclusion you will begin to exterminate those who do not or will not "contribute to society," and if extermination is not politically correct perhaps you should just strip them of their citizenship as Kevin mentioned on another thread and then you can deport these people and treat them like the terrorist scum they are in camps like Gitmo, Gulags and Buchenwalds.

Not very liberal of you is it?

68   jkl   2010 May 9, 3:34pm  

their should be an exception if your net worth or assets are more than say 500,000, like in FL you don;t have to buy auto insurance if you place a surety bond or have a high net worth.. why would a multi-millionare want auto insurance? or health insurance? he can pay for anything that goes wrong ten times over

69   simchaland   2010 May 10, 2:37am  

elliemae says

simchaland says

When you die without health insurance it costs the taxpayers and people left behind to treat you in your final moments and then dispose of your body properly. If you are a responsible person, you get insurance to prepare for the inevitable.

Health insurance doesn’t pay for the disposal of a body after death, nor does healthcare reform require this be covered. Mortuaries usually serve community hospitals under a rotation basis- and if there’s no other payment and for whatever reason the deceased doesn’t qualify for burial assistance thru the county or state, the mortuary eats it.
Also - most people die with health insurance - Medicare. If you’re over 65, you’re covered.
I’m not trying to be difficult, but this is how the system works.

Yes and responsible people buy life insurance and/or pre-pay for their funeral arrangements so that their loved ones and society doesn't have to foot the bill.

So I agree with you on that one.

70   tatupu70   2010 May 10, 2:41am  

AdHominem says

Taken to the logical conclusion you will begin to exterminate those who do not or will not “contribute to society,

That's the "logical conclusion"? Maybe in your warped world...

71   bob2356   2010 May 10, 5:31am  

AdHominem says

Under this mindset it is perfectly reasonable to tax people to pay for their own and others “health care” if they are irresponsible enough to refuse to save for themselves

Please enlighten us as to what percentage of people without health care have enough in savings to pay out of pocket for a major event of cancer or heart disease.

72   PeopleUnited   2010 May 10, 2:18pm  

tatupu70 says

AdHominem says

Taken to the logical conclusion you will begin to exterminate those who do not or will not “contribute to society,

That’s the “logical conclusion”? Maybe in your warped world…

Please enlighten us then. What would you do with the hundreds of thousands who do not or will not work or pay taxes?

73   elliemae   2010 May 10, 2:25pm  

simchaland says

Yes and responsible people buy life insurance and/or pre-pay for their funeral arrangements so that their loved ones and society doesn’t have to foot the bill.

Sounds good - but I see many instances of mortuaries selling VERY (sorry to yell) expensive policies to people who can ill afford to do so. People on Social Security paying off a $20k funeral policy, when the family would have been satisfied with $2,000 simple burial with small service, in most cases. Depending upon where you live, a simple cremation costs anywhere from $300 to $1200. But the mortuaries sell expensive policies designed to play on the emotions of the patients.

And life insurance is just that - a policy that pays when someone dies. I've witnessed many cases of people who added their significant other or a child to the insurance policy as beneficiary, only to have that person refuse to pay for burial expenses. The beneficiary is under no obligation to pay for the burial - and when other family members get involved, the prices of the burial/funeral can skyrocket. Why should the beneficiary pay for a burial, when the patient could have purchased a burial plan if that was their goal?

So many issues. I didn't even discuss the huge commissions paid to salesmen of these policies.

74   tatupu70   2010 May 10, 9:23pm  

AdHominem says

Please enlighten us then. What would you do with the hundreds of thousands who do not or will not work or pay taxes?

You help them so that in the future they will work and pay taxes.

75   simchaland   2010 May 11, 10:08am  

elliemae says

Sounds good - but I see many instances of mortuaries selling VERY (sorry to yell) expensive policies to people who can ill afford to do so. People on Social Security paying off a $20k funeral policy, when the family would have been satisfied with $2,000 simple burial with small service, in most cases. Depending upon where you live, a simple cremation costs anywhere from $300 to $1200. But the mortuaries sell expensive policies designed to play on the emotions of the patients.

That's why you do your homework and pre-pay when you are still of able mind and body. You don't wait until you are dying to plan for your own funeral. Everyone should consider planning for the inevitable because it's only logical. Leaving it for the last minute when everyone is sick and emotional is irresponsible. Of course, you're leaving yourself open to crooked mortuary companies in that case. Plan now, while you're still able to think clearly.

elliemae says

And life insurance is just that - a policy that pays when someone dies. I’ve witnessed many cases of people who added their significant other or a child to the insurance policy as beneficiary, only to have that person refuse to pay for burial expenses. The beneficiary is under no obligation to pay for the burial - and when other family members get involved, the prices of the burial/funeral can skyrocket. Why should the beneficiary pay for a burial, when the patient could have purchased a burial plan if that was their goal?
So many issues. I didn’t even discuss the huge commissions paid to salesmen of these policies.

The life insurance isn't necessary to bury the dead. It's to enable your dependents to continue living a lifestyle that they would have had if you had lived. If you have a bunch of debt and don't care about your lover, husband, wife, kids, then don't get life insurance.

And not all salesmen are on the take. You need to do your homework while you are still of able body and mind. That's what responsible people do.

76   elliemae   2010 May 11, 1:32pm  

Commissions are built into the policies. Prepaid burial plans are death policies too, high commission. Life insurance is a way to provide for people after you die - but it's important to keep up with the policies to make sure they reflect the changes in your life.

77   RayAmerica   2010 May 12, 1:58am  

elliemae says

Life insurance is a way to provide for people after you die

Once again, proof a liberal can make deep, profound observations.

78   simchaland   2010 May 12, 6:53am  

RayAmerica says

elliemae says


Life insurance is a way to provide for people after you die

Once again, proof a liberal can make deep, profound observations.

Once again a conservative is showing his ability to state the obvious without actually understanding what the obvious means.

79   RayAmerica   2010 May 12, 7:33am  

simchaland says

Once again a conservative is showing his ability to state the obvious without actually understanding what the obvious means.

I get dissed even when I pay a compliment to a liberal.

80   elliemae   2010 May 12, 12:57pm  

RayAmerica says

You really need to follow what others think of you and quit taking yourself so seriously. Laughter is a wonderful thing. I laugh at your posts all the time and for that, I thank you.

It's good to have a sense of humor - but it's more than a bit pathetic when you're the butt of the joke and you don't know it, rayray. Yea, I'm talking to you - and your approval of my post was so awesome! I did the happy dance, knowing that you like me - right now, you really like me!

81   RayAmerica   2010 May 14, 2:21am  

elliemae says

It’s good to have a sense of humor - but it’s more than a bit pathetic when you’re the butt of the joke and you don’t know it, rayray. Yea, I’m talking to you

Insult #501 from ellie "I never insult anyone" mae. Pretty funny that you always imagine yourself being "attacked" when you're the one doing the attacking. What exactly is the name of the complex you're suffering from?

82   simchaland   2010 May 14, 4:37am  

RayAmerica says

elliemae says


It’s good to have a sense of humor - but it’s more than a bit pathetic when you’re the butt of the joke and you don’t know it, rayray. Yea, I’m talking to you

Insult #501 from ellie “I never insult anyone” mae. Pretty funny that you always imagine yourself being “attacked” when you’re the one doing the attacking. What exactly is the name of the complex you’re suffering from?

Pot calling kettle... Come in kettle, it's pot...

83   elliemae   2010 May 14, 7:18am  

Pot would make him easier to understand. Or 'shrooms. My favorite part is that he misses the hidden references.

There's no such thing as an exchange of ideas with rayray - it must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room...

84   simchaland   2010 May 14, 7:22am  

elliemae says

Pot would make him easier to understand. Or ’shrooms. My favorite part is that he misses the hidden references.
There’s no such thing as an exchange of ideas with rayray - it must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person in the room…

Wait, you mean to tell me that there is actually "thought" involved for Rayray? When did this evolutionary leap happen?

85   elliemae   2010 May 14, 7:28am  

It was an obscure quote from the movie Broadcast News. It certainly applied here. Rayray's attacks on anyone with whom he disagrees (basically anyone with an independent opinion) are wearing - and appear to have driven away so many other posters.

Come back, little Sheba! We miss you all!

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