Why do I keep questioning my liberalism?

Post Reply New Topic

I like most of ideas supported by liberals, and I find most of conservative people boring, but I constantly question my liberal views. I'm secretely an edgy liberal, but for some reason I try to cater to conservatives.

It seems that I'm just trying too hard not to offend anyone, so I identify as a centrist. But in reality my views are more leftist. I would never want to marry a traditional conservative woman, I just find them boring and submissive most of the time. Feminists are so much more fun to be around. I always want to treat my girlfriend as equal partner. Feminists also tend to be smarter than super conservative women and I like smart girls.

I would never want to live a traditional conservative lifestyle, so I don't know why am I so ashamed of my liberal values. I guess I was hanging around conservatives for a too long time, and I learned to fit in among them, even though I don't really fit in there. I get along better with liberals.

I thought that identifying as a centrist would make it easier for me to get along with everyone, but I learned that it doesn't work like this. Liberals are triggered by my pro-conservative opinions and conservatives are triggered by more pro-liberal opinions. So everyone is triggered.

I think I will just start identifying openly as a liberal because at heart I'm closer to liberals.

I like a few of conservative ideas, but I'm mostly liberal.

I'm just a kind of liberal who is not hostile towards conservatives and who tolerates their views. I'm just a pro-free speech liberal. I thought that you can't be on the left and pro-free speech, but that's what I am.

You don't have to be centrist or right wing to be pro-free speech.

Conservative and Liberal are not opposites of each other. They often overlap.

Yeah I guess you are right, so maybe I'm a conservative liberal.

How does being a conservative liberal translate to the left-right spectrum? Being a centrist?

Maybe Classical Liberal? I don't really buy into the left wing right wing thing however.

Maybe you know deep down that having the government steal wealth from those who have earned it, to give to those who have not, is wrong? If you're going to steal, you should at least have the courage to do it yourself, giving your targets a sporting chance to shoot you dead.

I don't know whether you'll understand these analogies, but George Osborne is a good example of a conservative liberal. In favour of free markets and free people (like a liberal), but not remotely radical and very much against the welfare state (like a conservative). Contrastingly, people like David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Mitt Romney could be described as liberal conservatives. Osborne takes a conservative approach to the liberal tradition; Cameron takes a liberal approach to the conservative tradition.

Also, note that freedom of speech is a left-wing value. Of course people from all over the political spectrum claim to believe in it, but in practice it has traditionally been the left who have stood up for freedom of expression, and today we find that the centre-left are the group most keen to defend freedom of speech (closely followed by the centre-right).

In order to describe your views, I'd need to know what they were. "A mix of left and right" could describe all sorts of belief systems, from homophobic Marxists to libertarians.

I would say free speech is neither a right wing or left wing value. I would say supporting free speech is a self interest issue any reasonably smart person can see the political climate can change and laws against free speech can easily be used against them.