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Char. Limit
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I just want to find the general feeling of Physics Forums.
Personally, I'm a centrist.
Personally, I'm a centrist.
Char. Limit said:Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once said, "We are the party of the extreme center, of the radical middle."
I think that sums it up pretty well.
Alfi said:What about independent?
or neither side is representative of one's views.Jamin2112 said:If you don't lean to one side or the other, you haven't looked into issues enough.
Jamin2112 said:If you don't lean to one side or the other, you haven't looked into issues enough.
Not necessarily. I was registered as a Republican for many years until Reagan showed his true colors by bloating government, engaging in deficit spending, a committing treason by selling missiles to Iran in order to finance a private war in central America. Since then, I still often vote for Republicans, but I don't register as one, nor will I support the party (either party, actually) with money.BobG said:(In fact, it would probably have been useful to have respondents identified. If turbo listed himself as a conservative and I listed myself as a centrist, then one of us has definitely made a mistake. :rofl: )
turbo-1 said:Not necessarily. I was registered as a Republican for many years until Reagan showed his true colors by bloating government,
engaging in deficit spending,
a committing treason by selling missiles to Iran in order to finance a private war in central America.
Since then, I still often vote for Republicans, but I don't register as one, nor will I support the party (either party, actually) with money.
I voted for Bill Cohen (GOP Senator, then Sec of Defense) at every opportunity. Conservatism in Maine is not the nationalistic pro-big-business stuff we see in DC every day.
It is far more pragmatic. For instance, some in the GOP (and in the Democratic party, who allowed it) seemed to think that it was perfectly OK to start a war against a country that had nothing to do with WTC attacks. Starting unnecessary wars is NOT conservative. It is nationalistic radicalism. Now we have a very badly weakened military, and we have National Guard units that are no longer positioned for disaster-recovery. Is that conservatism? Not in my mind.
A true conservative would do his/her best to see that middle-class and lower-class (economically) people would get favorable tax treatment, since they spend most of their disposable income and their consumerism is the engine behind economic growth in the US. Giving tax cuts to the wealthy,
and to businesses that export jobs overseas is NOT conservatism.
It is not rational behavior based on concern for the common good, but short-sighted bias to benefit the wealthiest and most powerful.
At least you used a smiley when you called me a communist. If you will look at the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, you will see that they are designed to give us a government that serves all of us, not just the politicians and the people who bribe them. If I am a commie for espousing those ideals, you have been drinking somebody's Kool-Aid.Nebula815 said:Depends. Also, one must be careful with that phrase, "the common good," Comrade
turbo-1 said:At least you used a smiley when you called me a communist. If you will look at the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, you will see that they are designed to give us a government that serves all of us, not just the politicians and the people who bribe them. If I am a commie for espousing those ideals, you have been drinking somebody's Kool-Aid.
turbo-1 said:A true conservative would do his/her best to see that middle-class and lower-class (economically) people would get favorable tax treatment, since they spend most of their disposable income and their consumerism is the engine behind economic growth in the US. Giving tax cuts to the wealthy, and to businesses that export jobs overseas is NOT conservatism. It is not rational behavior based on concern for the common good, but short-sighted bias to benefit the wealthiest and most powerful.
Nebula815 said:Reagan didn't bloat government. He wanted to cut a lot of government spending, and was criticized for the amount he was able to get cut. In fact, the establishment Republican party actually fought against him on some of this, because they were benefiting from some of the big-government he wanted to cut.
BobG said:There's at least three different Republican Party economic philosophies. I'm not sure which would be considered the "true conservative policy", but I'd guess Reagan's supply-side tax cuts for the wealthy and business wouldn't be it - or at least not the traditional conservative approach since it was still a very new Republican idea when Reagan ran in '80 (it started to become popular in the mid-70's).
1) Monetarism, or balanced budgets. The government should never spend more money than it takes in. I think this is the traditional conservative approach with no pre-determined doctrine over whether a specific tax increase/cut is worthwhile or not.
2) Keneysian tax cuts designed to increase demand. Tax cuts to middle class and lower income workers to increase disposable income that increases demand for products.
3) Supply-side economics with tax cuts designed to increase investment. Tax cuts to businesses/wealthy that increase the amounts of products created, thereby lowering prices and making them more affordable. This was Reagan's economy and, if the idea hadn't come along during double digit inflation, would have been laughed off the stage. Why would someone create a product if there weren't a demand for it just because it became cheap to produce?
Obviously, the supply-side idea is slightly oversimplified and it was a good tactic for its time, in spite of contributing to large budget deficits. I think it would be kind of foolish to declare "Reaganomics" a magic bullet that applies to normal economic situations.
Nebula815 said:Many conservatives say Barack Obama needs to copy Reagan with this economy, but I think Obama is facing a different kind of economic problem. I think he is wrong to pursue large amounts of spending and pursue regulations like carbon cap-and-trade/tax or let the EPA regulate, but otherwise, Barack Obama I do not think is faced with an economy that is, per se, over-taxed and over-regulated, as Reagan did, so it's not as if he can just cut taxes and deregulate as Reagan did and expect the same results ...
What's the difference between economic liberalism and "pro-big-business"? I'm certainly pro-business (big and small and in between), but not the twisted way that Democrats hatefully talk about. Which do you mean?turbo-1 said:Conservatism in Maine is not the nationalistic pro-big-business stuff we see in DC every day.
Talking about tax cuts as if they're something "given" by government is certainly not conservatism. It's propaganda intended to manipulate children and clueless adults.Giving tax cuts to the wealthy, and to businesses that export jobs overseas is NOT conservatism.
Jamin2112 said:There are only 2 sides of the political spectrum: "Conservative" and "Liberal" (with the modern meanings of the words).
Things like "Libertarian", "Populist", "Progressive", etc., are meaningless, in my opinion.