I believe, based on personal experience, that left leaning people are more other-oriented (as opposed to ego-centric) than right leaning persons, also more introspective and willing to admit mistakes and generally less rigid and more apt to question and challenge authority and the status quo.
I see leftism as having a greater focus on the collective good of mankind than rightism.
This is a typical view by many leftists. It is however, a delusional viewpoint.
Nice of you to offer that without any arguments to support your claim. It really doesn't matter who's right and wrong since no one has a monopoly on the truth. What matters is the discussion...
As for not offering any arguments to support my claim, there's no point. Leftists won't understand it, and rightists already know.
Thank you athykay, Egon von Sprocket and Hmoll (though I didn't ask about "rightism", I'm glad if the thread has a life of it's own). May I ask where both of you (athykay, Egon) are from, because it is really relevant to the original goal of my post?
Thank you athykay, Egon von Sprocket and Hmoll (though I didn't ask about "rightism", the original goal of my post...
Egon, I of course meant where do you reside/what is your cultural background society-wise (if you've 'recently' moved).The goal of this thread was to find out how people's national or cultural backgrounds relate to their views on leftism. I'd choose not to elaborate on this at this point as I suspect it might threaten the sincerity of the content of replies that this thread might still receive, besides which there is no real reason for me to. The subject itself interests me because these are times when people are practically being forced to pick a side. This is merely an analysis.I have something to ask the right wing, though; Since when has liberalism and socialism been associated with each other? Liberalism (or neo-liberalism) is actually a relatively rough system from the individual's point of view, with no welfare nor heritage taxes. It favours free trade and individual's freedoms over forced equality - if you don't have what the system requires, you'll vanish, as a free man. The role of government as an authority is also reduced to minimum, which is one among other huge contrasts to communism. Where does the connection between the two come from?
Leftists believe that all of us will have a bad day at some point in our lifetime and that when we do it would be nice to have a safety net to keep us from starving and having no home.The right believes that if you have a bad day it's all your fault and you deserve it. Regarding social welfare, it will always be very difficult to balance giving help to the truly needy on the one hand and avoiding welfare leeches on the other.Elenahttps://www.pianofourhands.com
But don't you think most people are stingy and want to keep money to themselves?
Leftism takes away the opportunity for us to do good for each other, it takes away the hope that we will do the right thing for each other.
Based on?? If your bizarre rationale were true that would mean that Canadians and Europeans are less friendly, kind, and charitable than Americans.
If you look at the facts carefully--Americans give a lot more than their tax advantage lets them.
Elena,Your statement above may just be true. You can read your statistics either way. You can say that Americans are more generous and that they luckily have a tax break, too. Europeans have given up--they just let Big Brother do everything for them. Not so much here in America. If you look at the facts carefully--Americans give a lot more than their tax advantage lets them. And on that subject--what's wrong with a tax break? Why must Eurepean governments CONTROL giving to the needy? Why can't they just give their people a tax break and let THEM decide? It's a further problem with Leftism. The Soviet Union failed--and as Europe gets more and more Socialist can a failure of economy be far behind their failure of will? And then a man will come along as one always does in Europe when thing fall apart and he'll say, "This will solve all our problems: let's kill all the ..."
Elena is absolutely right.I think one of the biggest problems is that leftists and rightists view eachother as extremists, which is in most cases unjustified.I think it's safe for me to say that I'm a socialist, but if communism were white and the center was black, I'd be pretty dark grey. One of my fellow students is a communist, he has even founded a little political party, the ALS (Active Left Students). I used to have discussions with him about it. His way of thinking truly scares me. I'd rather have a moderate right government than a communist government. But I prefer a moderate left government above all.
My biggest problem with a "left" government is the idea that various aspects of my life need to be "controlled" such as my healthcare and retirement options,
A moderate liberal might want to criminalize racist speech in order to keep society civil, while a full blown commie would be willing to defend Stalin's killing of tens of millions in the USSR because he believes that it was necessary to the advancement of communism, which he equates with progress.
The whole point of having a government at all, and especially one elected by the people, is to even out the playing field for those who have less.
Millions have been murdered in non-communist countries to further their causes as well.
Of course it matters who's right and wrong. The idea that "what matters is the discussion" is as wrong headed as outcome based education (another leftist perversion) where getting the right answer isn't important, all that's important is that you tried your best. That's nuts. As for not offering any arguments to support my claim, there's no point. Leftists won't understand it, and rightists already know.
The mass murder of millions has nothing to do with communism, but rather is the result of a propaganda-monopolizing government that feels the need to eliminate its oponents in large numbers. Millions have been murdered in non-communist countries to further their causes as well.
The whole point of having a government at all, and especially one elected by the people, is to even out the playing field for those who have less. The reality is that we can't ALL be on the top rungs of wealth all at the same time. Our economic system would cease to function. I think providing those who have less with the most basic necessities of education and healthcare is the least the rich could do.
Governments exist because people's rights need protection. You're right that not everyone can be on the top rung of the ladder at the time, but is that really important? Only if you view accumulation of wealth as the purpose of life.Our economic system is not dependent at all on the transfer of wealth. In fact, high taxation discourages economic growth by messing up people's incentives to work, buy, save, and invest. There's a reason that the US government systematically outperforms Europe. Our economy is more free.
Let's see, they have better cars, better planes, better food, better museums, better health care systems, better retirement systems, better TV programs, nicer furniture, fashion, hmmm...
I didn't claim Europe is perfect. Every country has had its dark times. However, I think we are comparing today's situation, not past history, and at the moment, it's the US who does the invading and killing.
Governments exist because people's rights need protection. You're right that not everyone can be on the top rung of the ladder at the time, but is that really important?
But alas you miss my point--you Europeans (I am assuming you are a European,) are setting yourself up for just another session of all this killing as long as you keep up your "let Adolph do it, " attitude toward government. Things always are lovely before the storm.
BTW xvimbi, what country are you from?
Europe has well learnt its lessons. Let's hope they will remember them forever. Can you understand that Europeans are scared when they see someone like George W.? They have experience with such "leaders".
I'm cosmopolitan.
I'm cosmopolitan=embarassed to say.
Elena, just saw your post, and that's exactly what I have just written. And - I am not an outsider