Could someone explain the difference between liberals, communists, conservatives, socialists etc.?
445747
The main problem is that these "WORDS" are tossed around and used incorrectly! \n\nLiberal (Left Wing) should mean a free thinker, open minded, ect...\n\nConservatives (Right Wing) are people who should save, protect, or carefully use assets or make choices that require unclouded thinking.\n\nIn the end it's all a bunch of bull shit! The so called conservatives are ignorant minions of the wealthy and powerful. The GOP (grand over-class party) is a great example of this. They spend our money on bull shit like there's no tommorrow and try and oppress those who oppose them. They suck at social justice. (We are a Christian Nation yet we treat our poor and powerless like shit by cutting funding to important social programs and education). And they are great at filling their own pockets and the pockets of their masters with our hard earned tax dollars. This all goes against the saying "they will know we are Christian by our love".\n\nThe left wingers don't want people telling them how to live or what kind of choices they can make. BUT there are some things that shouldn't happen like a federal recongized homosexual marriage. The people need to vote on stuff like that. There are so many more important social and legal issues that need to be fixed before jumping onto a sword like that! \n\nIt all comes down to money and power. Right wingers leaders lie just as well if not better than left wingers. Don't let the left or right wing control your mind. Don't use these "Words" to lable yourself or others because these words are not used for what they mean. \n\nEducate yourself on the issues not by Watching FOX NEWS or CNN but by opening up a book and your mind.
159840
Hey "Cute Girl": try "dictionary" (do you really get points for an answer like that????)\n\nBelieve it or not, that's not a simple question. Conservatism, in politics, can mean lots of things. And, politicians and parties can identify themselves as "conservative" and not really be conservative. But, generally, conservative means "not radical," so opposed to change and in favor of tradition.\n\nFor true conservatives, tradition is more important than ideology, or ideas. It also depends on your point of view...what's "conservative" in one country can be radical in another.\n\nIn the U.S., Conservative is generally meant to mean people in favor of small government, individual responsibility (and therefore very little public spending, welfare, etc.). There are people who say that the present Bush Administration, which describes itself as conservative, isn't really conservative because they've EXPANDED government and trampled on civil liberties.\n\nThere isn't enough space here to really get into what the differences are between the flavors of conservatism, but the web site below has some pretty good stuff. Check it out.
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If you used the dictionary definition of a liberal, most conservatives would want to be liberals, or would think they already are liberals:\n\n"marked by generosity and openhandedness, broad-minded, tolerant, bountiful, munificent" and so forth.  All except the part "lacking moral restraint, licentious" applies equally to conservatives.\n\nGood question, because I don't think a liberal defines himself the way a conservative defines a liberal.  And vice versa.
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Liberalism is based upon what makes you FEEL GOOD and it's the easiest type of political thought.\n\nConservatism is based upon doing what is right even if you don't feel good about having to do it. It requires the use of logic rather than emotion when making important decisions.
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The left are considered liberals. Broadly speaking, liberalism seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, especially of government and religion, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports relatively free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of minorities are protected.\n\nThe right are considered conservative. To a conservative, the goal of change is less important than the insistence that change be effected with a respect for the rule of law and traditions of society.
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A conservative liberal is someone who is mostly liberal but conservative on some issues. I know it seems ridiculous because it appears to be an oxymoron, but it is not. This alleged oxymoron is similar to the United States being a Democratic Republic. It is such because we use some elements of democracy (like voting-- in a true democracy EVERYONE votes on EVERY issue, rather than having a congress) but our government has also been influenced by the ways of a republic (having senators, etc., which is similar to the ways of Ancient Rome).\n\nFor example, I consider myself to be a conservative liberal as I am liberal on most social issues involving human rights, such as gay marriage because I believe that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, deserves the right of marriage. However, I am conservative on issues like immigration because I believe that only people who intend to gain citizenship, pay taxes, learn to speak English, and have a stable job should be allowed to immigrate. I happen to feel this way because, although I value their addition culturally, we cannot finance the welfare for people who do not help fund the services they are receiving.
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My understanding (from my college days), is that communism is a political system, and socialism is an economic system.\n\nSo socialism contrasts with capitalism.\n\nOnly those of us on the very far left in the US are socialists; most democrats and liberals are not -- though some believe in SOME socialism (such as Social Security and welfare for the poor, medicare, and other things).\n\nCompared to civilized countries, we don't really have much of a left here.\n\nWell, I guess the progressives are fairly left, and that's a growing group.\n\nBut most Americans, including liberals and democrats, are capitalists, with liberals and dems having slight socialist leanings.\n\nNo democrats or liberals are communist, as far as I know.\n\nThere is a communist party in the US, but it's tiny.
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Ok my theory on this is two things:\n1. Lack of education on the true meaning of both.\n2. A purpose-full intent to redefine communism as socialism because a lot of liberals are called socialist.
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Leniin's political party was called Communism, it was socialism, but a branch from the main stem like several other varieties of economic systems...It was the Communist party which was socialist in origin...socialism is not a political party, but an economic system
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There a big difference but only people who don't understand politics or world events wouldn't understand. \n\nTrue communism calls for the end of classes, no poor or rich. Everyone is equal. In a communist state everyone works to help the state and in a sense they help each other. Unfortunately people are greedy and lazy so communism failed and that why we see the evil states of the Soviet Union and Cuba. \n\nDemocrats don't believe in an unchecked corporate world. They try to place policies to help unprivileged people which often taxes the rich. Now -a- days the Democrats have a hard time deciding in what they believe in... That's why they keep losing the White House.\n\nThinking about it Jesus was the first Communist. He just didn't have a word for it.
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I spent a lot of time on this answer, so I do hope you'll read it.\n\nDisclaimer: I come down firmly in the liberal camp.\n\nThe major differences, in my mind, are in 1) how government should give economic assistance, 2) where the focus ought to be in terms of social issues, and 3) whether ideology or reality ought to ruel.\n\n1) Economics\nConservatives believe that the government is a necessary evil, and that any enforcement of the "social contract" through taxes, "entitlement programs," and business regulation ought to be minimal. They believe a freer market is a better market.\nLiberals believe that the government is the mechanism by which the people of a country achieve their vision of a fair playing field. They believe that government should regulate business and help the less fortunate get a foothold, and they believe that taxes are necessary to allow public works to go forward. They believe a fairer market is a better market.\n\n2) Social issues\nConservatives look to the past and to tradition to determine what is moral. They balk at change and feel that the country has a duty to prevent the degeneration of morals. They want to spend time on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and decency in the media. Many of them interpret the words of the Founding Fathers to mean the Founders were staunch Christians who believed the country should have  Christian values.\nLiberals look at the world through a prism of social justice. They feel that the relevant question is "Who is helped or hurt by this?" and bristle at "It's always been this way" as an excuse for an unsustainable argument. Many of them interpret the words of the Founding Fathers to mean the Founders were deists who believed the country should base itself on nondenominational, social-justice values. They want to spend time on issues such as equal rights, poverty, and peace.\n\n3) Ideology\nThis distinction is a tad fuzzier than others, but it's worth mentioning.\nFor the most part, conservatives lean on morality to make distinctions about policy. Certain concepts are morally right and therefore policies based on those concepts are untouchable. Thus, opposing policies must necessarily be not just wrong, but evil. (This is how you come to the conclusion that having liberals in power would lead to chaos in destruction - not because you have judged the policy proposals by liberals ineffective, but because they are not in line with the conservatives' proposals and must therefore have the opposite effect.)\nLiberals draw from the social-justice template and are interested in what has been proven to be effective or ineffective. They are interested in empirical proof rather than statements of ideology, and believe that opposing policy proposals are not necessarily evil. However, liberals do see as evil the compromising of those basic social-justice principals, and thus the rescinding of habeas corpus, the use of so-called alternative interrogation techniques, and the launching of military action without a UN resolution are highly offensive.\n\nI hope this helped you understand our side. Please feel free to correct me if  you feel I've misrepresented you.
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Socialism is an economic system whereby the wealth created by the whole of society is redistributed evenly amongst the populace, ensuring that all are equally rewarded for the work everyone does.\n\nCommunism is a political contruct by which socialism is the main economic form.  In a communist society, a single political party controls the government, there are no real elections, and the populace is kept complacent by a bloated government machine that provides for all of the people.  Socialism is the dominant economic form to ensure the people are deluded into theinking they are taken care of.  \n\nExamples of socialist societies - France, Sweden, England\n\nExamples of Communist societies - Former USSR, China, Cuba
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A socialist believes in capitalism, but only with heavy government intervention.  In otherwords, the right to own but with heavy taxes.  The right to profit, but with heavy taxes.\n\nA communist does not believe in capitalism.  Communists believe in no ownership, business or currency.  A completely government-run economy.
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Since you asked...my definition of "liberal" is one who believes in government sponsored programs designed to provide benefits such as healthcare, financial aid, and education to individuals in low income brackets.  This is accomplished by high tax rates on the upper level income earners.  They profess a belief in a strong middle class, have an aversion to corporations and "big business" and feel that privacy is the most important thing, other than helping the poor.\n\nConservatives are people who believe in business, big and small and feel that the money they earn should be retained by them, not spent on others.  They believe that since the highest income earners are also usually the ones who employ the middle and lower class, they should get a break because without them, there wouldn't be jobs.  Pro-gun, pro-military, agressive foreign policy (shoot first ask questions later).  They also believe in personal liberty, but often see compromises with that liberty as okay when it's for the good of the country.\n\nMe, I'm a Libertarian.  I am definitely more right than left, but I see that conservatives and liberals both have screwed up the government.  Neither one is in touch with anything except their bank accounts and hate.  I think I can stomach the right more because the views are a little more in line with mine and democrats (I'm gonna say it)...are hypocrites.
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Liberals identify with Jesus's compassion and the way he was always there to help the poor, the sick, and those without a political voice.  Liberals often claim conservatives don't care about the poor, but in reality conservatives simply believe the poor are better helped through private charities rather than through government programs which are often impersonal and wasteful.
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The quick 'n' easy way to remember the difference between Socialism and Communism is: Socialism is "from each according to their ability, to each according to their DEEDS," whereas Communism is "from each according to their ability to each according to their NEEDS." \n\nSocialism is the stage between Capitalism and Communism. It builds upon the previous system (Capitalism) by nationalizing the "means of production" (i.e. corporations, resources, banks, etc.), but not by making everyone equal. In other words, people will be paid wages based on several factors (social need, difficulty, amount of schooling required, etc.), so not everyone will make the same wage -- as is often a misinterpretation of Socialism. \n\nCommunism is the point where the state "withers away." In other words, it's quite a few years in the future. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 10 generations of established Socialism has to occur before people evolve enough to realize that hurting others or the system ends up hurting themselves. \n\nAs Communists we advocate Socialism because it is the next necessary step to get to Communism. In other words, it's not that we've given up on building a house, we just realize there is a need for a sturdy foundation first. \n\nCommunists believe in human evolution. We evolve in accordance to the system we live within. Capitalism has allowed us to evolve out of our feudalistic ways (for the most part), and slavery does not exist in our country anymore (for the most part). But Capitalism, which is driven by the need to always increase profits, founders a "dog eat dog" mentality. This is not a sustainable system, either for humankind or for the environment. \n\nUnder Socialism people will evolve to the point where they care about each other regardless of their location or race or whatever. If we are to survive as a species, we need to evolve. That's one of the many reasons I'm a Communist. \n\nFinally, one misconception people often have about Communism is that we are looking to make everyone poor. On the contrary, we want everyone to enjoy as much as possible the fruits of our vast wealth.
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Actually the Nazis had a socialist form of government.  Now I am not about to start comparing anyone to the Nazis and the atrocities they committed during WW2, but if you were going to compare the 2 major parties in the US, most people would say the Republicans are more capitalist and the Democrats are more socialist. Please post another question if you need a definition of socialism and capitalism, I will be glad to help educate you.