Anyone else feel far-left liberals are equally close minded as far-right conservatives?
we all love to talk about how backwards, close minded, racist, ect. far right conservatives are, but in my experience the far left can be just as close minded.
For example, the far left loves to tell us how bad it is to stereotype people. What they really mean is that is bad to stereotype non-white people, as they will gladly lump all white people together under the banner of privelage, ignoring the fact that they may be poor, have a disability, or have grown up in an area where they were the minority.
in my view, the commitment to think with an ideology(i.e. conservative OR liberal) effectivly closes minds. thoughts?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
42 Answers
Define the Center, the Left, the Right, the Far Right and the Far Left, please.
Short answer: No.
Long Answer: Nearly.
What you’re pointing out, i have to say, is that there are dumbshits in the left wing as well.
If someone professes that one shouldn’t stereotype people and then does so himself, he’s a dumbass, just as someone who’s rich beyond belief while saying the bible is literal truth is a disingenuous prick.
An ideology that values analyzing reality case by case (i.e. not stereotypization), without fixing one’s judgement on some arbitrary standard is, by definition, the opposite of close minded, wether people apply that or just say theydo is entirely another matter.
@dpworkin couldn’t do it because I don’t label myself. Im talking about people who choose to label themselves as far-left or far-right.
@Idler none of us has any idea what is meant by these labels until they are defined, which makes this an unanswerable question.
Hmmmm, nope….lol. I’m just kidding, of course there are liberal idiots, but there are less of them, in my opinion.
That depends on how you look at it. If you are a neoconservative, everyone that disagrees with you is a far left liberal and probably unpatriotic. I frankly doubt that there are any far left liberals left. Most progressives and liberals would be content if the government just kept the playing field level, shrunk to a reasonable size and stayed away from making laws based on religious concepts of morality instead of protecting the population from the corporate power base. It appears that we now need protection from the supreme court, the military industrial complex, and big religion.
I know wacky people on both sides of the spectrum. The issues are different, but the wackiness remains. Excising the lunatic fringe on both sides might help the rest of us come to some sort of agreement about the majority of the issues.
The liberal in me wants to say yes.
Realist says no.
Your details make everyone sound racist
Anyone that marries themselves to an ideology and turns off their brain to any other interpretation than their own is an ignorant ass. Extremists tend to be assholes for the most part.
Kind of like @stevenelliottjr said, once you pick sides you lose the ability to think for yourself and make your own decisions. So in a sense, you are right. They are all bitter fools.
@syzygy2600: “couldn’t do it because I don’t label myself.”
@syzygy2600: ”...the far left loves to tell us how bad it is to stereotype people. What they really mean is that is bad to stereotype non-white people, as they will gladly lump all white people together…”
You obviously have in mind some definition for the far left and far right.
You define yourself as neutral. You just lumped all “far left” people into a single group while slamming them for generalizing about all white people. Clearly everyone, regardless of where they fall on your scale, is capable of succumbing to ignorant generalization.
@syzygy2600: “in my view, the commitment to think with an ideology(i.e. conservative OR liberal) effectivly closes minds.”
Yes, I agree with this. Regardless of whether or not the ideology you subscribe to is defined or undefined, accepted in the mainstream or not, you limit yourself by your views. I don’t think a completely open mind can exist as we all have beliefs and views which erect metaphorical boundaries on our minds, as you have demonstrated in your question.
I think both extremes lack common sense. They are so wrapped up in their unrealistic ideology.
I can truly say. I review both sides and usually see merit on both sides.
There usually are three sides two all issues. The R, the L and the reality based on the facts.
My goal is always to figure out. What is best for the hard working American Middle Class. The Politicians do not care about us. We are the ones they rarely think of.
They are idiots because they base their votes on party bias; and not what is best for America.
They all represent the Lobbyist; and think if they bullshit well enough we will not notice.
Narrow mined people on both sides are morons.
What @philosopher said.
So I guess I would say yes, closed minds and idiots on both sides.
@wilma
LOL you are correct.
Unwillingness to review both sides and openly evaluate the facts makes people morons.
This is precisely why I deeply distrust ideologies. They give people a convenient set of precepts into which they can slip like a suit of clothing off the rack. Why bother with actual thought when you can slip into something comfortable that allows others to do your thinking for you?
With the left it is “all or nothing at all”,as a Conservative there is flexibility of beliefs and opinions!
The far far left has some pretty unreasonable ideas too.
We’re all in the same country. We’re going to all have to deal with each other eventually.
The extremists give the moderates a bad rap.
Strong adherence to any political ideology tends to pigeonhole people into being closed minded. At risk of being called “naive” or “indecisive,” I’ll go so far as to say that what we think of as the “left” and “right” are both filled with irrational idiots, but at least the conservatives don’t pretend to be open-minded.
Personally, I’ve found myself all over the spectrum, but that’s because I’ve always told myself to remain flexible and open to new ideas, and I think my beliefs have matured because of it. When I was much younger (and still a Christian) I was a hardline conservative Republican (before I knew what that meant). Then, by highschool, I took a hard turn to the left and was about as left wing as left wing gets. I made the socialists look like Barry Goldwater, by comparison. Then, my beliefs continued to evolve and mature into what I perceive as a healthy, label-less balance. I hold many beliefs typical of liberals, and many typical of conservatives. I’m pro gun ownership, pro gay rights, pro choice, pro capitalism, pro military (but anti-war), pro women’s rights, and mostly secular, but I’m not going to harp on anyone’s religious beliefs.
Building on this, my problem with most of the players on the left and right is that most of them are much too authoritarian. The right is unfortunately dominated by anti-women theocrats who would love to peek in our bedrooms, while the left is filled with folks who try much too hard to create an impossible to achieve utopian society that disregards facts about human nature.
Your mileage may vary.
You know who you really got to look out for? Those pipe-heads of the radical center!
Wingnuts come in both left and right-hand threads, you know. But the convergence of right-wing authoritarian followers and the conservative movement in America means that thare are far more on the extreme right than on the extreme left who are ideologues so vehement in their beliefs that they seek to sway others by confrontation and even violence if need be. Read up on the link about the personality type, and you will see why.
I think the further out you go from center the more obsessed one becomes with their own Ideals to the point of no compromise. I hate the whole concept of far left…far right and is the whole reason nothing has gotten done in the past year or so.
The left, at least, have a sense of humor.
Rachel Maddow is funny. Ann Coultier is a cunt.
@filmfann Ha! That’s funny. You must be one of them libruls. :-)
Your point might be made, if I was a liberal. I am a moderate.
Yes, and I completely agree with @laureth.
@filmfann I would argue your classifying yourself as a moderate with your choice to use the “C” word to characterize woman with conservative views is all.
@Captain_Fantasy
I think you are on the right track.
I am a moderate women.
I believe in Science and research. I do not believe in the L wing mentally that we should placate or negotiate with terrorist.
I use common sense and the facts to figure things out.
I am an Independent and I question everything and usually see both sides.
I am out for the best interest of the American people. Especially hard working Middle Class American’s. The people the Politicians do not represent. The ones who are over looked for the benefit of the Lobbyist, the wealthy and everyone else.
@Cruiser There are many conservative women whom I don’t agree with, but I wouldn’t use that term for them.
Ann Coultier is arrogant, callous, hurtful, and pious. She doesn’t care about thrashing widows of 9/11, as long as it gets her media attention. She is not funny. She thinks she is clever, but instead is obvious and self important.
That woman has no heart, brains or soul. She deserves all the wretched hell she will one day see.
Sarah Palin, on the otherhand, is stupid, but quite a character. She amuses me, and I would never use the terms I reserve for Coultier towards Sarah.
Yes. I’m a moderate liberal and I don’t like extremes. On both sides.
The way I see it – politics is like a circle – and the far right and left meet up in nutsville.
Takes all types, doesn’t it. Both have their fair share. We should put them in a room together and lock the door. lol
@Season_of_Fall That might precipitate an explosion like those in Japan, and fallout almost as deadly.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
