Liberal vs. Conservative - The Fight That Simply Must Stop

A recent post about this topic has inspired me. On this site we have engaged in some pretty heated verbal battles about the virtues and the downfalls of each side of the coin. And as I have taken an opportunity to step back for a while and think carefully about these debates, I have come to a conclusion. I have decided that if Americans cannot discuss topics in a more orderly and intellectual fashion, then there is no hope for regaining some of the integrity that we want. The words "liberal" and "conservative" have become virtually meaningless. They have become dirty words. It would be a waste of our time to debate who started the fight. I suggest that we not go back in history to cite examples of which president did this, or which senator did that, etc. I suggest that we throw these two words out. Gone. Finished. Why? Because they label and divide us. I have taken great pride in being a Democrat and have also had great respect for the Republican Party. I believe in the two-party system, yet I have nothing against a third party emerging. If this party is to gain respect as a third option, then the people who propose to build it must join the debate in such a way that it presents legitimate, realistic options. This is not to say that it hasn't at times. But it should not and cannot enter this ugly game that Democrats and Republicans are engaging in. In the larger picture, I feel that we have allowed ourselves to engage in a pointless argument about which one is better. I believe that without the DFL and the GOP our country would not be as great. Both parties need each other. Both parties have strengths and weaknesses. Both parties have been wrong. Both parties have achieved great things. We have to stop keeping score on who accomplished what. The United States of America has a huge problem. It can be fixed. Americans must unite in this way: We must stop treating each other like the enemy. The bickering, the lashing, the thrashing, the hatred and other not-so-friendly exchanges must stop. True discussions must take place. Not disrespectful verbal battles. We have forgotten how to discuss or debate an issue without attempting to sabotage the process or to humiliate the opponent. As Americans, we should begin by creating peace and brotherhood right here in River City. The process can begin by stopping the name-calling and labeling. Each individual is a unique blend of ideas. I do not believe that any one person is totally conservative or totally liberal. To believe otherwise is to say that we are a bunch of robots without the ability to "reason." Perhaps we could learn from each other and begin the process nation-wide, one person at a time.

http://www.e-thepeople.org/article/26476/view
The writer did not divide in paragraphs and took a guess where the 4th paragraph ended.

The forces of Goebbels v2.0 have been in motion for more than a decade, incubating for perhaps a decade or more before that.

amne startegies, same tactics, same "repetitions of lies in their simplest forms, over and over and over again, in spite of the objections of intellectuals" to periphrase the originator of Goebbels v1.0.

It's a nice dream, but like the Disney movie, "Fantasia", the dancing brooms have gotten started and even Uncle Karl and the Right-Wing Sub-Media couldn't make them stop, even if they wanted to (which they don't).

There needs to be respectable debates, not name calling contests. There needs to be people out there who are both 'conservative' and 'liberal', and they need to have a mutual respect.

I have had this type of relationship with my father for years. My father, once a democrat, has been republican for nearly two decades now, and he and I do not see eye to eye on many issues. Still, we've been able to discuss the issues without resorting to name calling and we've been able to walk away at the end of it, still close to one another.

That is what needs to happen. There needs to be debate, and there needs to be compromise. There is almost always a common ground. Worst case scenario, states should be given the right to make whatever laws their populace sees fit, and the feds show have no say in it whatsoever. This would allow groups of people with like minded ideals to live in places that represented those ideals, rather than forcing everyone to live under one set of ideals, which is illogical, at best.

intellectual debate between 'conservatives and liberals' died. Its resurrection will depend on the reinstatement of this principle. It really is that simple. Both sides of an argument, or debate, must be presented with equal time in order to reach an informed decision.

Fairness doctrine was that rather than stimulate debate, it stifled it as coporate media preferred not to air controversial subjects rather than pay for free air time for an opposing view.

I have what I think is a better idea. Democrats, liberals, progressives, and like-minded fold should sharpen their intellectual positions, debating skills, and, and this is an important and, their entertainment skills so as to be able to compete effectively in "the marketplace" of ideas. It is a marketplace. The rarefied thinkers that we have cannot communicate effectively to the sheeple. but we have people that can. Most of Hollywood, for example, is on our side. So how to the few that are Repukes keep getting elected?? well, one reason is that they run. Our guys just bitch about the evil Bush* conspiracies. But they don't offer themselves as alternatives.

It's not enough to BE right. You have to convince enough others. People, we have platforms. We need to use them better.

side against the other. Bitterness. The media has helped us create a "Crossfire Attitude". I'm at a loss about how to change things.

In this months letter to readers, Lapham makes an interesting point, that 'liberal' and 'conservative' have become so misused as words, that their use is more useful in telling us about the person using the word than it does about the person the word is being used to describe. He them refers to the user of the word 'liberal' as the 'anti-liberal', and the user of 'conservative' as the 'anti-conservative'.

I disagree about our two major parties -- IMO, they are both failures as political entities for serving the interests of the bulk of the citizenry.

But I agree with everything else. If we are to improve our political system and solve the problems that face our nation, the public debate must be much more intellectual and civil.

Nether side is listening to the other -- the vitriol raises defensive barriers against mutual understanding.

Each individual is a mosaic of ideas and opinions -- like you said, not robots following dogma.

Each of need to change the minds of those who disagree with us -- or at least get them to understand and be informed. We can't do this in an arena of verbal combat -- our exchanges need to be respectful and productive.