Are you a liberal?

[notfarnow]

did I say that? I don't remember saying that.

I advocate everyone learning languages. And everyone trying to understand other people's perspective. I think it must suck to be a mexican living in the USA not being able to speak english... I certainly wouldn't want to walk a mile in their shoes. Anyway... gotta bust loose for the evening. Look forward to checking up on this thread in the AM.

[dd74]

Originally posted by notfarnow
... I guess I'll have to learn cantonese.

You're missing the point Notfarnow. "Up there" exists a choice to learn Cantonese. What I'm saying is down here, in L.A., whether one thinks the better or worse for it, I've found it hard to exist in this city without learning Spanish. That means a person has to learn the language. I had to, and everyone else I know who are from L.A. has had to learn it as well. And this goes beyond gardeners, cooks, maids, or whatever, as the Latino economy and presence has grown enormously by late. So you can see the tension here. There was no choice in the matter; some feel they've had to learn the language (and the culture) because it is slowly taking over their own culture.

[Superman]

I wish I had the time to read through all these posts. Some, probably most, of the statements in the list would be interesting starting points for specific discussions. For example "The present tax rates are good." Just like I would not put retread tires on my Porsche, in the same way I do not support the current popular notion that public infrastructure should be inexpensive ( and cheap ). In other words, I think an excellent argument can be made that the government needs more money so that certain problems can be cleared up properly. My state is in a transportation crisis because taxpayers have bought the insidious notion that roadbuilding services should increase while taxes decrease. Maybe you expect that tire stores would provide tires for free, or maybe $20 each including mounting, balancing and road hazard insurance, but I am not that ignorant. The same principles hold for roads as for tires.

But the broader statement I would like to make here is that those of you who, like Mul, believe that liberals are lemmings who regurgitate the party line, are simply not paying attention. There is a great deal of diversity in the opinions of various people who are liberal thinkers. Lemming behavior is a conservative trait, not a liberal one. In any group of liberal thinkers, there will be a great deal of diversity of opinions. In my view the two groups are "conservatives" and "thinkers." I'm a "thinker." Or maybe it's "war mongers" and "people who think foreign relations is not that simple."

[dd74]

Originally posted by Superman


But the broader statement I would like to make here is that those of you who, like Mul, believe that liberals are lemmings who regurgitate the party line, are simply not paying attention. There is a great deal of diversity in the opinions of various people who are liberal thinkers. Lemming behavior is a conservative trait, not a liberal one. In any group of liberal thinkers, there will be a great deal of diversity of opinions. In my view the two groups are "conservatives" and "thinkers." I'm a "thinker." Or maybe it's "war mongers" and "people who think foreign relations is not that simple."

Interesting. I take a totally opposite approach. I think the current "crisis" (to some, not to others) Bush has gotten us into, has brought out some very out-of-box thinking by some conservatives. I can't remember any players' names right now - and that's because the media really hasn't concentrated on conservatives who are against Bush's policy - choosing instead to leave them as "conservatives" and allowing them nothing else. Nonetheless, those "thinkers" on the right are out there, and they aren't entirely enumerating toward processes of world domination. In fact, some do not in any way stand behind many of Bush's policies.

[Superman]

Understood. In fact, as the (conservative-authored) article recently posted by Techweenie opines, Dubya is perhaps further away from true conservative principles than Kerry. Here is a quote from that brilliant conservative columnist:

"It is not at all conservative to balloon government spending, to vastly
increase the power of government, to show contempt for the Constitution
and the rule of law, or to tell people that foreign outsourcing of
American jobs is good for them, that giant fiscal and trade deficits
don't matter, and that people should not know what their government is
doing. Bush is the most prone-to-classify, the most secretive president
in the 20th century. His administration leans dangerously toward the
authoritarian."

[CamB]

Island.. Seriously, nothing divides a common culture/nation like seperate languages. Take a look at your Canada. The French speaking section has made efforts to secede from the rest of te nation.

Well, not necessarily. In Switzerland they have three official languages:

French
German
Italian

And the german-speaking part actually speak Swiss-German (unintelligible to me, despite learning German for years). Plus almost all Swiss speak some (or very good) English. And in the east there are still pockets which speak Latin-based Romansch (sp?).

But they are pretty well unified.

Throughout Asia there are countries in which multiple languanges are spoken. They manage too.

Back to the list

If I can modify the words, I probably agree to about half. Take the first question. I agree with it in part - I really do believe that Medical School should have ethnic quotas to the extent that (a) that ethnicity is over-represented in bad health, (b) insufficient people of that ethnicity would make it into Med School without a quota (the reason for (a) and (b) are usually related to being in a lower socio-economic), and (c) that one believes that being able to see a doctor of your own race will lead to better health outcomes. I suspect this applies more in New Zealand because Maori and Pacific Island people have a well documented different approach to healing (there is a greater family dynamic to it).

But having said all of that, I don't necessarily agree with "Standards for admissions to universities, fire departments, etc. should be lowered for people of color".

Number 12 is interesting. "12. The present high tax rates are good."

What if it said "The present tax rates are required". I agree with that. I don't like paying tax any more than the next guy, but society still needs the money.

Or to put it another way, what is the Conservative version of that question? "Lower taxes and a significant reduction in social services is good"?

And what is the alternate view to this "14. The Israelis and Palestinians are morally equivalent."?

The Israelis are morally superior to the Palestinians? Gimme a break.