Reply #28: Um. No. You're wrong. [View All]

[jfxgillis]

Even though I pretty much I agree with EVERY premise in your post! It's only your conclusion I disagree with.

Labels aren't "pointless" because in such a huge, infinitely complex society as ours, we need them. We simply can't organize an advanced continental nation-state by deciding every single conceivable issue on a case-by-case basis.

Here's my take, grossly over-simplified. Let's say there are two sets of issues facing the nation, cultural and political-economic. And let's say there are two approaches to those two sets, conservative and liberal. That leaves four fundamental ideological stances:

Cultural Conservative

Cultural Liberal

Political-Economic Conservative

Political-Economic Liberal.

You have to decide first which set of issues you think is most important, then which approach you think more effective; everyone on this board is "liberal" in some way. Then you GROUND your label there and make appropriate exceptions as you go (vote conservative for school board because the "liberal" stole money), or appropriate concessions (vote for a pro-life candidate because they are also pro-trades union).