Are you 20% Freepish?

[Perky]

By freepish I really only mean hardline conservative on some issue.

I think nearly everyone here holds a mainstream conservative view on about 1 in five issues that confront the nation and are liberal on the the other 80%. The problem is that on that 20%, folks are more hardline and vocal because they have given it a lot of thought.

Unfortunately that 20% is freepishness varies widely from person to person. That effectively makes everyone a target for those holding a liberal majority view on that issue.

DU is an issues-centric site rather than a party-centric site. But I think we need to focus on commonality more than differences. We need to be understanding of freepish viewpoints in their larger context.

We need to understand that we have a big tent and the only thing that holds it up is the big pole in the middle called "consensus"


Do you agree?

[Ravenseye]

1. What is a mainstream conservative view?

I said 80/20 because I think I generally have more conservative views when it comes to how government should tax and relate to small businesses. I'm also a strong defender of all the bill of rights, including the 2nd ammendment. Those tend to be considered more conservative.

Still what I know I'm not alone on either of those here on DU or in the party as a whole.

What would you consider an issue or position that makes someone 20% freeperish?

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. Well one thing a conservative is not

is what the Republicans in power now are. Every time I hear Republicans referred to as conservatives I cringe. These people are a lot of things, fascist comes to mind first, but conservative is not one of them.

[NaturalHigh]

7. There is a difference between being conservative...

and having a right-wing agenda. The Republican party blurred that line and finally crossed it.

[Perky]

6. opposition to abortion or moral grounds.

Is probably the most obvious example. Or maybe being against gay marriagebut ok with civil unios. Or believing that The war on Terror is very real and has to be fought.

[greenman3610]

2. this is why folks need to tone down the "all or nothing" rhetoric

that sometimes creeps in.

[NaturalHigh]

3. I don't know if I would call it "Freepish"...

but I'm conservative on a lot of issues. I think most Americans are generally moderate, conservative on some issues and liberal on others.

[Eurobabe]

5. Not freepish, but not totally out left

[lectrobyte]

8. Different folks have different opinions on different issues. Labelling

them as "freep" seems insulting and divisive.

[patricia92243]

9. My understanding is that freeper, Republican, conservative are not interchangeable

words or descriptions.

I have some conservative views - but Freeperishness - NO!!

[waiting for hope]

10. Oh boy - here it comes...

Conservatism is going to get the bad rap that the word liberal has.....in order to effectively move forward any progressive movements (that's my new favorite word) - we need ideas from all sides of the spectrum. I'm more 10%....and I agree.

[Jed Dilligan]

18. I say good, then

It's time to move beyond late 18th-century political categories, isn't it?

[Glorfindel]

11. I can't bring myself to say I'm in any way "freepish"

But I can't imagine not owning a firearm, though I do very little shooting any more.

[stonecoldsober]

12. To equate conservative views to the radical freepers

is wrong. Also, why is supporting the constitution (which includes the 2nd amendment) conservative? The so-called conservatives have been happy to see it trashed by this administration. I don't see liberals being against the 2nd amendment, but I do see them being concerned that gun ownership is properly registered, kept out of the hands of criminals and nutjobs, etc.

[Ferret Annica]

13. I am an anarchist

I find people in my very liberal city of Eugene, Oregon somewhat more conservative then I am. I find I personally don't even want things like unemployment insurance if laid off because I hate having the government to have even a little information about me.

Piss tests are illegal search and seizure, I'll take them to prove I am clean and to cost the employer the cost of the test, but will refuse all offers of a job where one is a prerequisite.

I don't care one damn tiny bit if my tattoos or piercings offend, and my late mother disowned me when I married a Negro woman and had children, her having been a Bush loving type of conservative.

I do non-violent civil disobedience and an well known locally for defending not only forest but trees in the city itself on public and private land.

I have a police record of trespass convictions, and bogus charges I have beaten associated with activism in and around the Northwest and Northern California.

So as far as 'FReeperishness' goes, I don't think I would do more then alarm people if I showed up at one of Jim Rob's picnics. In fact, when the city of Fresno investigated the FReepers for their picnic on reports that a hate group was using city property that ultimately resulted in an out of court settlement of 20 thousand dollars after rimjob, Sandra Duffy and them became indignant about it, it might have been my evil twin doing the Indymedia postings and phone calls that started the whole thing. Who is to say?

I fell out of a tree in 1998 and hit my head, I have amnesia about possible details of that incident. ;-)

[sarge43]

14. I like what Shelby Foote said in Burn's Civil War series

We Americans like to think of ourselves as always standing firm and never giving an inch. In fact our true genius is the ability to compromise, to understand and respect the other guy's POV. When we don't, when we lock ourselves into a position and won't budge, we can wind up with civil wars.

And yes, respect and compromise only work when they're mutual.

[Coyote_Bandit]

15. The work of government is inherently practical

I care about what works.

In my opinion, pursuing an idealogical agenda (as opposed to holding idealogical views) is divisive and narrow minded. Christian fundamentalism is only one example of an idealogical agenda.

Those who govern generally are able to do so because they build a coalition of different groups having different views and priorities. Coalitions are maintained by emphasizing commonality. They - and the power and position they bring - are often lost when one or more groups defect because they feel isolated, undervalued, or ostracized for whatever reason.

People cannot be characterized as red or blue. There are many, many shades of purple. We would do well to embrace and include them.

[Perky]

16. kick to the top for more votes

[Lyric]

17. There's really only one issue that I'm not 100% lockstep Far Left on

and that's the animal rights movement. I'm all for animal welfare and humane treatment, but the instinctive authoritarian hater in me doesn't want anyone trying to legislate away my right to eat a cheeseburger or a chicken leg. I become resentful with what I perceive as the arrogant presumption that I'm somehow ignorant of where my meat comes from--I worked in a poultry processing plant for several years, and I know exactly how turkeys and chickens become dinner. I also lived in a dairy farming community for a few years, and I know how that works too. I still choose to consume animal foods, and I feel no guilt about it. Other people are free to compare me to the old slaveowners who felt no guilt about owning slaves, but that comparison only makes sense if you accept as truth the statement that animals are equal to humans and deserve equal consideration--and I do not.

No flames, please. I've heard all the arguments and they haven't turned me into a "convert", so flaming me will accomplish nothing more than negativity for negativity's sake. I make no apologies for being who I am, even if others disapprove and find me "immoral". As a lesbian unbelieving liberal, being accused of "immorality" is nothing new under the moon.

[Jed Dilligan]

19. Biaxial scale of social and economic control

I'm in full disagreement with the version of "liberal" that wants control over the citizen's personal life--the hardcore anti-smoking, vegetarian, anti-gun types. I think they should fuck off to the Natural Law party, quite frankly--they are driving more people away from our party than all the Presidential blow jobs in history.

I do not agree with tax-cutter, "pro-business" (meaning pro-corporate), anti-healthcare, free-market worshipping "moderates." I believe that the primary function of government is to control and regulate the economy, without which we just have piracy and slavery. (Unfortunately, our country was deeply founded on THOSE principles, and the Revolutionary War is in that sense still unwon.)

I would say freepers want to see more people jailed in this country. I don't agree with the "liberals" who agree with them on that. The freeper side is more concerned with sexuality and symbolism (like flag-burning), our cellmongers generally talk about "public safety." I don't think law enforcement should have a political voice any more than the military should, and I find law 'n order politics to be inherently conservative.

On the other hand, the conservative value of the individual over society is something I cherish. So what percent am I?

[buddhamama]

20. not really, maybe on the issue of guns

i don't have a problem with people owning guns, i do. the requirements for licensing are practical and should be enforced i.e. background checks, waiting period, safety classes, etc.