Renegade: I read every single post you make, and you come off as quite the opposite of every liberal I've ever met.
Let me say this once and for all so we can all get it right.
A "lefty" by this definition is one who follows the ideology of the political left. These people favor government intervention when it comes to social and economic programs to favor those they feel are in need. They decide who is in need by observing how different groups are treated differently and attempting to rectify this if it is unfair. I.e. reducing poverty by creating jobs and assisting people who fall below the poverty line by supplying them with a small amount of money with which to buy food, and protecting small businesses from the encroachment by corporations that due to their size can force these other people out of business. People on the extreme end of this ideology are called radicals, and they demand very swift change and normally ideologies that are considered disjarring to the public, like the socialist mantra of complete economic equality and abolition of the income gap.
A "righty" by the definition is someone who is politically conservative. He or she favors small gradual changes so as not to upset the fragile human social structure. They favor very little government intervention in the economy, believing that the economy needs its ups and downs, rich and poor, in order to remain stable and survive. Business is governed by the market, not the government. (Using my previous analogy big businesses have the right to triumph over smaller ones because they can offer more lucrative prospects to the consumer.) Socially, conservatives often favor tradition over what some might deem progress, as they see it as unneccesary upheval. The extreme right is known as reactionary, and often sheds the slow change approach in favor of immediate return to a tradition based past.
People in the middle are called moderates or centerists. They mix and match the two opposing philosophies because neither suits them right.
People can be anywhere on the economic and social spectrum, and some people can agree with one issue with a person of an opposite party and disagree with another. It's not a black and white thing.
And people, please stay civil and don't insult one another. *Brandishes the mod-stick.*
This post has been edited by Slade: 06 July 2005 - 12:50 AM