If you want to keep your friends you are never supposed to talk about religion or politics. Today we are going to talk about both!
If you want to keep your friends you’re never supposed to talk about religion or politics. But today we’re going to talk about both.
Bryan wrote in and said “How about a show on the differences between liberals and conservatives. One that’s non-biased. Maybe that will help people realize that neither side is really evil, they just have different ways of trying to solve problems.”
Sorry Bryan. Can’t help you there, because when it comes to the two different ideologies there really is no real difference. Both sides promise change. Conservatives in the form of reduced government to solve problems and Liberals with government programs that solve problems. Stop and ask yourself honestly, have they done it? I mean each side has had lots of time in the majority position. So why are we still debating the same issues that I can remember hearing my parents discuss when I was a kid.
If we get rid of the problems then we don’t have anything to fix. Wait then we don’t need government. Let’s just make sure we keep those problems around.
Political parties have a platform, but that platform is not their real agenda. Power is their agenda. Individuals can start out a political carrier with optimism and high ideals. But to maintain those positions of power you need to make sacrifices. Like your soul… or your carrier if you hold to your morals.
Right or left, you’ll never see politicians vote away their power. Instead they’ll make promises to change and then point finger at the other guys when it doesn’t happen. Both sides make a lot of noise when the other camp has problems but they also like to sweep it under the rug when the camera point at them. Really, when was the last time you saw politicians hold their own candidates or party accountable for things they had said and done? It doesn’t happen and they’ll never take accountability because it weakens their power collectively.
Yeah. I saw a politician be accountable and he was riding a winged horse with a fairy princess over the enchanted forest. It’s a few blocks form the capital in DC. Why aren’t we holding them accountable? Because we assume they’re corrupt. And why are they corrupt? Because we let them be.
It’s easy to see the parties in this country polarizing and the gaps between them grows broader and broader. But it’s a lot like watching Nazi Germany fighting Communist Russia I mean, who do you root for? They may be opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they sure have a lot in common. They both are dictatorial regimes guilty of mass-murdering their own citizens. And the end result of going too far to the left or to far to the right is you end up at the same place roughly politically.
Still think those two parties are different… [Sarcastic] yeah.
But you know all this already and this is What You Ought to Know, not what you already knew.
There are two groups that continue to baffle me… I mean can you really be a rich liberal or a conservative christian I mean fiscally conservative Christian? I hear both of those and think oxymoron.
Let’s start on the left. They’ll tell you that we are all the same and there should be equality and everyone needs should be met. Okay! But whoa, not with their money oh no no no no… Nothing personal but George Clooney is one man – and one man can easily live on 50,000 a year so it’s really not that generous to give away the remaining millions. Is it? Not if you really believe in equality. Hey, it’s just your fair share. And why wait around for government to tax it all away form you? If you’re rich and liberal and you believe the government is the best way to solve problems, shouldn’t you just give your money to them. Right now? Yes.
Give give give Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?
The generosity of liberals is so often touted in the media but Oprah’s big give look pretty small when you look her net worth. Come on Sean Penn, put down the bullhorn, get out of the boat and start writing checks. It’s time to live up to your creed and give till it hurts. No actually that won’t be nearly enough – how about give ’til your middle class! Yeah that’d be enough.
What? I hear snickering on the right. Yeah, you guys are in even more trouble. You say it nobody’s business what you do with your money, but that money doesn’t belong to you does it? If you’re a conservative Christian doesn’t all that money really belong to God. Uh huh! Does this sound familiar? “Sell all that you have, give to poor and come follow me” or how about “it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom or God.”
And let’s not forget our favorite, “you cannot serve God and mammon”. Wait, what does mammon mean? Oh yeah, its money. So in the end’, its not the governments business to take your money and give it’ to the poor, it’s just your moral responsibility. you know, just you soul hanging in the balance. That’s all.
You can try to justify yourself saying “I give enough” but if all the conservative Christians gave what they should there would be no need for the liberal government programs you’re so opposed to. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. You’re supposed to give to the poor and needy not just the worthy and deserving.
The real problem with politics isn’t the differing ideas of political ideologies or compromises they come to, it is hypocrisy, corruption and a near total lack of responsibility and accountability.
So where do you start? Start with yourself. Hold yourself to a higher standard and the people you elect will have to follow. Bet you didn’t want to hear that. Because until we hold politicians accountable, they’ll just keep vying for power and none of the problems will really get solved.
Dont unsubscribe yet! We have two more mind opening shows coming this week. And as always, flame responsibly.
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31 Comments
Satya Agraha
Ha! I wish I had discovered this video sooner, because it is instantly my favorite. As far as politics go, I think both sides are fool of morons, and that's probably true. The way I see it, government shouldn't even be the issue. To correctly govern people, small communities where everyone looks after each, and does everything for the good of everyone else above him or herself (as dictated many times in the bible) are the best path to take. (See Native American tribes.) It seems to me that people use politics and the government as an excuse to ignore ... lots moreEvilkritter
Ow. Context man... Okay, speaking as a Christian, I see what you mean, hypocrisy is the largest problem in the church. As for giving money to the poor, it is a good thing, but not always the best. The bible says (2 Thesalonians 3:10, NIV translation) For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." A man doesn't have a job, so he can't eat? How do we solve this? Give him a job. If you own a large company, HIRE PEOPLE; if you own a small company, HIRE PEOPLE. Don't ... lots morenick
the governments job is not to take care of poor people, it is the church's job, you are correct.slatton
I've posted this video on my Libertarian affiliate's web site - LPFPasco.org. It's funny reading comments about the Dem and Rep interpretations of liberalism and conservatism. It's as though some people missed the point entirely - If the Dems and Reps really lived up to their promises or ... moreFrank
That wasnt totally true. Conservatism is based on individual right. You have the right to keep any money you've earned. You do not have the right to tell John Doe to give his money to the government. Smaller government gives more power to the people as individuals, which is what America is based on. We fought communism, when you have to share everything you have earned with everyone else. Sounds familiar. But of course, I would never accuse anyone of being communists. I dont have too. People are smart enough to ... lots moreLonna
wow, what long and intense posts. Great show as always. BUMPMeandering
2 of my father in law's favorite topics. The third is sports, not so agrumentative unless you don't like the teams he does.steph
i agree with you nospinplease and i have read glenn becks books and watched his show. i am also a conservative from the same stand point as you but i disagree with the part on conservatives in this video because not all conservatives are like that unless you are really ... moreNospinplease
I am Conservative from the stand point of everyone is CREATED equal. If you read Glenn Becks book he shows you what happens when you change that statement to what our forefathers meant it to be. Liberals want people to become equal, but that is not what our forefathers wanted. ... moreBILL FOWLER
THAT WAS A PRETTY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF LIBERALS WANTING TO TAKE FROM OTHERS TO GIVE TO THE "LESS FORTUNATE".BUT A REAL CONSERVATIVE WANTS TO BE LEFT ALONE BY THE GOVERNMENT AND HISTORICALLY GIVE ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH OF THE INCOME THEY HAVE "EARNED" TO CHARITABLE,[READ ACTUAL NEEDY] CAUSES.THIS IS NOT HARD TO VERIFY FOR ANYONE ... moreAnotherSqueezedRadish(orTurnip?)
I forgot to mention above ;) One of the very basic reasons the Nazi regimes is considered Ultra Right Wing is because of how their basic ideology compares to the ideology of Communists. Some of the main tenets behind Communism (the extreme far left) are forced equal distribution of wealth and resources for all, forced equal responsibility of productivity from all, and supposedly equality for all (though that never,ever works out in practice). By contrast, the Nazi regime went far past the middle right ideology of "you deserve as much as you are willing to work for, industry ... lots moreDanny B
Just wanted to say I agree with your comments on Christian conservatives. I believe in smaller federal government, but I also believe that those of us who are Christians need to be more concerned with our "neighbor" than many of us currently are.AnotherSqueezedRadish(orTurnip?)
Sorry John Bay, Can't help the long post, anyway, it's good to read, and good to embrace the marketplace of ideas. I think some may be missing the fact that Mr Curly Hair is capping on both the left and the right, whether they be Christian or not, Democrat or Republican or not (generally speaking Democrats are liberals of some sort and Republicans are conservative of some sort, so whats the problem?). He's capping on both parties and both sides of the cultural/ideology "Wars" for both being (generally speaking) hypocritical and full of what comes out of the south end of ... lots moreBob
Please forgive all the prejudiced and biased people who think you should be able to cram into five minutes what it would take half the books in the Library of Congress to cover totally accurately. These critics don't seem to grasp that simple fact. What I hear you doing is giving me some basic principles about differences that I can use to do some critical thinking and objective analysis on my own. I don't think you're teaching a graduate course in any subject, so I don't criticize. I see only that you are suggesting ... lots moreNupabartypitly
well done, guyJim
This was amazing i loved this 1 keep up the good workScott
@motr_man "So many non-arguments cleverly disguised to look like relevant points." Not making an argument. I'm asking a question that I would really like an answer to. Everyone seems to "know" that Communism and Fascism are the extreme opposites of the right-left political spectrum. How exactly? What is the scale? "Socialist is a word. Just because it appears in a parties’ name doesn’t mean anything." I would say it doesn't "necessarily" mean anything. Were Nazis in fact socialists? No, but they had some socialist tendencies. They weren't all Fascist either according to most definitions. Communist ... lots moreKevin
This was an excellent overview of beliefs, political and religious, and he makes excellent points in regards to Christian behavior. If we as Christians truly did what Jesus calls us to do as written in Matthew 5 and 6 the government could get out of the charity business and stop taking my money and giving it to things I don't agree with or believe in. For Keith; As a Christian I am not against 'gay' rights. I am for everyone's God given rights; rights derived from Almighty God and not government. You shouldn't be granted 'rights' ... lots moreKeith
This was a difficult episode for me to watch, as I unashamedly call myself a liberal. The distinction between conservative/liberal is often treated only in political terms, i.e., what should the role of government taxation/program be? None, some, lots, total? America seems to fall into the “some” camp, most of Europe into the “lots” camp. I have seen the benefits of both of these camps first hand; they each have their merits.
But an untreated topic in conservative/liberal discussions involves social policy. The so-called “culture wars” have always baffled me. For the most part, those who identity as “conservative” tend to be pro-life, anti-gay and “liberals” the opposite. But in this scenario, aren’t the “conservatives” just advocating a bigger government that dictates how people live? I can hedge on the abortion issue, but I truly don’t see why “conservatives” have devoted so much attention to opposition of gay rights. So deep is their opposition, that those conservatives who are also Christian often seem to have forgotten their religion’s teachings on helping the poor. Far more efforts seem to go towards opposing gay rights than helping the poor.
This, for me, is the bigger reason I align with the liberals over the conservatives.
John Bay
Death to the long posts! If you can't speak your mind in 100 characters or less, you should be cut omotr_man
To Scott, Adam and JJ, I think you guys all totally missed the point. Maybe you should go back to Monday's episode on having an open mind. You don't have to agree with everything they said, but none of you seemed to considering the other side and it makes you look like knee-jerk reactionaries. JJ - Why so bent out of shape that they applied their own "interpretation" to what it means to be a Christian? Of course they did! Just like they gave us their interpretation of the global warming data and everything else. ... lots moreAdam
Scott I completely agree, you said basically the same thing I was going to say and was thinking when he said it in the video- Nazis were not extreme right/ultra conservative like so many people think today. This is touted by so much of the media and the left today and has become "common knowledge" but like so many other things like that, it is just wrong, inaccurate. The Nazi party was, exactly like you said Scott, the National SOCIALIST party, they were on the political left. And the question about who to support at that time, ... lots moreZak
I am of the opinion that not only Christians, but Americans in general, would be even more giving than they already are (we are the most giving nation on the planet) if the government didn't take so much of what we earned away. Good Show.Scott
I have never understood how Communists = left and Nazis = right. Everyone seems to know that Nazis were ultra-conservative. How exactly? Were they for limited government? No. Did they promote individualism and personal responsibility over the "collective good"? No. Were they the National Socialist German Worker's Party? Yes. Socialism is not typically held to be conservatism. Nazis were nationalistic and conservatives tend to be nationalistic, but so were the Communists. Nationalism is not conservatism. The only left-right scale that makes any sense to me is (starting on ... lots moreJacob
Ha! Beautiful! Keep it coming, my good man. Not that you're "my" man... I er... okay, nevermind.Laura B
Wow! I love this site! I'm sure some are "deeply offended" by what's here, but the truth hurts! Loved the Gobal Warming "Alarmism" stuff. So true! I remember in high school hearing about the Acid Rain Doomsday. Maybe I missed it? When did ... moreJeff Green
While I would certainly agree with your point yesterday that alarmism is a bad thing, you did forget one crucial word in your discussion of CO2 - excessive. I'll not go into detail here and I'll save that for the [22] convention you're holding in the NY Metro area. As for today's show about liberals and conservatives, it's like you've been reading my daily posts for the past 6 years and I can assure you that both Republicans and Democrats in these here parts despise me equally. My friends in the Green party (of which I am a member) wish I ... lots moreBryan
Great show again guys. While I do agree with JJ's statement that liberalism and conservatism are ideologies and not parties, liberals and conservatives tend to make their political homes in one or the other major party. I do, however, still think that most politicians want what they believe is right for the country but are all to willing to give up their integrity in order to try to have their party gain or remain in control. Kind of a "the end justifies the means" mentality. The ones I do worry about are the extremist on either side. Rush Limbaugh likes ... lots moreAndrea_cro
You are now in my favs. :)Todd Winn
In the scope of the WYOTK time frame I felt this one was entertaining and to the point. Sure there were broad generalizations and there have to be in this time frame. Point is there are people on both sides that don't fit in this discussion, but the stereo types ... moreJJ
I thought that the global warming episode was good but this one was very presumptuous. Liberals and conservatives are not parties, they are ideologies. Yes, parties exist to maintain their power but those ideologies are not parties. Ideologies are the paradigms that dictate actions. There is a big difference and this ... more