Quote:
Originally Posted by dda
As to addressing the differences in ideology between liberals and conservatives, name some and maybe I will have a position.
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Modern conservatism disvalues and politicizes science.
This is above all else unacceptable to me. The room available to interpret data produced by good science is directly correlated to amount and quality of that data. The more data there is, the less room for interpretation there is. That is to say, eventually we have so much data, it speaks for itself. Data doesn't care about your political beliefs or your values. It's simply either truth or isn't and whether it is truth depends on the quality of the science, not the personal characteristics or the consequences of the data, or how it aligns with your personal views. If there's a problem with the data, it's a problem of methodology that is easily resolvable and requires little if any debate.
The data and science that back evolution of life is undeniable by any scientific standard. I don't know much about the science of climate change, but the organizations that stand behind are run by solid scientists.
The left is not immune from this criticism entirely: science about human intelligence and genetics or the efficacy of cultural practices is what it is and the data it produces is what it is regardless of personal values. I don't know what the data is or where it will lead, I just sense some apprehension from some on the left regarding the desire of some to learn more, and I find that unacceptable.
However the right is by far the worst offender, largely due to social conservatism and the religious right. I cannot vote for people who do not value or even understand science.
Here's another: personal liberty.
What consenting adults do with their own lives is their business. This includes who they love and what they do to their bodies.
Here again the left is also not blame free: nanny state laws that prohibit freedoms of individuals to run their lives or their business also bother me, but none are so terrible as conservative religious doctrine they wish to impose on unwilling subjects.
I'll leave a third (but there's more):
Social responsibility. I believe in capitalism and private property, but the truth is that we all live together on a desert island with limited resources. And just like on a desert island we have to work together to survive and work towards ensuring that those who need mortal help, when they cannot help themselves, can get it, and that we all make some sacrifice for the benefit of all. This is a gray area for me personally, since I value personal liberty and I certainly do not believe that the wealthy own their wealth at the pleasure of the poor. Private property belongs its owner. However ensuring children get fed, roads are built, people get life saving medical care are all part and parcel of good governance and benefit us all in the long run. A law abiding and reasonable government is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. Conservatives outcry of "big government" resonate with me to some degree, but modern conservatism, such that would repeal the modest health care legislation recently written seems extremist to me.