Why I Am Not a Liberal

[bpmartyr]

Why I Am Not a Liberal
Dennis Prager
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The following is a list of beliefs that I hold. Nearly every one of them was a liberal position until the late 1960s. Not one of them is now.

Such a list is vitally important in order to clarify exactly what positions divide left from right, blue from red, liberal from conservative.

I believe in American exceptionalism, meaning that (a) America has done more than any international organization or institution, and more than any other country, to improve this world; and (b) that American values (specifically, the unique American blending of Enlightenment and Judeo-Christian values) form the finest value system any society has ever devised and lived by.

I believe that the bigger government gets and the more powerful the state becomes, the greater the threat to individual liberty and the greater the likelihood that evil will ensue. In the 20th century, the powerful state, not religion, was the greatest purveyor of evil in the world.

I believe that the levels of taxation advocated by liberals render those taxes a veiled form of theft. "Give me more than half of your honestly earned money or you will be arrested" is legalized thievery.

I believe that government funding of those who can help themselves (e.g., the able-bodied who collect welfare) or who can be helped by non-governmental institutions (such as private charities, family, and friends) hurts them and hurts society.

I believe that the United States of America, from its inception, has been based on the Judeo-Christian value system, not secular Enlightenment values alone, and therefore the secularization of American society will lead to the collapse of America as a great country.

I believe that some murderers should be put death; that allowing all murderers to live does not elevate the value of human life, but mocks it, and that keeping all murderers alive trivializes the evil of murder.

I believe that the American military has done more to preserve and foster goodness and liberty on Earth than all the artists and professors in America put together.

I believe that lowering standards to admit minorities mocks the real achievements of members of those minorities.

I believe that when schools give teenagers condoms, it is understood by most teenagers as tacit approval of their engaging in sexual intercourse.

I believe that the assertions that manmade carbon emissions will lead to a global warming that will in turn bring on worldwide disaster are a function of hysteria, just as was the widespread liberal belief that heterosexual AIDS will ravage America.

I believe that marriage must remain what has been in every recorded civilization -- between the two sexes.

I believe that, whatever the reasons for entering Iraq, the American-led removal of Saddam Hussein from power will decrease the sum total of cruelty on Earth.

I believe that the trial lawyers associations and teachers unions, the greatest donors to the Democratic Party, have done great harm to American life -- far more than, let us say, oil companies and pharmaceutical companies, the targets of liberal opprobrium.

I believe that nuclear power, clean coal, and drilling in a tiny and remote frozen part of Alaska and offshore -- along with exploration of other energy alternatives such as wind and solar power -- are immediately necessary.

I believe that school vouchers are more effective than increased spending on public schools in enabling many poorer Americans to give their children better educations.

I believe that while there are racists in America, America is no longer a racist society, and that blaming disproportionate rates of black violence and out-of-wedlock births on white racism is a lie and the greatest single impediment to African-American progress.

I believe that America, which accepts and assimilates foreigners better than any other country in the world, is the least racist, least xenophobic country in the world.

I believe the leftist takeover of the liberal arts departments in nearly every American university has been an intellectual and moral calamity.

I believe that a good man and a good marriage are more important to most women's happiness and personal fulfillment than a good career.

I believe that males and females are inherently different. For example, girls naturally prefer dolls and tea sets to trucks and toy guns -- if you give a girl trucks, she is likely to give them names and take care of them, and if you give a boy trucks, he is likely to crash them into one another.

I believe that when it comes to combating the greatest evils on Earth, such as the genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations has either been useless or an obstacle.

I believe that, generally speaking, Western Europe provides social and moral models to be avoided, not emulated.

I believe that America's children were positively affected by hearing a non-denominational prayer each morning in school, and adversely affected by the removal of all prayer from school.

I believe that liberal educators' removal of school uniforms and/or dress codes has had a terrible impact on students and their education.

I believe that bilingual education does not work, that for the sake of immigrant children and for the sake of the larger society, immersion in the language of the country, meaning English in America, is mandatory.

I believe that English should be declared the national language, and that ballots should not be printed in any language other than English. If one cannot understand English, one is probably not sufficiently knowledgeable to vote intelligently in an English-speaking country.

Finally, I believe that there are millions of Americans who share most of these beliefs who still call themselves "liberal" or "progressive" and who therefore vote Democrat. They do so because they still identify liberalism with pre-1970 liberalism or because they are emotionally attached to the word "liberal."

I share that emotion. But one should vote based on values, not emotions.

[AE14]

good to see you are back at BP.

some of those are good and some downright foolish IMO

[Jayhawkk]

Wow, some of those are just plain ignorant...

[RobInKuwait]

I agree with 75-80% of the statements, with the most notable disagreements being with the religious statements. I do not think that religion has a monopoly on morality and hate that mentality....but if thats the worst the republicans got, they're still about 100 times less evil than the dems.

[bpmartyr]

Wow, some of those are just plain ignorant...

You may disagree but I think the word "iignorant" is a misnomer. I have heard him delineate each and every one of those points in depth (he has a daily radio program). He has thought them through thoroughly over his 26 years in radio and can debate skillfully with the best of them. He may be wrong but he is certainly not ignorant.

Also note that he prefaces most of his statements with "I believe".

[AE14]

jay never said that he was ignorant, he said the comments were

[EESCHMan]

I believe that the United States of America, from its inception, has been based on the Judeo-Christian value system, not secular Enlightenment values alone, and therefore the secularization of American society will lead to the collapse of America as a great country

wrong

I believe that when schools give teenagers condoms, it is understood by most teenagers as tacit approval of their engaging in sexual intercourse

wrong

I believe that marriage must remain what has been in every recorded civilization -- between the two sexes.

why?

I believe that America's children were positively affected by hearing a non-denominational prayer each morning in school, and adversely affected by the removal of all prayer from school

Prove it

Dennis Prager, what a role model!

[Jayhawkk]

His statements are ignorant and being able to debate is a skillset that can let someone argue a point they don't even agree with.

[Usf97j4x4]

This goes out to you libs
LiveLeak.com - Apache Takes Out Insurgents With 30mm Compilation - Iraq

[Jayhawkk]

Further dividing people by polarizing everyone's beliefs is what's the main damage of this country. Almost everyone I know is a mix of conservative and liberal lines. Politics plays like a ****ing pro sport.

Ever met a fan of a pro team that just ****ing sucks but the fan base refuses to accept any other team being better in any part of the game? Just because you're a liberal or conservative doesn't mean that any ideas or beliefs from the other side is an automatic 'failure'. Some day you'll have to actually say " Damn, they came up with a good idea; let's try it."

[RobInKuwait]

Some day you'll have to actually say " Damn, they came up with a good idea; let's try it."

Still waiting on that day...I can't remember ever thinking that the dems had a good idea.

[Jayhawkk]

I guarentee you're wrong if you went through all of their proposed ideas. Just isn't possible to say the opposing side never had a good idea.

[RobInKuwait]

I guarentee you're wrong if you went through all of their proposed ideas. Just isn't possible to say the opposing side never had a good idea.

The problem is I believe their reasoning is fundamentally flawed.

Actually, you're right, there is one thing I like that they did....they sponsored a bill that gave federal LEOs a raise last year....I can't say anything bad about that, as it puts more money in my pocket .

[Jayhawkk]

See

[bpmartyr]

His statements are ignorant and being able to debate is a skillset that can let someone argue a point they don't even agree with.

I don't think you understand what "ignorant" means. No offense.

1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3. uninformed; unaware.
4. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

Agree or disagree, that is fine but to say these arguments are ignorant is, well ... ignorant.

[bpmartyr]

wrong



wrong



why?



Prove it

Dennis Prager, what a role model!

He preceded each statement by "I believe". Are you saying he is wrong in that he does not in fact believe.

Your post reminds me of a conversation I just had with one of my adolescent children. Why? Prove it!

[EESCHMan]

He preceded each statement by "I believe". Are you saying he is wrong in that he does not in fact believe.

Your post reminds me of a conversation I just had with one of my adolescent children. Why? Prove it!

Oh, he preceded his statements with "I believe..."
I guess that makes them correct.

If you make stupid claims you need to back them up with evidence.

Don't you have anything better to do then post this right wing cr*p everyday?

[EasyEJL]

If you make stupid claims you need to back them up with evidence.

Can you prove the existence of god? No, but billions of people believe anyhow. Is there any real evidence of his existence? Only if you accept certain things as fact that have no proof themselves.

do you have any evidence any of the statements are false? how about presenting that?

[EasyEJL]

I believe that liberal educators' removal of school uniforms and/or dress codes has had a terrible impact on students and their education.

I believe that bilingual education does not work, that for the sake of immigrant children and for the sake of the larger society, immersion in the language of the country, meaning English in America, is mandatory.

I believe that English should be declared the national language, and that ballots should not be printed in any language other than English. If one cannot understand English, one is probably not sufficiently knowledgeable to vote intelligently in an English-speaking country.

Although the last one, i'm not exactly sure whether the not sufficiently knowledgeable is the right phrase, but if they can't understand the ballot in english, how can they understand the points they are voting on which are expressed in english?

[Usf97j4x4]

This goes out to you libs
LiveLeak.com - Apache Takes Out Insurgents With 30mm Compilation - Iraq