Liberal or Conservative. Which views are better for America?

Liberal or Conservative. Who's more right or to put it better, which views would create a better future for our country.

But first, I don't believe Liberals and conservatives are opposites at all. I think both sides really want the best for our country and share similar values. Both want safe streets, working sewers, honest government, great schools and most importantly, efficient spending of their hard earned tax dollars.

I also don't think either side enjoys paying taxes, or at least excessive taxes.

Now there are some differences between the two sides and let me start out by saying that I think differences are good. I have some very close friends that are very conservative and we have great conversations that often leads me to a deeper understanding of issues. The conversations often motivate me to do more research into some view point I hold. So having two sides, and having conversations between the sides is very healthy, I believe.

Now I'm going to start of and tell you that I believe that the Liberal view point, when not taken to an extreme, will yield a better future for our country and I am here to explain my reasoning to coming to that viewpoint. I should point out that I started out with a very conservative viewpoint from being raised in Orange County in a very conservative family. But after many years of reading and listening and having many conversations with intelligent people with varying views, I have come to the conclusion that a liberal / moderate viewpoint leads down a more prosperous and enjoyable path.

First, let me define what I believe the difference between the two sides are. I believe the difference between liberals and conservatives comes down to the width of the viewpoint on how to attack a problem.

The Conservative is, I believed, more focused. More focused on the individual and those in their circle of influence; Their family, their jobs, their house.

The Liberal's focus is more general. More focused on the larger community. Even if things are going well for the individual Liberal, they are still very concerned about other humans in other countries. Even obscure plants and animals in obscure countries.

Now, Ill bet you're thinking, "hang on for a minute, there's lots more differences. Specifically liberals are stupid". OK, Ill agree I am simplifying things a bit but this description works better than you might think. On almost every issue, you can figure out what side of each issue each view point will be if you use this definition. And often the conclusions reached will be the same, but reached through that different lens or view point.

Take Health care for example. The liberal, since he has this bleeding heart caring for individuals outside his immediate circle would tend more to support the idea of a big pool where we pay for those who can't afford health care. The conservative would ask, why should I have to pay for anyone else's health care? It should be up the individual to be responsible for this. That is until you explain that some bum without health care who comes down with leprosy, is a threat to the conservative and his family since leprosy is very contagious. Then the conservative would also support some kind of limited help for those without heath care to keep it from affecting him and his family.

These two viewpoints are both (quote) right. One can see utility in both points. In fact I'd argue that certain viewpoints make better sense and are more effective in certain environments.

I would argue that in less populated areas, the conservative viewpoint makes a lot of sense. If I live in Montana, and my closest neighbor is 5 miles away, what do I care what kind of roof he puts on his house? If my barn lights of fire, I'd probably be able to put it out myself before the fire truck gets there. In fact, how much government do I even need. I can even protect myself if someone is nuts enough to come on my property.

But this viewpoint make less sense as density rises. If I am in a crowded city, I care greatly how my neighbor lives. His house lighting on fire will effect me. I care what kind of roof he puts on his house. I mean, have you seen the tire roofs they use on top of mobile homes out there in Rubidoux? Not sure even the most staunch conservatives wouldn't want to say "Maybe we should put a stop to that".

But which one is more right for the future outcome of our country right now? Its a tough question but Ill tell you how I came to my own beliefs.

First off, if you look how business works, as it gets larger and larger, it starts operating more and more from a liberal perspective. They label it "teamwork" but it is taking the big picture viewpoint. It is about going out of your way to support fellow team members and pulling for them. In large companies, it is frowned on for single contributers to not involve as many people as possible. Form committees, have meetings, involve freaking everyone. Is it efficient? No. And it sometimes drives people from big corporations. But it models how big government works. And lots of studies have shown that going slowly but with lots of other team members is more effective in the long run as the outcomes are generally better thought out.

Coming at it from a completely different perspective, all major religious figureheads are bleeding heart liberals. From Jesus to Budha to Lao Tzu, to Mohammad, all of them teach the power of helping all humans and having less concern for one's self. The idea of giving of yourself to those less fortunate and that the rewards for both the individual and community are prominent in these great religions.

And lastly, looking at how well the country has done under more liberal vs conservative administrations. For the stock market, looking over the last 100 years, the stock market has given returns of 13.3% per year under Democrats and 6.9% per year under Republicans, almost double returns under more liberal administrations.

And for GDP looking since 1929, GDP averaged 2.9% under Democratic administrations and 1.7% under Republican administrations. So from a results perspective, it does seem the Liberal perspective is more effective and produces a better way of life for more Americans. It should also be noted that many studies have show a growth of greater disparity of wealth distribution under conservative administrations as compared to liberal ones.

From this data, I would urge all of you to look carefully at candidates, and support the more liberal candidate. It must be done in balance of course, but I honestly believe, the wide, big picture viewpoint of liberals results in a more humane environment for all of us to live in.