My impression is that political conservatives tend to place their first emphasis on individual freedoms...while political liberals tend to place their first emphasis on group responsibilities and rights within the group. So one is worried about what may happen to stifle the individual's rights while the other is worried about what may happen to harm the general community...which ultimately will harm the individual (specially the individual with less money and power).

But that's only one way of looking at it.

Most (if not all) people are conservative about some things and liberal about other things.

So who is really a conservative and who is really a liberal?

Most people resist change, unless it's a change that they thought of themselves! (dogs are like that too, if you will observe...)

When we talk about liberals and conservatives are we talking about politics, religion, philosophy, science, dress codes, race consciousness, economic policy, or what?

I'll say this, though: to be healthy a society must become a blend of both liberal and conservative values, and find a way to combine them creatively, not divide itself into endless wrangling and combat over what is the essential divide (like masculine and feminine) in human psychology. The divide is not meant to provoke war, it is meant to provoke useful partnerships and new growth.

That's why Doug R and I are going to go on that fishing trip one of these days... :-)

Oh, and young conservatives are made of Kraft cheese and polyester. Young liberals are made of blue denim and guacamole. That's all you need to know.

- LH