Are you more socially or fiscally liberal?

[mvd]

Poll question: Are you more socially or fiscally liberal?

I'd have to say I'm about the same. Socially, I'm against the death penalty, support gay marriage or total equality under the law, against the Patriot Act, am almost always for peaceful solutions, am for separation of church and state, am for environment over corporations, and am pro-choice. Morally, though, I'm against abortion - and I only support limited affirmative action programs. And I'm a Christian (don't really put myself in a certain denomination.) I also can see limiting illegal immigration. Fiscally, I support very high taxes on the rich, but no tax increases on the middle or lower classes unless necessary. I think we should have embraced solar energy more a long time ago, and am against outsourcing too much. But I see big deficits as harmful.

Note about the "am more liberal socially" option: this means that you are more traditionally conservative on fiscal matters. The right wing option refers to Bush fiscal policy.

[JeffR]

1. Fiscally liberal = budget surpluses

eom

[jody]

2. Please define "socially liberal" and "fiscally liberal". IMO you use them

as though they are mutually exclusive.

[mvd]

6. No, I mean in levels

For example, if you want taxes to return to Clinton levels, you might not be as fiscally liberal as me. But if you are very liberal on all of the social issues I mentioned (gay marriage, abortion, war/peace,) you'd choose "more socially liberal."

[jody]

19. You place socially liberal on one end of a continuum and fiscally liberal

on the other end.

Apparently you define socially liberal as supporting "gay marriage, abortion" but what do you mean by "fiscally liberal"?

Do you mean "fiscally liberal" as continuing to increase the national debt or do you mean that low-income workers and unemployed pay little or no taxes while partaking of health, education, housing at someone else's expense? :shrug:

[mvd]

20. I've defined fiscally liberal

It is:

high taxes on rich
strong social programs and social safety net
small deficits are ok
expansive health care programs
high regulation of corporations

[jody]

21. OK but that definition of fiscally liberal says nothing about gay marriage

abortion, etc.

Your poll contrasts fiscally liberal with socially liberal as though at the extreme they are mutually exclusive.

Your explanations however suggest that one can be fiscally liberal and also for gay marriage, abortion, etc., i.e. simultaneously fiscally liberal and socially liberal.

[mvd]

22. You have to look at the overall picture for both..

fiscally and socially. And then make a judgment call. I see no contrast. You don't have to be fiscally conservative if you are extremely socially liberal. You hear politicians say all the time "fiscally liberal, socially moderate" and things like that.

[jody]

25. I've looked at the overall picture and IMO you've failed to define your

terms for a poll so that answers are meaningful.

I guess we simply disagree so thanks for the exchange.

Have a wonderful evening and may good fortune come your way tomorrow. :hi:

[mvd]

26. You, too

:hi:

It makes perfect sense to me and other posters here, but I'm not sure what else I can say.

[htuttle]

3. What does 'fiscally liberal' mean nowdays?

I'm strongly in favor of balanced budgets and living within our means, but I see social entitlement programs as one of the important functions of a government. I'd slash the military budget except for NASA (in half!), cut the tax cuts to the rich to restore a progressive tax system, and fully fund social programs within our means.

Does that make me fiscally 'liberal' or 'conservative'?

[Telly Savalas]

4. Fiscally liberal.

Fiscal conservatism is the belief that we should cut taxes for the rich, boost pork spending (especially on unnecessary "defense" programs like Star Wars), underfund social programs, and download responsibilities to the states. If you're not running a large defecit, then you're not a conservative.

[NaturalHigh]

7. Actually, that's not "fiscally conservative."

What you're describing is right-wing corporatism. There's actually a big difference.

[Telly Savalas]

17. Conservatism is right-wing corporatism.

Always has been.

[NaturalHigh]

23. Sorry, I disagree.

[htuttle]

8. That's not fiscally conservative, that's 'supply side' economics

...Which is anything but conservative, since it runs up large deficits as you point out.

[Telly Savalas]

16. Which is what conservatism is all about.

It's been 50 years since a Republican president signed a balanced budget.

[mvd]

9. I'd say fairly fiscally liberal

But the option you'd choose would be dependent on how you feel on social issues (abortion, gay rights, immigration, death penalty, war/peace, etc.)

[NaturalHigh]

5. I had to vote "other."

I'm not really for heavy taxes for anybody, nor am I for entitlement programs that reward people for not working. Taking away from one person to give to another person just seems wrong to me. That's why I am also against the corporate welfare programs that take tax dollars and give them to corporations.

[Just Me]

10. Geez. My first thought was that the BushCO/neoconsters are EXTREMELY,...

,...fiscally liberal, spending what they don't have, profiteering off the same.

Like you, I believe in a trickle-up taxation system (poor pay nothing, middle some, rich more). I believe money collected should be applied towards advancing the nation as a whole: help the poor and oppressed, education and health care for all, R & D in energy alternatives, etc.

I am socially liberal BUT am a liberal with limits. Activities that pro-actively harm people should, naturally, be prohibited. Equality is imperative. Civil and human rights are absolutes, in my view.

[mvd]

11. They aren't traditionally conservative

But unlike liberals, they believe in low taxes for the rich, cutting social programs, gutting social security, low regulation, and mainly supporting the corporation over the individual.

[Kahuna]

12. Big time social liberal here! Fiscally, I'm a centrist. I definately

believe in most of the current "entitlement" programs, and programs to help the poor. Where I draw the line with a lot of "progressives" is that I'm not for a purely socialist country. As it is now, we're a socialist in many ways, and other than the programs that the repukes are trying to dismantle, and health care coverage that is desperately needed, I'm pretty content with our current socialist programs.

[WI_DEM]

13. I'm more of a social liberal than an economic liberal

But then again the true responsible party regarding fiscal policy is the Democrats, as Clinton proved. Look at the debt and deficits that Reagan, Poppy and Junior have run up.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. As a Socialist Libertarian (aka Anarchist) count me as both.

[upi402]

15. In capitalism, $ gives you any type of justice you want.

[Little Star]

18. I chose both but in reality

I am probably a bit more fiscally liberal. I am a little old and a little up tight socially although I am for gay rights and the right to choose.

[rucky]

24. Any idea how many social progams we could fund if we cut defense

just by a little bit - 15%

we could get most of our wish list.

The Pentagon pisses 15% of their budget. That number is a conservative estimate, since we never really know where that money goes.