I was at a party a few months back. After a few drinks, as it always happens in the social gatherings in my circle, the topics shifted to political discussions. The talk centered around how history has shown that - rightist attitude eventually leads to fascism - which ultimately lead to the killing of millions during Hitler and Mussolini.
In America, rightist are associated with Conservatives/Republicans. A gentleman - a firm supporter of the Republican party and the Trump administration - remarked that "liberals" have equally smeared history when it came to mass killings.
"What about Pol Pot and Stalin or Mao?" - he remarked. "They clearly were not conservatives , they were communists and hence liberals ".
He was clearly exhibiting what majority of the Americans - thanks to a two party system - have been indoctrinated to believe in the recent years and unfortunately - this convoluted definition of conservatives versus liberals have propagated from the US to the rest of the world just as American concept of fast food and soda.
A hardcore conservative in America is more likely to be someone who would oppose tighter control over guns, promote traditional Christian beliefs about homosexuality and women's right on abortion, demand lesser tax, question the judgement of scientist about climate change, more spending on military, likely to less concerned about social equality and minority rights (often tagging them as socialist outlook).
Whereas a hardcore liberal is more likely to propose tighter gun control, advocate for women's and minority rights, be more concerned about environment, social equality and would not mind higher taxes to support a government that would deliver social welfare for lesser fortunate groups - such as African Americans and other minority groups.
However - most of the Americans - are neither hardcore "liberals" or "conservatives" in the American sense. While I believe that when it comes to environmental protection or delivering social welfare a larger governmental involvement is needed - when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship the private sector definitely has a bigger role to play than the government.
In America, rightist are associated with Conservatives/Republicans. A gentleman - a firm supporter of the Republican party and the Trump administration - remarked that "liberals" have equally smeared history when it came to mass killings.
"What about Pol Pot and Stalin or Mao?" - he remarked. "They clearly were not conservatives , they were communists and hence liberals ".
He was clearly exhibiting what majority of the Americans - thanks to a two party system - have been indoctrinated to believe in the recent years and unfortunately - this convoluted definition of conservatives versus liberals have propagated from the US to the rest of the world just as American concept of fast food and soda.
Oxford dictionary defines liberals as one who is "willing to understand and respect other people’s behavior, opinions, etc., especially when they are different from your own; believing people should be able to choose how they behave". Conservatives on the other hand are defined as those with "Commitment to traditional values and ideas with opposition to change or innovation".
While growing up in the backwaters of remote North Eastern part of India - reading about the likes of Raja Ram Mahon Roy, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mustafa Kemal Ataruk, Iswar Chandra Vidya Sagar, Martin Luther King - I had formed by own image of liberals as those who would question rigid social norms and customs through rational thinking and advocate for radical social change. Liberals were the ones who advocated and carried out sweeping social changes by promoting abolition of stringiest caste hierarchy, opposed racism, brought an end to sati (burning of widow), promoted secularism.
Some of the most charismatic liberals would include Abrahm Linchon (cause he questioned and abolished the social order of slavery), Jesus Christ and Hazarat Muhammed (peace be upon him) cause they sought to question and change the social order of that age.
On the other hand - conservatives were the ones who would resist any changes to the established order. Conservatives would practice caste system, burn the likes of Galileo, advocate killing the heretics and the infidels - the likes of Wahabis and Talibans.
However, when it comes to America, Conservatism and Liberalism has little to do with the dictionary definition of the words which I came to believe in as I was learning the English language.
In the American context - the difference between Conservatives versus the Liberals is basically in the involvement of government when it comes to the fiscal policies and the role of the government. Conservatives believe in lesser government control with matters related to trade and commerce. On the other hand - liberals believe that more government regulations in trade and commerce and involvement of the government is needed for social justice.
The absence of strong third party (Libertarian's who few Americans associate with when it comes to voting) - forces Americans to associate with either Republicans (who identify with the American definition of Conservatives) or Democrats (liberals) who appear to be drifting apart like never before in the entire history of American democracy.
A hardcore conservative in America is more likely to be someone who would oppose tighter control over guns, promote traditional Christian beliefs about homosexuality and women's right on abortion, demand lesser tax, question the judgement of scientist about climate change, more spending on military, likely to less concerned about social equality and minority rights (often tagging them as socialist outlook).
Whereas a hardcore liberal is more likely to propose tighter gun control, advocate for women's and minority rights, be more concerned about environment, social equality and would not mind higher taxes to support a government that would deliver social welfare for lesser fortunate groups - such as African Americans and other minority groups.
However - most of the Americans - are neither hardcore "liberals" or "conservatives" in the American sense. While I believe that when it comes to environmental protection or delivering social welfare a larger governmental involvement is needed - when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship the private sector definitely has a bigger role to play than the government.
However, the two party system in the US - has created a mindset that if you do not believe in all any of the popular beliefs of the conservatives - you got to be a liberal (you are either with us or against us).
This attitude and mindset of Americans have greatly stratified America into two separate boxes with walls that seems to have grown so much thicker that every statement made by one segment is viewed with suspicion by the other side.
This attitude and mindset of Americans have greatly stratified America into two separate boxes with walls that seems to have grown so much thicker that every statement made by one segment is viewed with suspicion by the other side.
Liberals are labelled as Marxist or even Communist of the Stalinist/Maoist flavor - which in the classical definitions of the English language - are at 180 degree apart from liberalism.
And unfortunately - this distorted American version of Conservatism vs Liberalism is gaining ground around the world.
It is indeed lamentable that the US which awed the world into democracy when its constitution proclaimed a governance - "by the people of the people and for the people" is now killing democracy around the world with its distorted definition of Conservative vs Liberals.
