Relationships
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Mabel the Loser.
Re: Interesting David Brooks piece in the NYT today
I suspect part of the numbers game of a decline in people calling themselves liberal is that the hippies have become the baby boomers, and people seem to get more conservative as they get older. Also, the Right seems far better at rhetoric and has convinced people that "liberal" is a bad label, similiar to what happened to "feminist" in the 80s and 90s. Even people who believe in liberal idealogy seem to be reluctant to label themselves "liberal."
I also think that he's right that the Dems play into the Repubs' hands with fear of government. But also, liberals haven't had anyone to coalesce around in...well, forever. W. won the election by motivating his conservative base. Rather than taking that to mean that they need to motivate their liberal base, the Democrats seem to have decided that to win they have to attract "moderates" or play to conservatives (and Clinton is partly responsible for the Dems' move to the center too). There's no one out there willing to stand up and say that they believe in gay rights, an abortion rights, an social welfare for our country's poorest, and that war is a moral issue, and poverty is too. At best, they try to find some compromise BS position. It's not invigorating. I think the Republicans are wrongity wrong wrong but at least they will stand clear on their wrong principles.
I would call myself a liberal, and I can't remember the last time I was excited to vote for a candidate. I don't even want to vote. I just do because the Republican choice always seems a little worse, but I do feel like that gap is narrowing. If everyone is meeting in the middle, shouldn't there be some parties emerging to represent the ends of the spectrum? And I mean for the intellectual Conservatives, a non-crazy option--TEA Party doesn't fill thatrole.
Anyway, I'm rambling but politics bug me right now.
Cosigned, Angie
I agree with your entire ramble. Especially that last paragraph.
For less then ten cents a day, you can feed a hungry child.
I am a Liberal. I vote for liberal or progressive candidates. I donate money to the arts, schools, environmental causes and Planned Parenthood. I recycle, I buy organic and I support local agriculture. I am a child of the Summer of Love, more than a little hippy-dippy and have worn hemp clothing.
I am also part of the 1%
So true November. I have a friend who is on WIC and leans Republican.
For less then ten cents a day, you can feed a hungry child.
Maybe not direct benefit but without welfare and public schools and assistance programs, this country would be a SH!THOLE, even for the 1%. Social problems impact everyone, not just those who can't feed themselves or pay their bills.
Plus, we all benefit from the arts, public educational stuff like NPR, protecting the environment, keeping the gov out of half of our utes, and keeping the general public healthy so costs stay down.
"As of page 2 this might be the most boring argument ever. It's making me long for Rape Day." - Mouse
Actually, I have received many benefits from social programs.
My father's father died when my dad was 10, and my grandmother received SSI benefits for her three children.
My father was in a Navy and went to college (the first person in his family to do so) on the GI bill.
My mother taught at a Catholic grammar school back in the late 1960's-early 1970's. That school was located in a very poor part of town and received government subsidies for hot breakfast and lunch programs. I attended that school for two years and ate those meals.
I watched PBS while growing up -- including Sesame Street, Electric Company and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
My dad's business hit a hard time in the late 1970's and my family was on unemployment for a while.
My first two years of college were at a community college in California back in the 1980's when they were still subsidized. I went to college for $50 a semester plus books.
I completed my undergraduate degree with the help of Stafford loans, Plus Loans and SLS Loans.
I went to graduate school with the aid of more federal loans.
I have no problems with the help I have received from the government at certain times. I believe it is my duty as a participating citizen to repay those loans so that other people can go to school. I have no problems paying my local, state and federal taxes so that my toilets continue to flush, my fire department is ready to put out a fire and the meat that I buy in the grocery store is inspected so that my family doesn't get sick.
I have no doubt that there is waste in government and that some people abuse the system. That is human nature - there will always be people who are greedy or lazy. But that doesn't mean that social programs aren't a good idea as a safety net for people in genuine need. I believe that the federal government is uniquely situated to protect our nation's natural resources (parks, minerals, etc.) as well as monitor food and drug safety to prevent illness and harmful side effects.