Contrary to popular opinion, DU is supposed to be for politically *liberal* people. Either that or

[cui bono]

358. Well there are a lot of people who call themselves liberal when they really are not.

If something benefits corporations to the detriment of the people it simply is not liberal. I don't see how anyone who considers themselves liberal can favor free trade.

If one is liberal only on social issues and not on economic issues, it's really not enough, is it? I mean you can support same sex marriage or equal rights for women or a woman's right to choose and work to enact supportive legislation so that people think you're not so bad, then go out and cause economic ruin for 99% of the people, so what difference does it make to give people some social freedom when ultimately they are going to live horrible lives enslaved in an oppressive economic environment?

You can be economically liberal and not be a liberal socially, and then what good is that? People can live comfortable lives financially yet not be able to have equal rights if they are LGBT or a woman or a minority. That's not very good either.

So does one trump the other? Seems to me you really have to be liberal across the board to really be considered "a liberal". Otherwise you are just a socially liberal and fiscally conservative (or vice-versa) and you are proposing hurting people with your views, and that's not liberal. It's been shown in the last few decades that free trade doesn't work. Trickle down doesn't work. So I don't see how anyone can be a liberal and argue for that.

As to participating on a message board, I don't know... is there a litmus test? Should there be a list of issues and a certain percentage of agreement deemed acceptable? Then if it can be shown that you disagree with too many items you are banned?