I would like to know how many people on this site

[MH1]

115. Here's a short, simple version:

conservatism emphasizes the rights of the individual over all, especially the right of the individual to exploit others to further their own goals (whether those goals are moral or not). To conservatives, competition is essential - even sacred - and many do not recognize any realm of life that is not "better" (in their opinion) when there is competition. Hence the support for privatizing everything. Conservatives tend to measure an individual's success in terms of financial wealth.

In contrast, liberalism emphasizes the importance of having a good society - community - as essential to the capacity of individuals for self-actualization and leading a good life. Many liberals agree that competition can be helpful in promoting innovation, but consider cooperation as the key to creating a good society. Liberals tend to consider individual "success" more as positive life aspects such as health and peace of mind, with financial wealth as secondary; and measure the success of a community by how well everyone does in achieving a decent life.

So this is what it boils down to:

Liberals place primary value on community and cooperation.

Conservatives place primary value on individualism and competition.

I don't think either group - except perhaps the extreme fringes of each - totally rejects the primary value of the other group, but rather make it secondary (or less) to their own primary value.

Yes I am a liberal. What I do as a liberal is support, financially and with volunteer hours (when I'm not working at my full time job), various causes that relate to what I consider the most important issues where I can make an effective contribution.

What I do every day, most important of all, is try to treat everyone I interact with as a valued human being deserving of respect, and in small ways try to brighten the day of people who have it the toughest. Little things like saying hello to the janitorial staff, asking how their day's going once in awhile; saying thank you to people who provide a service; and never (well I try) getting pissed at people who are just doing their job as best they can, even if the current outcome is effing up my day, because it isn't their fault. That's what respect is, and to me, it is required of anyone to honestly wear the label "liberal". But that part is just my opinion.

How'd I do?