America is a "right of center" country

[mdmc]

[justinsb]

1. Wayyy right. You've no idea. n/t

[mdmc]

5. McCain recently admitted that the USA uses torture

he says he can beat the dems cause the USA is right of center.

[PA Democrat]

2. I think its policies are extremely far right, while the attitudes of its people are somewhat more

moderate on average, but still right of center.

[Selatius]

It didn't used to be that way as far as economic policy. Talk to your grandparents. They voted FDR.

It was somebody else's generation who voted for Reagan.

[Ian David]

3. Most people have Liberal ideals while not knowing their ideals are "Liberal." n/t

[annabanana]

24. ! on the nose !. . . .. . n/t

[wryter2000]

4. Other

The United States is full of liberals who've been convinced that they're conservatives.

[Dukkha]

6. America is a morally bankrupt country

The right wing corruption is a disease that has poisoned the nation beyond healing and beyond redemption.

[DemocratInSoCal]

7. And It Will Be Our Undoing

At least us "liberals" will be slightly able to escape blame.

I will NEVER let some IDIOT repub who voted for these ASSHOLES, to place blame on me. They can all just suffer, for all I care. Every last republic.

[justinsb]

8. Personally I think it's the culture of fear

Americans seem easily frightened into voting against their best interest - whether it's criminals or drugs or terrorists or illegal immigrants: there is always something that's going to get you if you vote for the 'soft', 'bleeding heart' liberals

[kaybea]

13. Americans seem easily frightened. Full Stop.

So much bravado, so little bravery.

[justinsb]

14. What's ironic

Is that lack of health care killed several times more Americans last year than crime, drugs and terrorism combined.

[endarkenment]

9. Far right not right of center.

We were a center-right country before 1980.

[f the letter]

10. Moving farther to the right daily.

i think a lot of Americans don't realize this.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. The elites are RIGHT WING, and they control the show

and the Liberal working drones don't even know they are liberal

[Karenina]

12. Four words:

Fascist. Cesspool. In denial.

[depakid]

15. Goes to show just how many people here buy the propaganda

They watch the corporate media- the CNN's, the MSNBC's, et al. and don't think they're influenced by them. But of course, they are.

The objective FACTS show that on issue after issue, a substantial- sometimes overwhelming number of Americans support progressive positions. The evidence couldn't be clearer (despite the fact that MOST of the national politicians in the Democratic party choose corporate money over principles and broader self interest).

You can read the evidence here for yourself here:

The facts simply don't support the oft-repeated mantra that we are a "conservative nation."

http://wwww.alternet.org/story/54409/

and here:

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Americans are liberal. How long will it take politicians and the media to get that?

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/54914/

and especially here:

The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America is a Myth

http://mediamatters.org/progmaj/report

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Why I said, the ELITES are

and they control the show

Until WE get the levers of power.. the country's policies will remain conservative, and it does not matter how liberal the people are

[Fiendish Thingy]

21. Thanks for posting the links- I knew I'd read this somewhere! n/t

[Bucky]

17. Ironically, we became a powerful country by having left of center values & politics

FDR & Truman & the Democratic Congress of the 1930s & 1940s expanded the middle class on which America's success and affluence rests. Even Dwight Eisenhower helped maintain the progressive tax and regulatory policies that made the American dream possible to so many.

Having attained all that prosperity, however, we too quickly got suckered by those who sought to bring up the ladder behind them--the "I've got mine, go off and get yours from somewhere else" mentality of 20th century conservatives reduced upward social mobility in this country. We've become a society that restricts access & restricts opportunity over the last 30 years. Too too many people today are worse off than their parents were 30 years ago--this is the surest measure of a society that has turned its back on its core strengths.

Hard work is frowned on--investment, not labor, is the greatest source of wealth accumulation. It's sad, but the American dream is being carved away at. The Republicans have policies that essentially declare war on opportunity.

[Firespirit]

18. A lot of people THINK they are conservative

but their opinions on individual issues are quite liberal.

They've just been taught that conservative = good without having a clue what it means.

[robertpaulsen]

19. Left of center country. Fascist government.

If the economy fails, something's gotta give.

[earth mom]

20. No, the powers that be & the media are pushing that meme & are trying to pull everyone to the right.

That's what all the bullshit on Faux, CNN, MSNBC and the spew from O'Lielly and Limbaugh is all about.

They bombard people with their bullshit morning noon and night so that it will somehow sink in.

Just total brainwashing.

Their power comes from pushing fear non stop so people will believe that boogieman terrorists are coming to get them soon.

They've pushed hate of Muslims to the point that a good and kind friend of mine said to me the other day that "SOME Muslims are good" which told me she'd bought their lies hook, line and sinker.

If they can get people like my friend-a kind, loving and gentle soul-to continue to believe that the big bad terra rists are gonna get them-which is a TOTAL CROCK btw-then they are going to be able continue with their agenda for a very long time because there are people who will support the rethuglicans purely out of fear.



Except...

People are starting to learn the real truth about 911 and that the war on terra is a bunch of bullshit.

That's why it's probably time for 911 Part 2. Or is that 911 1/2? :yoiks:

[devilgrrl]

22. Not only is the country right of center, so are the Democratic candidates!!!!!

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Two Americas]

23. that depends

It depends upon how we define "America." Most of the people in the country, when they think of "America" think of their families, friends, and neighbors. The upscale educated professional people define "America" differently - when they say "America" or "we" they mean the ruling class. They unconsciously betray their identification with the ruling class when they do that. "America is evil" progressives will say. Then they support that by citing things the ruling class has done. "See how we are?" they then say. But most people in the country hear "America is evil" as meaning that THEY and their friends and loved ones and neighbors are evil, and the Republicans are able to exploit this for political advantage.

Is "America" - if by that we mean the ruling class, and most of the political activists both "liberal" and "conservative" and both political parties - to the right of center? Undeniably. Yes.

But is "America" - if by that we mean the everyday working people - to the right of center? Absolutely not.

[MedleyMisty]

28. I hate it when people think that words are things.

"America" is just a word. It's not my family and friends. They're my family and friends, and they'd be that no matter where they lived.

I've worked at Arby's and Wal-Mart, and even now I only make $10.25 an hour. I'm not an upscale professional. When I say "America", I mean all of us. And we are all evil because we all stand by and let evil happen.

[Two Americas]

29. not following you

Don't understand what you are saying here.

[galledgoblin]

25. are we talking the people, the represenative government, current national policy, or what?

[mdmc]

32. the people

:kick:

[warren pease]

26. So far right that Dennis Kucinich would be considered slightly left moderate...

... in most EU countries. So far right that the spectrum of acceptable political dialog includes a debate on torture; there's the usual consistent hum from the even farther right wingnuts who want to repress women, all people who aren't pink, people who happen to be attracted to others of the same sex and have consensual relations in private; there's an effort to negate Darwinian "theory," which is more like doctrine in real science, and replace it with a fairy tale based on zero science and 100 percent belief in a vengeful, egocentric, bearded mass murderer who smites entire tribes as casually as humans spray ants.

There's a demonstrable imbecile occupying the white house whose crime syndicate has been proven guilty of stealing two elections by incontrovertible, uncontested statistical evidence that will never be seen by the public. And he's still at large and is still referred to as "Mr. President" because the opposition party is also dominated by right wingers, who are aided and abetted by invertebrate frauds hiding behind that little (d) after their names.

Wars of aggression against non-threats are overwhelmingly OKed by congress, even though the administration's chief fear monger and dominant sociopathic loon has openly threatened the use of nuclear weapons.

Then there's the awful fact that the US is the only industrialized country that actually believes in the inherent goodness of for-profit corporations and the societal benefits of the miraculous free market -- and runs its health care system based on these idiotic fantasies, blatant lies and half-assed rationalizations.

Let's see... A giant fence at the border to be built under no-bid contract by Halliburton or a subsidiary? Steadfast refusal to see or acknowledge that 9/11 was a Cheney production, despite the overwhelming preponderance of physical, anecdotal and circumstantial evidence -- not to mention hard science rather than the junk wingnuts try to pass off as science -- demonstrating the sheer impossibility of these things happening according to the Bushie's version?

How about claiming to live in a democracy while the entire system is based on how much campaign money a candidate can accumulate, almost all of it coming from corporate interests who have something besides good government in mind when they write those big ol' checks?

How about a country where a fair percentage of quasi-literate wingnut dingbats are still hiding under their beds lest the vicious Islamofascists rip their lungs out in the dead of night and, demonstrating how infinitely stupid they really are, they rely on a government whose titular head is a liquor-soaked brush clearing idiot scion of one of the world's most deadly crime bosses and whose idea of a good time used to be blowing up frogs and now that he's The Commander Guy he gets to blow up people instead?

How about a bunch of slack-jawed morons watching CNN and thinking they're actually getting the news, when CNN and Fux and the rest are just more distribution systems for the mighty right wing propaganda machine to spew mindless drivel designed for mindless audiences composed of mindless illiterates who don't even know where South America is? How about a population in which about four in five neither read nor bought a book in all of 2007, leaving fertile ground for the wingnut radio motormouths to plant the seeds of nonsensical right wing illogic and hatred?

How about events called "debates" where allegedly serious candidates are asked about their favorite biblical passages, how firm is their commitment to the mighty gawd of christendom and, by the way, do you believe in UFOs?

The majority gets all or most of their "news" from TV, making absolutely certain that never is heard an encouraging word about "liberal" policies -- and still they bitch about the "librul media." Untroubled by the fact that six giant conglomerates own more than 80 percent of all the print and electronic information sources in this great land of ours, these same idiots make Bill O'Reilly a network star while Bill Moyers, an actual journalist and certifiable smart guy, labors in obscurity on PBS.

Ahh hell... This country has so many wingnuts walking around that it's amazing you can still find any at the hardware store.

wp

[TZ]

27. I agree. Talk to any of the international posters here

and they will tell you that even our extreme liberals would only be considered center left overseas.
You want proof of this? How many fundie loving congressmen do we have? In Australia, I believe the total amount of fundie type politicians in their legislative body you can count on ONE hand.

[Owl]

30. Unfortunately, it sure seems that way.

[Canuckistanian]

31. In terms of its government, yes. In terms of it's people, no.

Amazing how time after time, polls show that people WANT single-payer healthcare, MORE controls on corporations, MORE lenient drug laws and LESS personally intrusive government - but they never get that from GOP-led governments.

But they keep voting them in anyways.

[burythehatchet]

35. agree n/t

[Orsino]

33. Hell, yeah, it's right of center.

Think for only a moment on the absurdity of Obama or Clinton being vilified as "liberal," and you will see. American politics is profoundly conservative because Big Money has its thumb on every scale.

No progressive measures ever get any play, and the two major parties seem to differ only on how rapidly they believe we should be sold into corporate bondage.

[The Gunslinger]

34. Right of center is an understatement. nt

[Aristus]

36. God, I hope so. I'd hate for a liberal country to be this f*****g stupid.

All the brain-dead, knuckle-dragging, trailer-dwelling, anti-intellectual, beer-swilling, gun-totin', "kick their ass 'n' take their gas" swamp-swimming asshats who vote "fer a guy I c'n have a beer with" better be right-of-center, 'cause they'd make really, REALLY lousy liberals...



I'm just saying...

:popcorn:

[Swamp Rat]

37. Right authoritarian with welfare programs that benefit the über rich... reich.

[El Pinko]

38. Yes, it's an extreme right nation, but it's complicated.

If you ask people their opinions on individual issues, they will usually favor the more progressive approach. They agree that the rich should pay more of the tax burden than the poor - that CEOs are underpaid and that working people should get more, that everyone should have equal rights.

It has taken a LOT of propaganda by corporate media to trick working people into thinking that a flat tax would be "fair" or that school vouchers would translate into "school choice" for anyone but the rich, that the estate tax on multimillionaire heirs is a "death tax".

When they are well-informed, Americans are at least centrist, but with right-wing corporate media on the job, they end up leaning right.



Oh and we are an extremely overreligious and superstitious nation of religious zealots who want to impose their religion on everyone in secular society, but I tend to put social issues outside of the left-right paradigm.