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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (82271)	6/20/2000 5:46:00 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Ack You can address those questions so many ways. They'd make good essay questions for cruel professors, though.

To: Ilaine who wrote (82271)	6/20/2000 5:58:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

I was just thinking over the whole "definition of liberalism" issue... in Europe, a "liberal" is closer to what we would call a libertarian, a definition that clearly is not in accordance with the Britannica. So is the European terminology "wrong"? On similar lines, in the recent death penalty discussion I mentioned that I would prefer to take a conservative position and assume that the State should not take life unless absolutely necessary. I was promptly told that this was a libertarian position, not a conservative one. I found that a little mystifying: I meant "conservative" in the sense of cautious, preferring the incremental step to the irrevocable step, etc. "Wrong"? I still don't know. I suppose it depends on your definition. The whole issue seems akin to defining the position of a moving object. These concepts are perception-based and highly ephemeral, and no the same word may legitimately mean very different things to different people. Encyclopedists have to try and define them; it's their job. But I think it's pretty much a waste of time. Another odd conceit, in my mind at least, as that one side of the liberal/conservative dichotomy must be "right", and the other "wrong". To me they are neither, but both are necessary. I think that intelligent and effective policymaking derives from the interplay and forced compromise between those poles. If either side ever got full control, we'd be in deep poop. My opinion only, obviously.