Jefferson Smith: liberal or conservative - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Discussion

[–] Teach417 14 years ago

Since when do conservatives have hearts?

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[–] Agent-69 13 years ago

LOL good one.

"Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!"

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

Well . . . I'd guess, since they recognized "hearts" are only to be found in individuals (like Jefferson Smith) and not in government programs or get out the vote campaigns (like the Taylor Machine).

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[–] guy_in_west_houston 13 years ago

Definetly conservative because his plans are to have the boys repay the government for the camp. A liberal would go to the mint, crank out money he can't back up, add it the debt he can't pay, raise the debt ceiling so it fits his "budget", then blame it on the previous administration.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

I like that.

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[–] vinidici 13 years ago

I like it more!

Whatever you do, DO NOT read this sig--ACKKK!!! TOO LATE!!!

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[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

Neither. He would be a politician, that is, what politician should be - elected person that fights for what he believes is good for people. Neither liberal nor conservative would fall in this description. They seem to be too interested in pushing thier agendas and following someones money.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

Hmmm . . . so, you're suggesting that the "agendas" of both liberals and conservatives have nothing to do with what they believe is "good for the people"? . . .

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[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

More often than not - yes. They are so blind about pushing thier own agenda that neither side realise that what people most often need is the compromise of positions.

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Best way to deal with trolls is to add them to your ignore list.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

They "realise" incorrectly. We've HAD 40+ years of compromise, which is what has gotten us where we are today. We need to focus on pressing the right ideology (the Founders' ideology) . . . and get ourselves out of this mess. Compromise with the wrong ideology will only slow or stall entirely (what we're experiencing now) any potential recovery accessible only to a "free" people.

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[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

While doing the right thing is always good, blindly pushing "left" or "right" without considering the real situation is what i was talking about. compormise does not mean we must allow all idealogies to be true. merely that extremism is bad.

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If you want horror - tune in the news channel.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

Well, I'm on the right, and I can tell you neither I, nor anyone else I know so positioned, is pushing "blindly". We're pushing out of conviction (as I suspect some others on the left are doing). And, "extremism" isn't always bad. Goldwater once said, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice." The statement cost him the election, but it's a true statement as evidenced by the unquestionable "extremism" of the Founders which prompted a willingness to sacrifice their lives, their property and their sacred honor (not to mention out-and-out war) to create the most free, most prosperous nation in the history of the world.

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[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

And yet he was wrong. Extremism in liberty would mean no jail system. Want those murderers and rapists walking free?
Yes, the founders of United States of America were great people indeed. They did create the most free nation at that point in history. Their success was short lived however.

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If you want horror - tune in the news channel.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

"And yet he was wrong."

No. I don't think he was.

"Extremism in liberty would mean no jail system."

??? I think you misunderstand "entirely" Goldwater's statement and my post.

"Their success was short lived however."

I think it more accurate to say, "their success" is less appreciated day by day in this country, and has been under a relentless assault since Woodrow Wilson. Hmm ... we're back to "ideology" in politics again, aren't we? Come to think of it, humanity itself's been back to that since we fell out of the trees . . . and which, I think, is where we started this conversation -- no?

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[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lizcarlo87 13 years ago

He is neither. I think he is independent.

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[–] Molly-31 13 years ago

I read him as an independent leaning toward liberal. He believes in kindness and looking out for the other fellow.

You want sausage? I've got sausage, too.

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[–] cwente2 13 years ago

"He believes in kindness and looking out for the other fellow."

Conservatives believe that too, just not by means of government "mandated" programs and the "forced" redistribution of wealth. They believe that can best be accomplished by keeping him free -- as the Founders believed.

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[–] Molly-31 12 years ago

With his bill to purchase and fix up the Willet Creek property for a national boys' camp, Jefferson Smith was indeed asking for the redistribution of wealth, even though it was supposed to be a loan to be paid back by the boys with their nickels and dimes.

He was also introducing a government-mandated program "for the purpose of bringing together boys of all walks of life from various parts of the country, boys of all creeds, kinds and positions, to educate them in American ideals and to promote mutual understanding, and to bring about a healthful life to the growing youth of this great and beautiful land."

What he was doing was creating a patriotically themed and federally-funded version of a fresh air camp.

You've got me?! Who's got you?!

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[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

"Conservatives believe that too, just not by means of government "mandated" programs and the forced redistribution of wealth".

In other words, they do not believe that; let`s not mince words here. And whose idea of "freedom" is sociopathic cowboy capitalism, anyway?

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

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[–] vinidici 13 years ago

@bluesdoctor, I have heard and read many times that Capra was a card-carrying member of the Republican Party.

Whatever you do, DO NOT read this sig--ACKKK!!! TOO LATE!!!

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[–] max-silver 12 years ago

Democrat.

In 1939, there were exactly two Republican senators on the west coast.

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