Ask Lemmy

I assume they're not that big into politics and just wanna appear moderate.

"I dont mind the gays, but I keep voting for Fascists because right wing talking points about how Unions make the prices of eggs go up."

I prefer to use the term fiscally responsible.

It's fiscally irresponsible to cut taxes for the billionaires and corporations when we have record deficits.

It's fiscally irresponsible to cut the IRS budget when that results in less revenue.

Republican voters have been brainwashed into thinking that Republicans are somehow more responsible with the economy and budget, when history shows that Republicans drive up the deficit with irresponsible tax cuts.

I think they're a goddamn idiot. I like it more when people tell me that they don't have enough time to think about this shit and so they don't have an opinion.

"I believe good things but don't want to actually sacrifice anything or be responsible for any of my actions that my prevent good things from happening"

I don't want to be included with the rest of the domestic terrorists in my political party.

Someone who is a conservative who has a gay friend or a gay kid that they love and accept.

"Socially liberal" right up until the point that we start talking about worker's rights, the dignity of poor people, and the exploitation of cheap slave labor on the other side of the world

Every discussion I've had with someone who said this has led me to expect ignorance. I think its something people who don't know much like to say because they think it sounds good.

Usually they are lying. It means they hate poor people.

Racist. It’s always dogwhistle racism.

C-c-c-conservative combo-breaker!

Edit: Sorry, I just wanted to say that. But I do think that falls under right wing with a sprinkle of social moderate leftism but even so, the debate of "can gays have the same rights as all of us" takes away from the ultimate leftist pov of "we should all have better material conditions as a class, including minorities".

Edit 2: and fiscally conservative is ofc "you keep whatever pennies you may or may not have, I got money Idgaf I'm not giving it away" which is the misunderstood antithesis of the concept of the far left.

"I'm simple and don't bother to look deeper into anything"

I think in terms of American politics this means you are buying the shit that both sides are peddling to distract you from what the actual problems are and what is actually causing them

As someone who calls himself that:

"I am a liberal but the liberal want to go after the upper middle class instead of after the top 0.1%"

P.S: I'm from Switzerland, so don't tell me about Trump. I knoe he's a fascist and I would have voted against him. But here in Switzerland we have more moderate choices.

You have no party if you are American as our conservative movement abandoned any form of fiscal responsibility 30-40 years ago. When was the last time a tax cut was paired with a reduction in spending? Oh yeah that last happened in 1983

I think "I want to keep my money and let you get gay married"

"I'm an uninformed idiot."

Conservatives are fiscally reckless. Look at every conservative president's deficit spending, and economic crashes. Look at the states most dependent on federal funds.

Even if you had zero morals and voted 100% on fiscal policies, the best choice is very clearly not conservative.

"I don't hate you because you're a POC, a woman, or queer. I hate you because you're poor."

Either "I hate poor people but I love weed" or "I'm lying because my actual views would scare people off".

Conservativism, in all forms, is not a real ideology. It's narcissism. A conservative will redefine conservative values based on their own identity.

So the "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" idiot is lying to themselves about who they are. They want fiscal policies that benefit themselves, and they don't want to be labelled a bigot, but they are fine with bigots in office as long as they get the fiscal policies that benefit themselves.

Ask them what they mean by "fiscal conservative," and they will probably vaguely gesture and say "lower taxes." What they mean is "lower taxes for me." Fiscal conservatives still want to spend government money on programs they like. They want boondoggles in their backyard, earmarks and pork barrel projects, and social safety nets as long as they are the recipient (Medicare, Social Security, Veteran benefits, etc.)

They want to frame it as responsible restraint. Pull funding from programs they don't understand, like scientific research, or don't like, like foreign aid (except of course if strong ties to their home country).

And when they say lower taxes, when pressed, they will describe how their property tax or income tax or capital gains tax or death tax is really bad "for the economy." They want good schools and roads and infrastructure, but they want someone else to pay for it.

Calling themselves conservative gives them license to be as selfish as they want to be without having to admit that they don't actually have any values.

“I don’t hate women and minorities but I don’t see anything wrong with an economy built off of their exploitation.”

"I vote Republican, but I'm self-aware enough to know that I should be embarrassed about it." (In the US)

As someone who said this when they were younger

"Uninformed idiot"

now that I'm older I'm fully liberal since i am more informed.

"I don't actively hunt members of marginalized communities with one of my many obnoxiously customized firearms but I still have a weird kink for giving tax cuts to billionaires in exchange for a worsened quality of life because I have a 12 year old's understanding of how the world works."

If they're American I would point out that they have no representation for their conservative views because there is no fiscally conservative party in the United States.

"I pay lip service to minorities, but don't want to allocate resources to their needs"