POLL on knowing conservatives

[Nicholas Weeks]

This means personal, face to face knowledge. Conservatives is loosely defined by temperament or politics or cultural - however.

Vote changing permitted.

[Johnny Dangerous]

Know lots of em. Don't agree with them on many things, but know and respect plenty of them. I find myself getting along pretty well with libertarians (both in an overtly political and social sense) generally, though we differ greatly on economic stuff. Severe social conservatives, different story..I know a few, but our opposing views have often kept us from forming lasting friendships, due to things that crop up. Generally my more middle of the road conservative friends I can have discussions with that get heated, but not derisive. With people who are extremely socially conservative (which in this country often goes along with being a fundamentalist Christian of some variety), i've found that often conversation on stickier issues isn't really possible..it's just who can talk loudest.

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

There seems to be an assumption that western Buddhists are liberal.

Ya think?

[Johnny Dangerous]

There seems to be an assumption that western Buddhists are liberal.

Ya think?

The Perfection of Liberality.

Joking of course!

[Paul]

A lot of my friends are painfully left wing, so I don't really know many who are out and out conservative. It's kind of like trying to guess if anyone you know is homosexual in the 1950s for most of my peer groups. But I do know a few.

[Johnny Dangerous]

A lot of my friends are painfully left wing, so I don't really know many who are out and out conservative. It's kind of like trying to guess if anyone you know is homosexual in the 1950s for most of my peer groups. But I do know a few.

Ha! Interesting phenomena, now that I live on the Leftiest part of the Left Coast, I actually find myself more annoyed with some of the politics of fellow liberal/progressive/whatevers, simply due to the fact that that is the predominant viewpoint here. However, I do martial arts, which guarantees being around a bevy of conservatives.

[Urgyen Dorje]

I have quite a few conservative friends and associates. Its a slippery question as there are many different types of conservatives. Most in my circle are conservative by religious conviction. They are primarily social conservatives on the basis of their faith. Their economic views varry. I have a few in my circle Id describe as classic liberals of the von Mises type. I also have a few of the tea party type. Many of these are Buddhist conservatives.

[Paul]

Ha! Interesting phenomena, now that I live on the Leftiest part of the Left Coast, I actually find myself more annoyed with some of the politics of fellow liberal/progressive/whatevers, simply due to the fact that that is the predominant viewpoint here. However, I do martial arts, which guarantees being around a bevy of conservatives.

I got accused of 'sounding like an evil fascist' by defending (not actually praising it) the existence of capitalism the other day by a good friend.

[DGA]

I'm not a political or social conservative, but I do identify in certain respects as a cultural conservative. By that I mean: I value certain cultural traditions, and my assumption is that older cultural forms are not necessarily worse than those forms pretending to send them to the dustbin. I *liked* reading Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene in school, to give a banal example.

many members of my family and friends do identify as conservatives politically & socially. We get along fine.

I've noticed a peculiar assumption among some conservatives I know in the US, though: there notion that those who are not one of them, who are not conservative, are somehow a monolith--THEM, if you will. That's a shame--it makes you wonder if a useful poll at FreeRepublic or RedState might be... "Do you know any of them libs?"

[Redfaery]

I'm pretty liberal. Registered to the Democratic party here in the US. I'm LGBTQ and a feminist.

But...ah...most of my relatives are conservative. And quite a few of my friends. The area where I grew up is very conservative. I'm well versed with conservatism. It's not for me.

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

I've never engaged any of them in political discussion, but I wouldn't be surprised of many of the Tibetan teachers I've met were socially conservative. They probably don't understand economics well enough to have an informed opinion on that conversation though.

[Johnny Dangerous]

I've never engaged any of them in political discussion, but I wouldn't be surprised of many of the Tibetan teachers I've met were socially conservative. They probably don't understand economics well enough to have an informed opinion on that conversation though.

I've found this to be...kind of true. The ones I have heard touch on this stuff, they might hold a "conservative" position (such as opposing abortion, or opposing euthanasia in general), but the reasoning for doing so is quite different from what would be put forth by (for example) an average fundamentalist Christian conservative. In addition, the one's i've heard talk about it would not (I don't think) align themselves with anything like a set of liberal or conservative political views. Another example which would put them not on our typical left-right spectrum: opposition to militarism, which I have seen some of them express.

[Simon E.]

With the proviso that Conservative means something different in the UK. ...I am a Conservative. I voted Conservative in last month's general election, as did most of my friends and colleagues.

Most of the British Buddhists I know would fall into the Conservative end of the political spectrum ..as Briton's define Conservatism..

The vast majority of Brit Conservatives do not hold fundamentalist Christian views..or any religious views at all.

Generally speaking they advocate equality of opportunity, but eschew any attempt to egineer equality of outcome.

[Johnny Dangerous]

I'm not a political or social conservative, but I do identify in certain respects as a cultural conservative. By that I mean: I value certain cultural traditions, and my assumption is that older cultural forms are not necessarily worse than those forms pretending to send them to the dustbin. I *liked* reading Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene in school, to give a banal example.

many members of my family and friends do identify as conservatives politically & socially. We get along fine.

I've noticed a peculiar assumption among some conservatives I know in the US, though: there notion that those who are not one of them, who are not conservative, are somehow a monolith--THEM, if you will. That's a shame--it makes you wonder if a useful poll at FreeRepublic or RedState might be... "Do you know any of them libs?"

I've seen the same, though I can tell you living around mostly liberals now, many of them do the same thing..though i'd say fewer.

[Simon E.]

I have quite a few conservative friends and associates. Its a slippery question as there are many different types of conservatives. Most in my circle are conservative by religious conviction. They are primarily social conservatives on the basis of their faith. Their economic views varry. I have a few in my circle Id describe as classic liberals of the von Mises type. I also have a few of the tea party type. Many of these are Buddhist conservatives.

Certainly the first generation of Buddhists in the UK were mostly social conservatives..Christmas Humphrys et al were somewhat to the right of Genghis Khan.

[Rakz]

Social conservative here but a liberal economically.

[Simon E.]

A lot of my friends are painfully left wing, so I don't really know many who are out and out conservative. It's kind of like trying to guess if anyone you know is homosexual in the 1950s for most of my peer groups. But I do know a few.

This can lead to some very interesting situations...All the opinion polls re the UK general election suggested a ' hung parliament '..no party would hold a majority.
In the event however the Conservatives did achieve a majority. The discrepancy between poll predictions and the reality was attributed to a reluctance to identify as conservatives..It was dubbed 'Shy Tory ( conservative ) syndrome.'

[PadmeSamadhi]

If people here agree I will post my rant about the matter, but since it could look like hate speech for some people maybe I shouldn't post it right away.

So, what do you guys think?
Should I risk it and post the rant or not?

[dzogchungpa]

If people here agree I will post my rant about the matter, but since it could look like hate speech for some people maybe I shouldn't post it right away.

So, what do you guys think?
Should I risk it and post the rant or not?

[Johnny Dangerous]

If people here agree I will post my rant about the matter, but since it could look like hate speech for some people maybe I shouldn't post it right away.

So, what do you guys think?
Should I risk it and post the rant or not?

If it violates the ToS, or is disruptive to the spirit of the thread, or the forum, then no, probably not. If it's well-written and reasonably considerate of not intentionally pissing everyone off, then sure.