Is it ok to be right wing anymore?

TeddyTedson

In public, in this country?
I guess I'm a bit of a liberal, am I? I don't have any idea to be honest.
But I often hear people talk about being right wing as a negative in todays world.

Bad Santa

Not publicly. Liberal atheists are in vogue it would seem.

shedweller

Its fashionable to be left wing at the moment.

Eve_Dublin

Bad Santa wrote: »

Not publicly. Liberal atheists are in vogue it would seem.

shedweller wrote: »

Its fashionable to be left wing at the moment.

Most European countries right now have conservative governments, including our own.

Madam_X

Being moderate and having views that veer to the right doesn't seem unreasonable IMO.
If anything, being really right-wing is starting to become a "fashion" in the last 11/12 years, from what I've seen.

SafeSurfer

Hitler.

Just so some arsehole can refer to Godwin's law.

lazygal

I'm atheist because I don't think the whole god/religion thing makes sense, not because its trendy.

Bad Santa

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Most European countries right now have conservative governments, including our own.

The ballot box is public now is it.

dsmythy

What sort of right wing?

landsleaving

shedweller wrote: »

Its fashionable to be left wing at the moment.

I'd say it's more a case of what is 'right wing' shifting slightly to the left, as racism, homphobia and the like become unacceptable in all cases. Don't think it's stopping people giving out about people on the dole and things like that - economic conservatism is still a winner. Some of what was right wing just isn't socially acceptable whatever your leaning anymore.

jaffacakesyum

In real life, at least in my circles, I would say the majority are somewhat right wing. In my experience it's only on boards.ie that everyone is extremely liberal.

TeddyTedson

Madam_X wrote: »

Being moderate and having views that veer to the right doesn't seem unreasonable IMO.
If anything, being really right-wing is starting to become a "fashion" in the last 11/12 years, from what I've seen.

But in the public eye it doesn't seem so.
So often I meet these people who spew this outrageous right winged views on the world. "We need to start beheading these bankers blah blah blah" and this sort of bollocks.

ManMade

Fox News has destroyed people's understanding of right wing I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

robman60

Is general society, it's pretty acceptable to be right wing. On Boards, however, people tend to be neo-liberal, so it's not :P

Eve_Dublin

Bad Santa wrote: »

The ballot box is public now is it.

What?

sock puppet

ManMade wrote: »

Fox News has destroyed people's understanding of right wing I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

American media certainly seems to have destroyed what the word "liberal" means over here.

hyperborean

Its ok,

BOHtox

I thought Libertarianism is the new black?

Hunchback

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

In real life, at least in my circles, I would say the majority are somewhat right wing. In my experience it's only on boards.ie that everyone is extremely liberal.

Funny that, my experience is equal and opposite

landsleaving

ManMade wrote: »

Fox News has destroyed people's understanding of right wing I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd agree there. Right wing doesn't automatically mean a racist, violence loving lunatic.

Hunchback

but, as a previous poster alluded to, we need context. in what terms are we being asked to consider the concept of a "right wing"? fiscal? social? (assuming we separate these things)

Annasopra

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

In real life, at least in my circles, I would say the majority are somewhat right wing. In my experience it's only on boards.ie that everyone is extremely liberal.

You must be reading a completely different boards.ie to me

Annasopra

robman60 wrote: »

Is general society, it's pretty acceptable to be right wing. On Boards, however, people tend to be neo-liberal, so it's not :P

To me neo liberalism is extremely right wing

MaxSteele

Not on Boards.ie anyway, that's for sure. Just look at threads all to do with black taxi drivers, Foreign aid, Travellers etc. Right wing opinions are panned to the extent of Mods threatening action and general whinging. You either embrace the majority opinionn or get told to fcuk off.

philologos

TeddyTedson wrote: »

In public, in this country?
I guess I'm a bit of a liberal, am I? I don't have any idea to be honest.
But I often hear people talk about being right wing as a negative in todays world.

Right-wing has to do with economics as does left wing.

Liberal and conservative are to do with social issues.

One can be left wing and conservative or right wing and liberal.

Which do you mean?

Fukuyama

TeddyTedson wrote: »

In public, in this country?
I guess I'm a bit of a liberal, am I? I don't have any idea to be honest.
But I often hear people talk about being right wing as a negative in todays world.

I consider myself right wing.

Not in the racist, facist stereotype however.

I simply believe social supports have gotten too big. The whole cradle to grave thing is taken literally by a large segment of the population.

I believe in the ability of anyone to make something of themselves and that hard work is rewarded - maybe not right away.

What I despise are people who moan and groan about the 'system' or the government fúcking them over.

Many times, people stop their education after third level (or even second level), get a job, and are shocked one day in 20 years time to find out their job is no longer needed by humanity.

Always up-skill. Always work hard (but work smart). Read. And if you ever find yourself blaming 'them' for your troubles, take a long walk off a short pier.

Lollipops23

I'm pretty left wing and liberal, so I automatically disagree with most things the right-wing has to say.

I don't think it's a "fashion" thing; certain social issues have come to the fore in recent years and in this country the church's loosening grip on our mentality has contributed to more independent thought.

jaffacakesyum

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Funny that, my experience is equal and opposite

mango salsa wrote: »

You must be reading a completely different boards.ie to me

Perhaps it's more that there is a significant section who are extremely liberal and they are the most vocal. Sure the amount of anti-Catholic threads or people screaming "that's racist" to something that's clearly not or the "I'm going to dress my five year old boy as a fairy just to stick it to the gender stereotyping" crowd.

I think there's certainly a lot of posts on boards.ie that are very conservative but I think they come from a minority of posters. If that makes sense.

TeddyTedson

philologos wrote: »

Right-wing has to do with economics as does left wing.

Liberal and conservative are to do with socil issues.

One can be left wing and conservative or right wing and liberal.

Which do you mean?

I guess I mean both in a sense
You'll have to excuse my ignorance surrounding the terminology however.

djflawless

i think you need 2 wings nowadays

sock puppet

philologos wrote: »

Right-wing has to do with economics as does left wing.

Liberal and conservative are to do with socil issues.

Sorry what? Free trade is one of the key components of liberalism.

Fukuyama

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I'm pretty left wing and liberal, so I automatically disagree with most things the right-wing has to say.

I don't think it's a "fashion" thing; certain social issues have come to the fore in recent years and in this country the church's loosening grip on our mentality has contributed to more independent thought.

Many left wing parties are welded to the church.

Sinn Fein for example.

Anyways, I consider myself right wing on economic and business matter. Free trade, low taxes etc,

But left wing on social issues, equality etc...

So I'm right wing liberal. And I imagine we'd get along just great on social issues. So don't tar everyone with one brush!

ManMade

sock puppet wrote: »

Sorry what? Free trade is one of the key components of liberalism.

Do liberalists believe in as little government interaction as possible?

landsleaving

sock puppet wrote: »

Sorry what? Free trade is one of the key components of liberalism.

That's neo-liberalism, which is an economic liberalism not associated with left-wing ideologies.

Madam_X

sock puppet wrote: »

Sorry what? Free trade is one of the key components of liberalism.

Libertarianism, but not social/political/cultural liberalism. Free trade is essentially capitalism.

Bad Santa

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

What?

I said:

Bad Santa wrote: »

Not publicly. Liberal atheists are in vogue it would seem.

You quoted this and said:

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Most European countries right now have conservative governments, including our own.

So I said:

Bad Santa wrote: »

The ballot box is public now is it.

Think my point is quite clear.

imitation

MaxSteele wrote: »

Not on Boards.ie anyway, that's for sure. Just look at threads all to do with black taxi drivers, Foreign aid, Travellers etc. Right wing opinions are panned to the extent of Mods threatening action and general whinging. You either embrace the majority opinionn or get told to fcuk off.

To be fair being right wing doesn't mean you are a racist or against immigration, nor does being left wing mean you have open views on immigration, just look a Denmark, high taxes, great social welfare, all the hall marks of a left wing country, but just try and immigrate there or get nationalized. Likewise, look at America, historically crap social welfare but a lot more open to immigration up until the last few years..

Madam_X

Bad Santa wrote: »

I said:You quoted this and said:So I said:Think my point is quite clear.

But obviously she meant the ballot boxes don't need to be made public, seeing as the evidence is clear, given who has been voted into government.

Eve_Dublin

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I'm pretty left wing and liberal, so I automatically disagree with most things the right-wing has to say.

I don't think it's a "fashion" thing; certain social issues have come to the fore in recent years and in this country the church's loosening grip on our mentality has contributed to more independent thought.

I'd consider myself centre-left (Social Democrat). Not because it's cool but because it's what I identify and agree with. I don't wear it labelled on my forehead, so it's not something I believe in just to be cool. I admire the Scandinavian model of politics although it's faaaaaaaar from perfect.


Here in Madrid (can't speak for the rest of Spain) everything is political from what you wear to where you drink. They've a very black and white outlook on political opinions and what "wing"you are. Both sides tend to dislike each other. 3 and a half years here and it's rubbed off a bit and I have to snap myself out of that thinking sometimes. I live in a very left-wing area of Madrid (right now, the only one). It's bizarre that even neighbourhoods are classed by political persuasion. Spain will never reach it's potential because they've divided themselves in such a simplistic way.

Eve_Dublin

Madam_X wrote: »

But obviously she meant the ballot boxes don't need to be made public, seeing as the evidence is clear, given who has been voted into government.

Exactly.

Bad Santa

Madam_X wrote: »

But obviously she meant the ballot boxes don't need to be made public, seeing as the evidence is clear, given who has been voted into government.

Eh, wtf.

It is hardly clear which way Joe Bloggs voted by the result of an election.

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Exactly.

Eve_Dublin

Bad Santa wrote: »

Not publicly. Liberal atheists are in vogue it would seem.

So what evidence do you have to back this up? Have you got access to the ballot box now?



Edit: Results of elections are usually a pretty good indicator of the political leanings of that country.

landsleaving

Bad Santa wrote: »

Eh, wtf.

It is hardly clear which way Joe Bloggs voted by the result of an election.

Wait... are you joking or serious?

Eve_Dublin

Bad Santa wrote: »

Eh, wtf.

It is hardly clear which way Joe Bloggs voted by the result of an election.

You're going to have to explain that one for me there, buddy.

sock puppet

Madam_X wrote: »

Libertarianism, but not social/political/cultural liberalism. Free trade is essentially capitalism.

Free trade was always a key element of liberalism.

Madam_X

Bad Santa wrote: »

It is hardly clear which way Joe Bloggs voted by the result of an election.

In the case of a democracy, it's obviously clear which way the majority votes.

Eve_Dublin

Madam_X wrote: »

In the case of a democracy, it's obviously clear which way the majority votes.

And I was talking about Europe, not the PRC or North Korea.

landsleaving

sock puppet wrote: »

Free trade was always a key element of liberalism.

Not so much anymore, neo-liberalism took that on.

Rereggie Perrin

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Most European countries right now have conservative governments, including our own.

That would be the FG/LAB centrist coalition?

I guess it depends on your own political compass: in Ireland, Obama would probably be considered right wing. In the US he's considered a borderline commie. If you view a centrist government as 'conservative', then you're probably well on the left of the spectrum.

(are we talking socially or economically left and right wing though?)

Annasopra

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

Perhaps it's more that there is a significant section who are extremely liberal and they are the most vocal. Sure the amount of anti-Catholic threads or people screaming "that's racist" to something that's clearly not or the "I'm going to dress my five year old boy as a fairy just to stick it to the gender stereotyping" crowd.

I think there's certainly a lot of posts on boards.ie that are very conservative but I think they come from a minority of posters. If that makes sense.

No not really - the amount of welfare bashing posts liberal economics are unreal - to me this site is predominantly right wing

Rereggie Perrin

mango salsa wrote: »

No not really - the amount of welfare bashing posts liberal economics are unreal - to me this site is predominantly right wing

Again, this probably speaks to your own perspective.