From: litewave99@gmail.com   
      
   CONSERVATISM ---------- LIBERALISM   
      
   Differentiation ------- Unification   
   Individualism --------- Collectivism   
   Justice --------------- Mercy   
      
   Conservatives have a keen sense of differences, uphold them, emphasize them   
   and keep them in structures. Liberals look for similarities and commonalities,   
   try to reconcile, downplay or remove differences and relax structures.   
      
   Conservatives emphasize individual differences, freedom and responsibility.   
   Liberals emphasize togetherness, mutual help and care.   
      
   Conservatives focus on rules and consequences of one's actions and uphold them   
   even if they are painful; this is justice. Liberals focus on freedom from   
   rules and consequences and try to alleviate pain; this is mercy.   
      
   Here are some specific areas:   
      
   Economic policy: Conservatives prefer economic individualism - free market and   
   little redistribution of wealth; people get what they earn. Liberals prefer a   
   more collectivistic economy, with larger redistribution of wealth and measures   
   to help the needy    
   and disadvantaged. The conservative direction stimulates individual initiative   
   but can lead to reckless competition and suffering of the weaker people. The   
   liberal direction alleviates the suffering of the weak and, if possible, helps   
   them return to    
   economic activity, but may also suppress individual initiative of many.   
      
   Abortion, death penalty, euthanasia: Conservatives feel strongly about the   
   unborn baby's personhood and innocence and so they reject abortion as murder.   
   The criminal on death row is a human being too, however he is guilty and   
   therefore deserves the    
   punishment. Liberals' preference for mercy will lead them to minimize   
   suffering: abortion is permissible because the unborn baby's undeveloped   
   consciousness limits its ability to suffer, at least in earlier stages of   
   pregnancy, and anaesthetics can be    
   used to remove possible pain to the baby during the procedure. In the liberal   
   view, this can be better than having the baby suffering later when it is born   
   unwanted or having the parents, particularly the woman, suffering as a result   
   of pregnancy and    
   having a child they don't want or can't take care of. Death penalty is less   
   supported by liberals because of the criminal's capacity of suffering before   
   or during the execution. On the other hand, liberals are more willing to   
   support euthanasia ("mercy    
   killing") if the patient wants it in order to end their suffering. For   
   conservatives euthanasia undermines the value of the individual and the rule   
   that an innocent person should not be killed.   
      
   Homosexual rights: Conservatives defend the differences between a man and a   
   woman, heterosexual union and existing family structure. Liberals are less   
   likely to stick to these differences and structures. Their support for   
   homosexual unions is also    
   influenced by the fact that change of sexual orientation is difficult, if not   
   impossible, and discrimination against homosexual people causes them much   
   suffering.   
      
   Illegal immigration: Conservatives are less likely to forgive law-breakers and   
   are concerned about the impact that illegal immigration may have on their   
   personal wealth, employment and on existing ideological structures. Liberals   
   are more likely to    
   emphasize the humanness of the illegal immigrants and include them in society.   
      
   Foreign policy: Conservatives tend to be more hawkish (militant and   
   uncompromising) to the enemies and in defense of the national interest, which   
   may lead to arrogance. Liberals are more dovish (conciliatory and empathetic),   
   which may lead to appeasement.   
      
   Environment: Conservatives are more likely to see the natural world as   
   separate from and inferior to man and available for man to use freely in order   
   to secure his needs and interests. Liberals feel not only greater connection   
   between people but also    
   between people and nature, and strive for a better protection of nature.   
      
   Religion: Conservatives prefer rule-based religions while liberals loose   
   spirituality. Conservatives tend to interpret religious scriptures in a more   
   literal way, preferring clear definitions and structure and noting the   
   differences from other religions.    
   Liberals' interpretation of scriptures is more metaphorical and ambiguous and   
   less dogmatic, giving them more flexibility in applying them in their life and   
   reconciling them with people of different religions.   
      
   Summarizing with the following parallels:   
      
   CONSERVATISM ---------- LIBERALISM   
      
   Masculinity ----------- Femininity   
   Ego ------------------- Soul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)