The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Liberalism, Conservatism, and the Second Amendment

raimius · November 27, 2009, 02:50 PM

Phoebe,

I think too often politics is separated into "right v. left." This is a terrible way to label, given the authoritarian/libertarian split amongst conservatives and liberals.

I can easily understand an authoritarian liberal instituting more gun control. It would fit with their general view of the state's role.

I cannot easily understand a libertarian liberal supporting the same policy...unless one frames the debate in a very strange way.

I think the gun control question is more authoritarian/libertarian than liberal/conservative in nature. Oddly, the DNC took the authoritarian side, and the GOP took the libertarian side. I think this is odd, given the stances on other civil/human rights discussions.

November 27, 2009, 02:50 PM	#44
raimius Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Posts: 1,153	Phoebe, I think too often politics is separated into "right v. left." This is a terrible way to label, given the authoritarian/libertarian split amongst conservatives and liberals. I can easily understand an authoritarian liberal instituting more gun control. It would fit with their general view of the state's role. I cannot easily understand a libertarian liberal supporting the same policy...unless one frames the debate in a very strange way. I think the gun control question is more authoritarian/libertarian than liberal/conservative in nature. Oddly, the DNC took the authoritarian side, and the GOP took the libertarian side. I think this is odd, given the stances on other civil/human rights discussions.