America’s Political Positions—A Definition

                                                Conservatives

Conservatives are those among our populace who seek to retain the best parts of our governance that have worked well in the past. They are reluctant to change systems rapidly; and for that reason, they have been criticized for obstructing progress. It must be admitted that there is some truth to that criticism. However, it is true that conservatives are not opposed to changing situations and policies if the changes are well thought out and do not negate the time-honored, tried, and true policies of the past. Business men/women have predominantly been conservatives; and for that reason, they have controlled much of the wealth of the nation. (That phenomenon has been much over-stated by their political opponents on the left.) Conservatives are not averse to innovation. The innovation demonstrated by business operations have made America the most productive nation in the world.

The TEA Party

The TEA Party is a spontaneous uprising of conservatives whose mantra is Taxed Enough Already; and it has been the group that most strongly promotes lower taxes, less government regulation, elimination of deficit spending, elimination of the national debt, protection of free markets, close adherence to the Constitution, promotion of civic responsibility, and reduction in the size of government.

The TEA Party believes the American people, given their guaranteed freedoms, will thrive in a democratic, capitalist environment, which allows individuals to strive toward ever-greater achievements, innovations and the efficient production of needed and valued goods and services.

The TEA Party sees American politics as burdened by big money from lobbyists and special interests with an undue influence on the peoples’ representatives.

The Tea Party movement is seen as a threat to the entrenched political parties and thus is the continual target of smear campaigns and misrepresentation of its ideals. The TEA Party strongly and explicitly disavows any and all hate speech and any and all violence as well as insinuations of violence. The TEA Party is a peaceful movement that respects other opinions and views even though they do not agree with the views of the Party. http://www.teaparty-platform.com/

Liberals

Liberals think of themselves as the innovators of the nation. They have traditionally stood up for the rights of the working person; and, thus, have presented a political stance of populism. Currently, they have been proponents of civil rights for minority groups. Liberals claim membership by environmentalists, gays, feminists, and other splinter groups on the political left. They have claimed and formerly held the loyalty of labor groups, although that alliance is apparently disintegrating in the face of present-day liberal legislation in the form of the Affordable Care Act.

Progressives

The progressive movement in America was formed at the behest of the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party in 1921. The movement was originally organized around the interests of farmers and various laboring groups.

The progressive movement was first established as a social and political pressure group organized under a national agenda in 1924 at their national convention. The platform of this movement included calling for public operation of the railroads, coalmines, and waterpower resources, direct election of the President, an end to the use of courts to declare legislation unconstitutional, enactment of a farm credit organization, increased tax rates on large incomes and inheritances, and legislation providing for minimum employment standards for women. The Conference instructed the National Committee to add additional planks relating to child labor, civil liberties, the rights of organized labor, and other matters.

The original progressive movement was preceded by President Woodrow Wilson, who believed strongly in its subsequent principles. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson would also be called Progressives, today—they believed in Progressive principles. President Obama, of course, is a strong proponent of progressive ideas and policies. Progressive ideals feature a renewal of guarantees for protection of civil rights and generally an institution of idealistic utopian personal rights, many of which were and are already guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_politics

Subsequent critics of the movement have seen the Progressive Movement as a direct refutation of the rights of Americans to make money and other profit by entrepreneurial free enterprise. They have seen the Progressives as attempting to usurp the American form of government completely in favor of a democratically elected socialist system.

The Splitting American Political System

Americans are increasingly lining up on one side or the other. Conservatives frequently see themselves sympathetic to the TEA Party views; and Speaker Boehner has recently said that Republican Party beliefs are generally compatible with TEA Party stands on political issues. Mainline Republicans, however, see the TEA Party as too far to the right of the political spectrum to make it a viable political force in America.

Liberals, these days, are frequently wont to call themselves Progressives, rather than “liberals;” however, traditional American political sentiment finds their socialist-leaning ideas dangerous. Americans are traditionally disposed to favor free-enterprise entrepreneurial social arrangements.

Nevertheless, Americans find themselves today ever more divided in their opinions. This leads to an increasing lack of an ability to arrive at consensus over lots of issues.