Why Liberalism is not Socialism

Liberalism (US version)	Socialism
Favors a multi-party system (i.e. conservatives can kick them out whenever they get enough votes)	Favors a single-party system. My way or the highway
Favors free speech	Favors acceptable speech
Favors individual social freedom	Prohibits all deviancy from the limited accepted social formula
Favors personal career fulfillment	Favors subordination of your vocational desires for the good of society
Favors total religious freedom and equality	Favors no religious freedom in order to create the greatest equality—absence of any religion
Favors taxes that require more from those who have more	Favors taxing you 100% and doling back out to you your "fair share" as determined by the government

So how is Obama a socialist again?

How Can We Possibly See Things So Differently?

I have the privilege (or disadvantage, depending on your perspective) of living in a blue state with many blue friends while having mostly red family members and many red friends as well. Unfortunately this does not allow me to peacefully wallow in my own opinion buttressed by nothing but confirmation of my inherent rightness. I'm forced to confront the reasonableness of the other side as well as the fact that generally they're just good people.

Sadly, it appears that many of my friends, family and acquaintances are not in this position and feel much freer expressing serious contempt for the "other side". And I don't think they know they are or mean to, or perhaps they are expressing contempt for "those other people"...whoever they are. Regardless of your perspective on how the country should be run, being inconsiderate of other people's ideas isn't exactly helpful. In fact, isn't the best way to listen very carefully to what the other side has to say so that you can both come up with the best of both worlds? If nothing else it's important to note that if millions and millions of people think something, shouldn't you pause to just consider it? That many people cannot be that dumb. Otherwise our society wouldn't have lasted even as long as it has.


Anyway, it'd be great if our disagreements would involve a little more listening and a lot less malevolence.