Join the new Boston Tea Party and dry up the flow of corporate donations to the GOP.  Only shop at safe stores. Put the "It's Time for a Change" shopping directory to good use today!

Why the bitter rancor between American Liberals and Conservatives?

There are a lot of reasons behind this problem.  Some say all the yelling and finger pointing is merely meant to keep the populace distracted while who knows what goes on in the Capitol.  But though the terms "liberal" and "conservative" don't mean what they once did, in all honesty there are at least two things that people under both headings have in common:

Desire and fear.

We (almost) all desire that our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers do well with their lives in this country. This means at minimum we want to survive, but at best we want to thrive.

However, we fear this not taking place. And we fear situations that we think will prevent us from thriving.

Where liberals and conservatives differ is in their basic view of the world and how we should interact with it.

Conservatives work from the inside out. Do it yourself with minimal interference from the government.

Progressives work from the outside in. Assistance from the government is sometimes necessary to give those starting out at the very back of the pack a fighting chance to make it.

The trouble comes in that the conservatives feel that taxing people and making strict regulatory laws inhibits people from improving their lives. Progressives feel that taxing people and creating regulatory laws are necessary for the common good as well as assisting those who are very far behind the rest.  Because of this, you often hear that conservatives think progressives are stealing their money, and that progressives think conservatives are greedy and have no interest in helping people outside of their own families. But those kinds of invectives simply reveal the fear that is at the bottom of this subject. The fear that we will not be able to care for ourselves and our families because of  "the other guy's" beliefs.

 The concept of being on the left, right, or middle politically just doesn't work anymore in an age when one can be fiscally conservative yet socially liberal and vice versa.  How to determine what you are? (Take these quizzes with a grain of salt.  No quick test is perfect, but they still can be useful tools in clarifying and better understanding your thoughts about politics.)

Take this test.

Or this test.

Politopia:  Where would you feel most at home?

Compare the plotting points on this grid for the 2004 Presidential candidates with your own mark.

Fill in this form, but be sure to uncheck the boxes at the bottom to see the largest field of potential matches.

Get background information on candidates.

Why should you make an effort to get to the polls?

League of Independent Voters

Wikipedia entry on the political spectrum

Some progressive parties:

The Green Party
The Democratic Socialist Party

The Socialist Labor Party

The Populist Party

The Progressive Party (VT)

The Communist Party
The Democratic Party

Click here to vote.

Click here for an explanation of how it works.

The Onion (warning: satire ahead)

What is your social "tribe"? Take this intriguing Canadian quiz.

The Chicken Joke (sure to make people across the political spectrum smile)

Bloom County, Doonesbury, and Calvin and Hobbes classic comic strips

Political cartoons at "Not Banned Yet"

Political bumper stickers at "Shock and Awe"

Vote. Keep an eye on the news and find out what's happening in your country. Then keep in touch with your representatives about it.  You have access to the internet so make the most of it.  Visit your town and state websites for contact information for your local officials.  To contact your federal representatives visit the Senate and Congressional contact lists.  (Feel free to contact all of the good folks on the Hill if the issue is a burning one.)

Here are some suggested places where you can sign up for email notification on action alerts for at-home activism.  In many cases there are pre-written letters and petitions you can sign which will allow you to participate but also save you some time.

The Children of Darfur need your help!

The Petition Site

Feed My Lambs

Care packages for soldiers.

Progressive links of all kinds

ElectionOnline.org

Independent Progressive Politics Network

State Democracy

Progressive Secretary

U.S. Pirg

People for the American Way

Act for Change

True Majority

Citizen Works

AFL-CIO

Move-on.org

Veterans for Peace

Veterans for Common Sense

FCNL

Responsible Wealth

Take Back the Media

Peace Connection

Amnesty International