It's all about me...

[Stonewall]

In a behind the scenes PM conversation, a fellow CAP Talker said the following after asking me what job I had that had me working Christmas...

I'm a cop.

So, that explains your ultra conservative behavior.

I'm going to be honest, I've never paid too much attention to who is what, as far as politics and views are concerned.  Meaning, I could care less if you're a liberal, conservative, right wing or left wing.  I pay attention to your actions, background, and views but leave the labeling out of the equation. 

That said, I'll admit that I never even labeled myself one way or the other.  If anything, politically speaking, I'm an independent and on my own terms.  As to others' thoughts, that's totally up to you.

So, why am I posting this?  I found it interesting that someone labeled me as "ultraconservative".  I searched wikipedia and such and really couldn't get a firm definition of what an ultraconservative is.  Call me stupid, but I just don't know a whole bunch about that stuff.

What constitutes an ultraconservative?  Am I one?  Based on my CAP Talk posts, I wonder how people view me. 

Reply or don't.  Lock it or don't.  Just wanted to throw it out there. 

PS:  I don't get offended.  And I think people would be surprised at my personal views on a lot of issues, from homosexuality to gender rights.  Interesting stuff.

[Tubacap]

You know, I'm a teacher, and I've recently adopted the philosophy of I don't want any excuses, I just want results from my students.  It's been amazing the progress that happens when people take responsibility for their own actions and start saying to themselves, "hey, I have to do this or I'm going to fail."  I took this approach in large part because of the CapTalk community.  I find that many of the posters here are straight shooting, independant, and knowledgable people.  Some might call this ultraconservative, but to me, if you take a each decision and come to a conclusion based on its own merits even when it may not be the popular or easiest thing to do, it just makes you a good human being.

That being said, I pretty much agree with most of the things you post about.  I even went so far as to buy 2 pair of 5.11 pants (much to my wifes chagrin). 

My $.02

[Stonewall]

That being said, I pretty much agree with most of the things you post about. 

Hey bro, appreciate it, truly.  But I don't want anyone thinking I'm fishing for compliments, a pat on the back, or need someone watching my back. 

Again, thanks.  Just didn't want my initial post coming out the wrong way.

[drcomm]

I find it hard to grasp how one can make the assumption that because one is a cop that they must be "ultra-conservative".  I have known many cops over the years and I can say that they were not all conservative, some were far from it.   I can't think of too many jobs that definitively would give away a person's political beliefs short of being an elected official.

OK, just my $.02.......

[Stonewall]

I find it hard to grasp how one can make the assumption that because one is a cop that they must be "ultra-conservative".  I have known many cops over the years and I can say that they were not all conservative, some were far from it.   I can't think of too many jobs that definitively would give away a person's political beliefs short of being an elected official.

Excellent point, David.  Didn't even look at it that way; went right over my head.  Good call.

[Eclipse]

In a lot of circles, "ultra conservative" means "follows the rules as written". 

Your >employment< gives one the impression of a black & white world because you get paid to enforce the rules, whether you agree with them or not.  If the city (i.e. the MAN) you work for passes an ordinance that says people with orange shirts are not allowed to smoke on the North side of the street on Wednesdays after 5pm, its your job to make it a butt-free sidewalk in the evenings, even if you live right there and are a smoker yourself who enjoys an evening stroll.

Judges are for nuance, cops are for enforcement.

[Major Lord]

Don't know where you stand politically? Take the worlds shortest political test:  http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

I have known a few bleeding heart liberals who were cops. Generally, the realities of life will show them that their irrational, "magical" thinking has little basis in reality. That is to say, if some kind citizen does not murder them while they are trying to help....

Major Lord

[RogueLeader]

In my fairly limited time of living, I have seen quite a bit around the country, and there is no instance that I have seen a profession that clearly identifies a persons political paradigms.  Notice that I said paradigms- not affiliation- there are are some liberals in the Republican party, and some conservatives in the Democrat party- its a matter of what they want to accomplish.
That said, some jobs tend to attract more of one paradigm than the other.  for example, the military is about 75% conservative* and teachers are about 70-75% liberal.  Note that there are liberals in the mil, and conservatives in Education.  It's just the concentrations.

I do not have cites for above stats, but from what I've seen and heard from life, those seem to be close.

[Stonewall]

Take the worlds shortest political test:  http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

Well, I took the test and answered honestly.  I guess I'm in the middle.

ACCORDING TO YOUR ANSWERS:

The political group that agrees with you most is...

CENTRIST

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice.

Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

The RED DOT on the Chart shows where you fit on the political map.

[RogueLeader]

I took it as well, I'm a Conservative Libertarian.  I scored a 90 on Econ and 50 on personal.

[NIN]

Ack! I'm a scorching libertarian! Help! Get it off, get it off!



But I'm in the middle, slightly to the right. That's about correct.

[Major Carrales]

This thing is dead on for a person like me how dislikes agendism.

I have always described myself as in the middle slightly to the Right and just above it all enough to know it.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Personal 50%
Economic 70%

[Monty]

Heh, I'm my own man apparently:

[Pace]

And I always considered myself a conservative.  Interesting...

[Hoser]

Seems to me, if this test truly reflects our political persuasion, that most people who consider themselves conservatives really don't know what that really means. I suggest reading "The Conscience of a Conservative" by Barry Goldwater and disregard anything written by the likes of BillOrally, Hannity or Rove as they have perverted conservatism in the interest of empire or the almighty dollar.

[mikeylikey]

Seems to me, if this test truly reflects our political persuasion, that most people who consider themselves conservatives really don't know what that really means. I suggest reading "The Conscience of a Conservative" by Barry Goldwater and disregard anything written by the likes of BillOrally, Hannity or Rove as they have perverted conservatism in the interest of empire or the almighty dollar.

I suggest Colbert's book "I am America (and so can you!)"

[Major Carrales]

Have been labeled a "LIBERAL" automatically because of my position as an Secondary School Teacher.  I have been called a Socialist and a Commuist on occasion by Conservatives abd Libertarians because I happen to believe that Public Education is necessary.  Simply put, Public Education...while wrought with problems...is the first line of defense against having ignorant masses ripe for true control.

Liberals tend to call me a fascist.  I once posted on a Star Trek site that I disagreed with the Screen Writer's Strike...the response what that I was a "GOP fascist."  They doubted that I was a teacher.

As my chart indicates, I am pretty much a centerist with a slight lean to the right.  That lean, much like TubaCap, is the result of being an educator.     I have seen how too much leaning to the left in education is bad, as is too much leaning to the right.

In CAP, however, it does not matter.  There are no (should be no) Linerals and Conservatives, only Brother and Sister Airman united in accomplishing the missions.

[Walkman]

Stereotypes really annoy me to no end. You can't put me into one group without another part of life contradicting that in some way. I think most people are that way.

My results:

[mikeylikey]

I once posted on a Star Trek site that I disagreed with the Screen Writer's Strike...the response what that I was a "GOP fascist."  They doubted that I was a teacher.

The only people suffering with that writers strike is You, me and everyone else who have not been able to watch that one television show we really enjoy.  They (the writers) are really sticking it to US!  As far as I am concerned, fire them all, hire brand new talent.  Television sucks anyway.  It is one group of people (California and New York) force-feeding us crap.  They want us to think like them, and act like them, so they brainwash the populace.  My New Years resolution is to give up television.