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Why are Americans so neatly categorized into two categories: liberal or conservative?

I don't get it, either you're an orthodox liberal with no deviations from the party line or 100% conservative with no space for nuances these days. Where do people like me fit in? Let's see, on the conservative side, I think abortion is an act of violence against an innocent; I believe that sane, law-abiding adults should be allowed to save their own lives with firearms; I hate political correctness and its accompanying academic culture of shrill, perpetually accusing "victims," I hate speech codes; I love Western culture, its literature, fashion, mores, etc. I love and respect our military, but here are some leftist slants: 1. I fully support gay rights. 2. I support health-insurance reform along the lines of what they have in capitalist Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland, not Canada and Britain. 3. I like good public transport and sane ecological laws. 4. I am against the death penalty (but support life in prison without parole). 5. I am against the wasteful war on drugs. I favor, at the very least, decriminalization of marijuana. 6. I think that American can actually learn from other prosperous democracies, i.e., Norway. 7. I think that the drinking age should be 18 as you're old enough to serve your country. 8. I like the idea of studying other cultures and languages and think that too many Americans are far too insular. Dear Frank the American Capitalist: High GDP does not equal high per-capita income. Mexico has a higher GDP than Norway, but the average Norwegian makes more money on average. Also, America does not have the highest per-capita income in the world. Have you heard of Norway or Luxembourg? So insular is the average American. But I forgot, America is the best and all other nations suck, right?

Public Comments

1. How can America learn from other prosperous democracies, when we have the highest GDP in the world, if anything poverty nations should be taking notes from us.
2. You're called an, independant...or moderate _________ fill in the blank. But the next time you disagree with a liberal you will be called a conservative, and the next time you disagree with a conservative you be called a liberal, fence sitter, or RINO ..or worse.
3. Because that is how our government wants us. The can seize power more easily this way.
4. Arnold Schwartzenager said it best.... "We don't have to agree on EVERYTHING to be "good republicans". So long as you believe the INDIVIDUAL should (and does) have control over the quality and choices and freedoms in his own life.... you are essentially a Republican. When you turn off your brain and PRETEND that it doesn't make a difference if you are drop-out or a Rhodes Scholar... we SHOULD ALL end up in nice homes, with quality health care, best foods, nice cars, secure retirement... you are Democrat. America is about EQUAL OPPORTUNITY..... but certainly NOT equal RESULTS.
5. Just stereotyping people to make them ignorants. I can be called "liberal", yet I disagree with many "liberal" points. And totally dislike conservative republicans. Too narrowminded. I understand your points. But USA is full of narrowminded clods who make "Little Abner" of the defunct comic strip of hillbillies look like a Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis' relative. Go figure!
6. The left has moved farther left than ever seen in the US, which automatically further polarizes the US. Simple as that. This in no way means you don't get to use your own freedom to decide on individual issues for yourself. It just means you need to know which issues are more important to the US as a whole--not sure you're there yet, sorry. It seems to me that the US, with a melting pot population of 300 million should not be compared to a heterogenous nation of 8 million, but maybe that's just me.