What is the difference between a liberal and a conservative?

[catnip]

Liberals cry rivers for criminals, conservatives care about the victims.
Liberals think jails should be like country clubs, conservatives think jail should be a punishment for crimes committed.
Liberals think welfare should be freely given to anyone refusing to work, conservatives think anyone that can work should work for their money.
Liberals would rather see another terrorist attack, as long as nobody gets "profiled", conservatives want to do whatever is needed to prevent another attack.
Liberals think people born here in the US should cater to the one group of immigrants that refuse to learn English, conservatives think that group should learn English like everyone else that comes to the US.

[bunkushbunkush]

A bunch of lizards who seek power and use it to expand their own influence and increase their wealth, while covering up the whole mess with a foam of thick morals, patriotism and the ocassional shot of religion. The Conservatives are the lizards messing up the world because they happen to be in power now, the democrates are the lizards who used to mess up the world when they were in power before.
The whol show is extremly necessary, because as long as it is happening you would'nt mind taxxes, crime, shrinking liberties and corruption for no matter what, this show somehow proves that you're living in a FREE country
Enjoy it.

[bigred1612]

Believe it or not, Democrats are not liberals, neither are republicans, nor are either parties conservative. Liberal basically means open to new ideas for reform and progress; also liberal means to favor liberties. Liberals in the United State favor the bill of rights. Conservative on the other hand means sticking to what is known to work or limiting the amount of risk associated with change. You might even suggest that conservative means taking a course of action that is the least risky. For example, arresting someone for making a dangerous statement or threat.

[fenrisl0k1]

In American politics, Liberal means focusuing of government-funded programs to alleviate social problems and promoting diversity whenever possible, while Conservative means reducing government programs and participation whenever possible, but at the same time protecting the status quo and traditional values. In most of the rest of the world, liberal means right-wing while conservative means left-wing.

[wazwondring]

Conservatism is a philosophy defined by Edmund Burke as "a disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve". The term derives from conserve; from Latin conservare, to keep, guard, observe. Classical conservatism does not readily avail itself to the ideology of objectives. It is a philosophy primarily concerned with means over ends. To a conservative, the goal of change is less important than the insistence that change be effected with a respect for the rule of law and traditions of society. On economic policy and the economic system, conservatives and the right generally support the free market, although less so in Europe than in other places. Attitudes on some ethical and bio-ethical issues — such as opposition to abortion — are described as either 'right-wing' or 'conservative'.

In the US, conservatism and liberalism are sometimes seen as polar opposites, yet the situation is more complex. A major area of difference in US politics is that between social liberalism and social conservatism. Social liberals advocate policies that promote change of established ideas, while social conservatives support established traditions of American society, or norms of previous generations. The media widely covers the differences in opinion in issues such as same-sex marriage, sex education, and the separation of church and state.

Liberal is often used to describe those seen as strongly opposed to globalization, capitalism, nationalism, and "family values." Typical liberals are closely alligned with socialist or communist ideals.