Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with liberal

Looking for a nice enlightening magazine

thirteenkiller — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:44:42 -0800

Can you help me find a good progressive magazine to get? I'm looking for something that has in-depth, credible reporting, isn't too shrill, and covers a variety of political, scientific/environmental, and cultural topics. I don't want a weekly magazine since I don't find time to read one thoroughly and it generates too much waste. I want something with lots of content in the issues and not too much advertising. I'm pretty sure I want something with a strong liberal/progressive perspective, but articles need to be well-sourced.

Mother Jones seems to fit the bill, but I'm wondering if there's something else I should look at. Utne Reader seems pretty interesting and maybe a little too esoteric, but I'd like to hear what other people think.

Help me back in the church...

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:26:57 -0800

Help me reconcile my liberal beliefs with a church family again... Background details - I'm in my late 20's. In high school, I was a very active member of a church, until my liberal beliefs came into conflict with the conservative evangelical approach that the church I was with had. While I was with the church, I had ... effectively a large family of the other people in my youth group -- they were good people, but I was unable to compromise my true feelings and beliefs (more details about those later), and unwilling to lie about them.

I would like to reconnect with a church (I do believe in God, although my perspectives on Him and the way of relating with Him differ from the fundamental Christian beliefs)... My relationship with God has not suffered, but I do miss the connection with the people there.

I hold pretty strongly with a few liberal beliefs that are at odds with the fundamentalist church:
1) I support the LGBT community strongly, although I am hetero myself (Straight but not narrow, one of my LGBT friends likes to call me). I have zero tolerance for persecution or other poor behavior towards that community.
2) I don't buy into the whole celibacy before marriage thing. Lots of reasons that would make an Ask in themselves; I don't know that going into them will help here.
3) Evangelists ANNOY ME. A ton. I just don't see pushing your beliefs onto another person...

So, oh, brilliant hivemind, is there any way to reconcile such liberal beliefs and thoughts with the family of a church? Are there churches that aren't ultraconservative? I'm considering going to a service tomorrow morning that ... looks fairly modern and open, but am TERRIFIED that I'm going to run into the conservative bigotry of the church I left.

(Since it seems like a contradiction -- The people individually were AMAZING people... it was the church groupthink that I couldn't stand).

I've opened a throwaway for this one - you can mail me at meta.church.avoidance@gmail.com if you don't want to post here.

"Liberal Catholic" doesn't have to be an oxymoron

pised — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:03:20 -0800

Looking for liberal Catholic parishes in Toronto. My partner and I don't live in Toronto, but we'll be getting married there in 2011 (the hall is booked) and would like to find a liberal priest to marry us. I'm from the GTA originally, but I don't have a home church there anymore because my family stopped going to church when I was about 12. My partner and I have started going again in the city where we live and we love how liberal our (university-based) church and our priest are, and we'd really like to find that with wherever we get married in Toronto. We live together and would like a priest who wouldn't look down on that so much; an accepting outlook on things in general would be most welcome. If you're Catholic and in Toronto and have an awesome liberal priest and/or church community, where do you go? We'd prefer downtown-ish or west GTA (to Mississauga at the most western limit).

To pre-empt some potential questions:
As much as we'd like to be married in our current city with our current priest, it's too difficult to work out logistically with travel for family and friends. We live about 2 hours away from Toronto, so can't go to church there every Sunday, but we do visit my parents often and can put in appearances whenever we are in town. We'd also probably do all the pre-marriage counselling stuff at the church we choose in Toronto. I'll answer any other questions as they come up.

Bleeding-heart Liberal in Death Match with Reaganite Bosses!

oinopaponton — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:37:41 -0800

Get me off my high horse: how can I work with Republicans without losing my cool? I just started a new job, which I don't hate and which pays well. The only problem is that two of my superiors are very vocal Republicans.

I recently graduated from a liberal New England college, which I attended after growing up in a very liberal household. I'd consider myself a practical liberal-- I think that a reasonable and intelligent government can solve a lot of America's and the world's problems, so I'm delighted with Obama. I've thought a lot about my political beliefs, especially over the past few years, so I'm secure in them. Still, I'm really not used to being around people who share such different political beliefs.

Every day, now, I get treated to a lengthy and loud conversation going on right next to my workspace about:
-How Obama's plans are idiotic
-How Obama is an awful person
-How Obama is generally a terrible president

To their credit, my superiors stick to mostly above-the-belt criticisms (i.e., nothing overtly racist). And I absolutely said worse about Bush when he was in office. Still, it really pisses me off to the point where it's hard to work and hard to respect my superiors. I'm not going to confront them since they are my superiors and I just started, but I'm hoping some of you will have internal coping mechanisms, a healthy dose of perspective, anything.

Thanks!

Help me build a library of lefty kids books

RajahKing — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:55:08 -0800

Do you know any good left wing propoganda for toddlers? Please help me identify some lefty / liberal children's books appropriate for a 3 year old (and up as I have noticed she tends to get older every day).

I have a 3 year old daughter, we read a lot of books together. Her mom and I are committed to progressive political action and would like to introduce some cool, fun, lefty books to the collection. We have a handful, but I'd like to expand. I am thinking about books that discuss race, class, struggle, civil rights, gender issues, environmentalism, etc. We are well to the left of the American mainstream, but we'll take liberalish stuff too.

One request - please no political critique, I promise I'll still read her stories from a variety of perspectives. We let her watch Wonder Pets and Dora, so don't worry.

Churchill rebutt, anyone?

wsg — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:44:02 -0800

What's a good rebuttal to this famous quote? "If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart, and if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no head." Winston Churchill

Therapy help for polyamorous triad near Waco?

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:56:21 -0800

How do I find a family therapist/counselor in Waco, TX that can help, rather than judge, my polyamorous relationship? My partners and I have some thorny issues to work out.

We're all new to polyamory; it fell in our lap and we're still trying to figure out where all the pieces fit together. It has been thrilling, heady, and deeply satisfying, but it has also caused serious problems in which, blinded by love, one or the other of us has neglected providing the support and attention another needs, or is perceived to have done so. Finding appropriate and safe and positive boundaries for ourselves and making sure that we don't inadvertently sacrifice ourselves just because it's what the other people want has been extremely arduous. Worth it, but arduous.

The problem is that my partners and I are stuck in the land of barbecue, pickup trucks, sixty foot tall crosses and megachurches.

I've talked to a few counselors to see if I could establish a relationship and get some help, but so far they've all started with the premise that the polyamorous relationship itself is the problem, that we need to stop pretending we love each other and settle down into a nice 1-1 relationship like, like Adam and Eve!

Internet resources, like the Opening Up website and the Polychromatic provider list, show some poly-positive therapists in other places, like Austin, Dallas, Houston. But those are very far for us.

Any help would be amazing, thank you in advance.

What responsibility does the Bush administration bear for the current financial crisis?

Lownotes — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:27:28 -0800

What responsibility does the Bush administration bear for the current financial crisis? When I visit my father, we usually argue about politics.

He's a big Fox News fan, and I think it's drivel. He tends to parrot what he sees there, and I often find myself explaining how things really work to him.

Since Obama was elected, these arguments have been far less frequent - until the last two weeks when suddenly the Republican spin machine began to pound Obama's budget plans in light of our financial crisis.

I keep telling him, "Bush was president for the last eight years."

He keeps saying, "This is not Bush's fault."

So, hivemind, what sort of responsibility does the Bush administration really bear in all of this mess?

Links to source material are welcome.

Any interesting, meaningful readings for a liberal Passover Seder on the theme of hope?

aquafortis — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:52:55 -0800

Any interesting, meaningful readings for a liberal Passover Seder on the theme of hope? My friend is hosting a Passover Seder, and asked me to help him find readings on the theme of hope. It's a very liberal group, and not everyone at the dinner will be Jewish. (Personally, I'm not religious at all.) Last year, he gave a little free-form nondenominational speech/lecture and passed out a xeroxed packet of readings like a college professor. He seemed to think Reinhold Niebuhr might have something interesting; poetry, philosophy, thoughts on the election...anything you think might be appropriate would be most welcome!

The career change I need

ignignokt — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:37:53 -0800

Do any progressive organizations need full-time programmers? I just got done working as a data fellow for the Obama campaign. It was only three weeks, but I found it to be the most satisfying work I've done in about three years. It certainly wasn't the most sophisticated software engineering I've ever done - it was mostly ad hoc scripts in Perl, Greasemonkey, PHP, and SQL - but I knew that what I was doing had an effect on something I cared about.

Now, it's time for me to think about getting a regular job in the next month or so. Before I was thinking of getting out of programming, as I was getting less interested in technology for technology's sake, but now I'm thinking I'd like to work for a cause I care about with the skills I've built up over the last decade. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to find a job like that.

The causes I feel the most passionate about are civil rights and voter protection, but I'm generally on the liberal side of most issues, and it's certainly possible that some other cause could fire me up. Does anyone know where I should look? Or is this not a feasible thing to be looking for? The last couple of hours of Googling have been unsuccessful.

Christianity and Liberalism

snap_dragon — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:55:36 -0800

Can a person be an evangelical Christian and still be a political liberal? This may sound like a simple question but I am open to any and all answers...I find my political views excepting a very few far right beliefs all fall far left....do I have my ducks in a row or do these two worlds necessarily conflict....and yes, I am voting for Obama.

Making money in politics (without being corrupt)

DetonatedManiac — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:30:59 -0800

Is it possible to make a decent, relatively steady living in (liberal to center left) politics in Raleigh NC? If so what job(s) should I start looking for? I have been employed as a paid staffer on a Congressional Campaign and a volunteer, and I have also been a delegate to the DNC in Boston (so technically held an elected office :) ). I know what phone banking is like and door to door sales (political and commercial). But I know that all of these are low level and ephemeral jobs which is why I didn't pursue politics as a career after College.

Now I am re-thinking. I really enjoy politics but I don't know where, or if, I can get a "reliable" job that pays the rent even in non-election years. Ideally it would be a "normal" 9-5 office job, but realistically I'll take whatever I can get. It MUST NOT be primarily commission driven and it also must have some opportunity for advancement.

I currently live in Raleigh NC and while in the long term I have no problem moving to DC, right now I have to settle for my State's Capitol.

I am especially interested in the Environment and Anti-Cooperate/Pro-Consumer causes, but am interested in almost all left of center causes.

I imagine there must be something like lobbying or congressional aide that intersects more with the day to day running of government and not just elections.... But what are these jobs and How do I go about getting them?

Thanks Hive Mind!

(Note: my former political activity was all in Colorado, where I went to school, not here in NC. So any contacts in the NC Dem Party establishment are also appreciated)

What stereotypes do Americans have of Massachusetts and New England?

gregb1007 — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:49:43 -0800

What stereotypes do Americans have of Massachusetts and New England? Ever since hearing President Bush's derisive reference to John Kerry as a "Massachusetts" liberal, I've asked myself whether Americans who live far from the bay state have negative stereotypes of Mass (and New England) in general. I've also had some foreigners tell me that they think that Mass is overrun with rich wasps. (That impression apparently derived from viewing law sitcoms.) Anyhow, my question is: What stereotypes, if any, do Americans have of Mass?

suggest resources for budding liberal

chicainthecity — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:09:14 -0800

A student of mine (college junior) asked me to give him a list of progressively-oriented blogs, films, and websites. I have a few ideas for him, but would like to solicit the hive mind for more.

Help me get my head on straight about a political idea

snsranch — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:55:04 -0800

How can a person who doesn't even have a blog start a meme like thing, a cultural change or influence based on word play? I'm really tired of the use of the word "liberal", "lib" etc. So my propagandist idea is to somehow replace it with "progressive" or anything that doesn't connote mediocrity, weakness and lack of focus.

It's a long shot, and no I'm not exactly pro-Democrat, but it's worth a try.

(sorry-kinda USian context)

Please please please do not go

cooker girl — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:21:37 -0800

Where should my liberal South African friend move? My bias: I don't want her to go! So my friend and her husband are facing the possibility of relocating to Atlanta (or the suburbs). The husband is a doctor and is about to be offered a plum job with the potential for more money. Problems: (1) She's really happy here. Moving to the states from SA was one of the most difficult things she's ever done and they've relocated a lot since coming here. She feels like she finally has her life under control and is satisfied with nearly every aspect of her life. (2a) Two of her three children have fairly severe ADHD and she's found really great doctors and would have to start from scratch (2b) and likewise with schools. Both boys are on intervention plans and starting over with a new district/principal/teachers is incredibly daunting to her. (3) While we live in a red state, we're in a moderately liberal area. She's worried that Atlanta would be a huge step backward in terms of political leanings. (4) Moving from SA to the US was a culture shock, moving from the East Coast to this red state was a culture shock, and she's not sure if she's up to moving South. (5) She is very apprehensive about uprooting the kids. The three of them are very well-adjusted here.

Pros: (1) The potential for a huge job satisfaction shift for her husband. She wants to be supportive, of course, but not necessarily at the expense of the happiness of the family unit. (2) The potential for more money. She doesn't so much care about stuff, but he isn't really making what he's worth right now.

Need: Advice on liberal-leaning, foreigner-accepting areas in or around Atlanta that have great public schools, lots of ADHD support (good doctors, I suppose), and very few social-climbing people who all have to have the "right" cars, homes, clothes, etc.

I don't want them to move. I really like the family as a whole (as do my husband and kids) and it's hard enough to find like-minded people here; it sucks when they move away. However, I'm trying to be a good friend. Help me, hivemind!

Liberal/Lefty/Progressive Blogs that might help a small non-profit raise some cash?

anastasiav — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:32:33 -0800

The social justice non-profit I work for is currently participating in a contest run by Six Degrees. Basically, if we are one of the six non-profits that have the largest unique number of on-line donations (given to our organization through a specific link) we'll get grant that doubles the money we raised, up to $10,000. (In other words, we need to have the most givers, not raise the most cash.) Can you suggest any socially progressive/liberal/lefty blogs (along the lines of DailyKos or Turn Maine Blue) with decent readerships that might be willing to plug our group and help us gather donations? The contest ends on Sunday at 11:59 pm, and although we've pushed hard via emails, etc. with our own contacts and member base (we're currently in the top ten), we need to expand our reach quickly if we're going to end up in the top six.

We're not in kansas anymore...

craven_morhead — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:19:05 -0800

Liberal moving to Colorado Springs for the summer. Please Advise. I took a job as a judicial clerk for the summer in Colorado Springs. I'm liberal, it's not. I bike everywhere, whitewater kayak, climb, etc. Any suggestions on how to meet like-minded people and flourish in what I gather to be a somewhat oppressive, fundamentalist city?

Where we should move?

bydar — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 12:59:04 -0800

Looking for suggestions to help us decide where to move. My wife, daughter (2yrs old) and I presently live in Atlanta, GA. We are interesting in moving and were interested in getting some opinions. I'm 41 yrs old and she's 38. She's an editor/writer and I have worked in the business end of the entertainment industry for the past eight years. Here are our requirements and narrowed list of places that seem close to what we want (excluding leaving N. America, which could be an option): Somewhere with natural beauty (Having visited New Zealand, that would be the benchmark of natural baeuty!) Liberal Ideally, walkable Close to cultural activity 4 seasons (Atlanta only has Spring and Summer due to global warming!) Job opportunities Somewhat affordable Some of the places I've visited (14 years ago) and on the list are Portland OR, Seattle, Vancouver/Victoria BC I heard good things about but have not visited: Denver, Boulder CO Northern CA (I was born in San Francisco, but way out of $ range) Some NE cities a possibility So basically besides Colorado, the pacific NW or NE coast are in play..now need to narrow down. Although I have work experience in talent agencies L.A. is not an option...Too superficial. Thanks

grants for liberals?

delmoi — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:42:35 -0800

I have some ideas about creating a sort of web site or "netroots" organization around promoting progressive, liberal, and anti-authoritarian ideas, as opposed to a lot of what I see online which mostly concerns itself with the short term goal of getting democrats elected -- not that that's not important, but I don't see much focus on long term strategy and ideas. Anyway I'm wondering if there are any grants I can apply for to help get started. I have a good idea how I might want to proceed. Basically a blog or community site to start, and eventually creating sort of a transparent system for promoting and refining ideas democratically, and funding politicians who subscribe to them, and it would all be facilitated by some cool social networking software.

Anyway, it seems like there might be some groups interested in helping to create this sort of thing, and I was wondering if anyone knew of any places I might be able to apply for grants to help get started and initially promote the site.

pirg.org legit?

pissfactory — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 11:54:45 -0800

Know anything about jobs with pirg.org? My girlfriend was looking at a fellow job with the group PIRG (www.pirg.org) specifically: http://columbus.craigslist.org/npo/183126484.html and I was wondering if this group is lefit, what anyone knows about it, and if their jobs are cold calling or petition signing or something. I researched it on google, but couldn't find any human stories about expereicens with them. Any info much appreciated.

Music for those Goddamn Liberals?

jdroth — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 14:33:12 -0800

I'm looking for songs that you associate with Liberal ideals. (Or "progressive" ideals, if you prefer.) Examples: "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen, "If It Were Up to Me" by Cheryl Wheeler, "I'm Not the Man" by Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs, "War" by Edwin Starr, etc. I'd prefer the songs weren't blatantly "Republicans suck and Bush is mean" (though "When the President Talks to God" is a fine song); I'm looking more for songs about social activism and progressive ideals, about the things that Liberals typically hold important. (Songs about the general state of the world are fine, too: "Ball of Confusion", etc.)

"Progressive" as opposed to "liberal"

alumshubby — Sat, 28 May 2005 05:51:13 -0800

This post had me wondering: Is there a difference between progressive and liberal? Is it a difference in kind, in degree, or some of each? Is it a case of using one word because the opposition uses the other perjoratively? Started to ask this in that thread, then realized it would derail the discussion...

What makes you flip political allegiences?

rooftop secrets — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 17:48:12 -0800

What makes you switch sides? There's the old saying that if you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, and if you're not a conservative by 60 you have no money/brain... but what events actually make people change? I'm pretty liberal myself and don't really see myself changing, but obviously people do. What event made you change, from one perspective to the other?

Unbiased political writing?

grumblebee — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 11:01:18 -0800

Now that the election is over, I'd like to ask a question about preparing for the next one. I'm still struggling with being (or not being) a political person. My problem is that I can't stand us-vs-them mentality. If a political discussion veers into "those insane democrats" or "those horrible republicans," by brain turns off. I know some will disagree, but I think there are very few complex issues that are black & white. So it's hard for me to believe that one party is right and the other is wrong. But most commentators seem to be "liberals" or "conservatives." I know I'm supposed to listen to them both and then make my own informed decision. But I'd love to find some writers (or speakers) who are deeply independent. I want to read columns by someone who regularly says, "the democrats are right about X and wrong about Y, whereas the republicans are right about A but wrong about B." And it would help if this person (people?) is a good writer, smart and knowlegeable about history. Where do you find the writers who are interested in facts -- not sides?