I define myself as a Liberal, and to me that means that in general, I am more concerned with human rights, human potential, international cooperation and a just society than I am with monetary gain. I see government as neither adversary nor oppressor, but as a partner that can, indeed must, provide services that people and the private sector cannot provide for themselves.

Realism, as I understand it, is exactly what its name implies: a way of looking at the world without "rose colored glasses", of seeing things exactly as they are. In this regard at least, the two schools of thoughts are in conflict, since most Liberals are admittedly more than willing to overlook people's faults and failings if the end result is a more harmonious relationship; realists would not allow such generosity.

In the international arena, Liberalism encoura

ges a global community; Realism is likely to pull back from any such commitment until its adherents can clearly see what's in it for them.

In my view, it is of paramount importance to understand and respect the other persons' viewpoint, even if I don't agree with it. Liberalism does tend to teach the idea that every person has intrinsic worth, and that we have no moral imperative to impose our viewpoint on others.

I think cooperation is much more likely than war. Cooperation among nations brings prosperity to all, as markets open and companies are able to sell their goods in a larger venue. I also believe that as trade opens and income rises, many of our problems will disappear; for we will see each other as people, not abstract icons of terrifying strangeness.

I truly think that much of our distress comes from the fact that many people live in poverty, or struggle desperately to stay above the poverty line. If there were a more equitable distribution of wealth, I think many of the problems we face today would simply disappear. Poor and desperate people are often the first to fall victim to any demagogue promising relief and as an advocate of Liberalism, I would like to see people who work hard rewarded for their efforts, rather than being told they have to give up a raise if they want medical coverage, while the boss votes himself a bonus.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1308
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)