Many people would associate communism with an overbearing government authority, watching their every move. Some people's definition would be different than yours.

Just as many Americans are insistent that USA is a republic, not a democracy. The terminology of both terms is quite broad, loosely defined, and often overlapping.

Legally speaking, Canada is ruled by the Queen of England. Yet our political behavior is more like a republic. So do we take the legal definition or the practical definition?

I have developed my ideology with these four points:

1) There are situations where the government needs to let individuals make their own decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions.

2) There are situations where the government should take collective action to better society.

3) The choice between 1 and 2 should be done with democratic due process.

4) Once a decision has been made, it needs to monitored and, if needed, changed.

No liberal, conservative, communist labels needed with this kind of thinking.