Definition of Liberal

@hippyjoe1955 And who keeps redefining these perfectly good English words that have stood the test of time and are understood by the literate?

@dancingtongue Progressives love to appropriate other people's language and conform it to their own. Hitler, Stalin etc were experts at it.

@hippyjoe1955 Hitler, Stalin were progressives? And liberals? What part of the term liberal -- embracing other views -- do those two oppressive dictators represent?

@dancingtongue They were both considered progressive in their day and their theories are still widely held by the progressives of today.

@hippyjoe1955 One can argue they were progressives because they were taking drastic government action to pull their countries and economies out of desperate straits -- Hitler from the drastic penalties of losing WWI, Stalin from the feudalism of the Czars. But both were the exact opposite of liberal in their politics and actions. Hitler was a Nationalist (Nazi) and Fascist who oppressed all dissent; Stalin was a Communist who believed in the Dictatorship of the Proletariat and oppressed dissent as much if not more.

@dancingtongue I said they were progressives not liberals. Do keep that in mind.

@hippyjoe1955 Except you started out saying liberals were now progressives. Lumping them together.

@dancingtongue What is called liberals today was called progressives yesterday. What is called liberal today are not liberals at all they are petty tyrants in the progressive vein.

@hippyjoe1955 One of the great ironies is that free markets were, and still are, a liberal concept because they do away with restrictive tariffs and other barriers. If you read The Economist magazine it continually refers to free markets as liberal economics for that reason and because they use the English language as it was meant to be used rather than in ever-changing sloganeering. But Reagan couldn't embrace liberal economics so it became free markets, and some how was no longer a liberal philosophy. That is what extremists at both ends of the political spectrum keep doing with the English language which just muddles and polarizes rather than contributing to constructive dialogue.

@hippyjoe1955 What YOU call liberals. That doesn't change the definition of liberal or what a true liberal is.

@dancingtongue Liberals have made a habit of changing definitions for years now. Liberals are not what they used to be.

@hippyjoe1955 In reality, Liberalism and Progressivism are a good thing, they are to promote justice and equality. [image deleted]

@Budwick Evolving, changing to deal with changing times, which is what makes them liberal rather than conservatives seeking to maintain the past.

@dancingtongue So you can't see the difference between the classic Liberals of yore with the progressives of today who have adopted the liberal moniker for themselves. Now that is funny. Ever read John Locke? He was the mentor of classic liberalism. Ever read Immanuel Kant? He was the father of progressivism. Now compare. Can you see the difference?

@NativePortlander1970 If you believe that you are a progressive not a classic liberal.

@dancingtongue [quote]conservatives seeking to maintain the past.[/quote]

Peace and prosperity ain't so bad.

@Budwick You're thinking of neoliberalism, which is not real Liberalism.

@NativePortlander1970 As you can see. libs are busy changing definitions all the time.

@Budwick Bill Clinton: 1994 Crime Bill and NAFTA, Obama: Benghazi TPP Biden: Author of the 1994 Crime Bill.

@Budwick Neolibs are, not us true Liberals.

@NativePortlander1970 It's 2021 now.

@NativePortlander1970 [quote] not us true Liberals.
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I see. So, who are the people destroying America?

@Budwick Anarchists

@NativePortlander1970 JFK would not recognize today's "liberals."