Liberal Isn't A Dirty Word

[libertylover]

Conservative Isn't Either.

Everyone knows what a liberal is -- a person who wants to ruin the nation by taxing and spending with no restraint. Furthermore, that liberal spends the money on wasteful, unpatriotic projects like education and roads and the environment and helping the poor.

Everyone knows what a conservative is -- a person who wants to ruin the nation by cutting the taxes of the rich, raising the taxes of the poor, borrowing and spending with no restraint. The spending goes toward exorbitant weapons and subsidies to businesses owned by the sons or uncles or brothers-in-law of conservatives.


Those, children, are not the original definitions of these words. Once, not so long ago, they had completely different meanings, which, believe it or not, had nothing to do with taxing, borrowing, or spending. Here is what they meant, such a short time ago that my dictionary still lists them this way:

Liberal: generous, giving largely, as a liberal donor.

Liberal: free, not literal or strict, as a liberal interpretation of the Constitution.

Liberal: not narrow or bigoted; broad-minded.

Liberal: of democratic or republican forms of government, as distinguished from monarchies, aristocracies, etc.

Liberal: favoring reform or progress; specificallly favoring political reforms tending toward democracy
and personal freedom for the individual.

You can see, by these meanings, that it once might have been rather fine to be a liberal.

Here's how the dictionary describes conservatives:

Conservative: tending to preserve old institutions, methods, customs, and the like; adhering to what is old or established; opposing or resisting change, as a conservative political party.

Conservative: moderate, prudent, safe, as a conservative estimate.

Conservative: one who wishes to preserve traditions or institutions and resists innovation or change.

It would seem by these definitions a fine thing to be a conservative too, at least when things are going well, when prudence is appropriate, when there are important values to be conserved. In fact, if you think about both these words in their original meanings, you see that a society needs both liberalism and conservatism -- a will to change what needs changing, a determination to keep what is worth keeping, and above all, as they say in the old prayer, the wisdom to know the difference.

(continued)

[libertylover]

Of course there lies the problem, wisdom, moderation, balance.

Conservatism pushed too far becomes elitism, preservation of the privileges of the rich and neglect of or cruelty toward the poor. At the extreme conservatism becomes monarchy or fascism. Liberalism pushed too far is populism, the leveling of everything to the lowest common denominator -- and at the extreme, communism. The political spectrum bends back on itself to meet at its far edges. The biggest difference between fascism and communism is their rhetoric, not their policies, nor the misery of society under their rule.

Thomas Jefferson, an outspoken early liberal, who fought constantly against the early conservative Alexander Hamilton, summed up the difference between the two in a thoroughly biased statement that sounds (to liberals) still accurate today: "Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties: 1. Those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes. 2. Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise, depository of the public interests."

[libertylover]

Today, what we see is each party and their
members, calling the other "liberal" "conservative"
and snarling their noses up like it's a dirty smell.
Have you noticed how harsh everyone seems to be
when talking about liberals.

That's a shame, whichever side does it. It undermines clear thinking and social integrity to turn a good word into an epithet, to pervert its meaning, to condemn people for honest and well-considered beliefs.

And, what is even sadder is both parties have
been hyjacked and using We The People. Cannot
we all just see we must utilize a little of conservatism, along with a little liberalism for a balance. The
powers are using a divide and conquer and it's
working very well. Look how many of us are divided
here on this forum.

[MooseToo]

I suppose we need to coin a new word to describe the modern-day political liberal since there is little or no similarity between the revolutionary war liberal and the contemporary liberal.
Perhaps the definition of the current liberal fanatic should have some reference to "traitor' or "treason". The goal of the modern liberal machine is the defeat and collapse of our nation. They are as much an enemy of a true American citizen as any military enemy we have ever fought with the principle difference being timing. Militarists sought to overthrow our nation as quickly as possible. Liberals are infinitely more patient and accept poisoning the mindset and character of upcoming generations as a legitimate tactic of their brand of warfare. No matter how long they are willing to continue their campaign and no matter how well they are able to disguise that campaign, they are every bit as dangerous and committed an enemy as any hitler, tojo, stalin or mao we have encountered.

[RangerRick]

I hope your feelings won't be hurt if my opinion differs just a wee bit.

[MooseToo]

I hope your feelings won't be hurt if my opinion differs just a wee bit.



you gonna change your avatar ?