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What a liberal is.


Crazyhorse1

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Here's a brief definition of what a "political" liberal is. Many liberals feel the term is not understood and liberals are confused with people who prefer obtrusive government, strong central government, socialism, communisms, etc. I'm just trying to set the record straight.

Merriam-Webster

6 a : of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives.

The key to liberal political philosophy is individual and economic freedom; all else revolves around that. Jefferson is the founder of liberal politics as a movement in the United States. Liberals traditionally legislate to protect freedoms of the people, not to control the people. Liberals regulate the market only to keep it free from monopoly and other influences that would render it less than free. Liberals believe in protecting the individual rights of everyone, regardless of class or party affiliation or state objective. The purpose of the state is to preserve the rights of the individual and serve the individual, not to become the ruler of the individual. The liberal does not believe that the individual exists to serve the state and feels that the conservative does believe so; the liberal believes it should be the other way around. That is why the liberal is usually suspicious of a conservative state becoming a fascist state. There is absolutely no leaning toward communism in liberalism, which is with libertarianism entirely hostile to social systems that have proven to be productive of totalitarian control.

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Actually, I don't introduce this as a point of debate. I am getting a bit tired of debating. I just want to define a term, explain what I am, basically, and take a nap. I do wonder though how many insults will be sent my way in the next few hours.

over/under is hereby set at 13 by 3:00.

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Actually, I don't introduce this as a point of debate. I am getting a bit tired of debating. I just want to define a term, explain what I am, basically, and take a nap. I do wonder though how many insults will be sent my way in the next few hours.

Being corrected is not being insulted. Most liberals miss this point as well.

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conservative: someone who wins an argument with a liberal.

good night

Actually, I don't introduce this as a point of debate. I am getting a bit tired of debating. I just want to define a term, explain what I am, basically, and take a nap. I do wonder though how many insults will be sent my way in the next few hours.
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The definition of a liberal is a dope smoking hippie from the 1970's who grew up and thought all their hallucinations would make for good national policy.

I'm from the 1950's. What am I? We didn't even have dope then. I use to go to burlesque shows and puke my guts up on grain alcohol though.

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I'm from the 1950's. What am I? We didn't even have dope then. I use to go to burlesque shows and puke my guts up on grain alcohol though.

Crazyhorse--showing a little personality and not the drive-by threads. Good to see. :)

I take it you weren't a beatnick?

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Naturally, I would. I'm an idiot.

No insult was intended, so I'm sorry you took it as such. Your thin skin aside, you did actually confuse the two terms in your definition.

Small "L" liberalism, also known as classical or economic liberalism has a lot more in common with the American Conservative movement. It espouses a freedom from government constraint and a laisez faire economic model.

Large "L" liberalism is what is intended by the common American usage as an often derogatory epithet. Liberalism here is social liberalism which does indeed tend toward socialism and espouses a large government apparatus in order to provide many of society's basic needs.

The debate as you framed it in your original post is the old debate among classical liberalism and small "C" conservatives, i.e. those in favor of hereditary rule. I somehow feel that you already know this, however, and are purposely conflating the argument in order to validate your personal beliefs.

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I used to look up to beatniks. Kerouac, Corso, Brother Antonius, Robert Frank. By the time I was old enough, it was over.

That's how I feel about the music scene from the 1960s and early 1970s. Wish I could have seen it live. Though I'm not sure I would have traded the possiblity of seeing Coltrane live with the possibility of being drafted and serving in Vietnam.

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That's how I feel about the music scene from the 1960s and early 1970s. Wish I could have seen it live. Though I'm not sure I would have traded the possiblity of seeing Coltrane live with the possibility of being drafted and serving in Vietnam.

yeah, i'll take the 80's. fun times. :cool:

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