Comments on: Progressive or Liberal: Does the label really matter?

By: Toka248

Toka248 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:43:58 +0000

Yes. It matters. The right wing has controlled the rhetoric with regard to the word so now if one doesn’t want the negative connotation it’s wisest to change the label.

Rhetoric has power. The rhetoric of the Obama campaign got a peace prize. Why hold on to failing rhetoric to attempt to regain its relevance when it’s far simpler to just make a change? Holding on risks an ignoring of the campaign.

By: Paul W from Santa Clara

Paul W from Santa Clara — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:26:43 +0000

The problem for me is 2-fold. Nobody is effectively describing what liberalism is to the swing vote. It needs an image and brand to circumvent the moronic depiction by the far right: moneyless losers, scruffy dopeheads with no morals. Why not say that liberals are people with high ethics, morals, and are firefighters, soldiers, community leaders and successful business-people (like George Soros). Liberal could be the base name, Progressive the direction.

2nd, and this is the kicker – in my mind, I see liberalism as vast fields of Poland, and conservatives as the German Army. The 2nd is a concentrated, aggressive, disciplined invading force and the 1st is an easily conquered amorphic mass. It kinda needs an army, we need an army that will fight and defend liberal ideas – like the Galactic Rebellion.

By: Mark Brooks

Mark Brooks — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:13:25 +0000

Liberal is a more general characterization. Progressive makes me think of examples of Progressives such as Teddy Roosevelt. I am not fond of labels, but in some ways it is unavoidable. Human nature tries to organize everything into categories, whether it is good or not.

Liberal has become pejorative in conservative/Republican circles. I wear it like a badge of honor, and I also agree with the idea of progressiveness in thought and action.

By: freelance writer jobs

freelance writer jobs — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:37:08 +0000

very interesting post! and comments! thanks!

By: Blondetwit

Blondetwit — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:52:18 +0000

This is a subject that for me has always made me sore. So far, I've managed to refrain from smacking someone who called me a liberal or a conservative, by barely. Yes, I've been mistaken for either. I am not a can of peas, do not label me.
I am also blond, and that's pretty obvious, thank you for noticing. But what does that mean? For some it may well be an identity, but it's not for me, and it's not for a lot of other people. We need to be careful with placing labels on people. Please read my post on Satanists in the Neighborhood http://bit.ly/4vAQe0 for a bold explanation of where this goes very wrong.
Generally, I possess liberal or progressive ideals, probably preferring the progressive identification simply because I spend much of my efforts in assisting people and businesses to progress forward, incorporating inevitable change into planning for maximum profit potential.
Hence, progressive posture. Moving forward.
But I am not. That's why I like the #P2 hashtag, because it's relative to the ideas contained in the message, not about the messenger or its intended recipient.
In all my frustration over being labeled, I admit that I struggle enormously with being drawn into doing the same to "the other side". Never before, for all my political activities have I ever felt that it was "us and them". I've never been on a "side". Supporting certain ideals is completely different. Today, people, perhaps lacking the depth or talent of previous generations, have decided that their only identity can come with these associations.
To identify with either label as an individual is really a red herring. Get two people together that are unaware of each others' political identities, would in all likelihood find that they share absolutely common beliefs and values. Bring identity into the fold and all bets are off.
I advise those who label themselves and others to proceed cautiously. When it all ends, there may be no "there, there."
Thanks Shoq. I needed my daily rant:)

By: Blondetwit

Blondetwit — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:39:17 +0000

By: Ray Beckerman

Ray Beckerman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:03:59 +0000

I consider myself a liberal rather than a progressive.
In my eyes the term "progressive" connotes change.
I consider that the values I stand for are traditional values, and have been around thousands of years. They are the values we expressed as the purported reason for declaring out independence.
We are in a constant struggle between light and darkness, between totalitarians and the freedom-loving, between oppressors and oppressed, between the compassionate and the greedy, between the fair-minded and the beasts.
So, to me change is a relative concept. Change is good if it promotes good, and bad if it promotes bad.
As to whether the distinction matters, I don't know. People who call themselves "progressives" in the US are generally people who share my "liberal" values, so maybe it doesn't.
But I prefer the term "liberal".
I don't like right wing, theocratic, radicals to be able to claim that they are "conservative" or that they are defending "traditional values". They defend the traditions of Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, right wing military dictators throughout Latin America, the Klu Klux Klan, Joseph McCarthy, Ronald Reagan, J. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, Oliver North, and other similar charlatans.
In my view the traditional values upon which our country is founded are religious tolerance, freedom of expression, personal privacy, and the natural rights of human beings.
So if you call me a "conservative" that would be fine, too.