“Progressives”, “Liberals” and Liberty

Last updated on: April 1, 2015 at 5:51 pm by Jane the Actuary

“Progressives”, “Liberals” and Liberty 2015-04-01T17:51:00-06:00 Jane the Actuary

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When did American politics develop the animosity that currently exists, that one’s political opponent is one’s enemy, to be squashed at every opportunity? When did we lose the idea that our opponents are well-intentioned, disagree with them though we may? When, for instance, did people cease to recognize that, in a great many instances, when it comes to social issues, we need to balance rights that conflict with each other, and, with economic issues, there are genuine disagreements about what laws and regulations and government policy do in fact maximize prosperity and how this should balance individual property rights?

Hence, Christians who believe that gay marriage wrongly deprives children of a mother and father are, according to the Left, are hateful bigots who deserve nothing other than to go out of business. (And, by the way, the Indiana pizzeria has now closed in response to threats.) Pro-lifers cruelly wish to deprive women of their personal liberty, and at the same time wish suffering upon the terminally ill. And anyone who hesitates to raise taxes to higher levels, in order to fund greater levels of welfare benefits, hates children and wishes suffering on them. And Tea Party-types, for no identifiable reason, are all racists who wish to re-enslave blacks.

I, of course, am perfectly generous in spirit and would never assume the worst of those who disagree with me politically . . . though I recognize that I likely have blinders on myself.

Here’s another question: do you remember when people on the Left started to self-identify as “Progressives” rather than “Liberals”? To be honest, I’ve forgotten, at this point.

Repeatedly, in the twitterverse, over the last couple days, what with the Left’s freak-out over the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act, there have been accusations that liberals are not living up to their name; illiberally denying people the right to free speech, freedom of association, or other liberties. Not to mention, of course, that the free speech codes and “affirmative consent” laws are hardly “liberal.” (Of note, the German political party “Die Liberalen” — the Liberals — are about free markets.)

And I wonder whether the switch in name meant more than just a new trend, but communicates something else. “Progressive” emphasizes the desire of progressives to, well, “make progress” towards some goal, understood to be boosting the fortunes of the poor and other groups deemed to be marginalized — and, of course, their attitude is “better to take as many actions as possible, regardless of whether they’ll work or not, for the sake of doing something.” “Liberal” implies, of course, liberty — which the Progs’ agenda has little interest in, as a principle.

Which means that I think that complaints that the “boycott Indiana” faction are betraying their principles by failing to respect others’ freedoms, are falling on deaf ears.

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