Posted on 08/17/2011 6:28:53 AM PDT by BUGSWOL
There is a historical basis behind this issue.
In the late 19th century a good many Americans, most of them well-intentioned, became disillusioned with the system set up by the Constitution, which at the time was admittedly being manipulated by business. They looked to the French Revolution and Bismarckian Germany more than to the Constitution. Government should be run by experts, not ordinary people. Some of these same trends of thought developed into fascism after the war. And of course there were obvious connections to Communism.
They called themselves Progressives. T. Roosevelt and W. Wilson were among their leaders. Obviously, they were to be found in both parties. Wilson wrote numerous books in which he was very plain about the need to get rid of or drastically change the Constitution. In 1912 TR elected Wilson by splitting the GOP when he bolted the party and ran under the banner of the Progressive Party.
The Progressives put together a lot of policies that were probably a good thing. But by the 20s people were sick and tired of being lectured by the Progressives. So they gradually abandoned the label and started calling themselves “liberals.” Which is ironic because “liberal” had previously meant those opposed to big government, and it still does in most of the rest of the world.
By the late 70s people were tired of “liberals,” so they began calling themselves “progressives” again. It harked back to TR and Wilson and all that. Most people had forgotten the negatives of their policies and just remembered TR and Wilson as good guys.
If interested in this history, highly recommend Jonah Goldberg’s “Liberal Fascism.”
Verona papers
and
the progressive income tax, XVI Amendment
A lovely example of “begging the question.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question
Whatever Progressives are in favor of is progressive by definition. Since “progress” at least in American culture, is by definition a good thing, Progressives and whatever they want to do are also by definition good things.
They have to lie to further their agenda
and they are unable to see their hypocracy
Welcome!
Regarding your question, leopards often try to change their spots. Just look at any of their pet causes. Sodomite became homosexual/queer, then gay (with a few other name changes along the way). They’ve attempted to redefine the pro-life movement, calling it anti-choice. Gay marriage is their latest. (I prefer calling heterosexual marriage “Natural Marriage”).
The left knows they’re not well-liked in America so in the battle of words, they’re constantly evolving. Conservatives, on the other hand, have no problem being called just that.
Kharis13
I personally don't think it's worth the effort. But, if you want to do it, more power to you!
They will name themselves about anything to disguise themselves - Fabian, collectivist, populist - I had forgotten fellow-traveler, fifth-columnist, and some others. There’s no end to the new names they will assume when they’ve worn out their welcome under an old name.
Welcome to FreeRepublic! Don’t do a lot of vanities! Ha!
I love cheese and I have 3 sisters all married.
But why aren’t we calling them on it. I’ve never heard O’Reilly call a liberal on it?
But why do we let them get away with it?
I sometimes get the feeling that the conservative talking heads are paid to not embarrass the liberals by pointing out the obvious.
Bugs is an old nickname and WOL are my initials. No I’m not going to tell you what they stand for. I work for a school system and I want to keep my job.
I don’t think that FOX knows any better. They instinctively and unquestioningly treat Liberals as if they are the moral, ethical and political equivalent of any other actual, bona fide political party....never mind that Liberals sold themselves to the enemies of the US long ago!
liberals will always be liberal with other people’s money. I don’t even give them a capital l when I type the word, just as I don’t with democrat[s].
Welcome to FR.
I hesitated to do this one, but I wanted to introduce myself and the question had bothered me for some time. It didn’t just bother me here but among conservatives in general.
You really want to tick them off, ask them: "If there are 25 of you in a room, are you 25 democrats or 25 democratics?" That will make them leave huffing and puffing fumes.
"Progressive" is not something new. They've called themselves that for 100 years. They cast themselves as "progressive" till the term is associated with bad policy, and then they just start calling themselves "liberal", "social democrat", or something along those lines. They'll then keep the new label till it too becomes associated with failure, and then it's back to referring to themselves as "progressive" again.
The left will dirty up whatever name they give themselves without any help from us.
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