Liberal vs. Conservative?

Question

Liberals, traditionally, are those who want change, who aren't satisfied with the way things are, as well as having more tolerance for different styles of life and government. It is supposed to be someone who wants the government to have a large hand in financial affairs.

Conservatives, traditionally, wanted business and other matters to be private, without government interference. They are usually in power, and therefore want things to stay the same, and are more democracy-inclined

My question is: why do you think these definitions have been warped? Today, we associate liberal with democrats and conservative with republicans, and many people don't realize that they do not mean the same thing. Why do many politicians, Democrats in particular, take care not to be labeled as "liberal" as if it were a bad word, and sometimes the same thing with conservative? What do YOU think and why?
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41148

Just to clarify, for those who didn't read that article, and because I ran out of characters, when I said liberals want the government to have control, I meant that they believe the government would make better use of our money by giving it to those who need it and putting it into progrmas to help the public, rather than sending our money to private intrests.
Also, It's interesting to note how the words are now also associated with religious views.
Nobody has answered my question yet!

Answer 1

They are all politicians and for the most part they are more concerned with running for or staying in office then working in it.

Answer 2

In relevance to religious theology, the “liberals” were the reformers. Conservatives were inclined to strict discipline and revolted to change. Therefore these terms have carried through different categories, via politics, culture and tradition. One could be named conservative if he or she carries traditional values that resonate through him or her own personal culture. However if one declares them self “modern”, then he or she would be labeled liberal.

The Democrats tend to be more liberal because they “truly” believe in separation of church and state. However everyone knows that Republicans tend to lean for a Christian State. Isn’t obvious that Republican tend to support Israel more then Democrats.

Answer 3

A good read, from WikLiberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value.[1] Liberalism has its roots in the Western Enlightenment, but the term now encompasses a diversity of political thought.

Broadly speaking, contemporary liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, especially of government and religion, the rule of law, free public education, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports relatively free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected. [2] In modern society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed[3].

Many modern liberals advocate a greater degree of government interference in the free market, often in the form of anti-discrimination laws, civil service examinations, universal education, and progressive taxation. This philosophy frequently extends to a belief that the government should provide for a degree of general welfare, including benefits for the unemployed, housing for the homeless, and medical care for the sick. Such publicly-funded initiatives and interferences in the market are rejected by modern advocates of classical liberalism, which emphasizes free private enterprise, individual property rights and freedom of contract; classical liberals hold that economic inequality, as arising naturally from competition in the free market, does not justify the violation of private property rights. However, modern advocates of classical liberalism do advocate a heavier taxation on the corporation, as opposed to the current trend of the burden of income tax resting on the shoulders of the individual worker, as did the early classical liberals.

Liberalism rejected many foundational assumptions which dominated most earlier theories of government, such as the Divine Right of Kings, hereditary status, and established religion. Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property. Liberalism has its roots in the Western Enlightenment, but the term now encompasses a diversity of political thought, with adherents spanning a large part of the political spectrum.

A broader use of the term liberalism is in the context of liberal democracy (see also constitutionalism). In this sense of the word, it refers to a democracy in which the powers of government are limited and the rights of citizens are legally defined; this applies to nearly all Western democracies, and therefore is not solely associated with liberal parties.

Answer 4

the democrats hate to be labeled liberal because they believe just that.. that they should have the government take care of everything more atuned to the way it is in canada..that is democratic socialism..alot wrong with that..no guns,shitty health care system where they tell a doctor what he can make,how hard would you work?etc.. conservatives are what you said! they generaly are educated more in finance,buisness and are use to working hard for what they get and don't want the government taking the money they work for to finance things they cant control..like abortions for children,planned parent hood and welfare..it's best to be in the middle of the road!

Answer 5

These two words are being abused and misused. Many in each political party are moderates. Nothing is black or white, especially politics.