When did liberalism begin to equate with socialism?

Question

There are two types of liberalism, classic and new

-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, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected. 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.

-advocate a greater degree of government interference in the free market, often in the form of anti-discrimination laws, 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.

Answer 1

When Liberals hijacked the word and stopped using correct capitalization.

The first "liberal" you described is correct. That's what liberalism is. The Democrats, are called "Liberals" because they agree in many ways with Liberalism. (So do most Republicans.) However, when using "Liberals" to refer to members of the Democratic Party, the word should be capitalized. Hardly anyone gets this right. From text books to newspapers, they say liberal when they mean Liberal.

Ted Kennedy is a Liberal, but George Bush is not. Both George Bush and Ted Kennedy are liberals.

Many times, the words can be interchanged. For example, both Liberals and liberals would probably support a women's right to use birth control.

However, Liberals also have social welfare policy that is found nowhere in classical liberalism. But since they're Liberals, and apparently capitalization is too much to ask for, liberalism has come to mean socialism.

Probably the truest classical liberals are the libertarians. But they had to get a new word since Liberals stole theirs!

Speak to any political science scholar. They will know the difference between a "capital L Liberal" and a "lower case L liberal." In fact, they often will use those terms for clarity when lecturing.

Answer 2

Yes, the descriptions have changed. What used to be a liberal is now pretty much Republican and what used to be called a communist or socialist is now the liberal. Democrats have become more and more liberal to the far left extreme in the last few decades. I would agree that is started with the New Deal turn around the depression stuff, so it has been growing more that way for almost a century.

Answer 3

Socialism is the extreme of liberalism. A society centered on total government power and control with all citizens getting cradle-to-grave support in a fair and equal way.

Commentators like to accuse liberals of being socialist because it is an exageration. Since socialism fails everywhere it has been tried.

Socialism, like liberalism, sounds like a great idea unless you factor in human nature, then it does not work.

Answer 4

lack of understanding, incorrect information and outright lies on the area of conservatives to redbait their combatants. area of the blame lies with the socialist flow, which does no longer do a solid interest of explaining what socialism is. present day American liberalism is analogous to trendy eu Social democracy, and social democracy has its roots interior the socialist flow, which reasons a large number of bewilderment for the two liberals and conservatives. Social democrats ordinarily abandoned the purpose of establishing socialism interior the 1950s, and abandoned Marxist prognosis formerly that. the two Social democrats and American liberals tend to wish greater advantageous regulation of corporation and tax-funded usual centers, yet social democrats are greater prepared on issues like collective bargaining for unions and co-determination in administration. on the different hand, socialism and communism objective to swap the corporation gadget (capitalism) with an option economic gadget according to public possession of the flexibility of production, worker-owned cooperatives, and production for use instead of production for earnings.

Answer 5

There is no question it began with the American Civil Liberties Union's inception. They are a Socialist group and are determined to undermine our Constitution and the AMERICAN WAY.
Whatever view you hold as an American if you have any, ANY common sense or posess any logic you can not disagree.The Americans civil rights are eroding like the sands on a beach. What happened to our right to worship as an example,or display a religious symbol around our neck?????Wake up AMERICA !!!!

Answer 6

Just some more repuglican rhetoric, like dems want to take away the guns and all libs are baby killers, and so on and so forth, none of it is based in fact. I might say that some liberals do the same thing to them, but what the hey it is the politic's section.

Answer 7

Started with the New Deal and FDR. Really started with The Great Society of LBJ.

Remember, Bill Clinton admitted, in his book, to trying to solve Arkansas' issues with Mao Tse Tung principles, and he visited the Antonio Gramsci institute in 1987 and admitted to an Italian journalist that he wanted to learn how to put socialist ideas in place in America.

Answer 8

Some questions just need a dictionary.....

look up the definition for liberalism and socialism and you'll see that your question doesn't make sense.

Answer 9

It happened when they began wanting medical care controlled by the government.

Answer 10

When the Republican hate machine needed a new slur to hurl at the Democrats.