Please define Liberal. What does it mean really, in terms of philosophy and policy.?

Question

No name calling. I want thought out and reasoning in the writing. Give examples of people and policy. If possible give links to back up your writing. This isn't homework for me or you, folks. I'm tired of the simplistic name calling on all sides and want more thought out writing to really push Yahoo answers to a higher forum if possible. I've been out of school for a very long time, so this isn't homework for me. I'm just wanting people's real perceptions, not what they hear on the radio or t.v. But I want it thought out and reasoned.

Scott P. You are engaging in stereotypes not a very well thought out example.

Anna 14: What do you base your so called information on? Emotions??? Because I don't see any analysis or any philosophical points of view in your ranting. I just see emoting and hatred.

Answer 1

JFK said it very well, and I think it still applies well today;

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then ... we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." [September 14, 1960]

Answer 2

What the @#$% does anything mean? It means that democracy and liberal go together. That's what it means. It means that you say, over and over again, that "we live in a liberal democracy." It means that people get comfortable with the word liberal again. And if somebody asks us what it means, we can explain that it has to do with all those parts of the constitution that the Republicans want to do away with.
The best thing that we all can do, is to not run from the term and to identify in concrete terms what we stand for and be able to articulate it, its not hard really.

The reality is that most people when polled on issues that are clearly liberal issues and stances they fall down on the liberal side over 70% of the time. The other reality is that the dems in allowing the right to demonize the term have probably done more harm to the philosophy of liberalism than is easily remedied.

If the liberals, and I include myself in that group, allow the likes of W to say "Well, what would you expect from a liberal from Massachusets" we will fall into our own political death spiral. What would happen if Kerry had said in refering to W, well, you know he is a conservative from Texas! This has been mentioned once in a while, but the liberals must run with this and not allow the term liberal to be negative. You point this out very well with the fact that most republicans, and also most americans, do not know what liberal means, other that big scary government. It is our job as a new liberal movement to educate the country on the true definitions of liberal and conservative. Then we can have a real 2 party system with a clear distinction that the public understands when going into the booth. Sread the liberal word, and we will have a liberal world.
However, we have to have a message and be able to discuss it plainly so that it makes sense to folks when your discuss you positions an views. Don't even waste your time trying to have reasoned debate with someone who has been programed with the poison of the right wing media structure, there is a reason CULT members have to go through extensive deprogramming after being brainwashed. And I'm not saying that everyone that votes vor a republican is brainwashed, but some of them, especially the ones who are holed up in the fox news/Limbaugh world most certainly are and have a problem dealing with reality.

This is not something that you can get by unless your experienced in psychology so don't even waste your time.

The funny thing is in my conversations with conservatives, when we have reasonable discussions about issues, most of them state quite clearly that I'm a conservative because they agree with me on just about everything, when its the other away around. I suppose that is because most folks think that if they vote for a Republican they are conservative, which is as false as saying that if you vote for a Democrat, your a liberal...

Answer 3

I think it is a put down for anyone who isn't sold on the current administration. anyone who doesn't worship Bush as God.
It is a label put on Democrats who by the way are the greatest fighting force over there.
They like to make it sound like this war is all fought by Republicans. Which is definitely not true.
All Democrats kill unborn babies and want homosexuals running lose all over the place. The truth is most homosexuals are in both parties. A senator was writing love letters to pages.
But they over look that.
Most Democrats are against abortion and homosexuality.
But we are also against killing men just out of high school.
Which the Republicans have no problem with.
Which is better loyaly protect an unwanted crack or retarded baby but when a good man graduates send him to fight a foreign war. Because then his life is not valuable anymore.

Answer 4

THANK YOU!

Liberalism is a worldwide political ideology with its roots in the Enlightenment. There are different types of liberals, but in general they believe in the rights of the individual, and hold liberty as a primary political value. This means freedom of thought (including religious thought and freedome from religious thought), freedom of expression, and a transparent government beholden to the people for its power [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism].

There is another aspect to liberalism, at least in this country, in that it sees using government for a certain amount of social engineering. Progressive taxation to redistribute wealth is part of this; anti-discrimination laws are another part of it. The notion that government has a responsibility to its citizens to provide universal health care, unemployment insurance, universal education and welfare for those who need it is also important.
I would add that now a note has come into liberal thought-that corporations should be servants of the needs of the people rather than masters that exploit people.

No person is completely liberal, but there have been many people who have used their positions of power to help the liberal cause along:

FDR - WPA, PWA, TVA, Social Security
LBJ-Head Start, Medicare, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Dennis Kucinich--his current platform includes dismantling NAFTA and giving rights back to the American worker

As in any philosophy, there are people who take advantage of situations. There are people who have exploited and misused programs-Social Security fraud and welfare fraud do happen. But I would rather see the overwhelming majority of deserving people receive these benefits rather than throw them out because of the misuse of them by a few.

I would like to think that liberals view the individual situation rather than looking at the action of one person and extrapolating those to be the actions of an entire group. Alas, I know this is not so. But I will continue to thank those, whether liberal or conservative or in between, who follow this practice and use courtesy in their discourse.

Answer 5

There is no one philosophy or set of policies. What it basically comes down to is respect for humankind, humanitarianism, social consciousness, generosity of spirit, a thirst for justice and equity, intellectual freedom and an appreciation for diverse cultures, histories and traditions.

It's about fairness and wanting to build a nation that acknowledges, educates and supports it's citizens; that works 'with' people instead of against them. That brings people together instead of dividing them. That empowers and supports the weakest members of society to become viable and to contribute to their society, not only financially but in the many ways that human beings are capable of contributing for the good of society.

There is a time for war, there is a time to challenge, to take a hard line, to stand for what is right, to sacrifice and even be willing to die for a just cause. Liberals aren't cowards and they're not deluded about the harsh realities of life. We stand against tyranny in all its forms, and we would give our lives to prevent corrupt forces from victimizing the innocent.

We're not looking for a perfect world, because humankind isn't perfect. But we're looking for a better world, not by demanding it comform to us, but by finding common ground upon which to build understanding, trust and acceptance.

Answer 6

Democrat Wish List
They have a huge wish list to help return them to power. I know that I'll be working extra hard to make sure they get nothing...or better yet - coal! Clean, efficient coal.

Dem Wish List
- More US troops killed in Iraq (helps that retreat strategy)
- As many aborted babies as possible
- Any babies that survive Planned Parenthood and NARAL should be impoverished and reliant on the government
- The weather to be too cold or too hot (all from "global warming" - right?)
- Gas prices as high as possible
- Terrorists freed from Gitmo and all secret prisons
- More "torture" stories that slander our troops
- More beheadings (so Dems can blame terrorism on our troops)
- No WMD found in 2006 (please, please, please)
- The economy tanking
- More hurricanes (Bush makes them happen, you know?)
- Iraq elections failing and the country falling apart
- Iran to get nuclear weapons
- Bin Laden et. al. to remain in hiding
- Al Qaida to become larger and stronger


There's likely a lot more, but let's not appear too greedy, okay?

So, what is the one thing these "wishes" have in common? They are all anti-America. They all harm America. The Dems have worked so hard in their hatred of Bush and capitalism that they only do well at the ballot box when America is hurt.

I'm sure you traditional, conservative Dems are proud of the leaders of your party...

Answer 7

Many different ideas separate liberals and concervatives. More recently, the religeous conservatives have changed the conservative movement to be more towards their goals.

Some of the differences are:

- liberals believe that it is the role of government to protect citizens from harm. Conservatives believe in letting citizens protect themselves and keeping the government out of it. At least that is what they say. In reality, the conservatives want to control what people do in their private life.

- liberals are typically pro-choice, conservatives are anti-abortion; many to the extreme of letting a woman die in childbirth because it is God's will.

- liberals believe in a strong central government with unified laws while conservatives want stronger local government with less central control.

- liberals tend to believe in whatever goes on, sexually, between consenting adults is no ones else's business; conservatives believe it is the duty of government to "protect" society from people having sex in ways that they deem immoral.

- liberals tend to dislike war; conservatives tend to be much more accepting of war

- conservatives tend to believe that everything the government does is good, unless they disagree with it; liberals tend to judge each action independently.

- liberals think that they have a right, if not a duty to question government actions that they don't agree with. Conservatives tend to think that any questioning of government is treason, unless the concervative dislikes the action.

- conservatives tend to think that Christian religion was the foundation of this county so it should be given specia privliges, like prayer in school and the posting of the Judao-Christian 10 commandments. Liberals tend to believe that religion is a personal decision and it should not be in school or forced on people.

- conservatives tend to think that any citizen should be able to own a handgun and certain other types of weapons; it is in the constitution and present laws are adequate to protect the public. Liberals tend to think that handguns should not be so previlent and banning them and certain other weapons will made the country safer.

- conservatives tend to think that businesses should have almost no restrictions, the marketplace will eventually seed out the bad ones. Liberals tend to think that businesses should be regulated to protect the public.

-liberals tend to want to stop illegal immigration because it is hurting the country. Conservatives tend to want to keep it because it supplies business with cheap labor.

- liberals tend to think that the government should help those who need financial assistance to live. Conservatives tend to think that individuals should take care of themselves and the government should stay out of it.

- My personal observation is that as a group, the Republicans tend to be a lot better organized in their meetings and their planning, than Democrats. Since conservatives are mostly Republican and liberals are mostly Democrates, that is significant.

- liberals tend to support and be union members. Conservatives tend to support and be management. That is partly the reason for the previous thought.

Answer 8

liberal.. broad minded individual that think they can save the world from itself by building a big government that intrudes on each persons thoughts and actions and makes all decisions because we the american public is too stupid to think for ourselves.they think that everybody has rights as long as they are liberal.anybody that thinks otherwise has no rights.abortion is ok. homesexuals should be embraced. and poor people do not need to do anything to improve their lives because the government will do it for them.katrina victims is a prime example.. the healthy individuals that were shooting at reacue workers is another prime example of aliberal....he was misunderstood is all.. that is the mentality of a liberal...

Answer 9

A liberal is an imaginary composite of various criminals, hippies, muslims, homosexuals, drug abusers, lawyers, environmentalists, socialists, and that faceless, nameless guy who cut you off in traffic. A scapegoat or bogeyman of sorts.

Answer 10

is there a such thing as a far right democrat and or a far left republican?