Can anyone name one instance when liberalism has been successful?

Question

Seriously, I want to hear from you libs out there who've got so much to say about the economy and the state of affairs in America, tell me when and where the ideals of liberalism have ever benefited anybody? Anybody besides a criminal?

Update (3:44 pm) : Boy, some of these answers are really well thought out. So America as a whole is a success of liberalism? But I thought America was evil, especially since that dastardly war in Vietnam that we're all comparing Iraq to, which might I say was waged by a Democrat. *gasp* Furthermore, is New Orleans a success for liberalism? Give me some real answers here if you can even muster one, I'm giving you libs a chance to hit one out the park here and you're blowing it!

To Stephen Wells: Just because the term "liberal" may be derived from "liberty" as you say doesn't mean "liberals" are out to protect liberty. If we want to talk about the media, how about all the major news outlets that are very much liberally biased, and then turn around and complain that talk radio is not an even playing field? I respect your opinion, but communists say they're for the working man, but who does all the work and who has all the money?

Answer 1

They define successful differently. In the case of the US, a roue of the common morality and over-throw of the majority is a success for them. They really haven't fully thought through what comes next.

I suggest a non-revisionist look at the French revolution might aid them. Or they could simply look at the reign of Napoleon, which followed.

Answer 2

I must have missed something along the way in life cause isn't being a liberal a person that believes in liberty. Now wait, you mean to tell me in a country that was founded on the very essence of liberty it is now a bad thing to still want freedom and liberty. When 12 corporations that run our entire media start to preach to the public about how bad it is to be a liberal and support a government that is corrupt and waging a never ending war on terror that cannot even identify the enemy you have the making of fascism Indeed we are short on intelligence in this country and we are being divided.if we expect to survive a certain collapse of the bill of rights and all our freedoms for what is being called security we are as a nation the most ignorant soceity.
We let TV dictate our logic, scary.

Stop being a good democrat
Stop being a good republican.
Start being a good American.
Your forefathers died for it and you children depend on us.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

Before you vote for anyone you must see this documentary it is facts not reported by the government ran media ran elite.

Aaron Russo's dying wish was for all Americans to view his last work. Caution this is the scariest movie you will see in years because it is real.

Its time for a rEVOLution. .

Answer 3

Lets see:

Desegregation of the schools
Desegregation of the military
The human species does not all live the Africa or the Middle East.
Democracy
The US
The Highway system
The Tennessee Valley Authority
Social Security
WW 1 and 2
The Constitution
The Magna Carta
The Civil Rights Act (The Great Society)
Interracial Marriage
The Peace Corp (Almost joined after graduating from Western Oregon University)
Womens Rights
Family Leave Act
Environmental Reforms (Clean Air, Water Acts)
Your right, can't think of one.

Well here's one. Salvation of the human species from Satan.

Answer 4

Modern liberalism with a focus on social liberalism and political correctness is seriously flawed although contemporary conservatism has been similarly corrupted by its free market worship.

Traditional liberalism along the lines of FDR and JFK is a different matter. From the New Deal in the 30's to the Great Society in the 60's, our nation had a tremendous expansion of prosperity. The ranks of the middle class grew rapidly as Americans benfited from government programs like rural electrification, the GI bill, federal student loans and Social Security. Millions of Americans had secure and good paying jobs in the private sector with benefits and often collective bargaining protections from labor unions. Big corporations were regulated to protect workers and consumers and the rich were expected to pay their share in taxes.

After twenty six years of "trickle down economics" (Bill Clinton was a liberal on social issues but fairly conservative, pro-big business on the economy), I question if anyone except for the very rich is better off. Americans enjoyed a better standard of living with balance of capitalism and state intervention, before "Reaganomics" unleashed deregulation, tax breaks for the rich and union busting. Thanks to the dominance of free market fanatics, we have wide open "free trade" (despite record trade deficits), outsourcing and endless supply of cheap labor by illegal aliens.

Answer 5

neither is useful. Liberalism is only the middle factor between conservatism and socialism. So it must be argued that Communism is worse than Liberalism, yet they're the two undesirable.

Answer 6

Suffrage, Child Labor laws, Food Safety laws, Public Parks are liberal, Libraries are liberal

Wanna see a country where liberalism does NOT exist -- see CHINA

We are fighting religious CONSERVATISM in the middle-east

Answer 7

The minimum wage laws are from liberals.
Laws restricting children from working and requiring them to be educated are liberal.
The whole 40 hour week, overtime, workplace safety, protection from workplace harassment, and other laws supporting workers are liberal.
The country didn't fall when they were put in place, but thrived, so I can't help thinking that a well paid, healthy working class turned out to be good for America, the economy, and other state of affairs.

Answer 8

How about America if you havn't noticed kings are apretty conservative bunch. Taxing the poor while helping the rich get richer, or forcing their religious principles on everyone else. Wan't some more examples Europe, Australia, and every democratic country on Earth.

Answer 9

Great question and funny you mention New Orleans I am working in N.O. and it is a pathetic and accurate display of liberaliam at it's best (or worst) liberalism has turned people intoma buch of cry babies and sheeple that lack personal responsibilty

Answer 10

Depends on what you call "liberalism". Economic liberalism IMHO never works unless the upper classes circumvent the free market by hording all of the wealth and resources to themselves leaving no middle class purchasing power, which is what happened before the Great Depression.

However, in this age of checks and balances in economics, economic liberalism is a failure because it takes away capital from the investment and inventor classes and gives it to the working class who provide nothing more than labor. It's short sighted because the inventor and the investment classes are the ones that provide the jobs.