Why do so many people insist on misinterpretting Liberalism?

Question

Political Liberalism is not Philosophical Liberalism.
The latter is true Liberalism (which everybody seems to ignore, even liberals). It's based on a few key ideas, mainly accepting personal error and being open minded.

It has nothing to do with socialism or taxes. Nothing. Political liberals may be for socialism, but that's not because of the theory behind Liberalism. And yet somebody will still get it wrong here.

So why? What's the justification?

Answer 1

The other two answers are pretty good and get to a major part of the issue. Also remember, that those who oppose any stance will grab at the worst aspects and elevate them in order to demonize it.

The same thing can be said of the liberals who demonize the conservative camp. They take the worst of the lot and elevate those to say they represent the entire bunch. Why do you think so many cons are distancing temselves from the Bush camp these days and so many libs are usig Bush as the prime example of the conservatives?

Answer 2

It has happened on both sides of the political spectrum, sadly. As, the socialists have gotten relabeled, as liberals. The conservatives, have become neo-cons, which are basically new world fascists.

Noam Chomsky, PHD of linguistics at MIT, and one of the most brilliant language experts of all time, has a great outline for this called a defined left and defined right. It means we are shown images and thoughts of a particular ideology, and given the perspectives of a defined left or right.

Through the media, we are shown that someone like sean hannity, bill o'reily, or george w. bush are right wing or conservative. Just as the same media shows us that hillary clinton, michael moore, or al gore is left or liberal. So, through the many images of distortion are repeated through the mind, people just accept it as truth. Thus, a new label and thought are created.

You are right, being a liberal is not a bad thing, in all actuality many of our Founding Fathers were liberals. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Paine to name a few.

Answer 3

Maybe it is because the liberal spoke persons of today, are so easy to misinterpret.

Most of the self appointed liberal representatives, at least here are YA, are of the most radical extremists, it is hard to interpret them as anything else but, well,....... radicals.

I admit, I have not researched Liberalism in any great detail....mainly because the views here in this forum, leave me very little desire to learn more about them.

The same may be true of conservatives, but you asked a specific question about liberals.

I think both libs and cons would serve their parties better by being less vehement in their responses..but both are waiting for the other to be the "bigger person"....it may be a long wait.


(BTW....if I got it wrong, I will blame it on your inability to post a non-convoluted question....LOL)

Answer 4

During the first half of the nineties liberals found themselves the target of an orchestrated campaign to blame every societal ill and shortcoming on them. Something interesting took place. Many self-described liberals all of a sudden became progressives and other things. They become part of a "new" me dedicated to dramatic social change and progress. As an example, the DuPage County, Illinois Progressive Independents for Action state as,

"…major areas of concern for progressive social change are the Economic System, Tax System, Health Care, Worker Policy, Welfare Policy, Family Life, Education, Social Equality and Electoral Policy."

A liberal could hardly disagree with any of these concerns. Thus, the change in classification is just that. It is, however, a safer classification. It took a while for back seat liberals wearing progressive trench coats to reveal themselves. While maintaining liberal thought, philosophy and attitudes of least resistance Nuage Progs/New Liberals cloaked themselves in alternative cop-outs of every conceivable variety. None of this takes anything away from the progressive movement, a movement which does not alter its self-image with shifting political winds and the possible negative consequences of being progressive. Nuage progressives on the other hand appear to be progressive in nature.

Modern Nuage Progs may profess a revulsion to violence but, seldom act to minimize it. Quite the contrary, in the name of stopping evil, they are all too willing to accept it. The most recent case in point is the civilian and military target bombing by US/NATO forces in the Balkans.

How many Nuage Progs took any action to organize and protest about the illegal use of cluster bombs or the bombing of water supplies and electrical generating plants? How many liberals as much as lifted a telephone and called their representatives decrying the military’s testing of most of its new and never used death devices? How many spoke out against the controlled propagandist press reporting of the war? People have been blown apart, "ethnically" cleansed having homes burned on all sides. In my opinion, to be called the radical left in this situation by one who has during his career been seen as such is a compliment. Or, perhaps, is it an indicator of how far the other way things have gone? An even more interesting question is perhaps some in Congress wear trench coats and in their quest for further political advancement have taken the coat off?

Answer 5

Nobody takes issue with those who are "accepting personal error and being open minded" we pretty much all (conservatives and political liberals) are this.
So the Justification is... When we talk of Liberals, we are talking about Political Liberals..especially in the "Politics" category

Answer 6

It is much easier to attack a straw man than the actual facts. It is much easier for propaganda networks to sell commericals using hysterical fake outrage than using sober analysis.

The result is a hyperbolic over-reaction and exaggeration of opposing political points of view and a knee jerk reaction to the word "liberal".

Case in point- the defamation of Hillary Clinton that has been going on for years ever since it has been known she would be running . Listening to the these idealogues one would think she would be the most polarizing figure in the race, but the facts speak differently than the hype.

Washington Post sept-27-30 Q: "I would NEVER vote for"

Giuliani- 44%
McCain- 45%
Thompson- 54%
Romney- 57%

Hillary Clinton- 41%

Answer 7

I nonetheless infrequently see how this is under siege. Our government is dominantly liberal. The Healthcare bill have been given handed. Susan Bolton killed the biggest areas of Arizona's immigration bill. This mosque is honestly going to be equipped. Prop 8 grew to become into overturned (not that i'm mad approximately that one). Shirley Sherrod grew to become into going to be presented Secretary of Agriculture. The Black Panthers have been enable off after going around and screaming hate in the direction of White people, conversing approximately how lots they had desire to kill them. Liberals even have the desire of SNL. people who're against gay marriage are actually not anti-gay. I ought to understand this, as i'm gay. i've got listened to their fringe of the story. a number of them are, maximum of them are not. The Mosque is approximately common decency. they'd build it everywhere in the full usa yet they insist on construction it there. this is planned and rude. The Tea social gathering does not hate Obama because of the fact he's Black (it incredibly is organic liberal bs). they are certainly a team of people from each and every of the events who're mad on the government using ability they have gained. between the biggest spokespeople for the Tea social gathering is Black. Hmmm... Oh, and Hispanics. He grew to become into precise whilst he stated unlawful is against the regulation. we don't care in the event that they are Hispanic or White. They hopped the border. each and every usa has borders with rules, and Mexico's is honestly greater harsh than ours is. they don't enable people in basic terms connect their usa, and neither ought to we. How are we meant to regulate money or citizenship? it would be chaos. sure, we've had a great form of conservative costs occurring, yet have they handed in complete? And in the event that they did, have been they overturned? Liberalism would be under siege in November. it incredibly is actual. i'm certainly balloting Republican.

Answer 8

Fear, that "someone" is out to take what precious little
they have.

Fear, routed in profound ignorance of the world behond and in many cases even inside thier countries borders,

Fear of the unknown, lack of faith
in themselves and fear of the future.

Apart from all that though it's all great.

Not what YOU wanted to hear though.

Think about it though, it's a big stretch
but try being honest with yourself for once.



LuvUall, Ba-Bye.

Answer 9

When one supports those political liberals, they in fact are supporting their ideas. So until the real so called liberals distance themselves from the socialist liberals, then they will continue to be viewed under the same umbrella.

Answer 10

And Kleenex used to just be a trade name . Now it's universally accepted as a term for tissue .
Same goes for liberalism . It is what it is .

You can go on and on using psycho-babble baloney , but you'd be better off taking a good look around and see what liberalism has really become . . .. Socialism , Communism , and nothing more than a charlatan's trick to take away your rights .