Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
*The one(s) to whom "left" and "liberal" have become generalized swearwords, so that anything they dislike gets prefixed with them as adjectives, irrespective of the actual political content - if any :-)
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Not to mention that the words "liberal" and "conservative" have really changed a lot over the years. A "classic liberal" for instance, is really more of a libertarian - quite a big difference. For that reason, I frame things in terms of government reach: role or restraint?
There was a time when the liberals wanted to expand government and spread moral diplomacy to other nations (think President Wilson's 14 points). Today, there is a lot of criticism of our foreign policy coming from the left. Plus, today the left is far more likely to pass social bans and regulations (everything from certain foods to licenses etc.). So we see a shift in "liberalism" to a government with more social involvement and less military involvement.
Someone once said that our political system has become a team sport (sorry, forget who said it). So many people just look for reasons to justify their party's decisions in order to declare victory. Sometimes the issues and consequences are ignored.