Progressive v. Liberal?

[OrwellwasRight]

Lately I have seen a number of article stating that Americans are abandoning the term "progressive" in favor of using "liberal" again.

This particular article is half a year old, but you get the drift (too lazy to search for another): https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/voters-reclaim-the-liberal-label/2015/06/19/feeca592-168e-11e5-89f3-61410da94eb1_story.html

What I don't understand -- and yes I am a Gen Xer who lived through the era in which the Republicans tried to turn the word liberal into an epithet -- is that the people who write these articles seem to think that progressive = liberal.

I have never understood it that way, and neither have any of my contemporaries in my sphere (yes, anecdotal evidence).

To us, "progressive" has always mean MORE liberal, MORE lefty, you know, people who want substantial, not incremental change. This is confirmed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus being the furthest to the left caucus on the Hill and the Progressive Democrats of America being the left alternative to the DLC.

"Liberal" on the other hand has always meant anything from barely left of center to more mainstream Ted Kennedy.

The term progressive has always been used in my world to distinguish from the more moderate left.

So why do they keep writing articles implying that the words mean the same thing?

Is this a Boomers think they are synonyms v. Gen Xers think they are distinguishing terms scenario, in which Boomers reverted to "progressive" because they were embarrassed to be "liberals" but didn't understand that to younger people, there was a difference? What do Millennials think?

What is your experience?

[Xipe Totec]

1. Liberal means open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

Progressive means a person advocating or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.

So one is a thinker, the other is a doer.

[OrwellwasRight]

4. Example:

Would this describe a person who supports universal healthcare or world peace but won't try to achieve it because they don't think it is realistic?

[Xipe Totec]

5. As I said, one thinks it's a good idea, the other will try to implement it. nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Radical is fine by me.

Or Socialist.

Capitalism is a cult of death.

[OrwellwasRight]

3. Yeah, I guess I always

felt that "progressive" was a politically acceptable way to say "radical."

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. Liberal and progressive (as ideolgies and movements) have changed over their history.

Herbert Hoover was a Progressive President. No one in the modern Progressive Movement would consider him as such.

FDR was a liberal, and detested by the progressives of his day. Many Progressives I know feel that FDR is the definition of their Progressive Movement.

I will ask what I have asked many times, how is Progressivism as an Ideology and a Movement defined by those who claim it. How do modern liberals define their political ideology?

I have followed a liberal ideology as it was considered in the 60's. I don't fit in with many today who call themselves liberals. I'm not radical enough.

In my opinion, progressives tend to differ from liberals in one major way, they have divorced themselves from the concept of economic liberty, the freedom to become rich. (I could be wrong. My classes in political science were a long time ago.) Liberalism from its inception embraced free markets well regulated by an active government. As our government stopped regulating big business, we became more and more conservative.

[uppityperson]

8. Welcome to DU. Would you be so kind as to clarify how the term "gay" means a "lifestyle"?

Thank you.

[uppityperson]

10. Gay is a sexual orientation.There is no gay "lifestyle" any more than there is a heterosexual

lifestyle.

Lifestyle implies choice. Sexual orientation is innate, like eye color. Implying orientation is a choice is insulting.

There is no lifestyle associated with any sexual orientation and to assume so, or imply so, is wrong. I chose to live a healthy lifestyle. My friend choses to live a back to the land lifestyle. My cousin is choosing to live a big city arts lifestyle.

Which is us is gay and which is heterosexual and which is bisexual?

Our sexual orientations are innate. Our lifestyles are by choice.

[OrwellwasRight]

11. You will find that it is important to learn

what words are acceptable v. offensive and to do your best to avoid using the words that offend. Even if you are not meaning to offend, part of our community standards include taking the feelings of others into account rather than fighting for the right to continue to use words that hurt others. Usually, just a quick apology can clear things up.

As to liberal v. progressive, i've never heard progressive used to mean incremental change or moving to the right. I'm sure those on the right may think they are making progress when they undo the New Deal, that's more of a personal use than a political use.

And I would say that "progressive" without the Democrat at the end can be inclusive of greens, socialists, independents, etc., whereas Progressive Democrats is less inclusive, but totally appropriate for DU.