General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,424 posts)

39. Both Progressive and Liberal are words with no universal meaning.

Thu Mar 14, 2013, 09:40 AM

Mar 2013

They mean what each person thinks they mean. What that does is keep the words fuzzy and useful. I consider myself to be both liberal and progressive. But, there are many who would dispute that, using their own meanings of both words.

Progressive and Liberal are mutable labels. Anyone can use them without providing any definition at all, because there is no fixed definition that describes the political positions taken by progressives and liberals.

For that reason, both are less useful than they should be.

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I'm So Tired of the Word Progressive [View all] liberalmike27 Mar 2013 OP

Progressive lets us co-opt Teddy Roosevelt, who is on Mount Rushmore. Loudly Mar 2013 #1

Which tends to display the historical ignorance of liberal Americans Scootaloo Mar 2013 #2

Ha Jackson! Loudly Mar 2013 #4

I think of him more as "genocidal maniac" n/t Scootaloo Mar 2013 #9

Sure... he illegally enforced the Trail of Tears, but on the other hand, he expanded the franchise LooseWilly Mar 2013 #50

Yep, and FDR liberalmike27 Mar 2013 #12

Gasp! Using that word empowers it! Even if we only use it referring to each other. Buzz Clik Mar 2013 #3

With the addition on "neoliberal" to the lexicon.... Smarmie Doofus Mar 2013 #5

Using "Progressive" liberalmike27 Mar 2013 #13

Message auto-removed rabid_byter Mar 2013 #53

Liberalism and Progressivism are not the same. Gravitycollapse Mar 2013 #6

Agreed RedCappedBandit Mar 2013 #7

Goon on ya liberalmike27 Mar 2013 #14

+1. Yeh, it's kinda wimpy. I'm a flaming radical liberal. Liberal: Good, Conservative: Icky. nt Zorra Mar 2013 #8

It seems to be everywhere! AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #10

For some reason, that made me LOL davidthegnome Mar 2013 #20

right you are olddots Mar 2013 #22

I pretty much agree Scootaloo Mar 2013 #11

Seriously liberalmike27 Mar 2013 #15

+1 Blue_Tires Mar 2013 #55

I think "progressive" denotes a more leftist position than "liberal." Comrade Grumpy Mar 2013 #16

And that's why I prefer the soup label above PDittie Mar 2013 #35

I agree. I think people were afraid to say they were liberal so they DevonRex Mar 2013 #17

It may seem that way but it's the other way around. progressoid Mar 2013 #21

Yeah, it is now. DevonRex Mar 2013 #23

Yeah I just tell them I'm a Communist. progressoid Mar 2013 #26

Hahaha!!! I said I thought communism was a beautiful idea once DevonRex Mar 2013 #28

I've never been afraid of it. liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #18

If liberals are progressives them conservatives have to be regressives. Kablooie Mar 2013 #19

regressive is too kind a term olddots Mar 2013 #27

That's fine, liberalmike. Blue_In_AK Mar 2013 #24

Liberalism involves a belief BainsBane Mar 2013 #25

Adam Smith was hardly the "free market" capitalist he's portrayed as Scootaloo Mar 2013 #32

I understand that BainsBane Mar 2013 #41

Not in the US. But you make the point unintentionally that it's confusing. eomer Mar 2013 #34

I must disagree BainsBane Mar 2013 #40

And this confuses many Americans. Comrade Grumpy Mar 2013 #43

You're in the minority on a question that's decided by the majority - common usage. eomer Mar 2013 #47

There is a distinction. Deep13 Mar 2013 #29

Thanks, that is very helpful. eomer Mar 2013 #38

Just my own observations of history. Deep13 Mar 2013 #48

Okay Sherman A1 Mar 2013 #30

I really don't care what label people use on me. It really changes nothing. Kalidurga Mar 2013 #31

Liberals tend to more tolerant than progressives. aikoaiko Mar 2013 #33

I agree DonCoquixote Mar 2013 #36

"Progressive" LWolf Mar 2013 #37

I agree Puzzledtraveller Mar 2013 #45

I see it, too. :( nt LWolf Mar 2013 #49

Both Progressive and Liberal are words with no universal meaning. MineralMan Mar 2013 #39

K&R I'm a liberal. forestpath Mar 2013 #42

Perhaps, but I perceive actual differences between the two Puzzledtraveller Mar 2013 #44

So open minded arely staircase Mar 2013 #46

I'm not a liberal, I'm a lefty Warpy Mar 2013 #51

When Reagan attacked the word liberal, CrispyQ Mar 2013 #52

I think progressives and liberals both want the same goals, CheapShotArtist Mar 2013 #54