What's so terrible about being a Liberal?

1. 79

   Nathan Orfposted 12 years ago

   What's so terrible about being a Liberal?
   
   Why do many people, even Democrats, seem ashamed of the term "liberal," especially if it is applied to them? Are there any people out there who are liberals, and are proud to admit it? And do conservatives sometimes demonize liberals?
   
   

   replyreport
2. 0

   JThomp42posted 12 years ago

   An old phrase I have always heard is "If you are not a liberal at 18, you are heartless. If you are still a liberal at 30, you are foolish."
   
   Not my quote, so please do not take offense.

   replyreport
   1. 79

      Nathan Orfposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Winston Churchill's quote, yes. I admit, it has a certain sort of logic to it, but I don't really think that answers the question. Why is it a seen as a "bad" term by some? Is there any specific reason why liberals are portrayed the way they are?

      replyreport
   2. 0

      JThomp42posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I do think they are portrayed as tree huggers, whiners, etc. The reason being is probably because many are. The same argument could be made for the very conservative and their views. I think you can go to far. Be it left or right.

      replyreport
   3. 77

      Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Actually, Churchill never sad that

      replyreport
   4. 79

      Nathan Orfposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Then who did?

      replyreport
3. 61

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   I don't know about other countries but in the UK, Liberals are just a bunch of left wing Tories and right wing Socialists, and have no real policy of their own.  They seem to engage in the absurd practice of trying to please everyone.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Old Empresarioposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's the same in the US. I think the word liberal should go back to being an adjective, instead of a noun. One may be liberal on one issue and authoritarian on another issue. I'm sure no one is 100% liberal on everything.

      replyreport
4. 60

   tammybarnetteposted 12 years ago

   http://www.thefreedictionary.com/liberal
   a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
   b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
   c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
   d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
   
   
   I am a liberal democrat and proud of it:) Yes I believe liberals are sometimes demoniized by conservatives. I have many times been accussed of living in a fantasy land and searching for a utopia. Of course, neither of these observations are true. I believe in live and let live and not in a government social intervention, I believe people should worship or not as they so choose, I am pro-choice and pro gay rights. I also believe it is our responsibiity as a country to care for the weak, the poor, the children, and the elderly

   replyreport
   1. 79

      Nathan Orfposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well said!

      replyreport
5. 60

   GuitarGearposted 12 years ago

   I am a liberal Democrat.  When someone refers to me as a "Bleeding Heart Liberal" I take it as a compliment.  It's my nature.  I couldn't be anything else.  I'm all about inclusion and acceptance.  Yes, even you; conservative Republicans

   replyreport
6. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 12 years ago

   Nothing is terrible about being a liberal. The term has never been well-received in the US, even prior to the Second World War. Ours is a nation of contradictions. American society is obsessed with personal freedoms, yet many Americans want to physically oppress others who are poorer, weaker, of a darker complexion, or who don't believe in Christ. Anyone who thinks otherwise or who thinks our nation could be improved is labeled a "liberal". And some, like the author of that poster, think liberals should be systematically executed. We have this strange tendency toward a Nazi Germany-like consciousness. The facts are that education funding, social security, and national healthcare will either go away or will never happen here. Our conservative folks in Texas, where I live, who are against a national healthcare system see no irony in crossing the border to Mexico to get health treatment they can afford. Ours is the most intellectually ignorant, the poorest, and the most superstitiously religious nation of the first world. Our electorate despises intellectual political leaders. But we have the most powerful military in the history of mankind, including our large stockpile of nuclear weapons. I just don't see any of that working out well.

   replyreport
7. 68

   LandmarkWealthposted 12 years ago

   Nothing if you are a true liberal...But I find most liberals to be anything but truly liberal.  A true liberal is more of a libertarian in my view.  Most liberals I know are advocates of larger gov't, which is a direct contradiction to the concept of liberty, independence and personal freedoms.  There is nothing liberal about a society of people who depend on gov't for an ever increasing amount of services.  Yet that is what so many so-called liberals want.   The more a population is dependent on the services of it's governing body, the less freedom a society has.  A true liberal wishes to be liberated...not subjugated. Yet larger Gov't never liberates...it only takes away personal freedoms.

   replyreport
8. 81

   junksellerposted 12 years ago

   My conception of liberals is that they are side-to-side people. Meaning they see a world where everyone is on the same plane. If someone is down they reach out to help them up, etc. They advocate for the broad public and social good. They are tolerant since that is the only way to be equal with those who are different.
   
   Anti-liberals are up-and-down people. They see the world as a hierarchy. Nobody is equal. They see in black-and-white. They tend to focus on competition, individuality, and themselves.They tend to have a large set of absolute rules, not really for themselves, of course, but as a means for keeping others beneath them. They tend to develop mythologies to justify their position. They are the "real Americans" who deserve everything they have (no matter how they got it). They believe that anyone on the top is there for their own merits (i.e. Ayn Rand).
   
   They do not want everyone on the same plane and so they spend inordinate amounts of time stomping people down into the dirt and have seemingly infinite number of reasons by which they make others into lesser beings. People on welfare become lazy losers, people on unemployment  become willing dependents, affirmative action becomes reverse racism, entitlements of any kind become freedom destroying tyranny, immigrants become criminal invaders, environmental advocates become job-killing thugs, advocates for women's health become sluts, advocates for the public good become socialist, commie, liberals (and lots of other terms they can't even define), and on and on and on ad nauseum. Sound familiar to anyone? Like perhaps the daily sputum of bile that the GOP vomits on a daily basis?
   
   For them, morality isn't guidance, it's a tool. That's why regular homosexuals can be abominations who should be denied rights, but priests who rape little children are simply due for a new venue. It's how the GOP can have paroxysms at Obama's 'spending ' while Bush's far more fiscally irresponsible spending was all about flag-waving and apple pie.
   
   I avoid identifying as liberal for a couple of reasons. One its a big place, but also, simply as a way of trying to force pantywaist arguers to have to do something other than call me names.

   replyreport
9. 74

   lone77starposted 12 years ago

   There's a big problem with labels. So often, they are entirely untrue. And quite frequently, when there is a little truth in them, it takes over and hides the real truth.
   
   I considered myself a liberal and a Democrat many years ago. I liked the idea of helping people out and using the power of the government to do it.
   
   Then, I found out the very real truth that taking from some to give to others is a potent form of theft. Criminal!
   
   The way the media and the government pigeonhole people today is extremely divisive -- us versus them, you versus me. That's not good. We need to walk away from such sinister rhetoric.
   
   Most people care about helping others. They can be called Democrats, Republicans, progressives, liberals or conservatives. Look at what we have in common. That's the best place to start.
   
   Realize that there are a psychotic few who want us at each others' throats so they can have the freedom to spend the national credit card far past $17 Trillion in debt, rape and pillage other countries to fill their Corporate Party coffers, and strip the citizens of their Constitutional rights so that they will have greater freedom to do their crimes unhindered.
   
   I'm all about inclusion and compassion, but I also hold many conservative and libertarian ideals to be sacred.
   
   The fallacy we've been sold is that government compassion is a good thing. No, individual compassion is a good thing. Government "compassion" is an open door to abuse and tyranny. The Nanny state is socialism or even communism, taking the initiative and responsibility out of the hands of the individual until they give up, just as Americans have done after 9/11.
   
   And 9/11 was an inside job. A lot of irony in that. Slowly, Americans are waking up to that fact. Heck, it took me 10 years to wake up and really look at the evidence.
   
   And now, those who are sleep-walking throw out other labels that are inaccurate, like "conspiracy theorist," as if all conspiracies are a fiction and no one in human history has ever conspired to kill or to steal. Wouldn't that be nice?
   
   We need to walk away from emotional, knee-jerk thinking. Stop using labels that are meant to divide us.

   replyreport
   1. 81

      Brynn Thorssenposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You were never liberal minded.  I find libertarians to be some of the least charitable of the bunch.

      replyreport
10. 94

    jo millerposted 8 years ago

    Trolling on HubPages this morning and came across this old question.  Weighing in to declare myself a proud liberal.  I've been one for many years.
    
    The new, more acceptable, term this year seems to be 'progressive', and Bernie has resurrected that quite well.

    replyreport