What In The World Is A “Liberal”?

In the Year of our Lord, 2019, the citizens of our American nation find themselves virtually breaking apart over “politics”; more specifically split down the middle between those who call themselves “conservatives”, who honor and respect the “old ways” that were codified by our Founders in our Constitution and transmitted to all of mankind through the centuries by God’s Eternal Word (our Bible), and those who call themselves “modern liberals”, who essentially reject almost everything that conservatives believe in and honor (even though they love to assure us that they respect that heritage as much as all the rest of us do---tip: THEY DON’T!). 

This “split” between those who adhere to the principles of our Founders and those who increasingly reject those old and proven values is coming to a head in the VICIOUS (mostly still verbal) battle now being waged by some of the disreputable  segments of our population, particularly the despicable and disgusting “Klan of New Bolsheviks” (formerly Democrats) in the House of Representatives and the Senate,  against our embattled Populist/Semi-Conservative President, Donald Trump, as they do all they can to ridicule, dishonor, castigate, threaten and disavow him and his efforts to “Make America Great Again” (which involves saving Americans from the descent into socialist chaos and tyranny that our “Dumbocrat” leftist progressives are touting as their “new gospel”).  Some pundits fear that if this split between conservatives and liberals continues to worsen, actual violent civil war might come upon us for the first time since 1775 (no—the “unpleasantness” of 1861-65 was NOT a true “civil war”, properly defined, but was incorrectly called that by the “victors” of that aggression! Look up the definition yourselves.  But that’s a discussion for another time).

Modern liberalism vs. classical liberalism

It should be of great concern to all Americans that people all over

our increasingly polarized America are now actively talking about whether or not violence between “Identity Politicized” groups may be on our near horizon.  I pray that it is not, but I fear that it may be, and I also fear that’s what is being planned for all of us by those on the left who actually despise freedom and our constitutional republic! The problem centers around the deliberately induced confusion over the word, “Liberal”, and the political philosophy that is associated with today’s “modern liberalism”  and the “classical liberalism” often associated with many of our country’s Founding Fathers, and by various political philosophers before them.  The dictionary definition of “liberal”, in today’s modern sense, is:

Liberal:

1. Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values;
2. Broad-minded; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy,  or traditional forms.

Synonyms are: Non-conventional, progressive, radical,  unconventional, broad minded, non-traditional.

Most of us who are “experienced citizens” and who had the benefit of the now almost extinct “old timey” education centered around “the 3 R’s” as well as U.S. history, economics, civics, etc., are aware that some of our Founding Fathers were what we now refer to as “Classical Liberals”.  This original version of “liberalism” is now equated, to one degree or another, with modern “conservatism”, which in the time of the “classical liberals” of the 1700’s and 1800’s meant ‘statist’, stodgy, resistant to change, etc.  One group whose teachings and historical knowledge I trust is the Von Mises Institute.  I quote from their website regarding the meaning of “classical liberalism”:

“Classical liberalism is the term used to designate the ideology advocating private property, an unhampered market economy, the rule of law, constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and of the press, and international peace based on free trade.

“Up until around 1900 this ideology was generally known simply as ‘liberalism’.  The qualifying (word) “classical” is now necessary…

because ‘liberalism’ has come to be associated with wide-ranging interferences with private property and the market on behalf of egalitarian goals.  This version of ‘liberalism’…is sometimes designated as “social” or … “new” liberalism.” 

Essentially the difference between classical liberalism and new liberalism is the degree to which “government”, in all of its plodding, inefficient, condescending, overreaching, and intimidating forms becomes involved in the economic and cultural and religious traditions of the people.  In other words, it’s  between the philosophies of “leave us alone”  and “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you”.  Once upon a time, not terribly long ago, most Americans enjoyed the traditions of self-help, of independence from the tentacles of government, of living a debt free and self-sustaining life, of honoring faith and family and friendships.  It was a time when a person’s word was his or her bond, a surety that a promise made or a debt incurred would be honored or repaid.  Despite many societal imperfections in those halcyon days, most Americans considered themselves to be “classical liberals” in the original sense, or what we today would call “conservatives”.  Unfortunately, the U.S. government, purposely enticed by those very societal imperfections, began to stick its’ “camel’s nose under the  tent flap”, as the old saying goes, and what was just “a little” government “help” and “guidance” has morphed into a flood of “group thinking” and arrogant bureaucrats (or as I now call them: “bullycrats”), thanks to those who today call themselves “new liberals” intruding their “busybody-ness” into virtually all aspects of our society and culture and causing it to be dominated and controlled by “Big Brother”, good old “Uncle Sam” with his hordes of mindless bureaucrats who infest all agencies of our overly bloated government and who invariably consider themselves to be “liberal Dumbocrats” (with the emphasis on ‘DUMB’). 

So how can one detect a ‘modern liberal’?  A famous comedian has made a living observing that “you might be a redneck if…….”.  Well, I’ve discovered some equally pertinent “observations” about the possibility that a person might be a “liberal” (in today’s understanding of the term) if they espouse certain beliefs.  These tidbits are not mine, and I mined them from different sources on the web. Suffice it to say that, while I didn’t originate them, I concur with their validity.

First, let’s restate, again, the definition of a “modern liberal”.  The Oxford Dictionary says a liberal is “a person open to new behavior and willing to discard traditional values”. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says a liberal is “a person who believes that government should be active in supporting social and political change—relating to or supporting political liberalism.  A person not opposed to new ideas or ways of behavior that are not traditional or widely accepted.

SO:  you “might” be a liberal IF……..

• You want to ban guns except for those carried by your own kids’ bodyguards (like certain Hollywood or TV types) or the police;
• You support “alternative energy” but don’t want windmills to spoil the view from your own yard;
• You believe that consenting adults can freely engage in any activity except free enterprise and wearing red “MAGA” hats;
• You want to outlaw tobacco and legalize marijuana;
• You have no problem with rich Hollywood or TV stars or politicians flying in fuel guzzling private jets to give speeches on the “impending catastrophe” of climate change;
• You believe, deep down, that all those Americans killed on 9/11/2001 deserved to die;
• You rant against school vouchers for public school students but send your kids to private schools;
• You think that Israel is a criminal state but that Hamas and Isis and all Islamic Jihadists aren’t criminals;
• You support the murder of unborn babies but oppose executing convicted murderers;
• You think that traditional marriage is obsolete except for homosexuals;
• You support a woman’s “right to choose” unless she chooses adoption or chooses to be a stay-at-home mom or chooses to homeschool her kids;
• You value “tolerance” except for opinions that differ from yours.”
• You believe that all religious beliefs are the same and all “lead to God”, except for Christianity, which is historically wrong and full of violence, sexism, male domination, and disrespect for “other” religions.
• You believe that all religions are nothing but superstitious fairytales, written only by deluded men eons ago in order to explain what to them was unexplainable;
• You believe that the “universe” is 15 to 20 billion years old, was “miraculously” generated from nothing in a “big bang”, and that all life on planet Earth evolved from nothing, then into a ‘green slime’, and then over ‘billions of years’ into higher life forms.
• You believe that the world is “going to end” within 12 years unless all countries generally, and particularly the U.S., adopt the socialist and economy destroying “Green New Deal” being proposed in Congress by the latest flock of MOONBATS.

There are hundreds more of these gems of wisdom on the internet, so

do a bit of research and find more of this wisdom.  If nothing else, they’ll provide a source of good laughs.

I’d like to end this excursion into the perplexing beliefs of our liberal countrymen by submitting these pertinent comments from a writer on The Urban Dictionary, which I couldn’t have said any better myself:

“A liberal is a person with liberal views.  However, an EXTREME liberal is the WORST kind of person….  They brainwash people.  Then they convince you that their pre-made views…are open-minded.  They tell you to hate (those whose political views differ from their own).  They are the first to throw around the word ‘racist’.  They look for a group, typically blacks or Hispanics, convince them that they are nothing (and are persecuted) and need liberals to survive---then they exploit these groups for their own political power”. 

Sadly, people who call themselves “liberals’ are more shrill, more prone to violence, more likely to become members of mobs, more committed  to mendacity and perfidy, and more willing to use “situation ethics” to get their dose of political power or ‘feel-good thrills running down their legs’ every time they can.  Truth, to most liberals, is ‘relative’, and like the 7^th Century Primitives now infesting our land, liberals will not refrain from lying if it furthers their cause.  We’ve seen that disgusting behavior frequently over the past couple of years, as the progressive loonies of BOTH parties in general, and the “Klan of New Bolsheviks” specifically,  unite to destroy either the presidency of a legally elected President, or negate his chances for re-election in 2020 (which is their real goal if they can’t impeach him before then)! 

Beware of liberals, particularly those in your own families or circles of friends or work associates, and even those with whom you worship,  who smile at you and assure you of their love for and admiration of you despite the fact that you’re not politically “one of them”.  Whether they admit it or not, they are almost without exception your political and cultural enemies (or perhaps a better word would be ‘antagonists’), and while you should make every effort to remain polite and, if possible, friendly with them, always take their words with a ‘grain of salt’ and a large measure of doubt.  And watch your back!