basically the meme among the left is that everybody who “dragged their feet” is a “liberal” or “neoliberal”
the left tends to have a problem where they leech off of existing parties and groups, but then immediately throw them under the bus when convenient for their party. This is just an extension of that.
The modern vernacular for liberal is, weird… To say the least, but in short, basically the average democrat is “a liberal” the average voting democrat specifically.
Historically, a liberal is someone who believes in government, and the institutions it provides, the fact that you should respect it, lest you ruin it. And the fact that you can achieve the best outcomes, for all people when everybody is represented. Liberals traditionally don’t have an issue with competing, or opposing viewpoints, they have issues with people who don’t respect institutions, or don’t want them to exist at all. A “Liberal democrat” may be fine with the republican voter, but have a problem with the way the republican base is campaigning, and running the country. Or even specific demographics of the republican voter, like MAGA for example.
Joe Biden is a good example of this, and if you look at his term, he was very, and i mean very successful, had some of the most effective legislative work in a long time. Was popular across the aisle to a significant degree (not MAGA obviously) and respected those that were.
The problem with the modern day left, is that they have outgroup problem. They want everybody who isn’t “left” and exactly in sync with their ideology to get fucked, basically. This extends further, since the left doesn’t respect the government, or it’s institutions, but i’ve yet to see any good whitepapers talking about a more effective form of government, it’s all just performative yapping about why “government bad and leftism good”
I’m not going to dive into the specifics of leftism here, because frankly, not relevant, it’s pretty similar to liberalism, minus the government stuff, and some slight differences, but the modern left doesn’t in any way shape or form adhere to that.
And before anybody yaps at me, calls me a slur or whatever, i just want to say, i’m not doing a both sides meme, i think the republican party is far, far worse. I think the democratic party is far more suited to running the country effectively, as evidenced by historical terms in office (the left would VEHEMENTLY disagree with me on this one, but the facts back me up here) The problem i think is specifically with the far left, the online far left in particular.
as you may have gleaned, i would consider myself a liberal, specifically a “governmental classical western liberal” if you want to get into the weeds of it, i think the lack of respect for government institution, and the role it plays in society has ruined our country. And there is simply no way back into a respectable position, without reinstating that within the public, i don’t care how it’s done, it needs to happen. I’m very sure most scholars on this topic would agree with me when i say that this is the most important thing to fix right now.
As a liberal should, i’m not picky about political views or ideology, as long as you respect the one thing keeping this country from grinding to a complete halt and being nothing more than a thought in the wind 20 years down the line. Unfortunately i don’t think the right even posses enough brain power or will to comprehend this, and i don’t think the far left is physically capable of comprehending this fact fully. (they are more than willing to mentally comprehend it, but they get mad the second anybody crosses them, and calls them wrong, so they never actually give it any serious thought)
basically the meme among the left is that everybody who “dragged their feet” is a “liberal” or “neoliberal”
the left tends to have a problem where they leech off of existing parties and groups, but then immediately throw them under the bus when convenient for their party. This is just an extension of that.
The modern vernacular for liberal is, weird… To say the least, but in short, basically the average democrat is “a liberal” the average voting democrat specifically.
Historically, a liberal is someone who believes in government, and the institutions it provides, the fact that you should respect it, lest you ruin it. And the fact that you can achieve the best outcomes, for all people when everybody is represented. Liberals traditionally don’t have an issue with competing, or opposing viewpoints, they have issues with people who don’t respect institutions, or don’t want them to exist at all. A “Liberal democrat” may be fine with the republican voter, but have a problem with the way the republican base is campaigning, and running the country. Or even specific demographics of the republican voter, like MAGA for example.
Joe Biden is a good example of this, and if you look at his term, he was very, and i mean very successful, had some of the most effective legislative work in a long time. Was popular across the aisle to a significant degree (not MAGA obviously) and respected those that were.
The problem with the modern day left, is that they have outgroup problem. They want everybody who isn’t “left” and exactly in sync with their ideology to get fucked, basically. This extends further, since the left doesn’t respect the government, or it’s institutions, but i’ve yet to see any good whitepapers talking about a more effective form of government, it’s all just performative yapping about why “government bad and leftism good”
I’m not going to dive into the specifics of leftism here, because frankly, not relevant, it’s pretty similar to liberalism, minus the government stuff, and some slight differences, but the modern left doesn’t in any way shape or form adhere to that.
And before anybody yaps at me, calls me a slur or whatever, i just want to say, i’m not doing a both sides meme, i think the republican party is far, far worse. I think the democratic party is far more suited to running the country effectively, as evidenced by historical terms in office (the left would VEHEMENTLY disagree with me on this one, but the facts back me up here) The problem i think is specifically with the far left, the online far left in particular.
as you may have gleaned, i would consider myself a liberal, specifically a “governmental classical western liberal” if you want to get into the weeds of it, i think the lack of respect for government institution, and the role it plays in society has ruined our country. And there is simply no way back into a respectable position, without reinstating that within the public, i don’t care how it’s done, it needs to happen. I’m very sure most scholars on this topic would agree with me when i say that this is the most important thing to fix right now.
As a liberal should, i’m not picky about political views or ideology, as long as you respect the one thing keeping this country from grinding to a complete halt and being nothing more than a thought in the wind 20 years down the line. Unfortunately i don’t think the right even posses enough brain power or will to comprehend this, and i don’t think the far left is physically capable of comprehending this fact fully. (they are more than willing to mentally comprehend it, but they get mad the second anybody crosses them, and calls them wrong, so they never actually give it any serious thought)
Anyway, inb4 people yell at me all angry like.
Perfectly said. Thank you! This needs to be required reading on the subject.