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I'm intrigued that a number of people on this site use the term 'Liberal' in the manner that I might use the phrase 'Oh no, look at what I've got on the bottom of my shoe!' It's obviously a real insult, but coming from the UK, where we have a middle-of-the-road political party called the Liberal Democrats, I just can't see where all the ire is coming from. We might laugh a bit at the Lib Dems but they don't equate with dog mess for us.
So, if it's possible to explain very politely and without insults (you should know I was a member of the Lib Dems while I lived in the UK) I'd be grateful if some of you could explain why the word Liberal holds such power in the US.
Believe it or not I come from a dyed-in-wool conservative Republican family. As my view slid further to the left I still considered myself a Republican.
First I was against the death penalty. It just didn't make any sense to kill people to show killing is wrong. In my worldview the only justification for violence is self-defense. I don't make exceptions for nations. I still considered myself a Republican since not all Republicans are for the death penalty.
Then in high school debate I researched and debated health and energy policy. I concluded that socialized medicine and nationalized energy was the most practical solution to our problems here (which have only gotten worse in the 30 years since).
Then I was for the ERA but then again Betty Ford was too so I felt like I was in good Republican company.
Then when I went off to college I didn't know anyone so I couldn't choose my own roommate and I ended up on the gay wing of my residence hall. Living with gays I discovered that I didn't have anything against them and made friends. Even though I could have switched I stayed on the gay wing for 3 years because frankly it was the best place to live. I noted that not all Republicans spewed hateful anti-gay rhetoric.
As the influence of the reactionary religious right became stronger in the Republican party I assured myself that not all Republicans are evangelicals.
So I was a Republican who was against the death penalty, for socialized medicine, for nationalized energy, for women's and gay rights, and for separation of church and state.
Then it dawned on me, I was a Democrat in denial. All my life Democrat and liberal was a dirty word to me but now I was one.
Since then I've embraced liberalism. Only years of anti-liberal propaganda made me avoid this label.
Some Americans make a fine living by demonizing groups and driving wedges between people. On both sides, these guys (and gals) exaggerate, distort and outright lie in order to polarize our nation and present their own ideals as the absolute truth.
Although I am quite "liberal" in my thinking and identify more closely with American liberals, there are many stereotypical "liberal" ideas that I don't support and many stereotypical "conservative" ideas that I do support. I suppose this makes me exactly what most Americans are - mainstream.
The pejorative use of "liberal" (or "conservative) is just one more result of this imaginary Culture War that we're fighting against each other. It's pointless and stupid and it's lining the pockets of talking heads everywhere. As long as we are arguing with each other, we'll never be able to come together and resolve anything.
It's a Cold War issue.
American society is more conservative than European society, for the most part. Also consider that the policies of left-leaning candidates and parties tend to be a little more socialistic, and historically Americans have much more aversion to socialism than Europeans do.
So it's easy for right-leaning candidates in the US to get votes by portraying left-leaning candidates as "socialists" and to equate liberal views with socialism, communism, etc. The Cold War made American society associate communism with evil and be suspicious of anyone who promotes socialistic ideas. So the word carries more power and has a much more negative connotation.
Interesting, fillet! Thanks. Coming from the opposite side of things to you, I was always happy to be called 'Liberal', but I had a similar issue with ever calling myself an 'Evangelical' Christian. That's what I am, but for years I wouldn't associate myself with that label because of the political baggage it seemed to carry. When the UK's Evangelical Alliance appointed Joel Edwards, a black former social worker, as its president, I knew I was ready to 'embrace' that kind of evangelicalism. I think I understand what you're saying.
Liberal became a pejorative during the regan revolution. The even used the phrase "L-word" when describing Dukakis, as if it was a dirty word. If it weren't for liberals, we would still have slavery, no women voters, and our government would be a theocracy by now.
I am a liberal, and damn proud of it.
Well, 'fau' I don't understand your answer, which is probably all for the best. Everyone else - thank you, what you are saying helps me to understand the issues, but I can see I've only heard one side of the discussion so far. Are there any 'non-liberals' who are prepared to answer?
Somewhere along the way, liberalism came to be associated with massive government and socialism.
So, people who call themselves 'conservative' use the word 'liberal' as an insult, while they vote for ever larger government and more socialism.
Amen to jimahl.
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