The word "Liberal" was the first word hijacked by Statists. The real liberals are those of us who truly believe in the liberal idea that individuals do not need to be controlled by a central authority as it was throughout 99% of human history. I wish there were a way for us to seize back that lovely word for us to claim as our own.
They are the ones who want to return to the old ways of centralized control, of a king making all decisions for them, that they all can bow down to someone who will relieve them of having to make the tough choices in life that came with freedom and liberty. They want to climb back into the comfortable womb of servitude to a central mother government who will see to all their needs and are willing to give it their fealty and their wealth to accomplish it.
I guess nowadays they’re called “Socialists.” :-)