All too often North Americans use the term "liberalism" when the term "hedonism" would be more appropriate.
Or to put it in a lazy man's guide, the North American definition of social liberalism is "When I visit Dymocks, I will be able to buy a copy of gay paedophilic porn magazine, but not Daniel Pipe's books dissenting from 'established intellectual consensus' on Islam, and when I relax at their cafes, I will be able to buy 'hash' but not hamburgers."