Why is Liberalism a Dirty Word

It was striking when Mary Mapes was ask during a TV interview a simple question, "Are you a liberal?" Her reply was a denial. From politicians to journalist you would be hard pressed to find someone to admit that well yes they are a liberal. Oh sure a few Michael Moores type will say proudly they are. But try finding a politician to go on the record that they are liberals.

So why is liberalism such a bad label that even its most dedicated disciples want to ditch the term. This is all the more ironic because liberals always like to point to polls to show how popular various liberal positions are with the body politic. For example we are told in polls people don't support government interference with a woman's right to chose. Yet the very escence of Roe v.Wade was that the people did not have the right to determine this question.

So the real issue is who decides? The people or someone else. In the last presidential election the Massachusetts Supreme Court had just ruled that the State must make gay marriage legal. It directed the legislature to craft such a law. Many political observers claimed the tide of anti-gay marriage sentiment help insure a Bush win. But it was clear what griped most people was the notion that this issue like unrestricted abortion would be forced down our throats.

But that is just it about liberals. They are like the doctor with the medicine you won't like this but its good for you. We know what is best. And since liberalism by its very nature is always pushing the envelope it generally will stake out positions that are not embraced by the general public.

So of course how convinient if courts make us do what liberals cannot get otherwise enacted. Or presidential decrees (by a liberal president of course) like gays in the military. In other words liberals by definition want something to change and if it hasn't changed because the people aren't ready to accept it then they just have to find a way of getting it done.

All this is to say there is a deep antidemocratic spine to liberalism. And that is why no one wants to admit they are a liberal. Is it possible to have liberal views on issues yet support the democratic process (i.e. the legislative process) in deciding issues? Sure but I guess we call these people moderates and by this definitive moderates would not support decisions like Roe v. Wade which take the democratic process out.

Also please note two other things. Liberals will always be a minority..remember they are pushing the envelope. And liberals will always be unsatisfied. And that is why we always have an "angry left".

I watched the Donnie Duetch (spell?) show the other night. Ann Coulter was his guest. He denied that liberals even exist. It was his mantra throughout the half hour interview, over and over.

In his case, however, I think it was more of a dirty interviewing ploy. By saying there are no liberals, he was able to shoot down Ann's claims against liberals. Or he tried anyway. He was no match for Coulter.

Liberal's attempt at negative labeling is to call conservatives "Right Wingers".

They can't understand why it doesn't irritate us.

The problem for liberals is, no matter what label is applied, it is just a word to categorize something. They may (and often do) call all conservatives "Mean Assholes". If being called a "Mean Asshole" puts you in a category of person who believes:

1.) Personal responsibility is a necessity of participatory citizenship

2.) Government has its purposes, but should be minimized

3.) The military is an honorable, and vital profession

4.) National Defense is not just a campaign issue

5.) Peace in and of itself is not victory, the end all, or the be all

6.) Not everyone is equal in capability, both physically and intellectually

7.) Not everyone is going to make the same amout of money, or deserves to

8.) The Judiciary is meant to interpret law, not make it.

9.) Discrimination does not become something else because you call it something else.

10.) Words have meaning, and cannot be endlessly twisted to suit your needs.

11.) Morality may not be completely absolute, but it is closer to being absolute than relative.

Then yes, conservatives will square their shoulders and say "Yep. I am a 'Mean Asshole'..."

Liberals do not understand that a label is only as good as the person or group creating the label. Basically we all know it as the admonition of "Consider the Source" when insulted.

Like Ronald Reagan, most conservatives are comfortable enough in our political "skin" to enunciate in precise terms what it is that we believe in.

Liberals, progressives, socialists, communists or whatever other label they may apply to themselves, cannot do that. Their dogmas and ideologies often require that people NOT know and understand what they are up to. I think Richard Nixon said it best when he spoke of Alger Hiss:

"If the American people understood the real character of Alger Hiss, they would boil him in oil."

The descriptive titles Liberals, Leftists, Progressives, Socialists or Communists may be substituted for "Alger Hiss" and retain complete accuracy.

Progressive is the new label socialist libs and lefties are trying to cloak themselves in. They see the growth of conservatism, and conservative does not have a negative connotation as it has more in common with classic liberalism than they do. By going with progressive they hope to paint conservatives as 'regressive".

BTW, the CEO of Progressive Insurance is an A-list moonbat who was exceeded only by Soros in million$ of fund$ pumped into Dem coffers.

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