"I don't want to get into that tired old squabble about the definition of "liberal," but if you're a patriot and not a leftist, you ain't one."
Well, it has to do with a notion that we can have sustained proggress toward a better society; I still believe that. While conservativism might allow for proggress, it places more emphasis on retaining/regaining some better era of the past. Certainly there were some things that have been lost and can be restored, but I think overall things are getting better.
The USA is the best country on the face of this Earth and that has mostly to do with its people having confidence that God will bless our lives if we continue to have faith.
And I think most of America still has that faith.
"Well, it has to do with a notion that we can have sustained proggress toward a better society; I still believe that."
IMO, we turned off the right road and have been making a series of huge mistakes for several decades, now. Oh, medicine and other scientific fields have made progress, but in many areas we've really messed things up.
"While conservativism might allow for proggress, it places more emphasis on retaining/regaining some better era of the past."
Not just regaining. When you turn off onto the wrong road, you have to go back to where you turned off before you can get back on the right road and start making *true* progress.
"but I think overall things are getting better."
Then you must believe a lot of things I don't.
"The USA is the best country on the face of this Earth"
Even today, yes. But how much better we'd have been if the inmates hadn't taken over the asylum. If we're the best country, it's only because the inmates haven't been able to completely destroy what they took over.
"and that has mostly to do with its people having confidence that God will bless our lives if we continue to have faith."
Gotta do more than just having faith. Got to walk the walk. Got to stop killing babies, for starters. Then there's a whole list of stuff to start doing or stop doing.
"Well, it has to do with a notion that we can have sustained proggress toward a better society; I still believe that. While conservativism might allow for proggress, it places more emphasis on retaining/regaining some better era of the past. Certainly there were some things that have been lost and can be restored, but I think overall things are getting better."
Funny, most of us think it has to do with pointy-headed technocrats who think they can outplan a free market through forced wealth redistribution. Silly us.