Progressives: The Anti-Liberals

Conderi the following quote, by Tom Paine, from the pamphlet 'The People The Best Governors':

"The notion of an estate has the directest tendency to set up the avaracious over the heads of the poor...Let it not be said in future generations that money was made by the founders of tjhe American states an essential qualification in the rulers of a free people"
 
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And where do you include Rousseau in your definition of classical liberals and conservatives, Rousseau, the precursor to Marx? Your definition is too narrow, even for the American Revolution, and ignores many threads of thought that were current at that time.
Rousseau was indeed in line with the Marxist principles and concepts, which where at odds with the American principles and concepts that founded this nation.
...some scholars maintain there is little to suggest that Rousseau had that much impact on Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers. They argue that the American constitution owes as much or more to the English Liberal philosopher John Locke's emphasis on the rights of property and to Montesquieu's theories of the separation of powers.
As I said, Locke is the father of Liberalism.

BTW, all those ID requirements at the MVA are a result of the Patriot Act, a Conservative law that creates more government. That is why I cited them. You people talk no goverment, but each time you hold office, you give us more government, usually in the name of 'security'.

The Patriot Act is a Conservative law? Happy birthday! You were apparently born yesterday...

I was around when it was first passed... I saw Republicans (who are not Conservative) and Democrats (who are not Liberal) tripping over each other to get it passed... I saw the Democrats demand that we create the "DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY" over the objections of the Republicans, who said we didn't need to create a department.

I also notice that the Democrats are firmly in control of the Executive and Legislative branches of Government YET... they haven't repealed that evil, nasty, "Conservative" Patriot Act....

Conservatives didn't give you the Patriot act, and its not Conservatives who are preventing it from being completely repealed. Also, stop with the mischaracterizations... I'm not talking about "No Government", I'm for limited government: Protect me from force and fraud, other than that, stay the hell out of my life.
 
Conderi the following quote, by Tom Paine, from the pamphlet 'The People The Best Governors':

"The notion of an estate has the directest tendency to set up the avaracious over the heads of the poor...Let it not be said in future generations that money was made by the founders of tjhe American states an essential qualification in the rulers of a free people"

Whats to disagree with there? Looks like he got it all right... Politicians need to be wealthy, and/or have name recognition, to get elected. The founders didn't want this to happen but our contemporaries have brought this "ruling elite" about through Progressivism.
 
Would you have considered the argument against slavery to go against Libertarian dogma?

No. Libertarian "dogma" as you put it, allows for restrictions to liberty when they impinge on the liberty of others. Clearly, slavery falls into that category.

95% of abortions are done as a form of birth control. That should be totally unacceptable to society.


Primarily... Education. We need to teach both abstinence and safe sex, not just one or the other.

Secondarily... A shift in how the debate is waged. I'd argue from the position of science and Individual Rights and leave religion and morality out of the equation completely.

I have other ideas for the topic as well.

I think we have pretty much the same philosophy on abortion. All this time, I thought you were with the "conservatives" who want to outlaw the practice.


Nothing per se.. but its polygamy, not marriage. No need to redefine marriage because polygamy is already the same thing but with multiple spouses.


I'd have a harem if it were legal.

Not me. It's hard enough to keep a positive relationship with one woman.

If you want a harem, though, I don't want to stand in your way. You wouldn't be impinging on my liberty in any way. Go for it.

I've only ever run into gays on the internet that complain about the marriage issue. If gays pushed for Civil Unions that were strengthened to have the same advantages/disadvantages of a heterosexual marriage, they would have overwhelming support but that's not what their doing. They're demanding it be called marriage and thereby creating a highly polarized and politicized issue of the topic. After 10 or 20 years of civil unions and calling themselves married, the definition of marriage would probably change to reflect the accepted use of the term.

I wonder if they represent the gay community, or simply the vocal minority? What is wrong with using a different term? It seems to me like an acceptable compromise for both sides. They could still have a "wedding". They could still have "nuptials". They could even have a "honeymoon." All of the traditional words but one. They could even tell their friends they were married, but the paperwork would use a different word.


Putting a cross in a jar of urine counts as "art" and is subsidized by government grants but a featureless stick figure with the name "Muhammad" is censored as hate speech. There is a clear double standard when it comes to the two religions.

You have a point there. No, putting a cross on a jar of urine is simply inappropriate and disgusting, not to mention an unacceptable use of tax money.

Where, though, has a stick figure of Muhammad been censored in the USA? I don't remember that one.

Name one here on the forum that wants that... Do you know any personally, or have you fallen for the progressivist trick that convinces the non-Christians that the Christians are out to impose their religious views on you?


I'm not sure who on this forum wants to impose Christianity on the rest of us, but I've heard a number of pundits lately ranting about Obama saying that the US is not a Christian nation, then expounding on how Christian values supposedly guide us, how our founding fathers were all devout Christians, and so on. The so called Christian right would have us have prayers in public schools, by which they don't mean voluntary prayer, nor prayers by another religion.

A Christian nation would mean that other religions have less status, or fewer privileges. That simply is not the case in the USA.

As for the "Christian" nation... Christians are a majority in our nation, and by that same standard we judge Muslim nations to be Muslim, Hindu nations to Hindu and so on. I think that's another out of context term that the progressives use to "prove" their case for a Christian boogeyman.

Not really. We may have more Christians than Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, etc. in this nation, but we don't have them controlling the government. In Muslim nations, it is the Mullahs who have the most power, not the elected officials. Iran is a Muslim nation. It does have a president, but most of the power is in the Mullahs. Some of the south American nations are Christian (Catholic), with that church entertwined with the government. Just having a Christian majority does not make us a Christian nation.

The way the demographics of this country are changing, it seems to me that there is a possibility of agnostics becoming a majority. Would that make us an agnostic nation?

No, the accepted definitions of words change as a result of slang terminology and it happens over time. Ain't still aint a word. We don't all go out and vote (as would be the case in gay marriage) then change the definition.


Blowing someone off is a term, not a single word. The changes in the definitions of Surfing, Gay (and even blowing someone off) are a result of slang and did not happen overnight.


How many of those changes took place over night as the result of a ballot initiative?

They didn't come about as a ballot initiative, but as a result of common usage, yet California passed such an initiative to keep the word "marriage" with the traditional meaning.

It took a long time to get where we are, I'm not looking to return to limited government overnight, just to see movement in that direction would be fantastic.

Yes, it would. Right now, we are headed in the other direction rather quickly, and have been for a very long time.

I think you miss the point. While there are many issues, there are only two possible positions a congressman can take on any given issue, that of the Republicans or the Democrats. He can take a third position but its doomed to failure.

True enough. In the realpolitik of Washington, a pol has to be with one party or the other, or simply be a voice in the wilderness.

My point is that there is no real right vs. left divide between the two parties, as their leaders would have us believe.

What's wrong with civil union? The definition of civil union is precisely what would replace the current definition of marriage.

A marriage is a marriage, a civil union would be a civil union and polygamy is polygamy.

OK, let's call a spade a spade, and carry on. Legalize civil union, polygamy, and (what's the word for one wife, more than one husband? poly something.)

What does it really matter what we call it, anyway, so long as everyone has the same rights?
 
Paine also advocated a minimum wage.

There is nothing wrong with advocation of a minimum wage... It becomes a problem when the government forces an arbitrary minimum wage on business.

Minimum wage is just as bad an idea as a Salary Cap (maximum wage), its simply neither logical or practical.
 
I think the power of local and state goverment has gotten out of hand. Let's limit them, too. They are far worse than the feds.

That's just absurd, to claim a state has more power than the fed to dictate how we live our lives and limit the choices we make...

If Michigan, for example, wants to be a socialist state, if they want to drive out all business and industry through unions, taxation and other unfriendly practices... If they want a welfare state that punishes achievement and rewards sloth and failure... I'm fine with that... just don't expect me, as an Ohioan, to come to your rescue when your state fails. I don't want to bail out states that can't balance their books any more than I want to bail out a business with the same problem.

Thats the beauty of the Federalist system our founders created... California can be eco-fascist, Michigan can be Socialist, Texas can be a Capitalist Republic and as an American, I have 50 sates to choose from. Oh to return to such a system where the Federal government is limited in its power and subserviant to the states that created the federal government for the purpose of national defense and interstate infrastructure.
 
I think the power of local and state goverment has gotten out of hand. Let's limit them, too. They are far worse than the feds.


Are you Samsara or did an alien take over your computer?

Limiting the fed and the state are great ideas I just never thought you would be on board. Limiting them stops them from becoming abusive, but it also decreases all those progressive programs that I thought you loved so much. On the bright side it also limits all the republican programs we both hate.
 
You might be a Progressive....

If your such a bigot that you enjoy bashing Christians and making fun of their faith, You might be a Progressive....

If your bigotry doesn't allow you to see past the color of someones skin (which to you means more than the content of their character), You might be a Progressive....

If your so intellectually lazy that you pirate posts from the Daily Kos and Huffington Post, You might be a Progressive....

If your so intellectually bankrupt that you think opinions posted on extreme-left-wing blog sites are credible sources, You might be a Progressive....

If your views on politics are in any way shaped, or reinforced, by Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, You might be a Progressive....

If you only support the government and our military when a Democrat is in office, You might be a Progressive....

If you thought dissent was patriotic when Bush was in office but is now an act of racism under Obama, You might be a Progressive....

If you think politicians who've never held a real job or run a business are the ones best suited to make decisions on the economy, You might be a Progressive....

If you think ACORN is a legitimate Non-Partisan organization, You might be a Progressive....

If you think there is no Left-Wing media bias, You might be a Progressive....

If you know the number associated with the super bowl this year but not the number associated with the current congress, You might be a Progressive....

If you've never listened to Rush Limbaugh but never miss an opportunity to make fun of the man, You might be a Progressive....

If you don't know the difference between emotional appeals and rational arguments, You might be a Progressive....

If you think the word "fallacy" is a euphemism for the word "Schlong", You might be a Progressive....

If you think "logic" is something to be avoided like the plague, You might be a Progressive....

If you get a thrill running up your leg when listening to Obama speak, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Keith Olbermann is a credible, non-biased source for news, You might be a Progressive....

If you think questions are arguments to be won or lost, rather than answered, You might be a Progressive....

If you complained about Bush's spending but think Obama is being fiscally responsible, You might be a Progressive....

If you drive a non-hybrid foreign car but tell others they should buy American hybrids, You might be a Progressive....

If you believe CO2 is killing the planet but you've not stopped breathing, You might be a Progressive....

If you think taxing minorities is fair, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Capitalism is responsible for the corruption in Washington, You might be a Progressive....

If you own a t-shirt or flag with the image of Che Guevara, You might be a Progressive....

If you think propagandists like Micheal Moore make legitimate documentaries, You might be a Progressive....

If ,when you encounter a conservative, your first instinct is to attack his character, You might be a Progressive....

If you use racist epithets to describe black conservatives, You might be a Progressive....

If you think log cabin Republicans are homophobes who live in log cabins, You might be a Progressive....

If you called Sarah Palin a bimbo, or caribou barbie, but think Conservatives are the sexists, You might be a Progressive....

If you think the CIA lies to Americans but Pelosi tells the Gods honest truth, You might be a Progressive....

If you call yourself a liberal but aren't open minded, tolerant of others, or a supporter of free markets, You might be a Progressive....

If you think the tax code is a tool for social and economic justice, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Conservative=Religious, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Exxon doesn't pay enough in taxes, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Oil is bad but still use products made with oil, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Wind and Solar are a more reliable source of energy than Nuclear, You might be a Progressive....

If you don't see the hypocrisy in Al Gore's carbon footprint and what he preaches, You might be a Progressive....

If you tell people "moderates" like McCain are the future of the Republican party but voted for Obama, You might be a Progressive....

If you have more than one bumper sticker on your car, You might be a Progressive....

If your paycheck comes from a government job but you consider yourself a taxpayer, You might be a Progressive....

If you said McCain was old and senile but think Biden is competent, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Libertarians are a threat to your liberty, You might be a Progressive....

If you use the words Capitalist or Conservative as a pejorative, You might be a Progressive....

If you label anyone who disagrees with you a Right-Wing-Christian-Fundamentalist, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Fox is biased but MSNBC is fair and balanced, You might be a Progressive....

If you pronounce or spell Fox as Faux because you think its clever, You might be a Progressive....

If you think the constitution is outdated, You might be a Progressive....

If you think of Marx, Engels and Lenin when you hear the phrase "founding fathers", You might be a Progressive....

If you think America's founding principles are based on slavery, You might be a Progressive....

If you don't know the difference between federalism and socialism, You might be a Progressive....

If you think central planning is a good idea, You might be a Progressive....

If you think limited government is a bad idea, You might be a Progressive....

If you equate laizzes fair capitalism with anarchy, You might be a Progressive....

If you think CEO's are overpaid but Hollywood actors and Sports icons are fairly compensated, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Obama's children are off limits but Palin's children are fair game, You might be a Progressive....

If you think income inequality is a bad thing, You might be a Progressive....

If you support a minimum wage and salary caps, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Unions are non-partisan, non-corrupt organizations, You might be a Progressive....

If you post one line responses with colors and irrelevant links, You might be a Progressive....

If your replies consist of sarcasm and derision without a hint of truth or fact, You might be a Progressive....

If you blame America for all the worlds ills, You might be a Progressive....

If you blame Bush for everything bad that happens but praise Obama for anything good, You might be a Progressive....

If you're one of the 13% who thinks Congress is doing a good job, You might be a Progressive....

If you don't know the difference between the words "Provide" and "Promote", You might be a Progressive....

If you think deficit spending and expanding the welfare state are Conservatives principles, You might be a Progressive....

If you thought Bush was a Conservative, You might be a Progressive....

If you think Bush's "failed policies" are "change" now that Obama is continuing them, You might be a Progressive....
 
There must be darned few progressives, if that list is accurate.

The last three would eliminate 99.9% of the citizens of this nation, or at least 99.9% of anyone who has any idea what has been going on for the last few years....

Oh, right. I just flashed back to Jaywalking, and to the radio jock (was it Imus?) who attributed McCain's positions to Obama, and asked the latter's supporters if that was why they supported their candidate.

And to the number of people who vote for their party, just the same as they support their football team.

There may be quite a few progressives after all.
 
Oh, right. I just flashed back to Jaywalking, and to the radio jock (was it Imus?) who attributed McCain's positions to Obama, and asked the latter's supporters if that was why they supported their candidate.

You're thinking of Howard Stern interviewing people in Harlem:

More Obama voters... Its really sad.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816.

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government;... whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789.

"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823.
 
You're thinking of Howard Stern interviewing people in Harlem:

More Obama voters... Its really sad.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816.

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government;... whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789.

"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823.

That's the one. Scary isn't it?

I suppose people would object to having to pass a little quiz before registering to vote:

Name the major party candidates and their running mates.

Describe at least one issue on which the candidates have different views. Tell who supports which view.

Multiple choice: The supreme law of the land is:

A. The Congress
B. The president
C. The Constitution


No, no, I'm just dreaming, thinking that we may do something, anything, to have even a slightly better informed electorate.

Thomas Jefferson was right, you know.
 
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Progressives: The Anti-Liberals​




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Let's try it....one more time!!
.
conservative:

: believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society
: not liking or accepting changes or new ideas
*
liberal:
: believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change
:
not opposed to new ideas or ways of behaving that are not traditional or widely accepted
*
progressive:
: moving forward:
happening or developing gradually over a period of time
: using or interested in new or modern ideas especially in politics and education

https://www.merriam-webster.com/
 
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