Why is it called "Liberalism"

[The Great Jay Catsby]

If it advocates the government controlling your lives? I've always wondered this.

[Heimdalr]

Because at the time it was coined, they were the alternative to absolute monarchy.

[Disa Uniflora]

Because at some point people forgot what liberalism meant. Whenever I hear Republicans talk about how liberals are opposed to the free market, I cringe.

[Maryhl]

In the rest of the world, liberals are the ones that advocate a free market capitalist economy and a weak to moderately powerful democratically elected government.

Both of the US mainline parties actually agree with this, which is one of the reasons why any slight deviation is cause for hyperbolic outrage in our largely center-right political system.

[LightWarrior]

Conservatives managed to spin the word into some bad or dirty word.

The voting public seems to use the word as a diagrotary term. "Those liberals!"

It's bad to have a different opinion anymore in this country.

[Complex Systems]

They do a good job of liberating people out of their pants.



UNSEE THAT, GAIA.

[Ban]

Why are they called conservatives when they aren't actually trying to conserve either the status quo or our nation's wealth, but push a regressive agenda that also involves direct government control over our lives?

Because there's a lot of history, and many of these labels don't mean much etymologically. s**t has just evolved over time so that "liberal," at least in America, generally means someone who supports socially progressive viewpoints and a mixed economy,

[szechuan86]

Disa Uniflora

Because at some point people forgot what liberalism meant. Whenever I hear Republicans talk about how liberals are opposed to the free market, I cringe.

I'm pretty sure it was the republicans that started it. Extremists like Limbaugh and politicians like Palin keep on enforcing that definition.

In fact Clint Eastwood himself described himself as a Liberal. Props to Clint.

[The Sky Does Not Bow]

Disa Uniflora

Because at some point people forgot what liberalism meant. Whenever I hear Republicans talk about how liberals are opposed to the free market, I cringe.

That's classic or neoliberalism.

Modern liberalism has a different meaning. It's how language works.

[Disa Uniflora]

The Sky Does Not Bow

Disa Uniflora

Because at some point people forgot what liberalism meant. Whenever I hear Republicans talk about how liberals are opposed to the free market, I cringe.

That's classic or neoliberalism.

Modern liberalism has a different meaning. It's how language works.

Um, both actually.

[azulmagia]

Like we're any freer when markets control our lives. confused

[Disa Uniflora]

azulmagia

Like we're any freer when markets control our lives. confused

Certainly freer than when people like you do.

[The Sky Does Not Bow]

Disa Uniflora

The Sky Does Not Bow

Disa Uniflora

Because at some point people forgot what liberalism meant. Whenever I hear Republicans talk about how liberals are opposed to the free market, I cringe.

That's classic or neoliberalism.

Modern liberalism has a different meaning. It's how language works.

Um, both actually.

Yes, I KNOW.

[N3bu]

Just to get it out of the way.

Quote:

Liberalism (from the Latin liberalis)[1] is a broad political ideology or worldview founded on the ideas of liberty and equality.[2] Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally liberals support ideas such as capitalism (either regulated or not), constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free press, free and fair elections, human rights and the free exercise of religion.[3][4][5][6][7]

[Wendigo]

The Cat Fiasco

If it advocates the government controlling your lives? I've always wondered this.

Because it doesn't advocate that, dummy.