Liberals vs Progressives?

[DustyInfinity]

I hear many democrats who get upset when they are called progressives, but I'm not sure I understand the difference. The only difference I can see is that progs don't like free speech. Otherwise, they seem identical. Without the brown shirt thugs, are they not the same? What tax rate would a liberal advocate for? How is that different than a prog? The racial stuff has been going on for decades, and the liberals never seemed to have a problem with it. The Bernie Sanders stuff of free education and government mandated pay, isn't that something liberals are for? The globalist stuff of wanting to be like Europe and giving some control to the UN, is that not liberal? I don't really see the authoritarian collectivism as anything new, it just seems the progs are reckless and undisciplined. What does a liberal view of America look like? What rights do individuals have? Is it different than Bernie and the progs?

 

[Rambunctious]

The only difference is one is hiding their true desires the other is loud and proud....

 

[buckeye45_73]

Well liberals are progressive, not all democrats are those. Progressives got a bad name in the 40s and 50s so they used liberal, they dirtiest it up and went back to progressive, thinking people wont remember how bad they were. The left loves changing the meaning of words......to confuse people.
But yes the progressives are commies/socialists/Nazis all in one....and we can see they love violence like those groups, not just their policies.

 

[TNHarley]

I guess we need to define each term.
Most self branded progressives are regressive.
Most self branded liberals are big govt bedwetters.
Neither of which, make any fucking sense.

 

[Clementine]

Liberals used to hate big government and wanted them out of our lives. We went from that to them demanding big government control every aspect of our lives. The Dem party has been taken over by communists, socialists and Marxists. They use the term 'progressive' instead of liberal/commies/socialists because it sounds better. There is nothing progressive about pushing for socialism. That is a giant step back into a failed system.

 

[DustyInfinity]

Ok, now I'm really confused. If liberals used to hate big government, how were they different from what republicans are supposed to be about today?

 

[Clementine]

Ok, now I'm really confused. If liberals used to hate big government, how were they different from what republicans are supposed to be about today?

They never liked capitalism. They hated rules and government breathing down our backs. Republicans like fair regulations but not being controlled by big government. Capitalism is the reason we have wealth. Socialism, communism and Marxism do not create wealth, merely redistributes the existing wealth. And it runs out and everything falls apart. The old liberals loved the idea of communism and there were many small communes, mostly hippy types. None lasted because people weren't happy in the long run. Now, these same people are in government and wish to impose it on the rest of us, not on themselves.

 

[DustyInfinity]

So how could the old liberals hate rules, but want a centrally run commune? I know a lot of Oregon is fiercely independent, don't tell us what to do, but then they vote for a huge government to tell them exactly what to do. What did the liberals want in the early 70's. I know they were huge on free speech, but how much of the Marxism had seeped in by then.

 

[dudmuck]

Liberals used to hate big government and wanted them out of our lives. We went from that to them demanding big government control every aspect of our lives. The Dem party has been taken over by communists, socialists and Marxists. They use the term 'progressive' instead of liberal/commies/socialists because it sounds better. There is nothing progressive about pushing for socialism. That is a giant step back into a failed system.

democratic socialism doesnt have any of those characteristics, nor does market-socialism.
Hannity makes the case for socialism.

 

[Timmy]

Who gets upset over being called “progressive”?

 

[Disir]

I hear many democrats who get upset when they are called progressives, but I'm not sure I understand the difference. The only difference I can see is that progs don't like free speech. Otherwise, they seem identical. Without the brown shirt thugs, are they not the same? What tax rate would a liberal advocate for? How is that different than a prog? The racial stuff has been going on for decades, and the liberals never seemed to have a problem with it. The Bernie Sanders stuff of free education and government mandated pay, isn't that something liberals are for? The globalist stuff of wanting to be like Europe and giving some control to the UN, is that not liberal? I don't really see the authoritarian collectivism as anything new, it just seems the progs are reckless and undisciplined. What does a liberal view of America look like? What rights do individuals have? Is it different than Bernie and the progs?

I'm a liberal not a Democrat. Let me help you out because you are an intentional fucking hot mess.

The only "progressive" thing that I support is the tax.

Those rights that you have are those that have been incorporated from the Bill of Rights.

The "racial stuff" that's been going on for decades. Are you talking about the criminal justice system? If the issue is public defenders, then you fund that shit. That's how I can tell how serious people are--address the issues.

I don't support globalism. The UN was a nice idea...........it doesn't work. Hasn't worked. It was created not to work. The Peace Keepers do jack all. So, why are we funding nothing.

Free education. Yes.

 

[Mac1958]

The only difference I can see is that progs don't like free speech. Otherwise, they seem identical.

There's an ideological continuum on both ends. As far as the Left is concerned, "Progressives" - especially those who identify as "Progressive" - are far more hardcore than traditional liberals, whose numbers appear to be dwindling.

It's my opinion - and the opinion of many who lean Left - that these people are not liberals. They have distorted and perverted traditional liberalism into something else. They are illiberal leftist authoritarians, and yes, while they claim to be for freedom of expression they are clearly lying.

Since you're curious and civil here, you may want to watch these videos. These are all (real) liberals who are horrified by what has become of the Left. Maajid Nawaz, below, is a liberal Muslim Brit who coined the term "Regressive Left" to describe these people.

I'd like to know what you think of these, if convenient:
.

 

[DustyInfinity]

Thanks for the videos. I get that the anti-free speech stuff, and the policing of ideas is the biggest divide between current progressives and traditional liberals. Progressives have dubbed republicans and over half the country as 'evil', and this has green lighted an ends justify the means mentality. They will literally do anything to win the 'war.' That is frightening. I also noticed that classic liberals find the enforcement of their ideology, authoritarianism, as repellent. They do not believe you have to force their principles on people. The principle themselves seem identical. High taxes, and huge programs for the public 'good.' There really is the belief that the government can be a force of good to make lives better. It makes me wonder how this belief in the scope of government involvement has progressed since the end of world war2. Have democrats always believed in big government, did the soviets such as Alger Hiss alter this belief? I'm not going to throw stones and say government programs can't work, but I don't know if the life long public officials can tailor programs that don't cause more damage than good. My biggest worry is the development of dependence, and harming people's drive to improve their lives. The video of the Ruben Report caused me to look in the mirror a bit. I love the Ruben Report, and I know he has been called a traitor to the left. I'll admit that when I hear Muslim, I have an immediate reaction of fear. I have heard that while most Muslims are not Jihadists, that many do not have a problem with what Jihadists are doing. How many Muslims would report a Jihadists if they knew one? I also get a daily dose of Muslims don't want to integrate into Western Society, and that the religion is also a political system unto itself. I've also heard about how in Islamic Holy Texts, there are rules about how to lie and befriend non-believers so that they can be destroyed. Deception is acceptable to harm non-believers. I know these fears don't reflect well on me, but that is where I am.