Once again -- M-W is a dictionary, not a political science resource. My citation was from FreeDic and I omitted nothing pertinent to politics (I linked it; go look for yourself). It would appear your Merriam Webster is wrong (I'm taking your word that that's what it says) because liberal and leftist are in no way synonymous. What would be the point of that? Liberal and "government involvement" are in fact antithetical. Liberalism is opposed by both the left and the right.
I did leave you a link that explained all this. You might try reading it. Matter of fact I'd say it would behoove you to spend more time listening/reading and less time spewing before you know what you're talking about.
And no I'm not at all "uncomfortable"; Liberalism is what founded this country and wrote the Second Amendment, Bub. But I will correct you when you try to distort what it is.
Edit: I really didn't want to waste the time but I checked Merriam Webster anyway, and it does not say what you claimed -- to wit:
>> Full Definition of LIBERALISM
1
: the quality or state of being liberal
2
a often capitalized : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity
b : a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard
c : a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties; specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (as those involving race, gender, or class)
d capitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal party << (link here)
Not a great definition, particularly the "crucial instrument" part, but also not what you quoted. It does however list left, leftism and left wing as synonyms, which is erroneous.
For what it's worth historically, this attempt at demonizing the word liberal comes from the dark McCarthy days; it was a desperation tactic when Democrats were in power to paint them as communists or communist sympathizers and polarize political discourse into a juvenile "good" and "evil" dichotomy. George Bush the First revived it in the 1988 Presidential campaign too. But I'll be damned if I'm going to start misusing a definition I know better just because Joe McCarthy and Rush Limblob want to score cheap political sport-points.
So much of what you have written is illogical that I do not know where to begin. Let's begin by your refuting my source as merely a dictionary, then offering as your only source, FreeDic, which, of course, is a dictionary. Second, if you go to the Merriam-Webster website, as I'm sure other readers have done by now, liberal is first defined, right below the term liberal, ": believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change." Your claiming it is not there does not make it disappear. You should state, instead, that you wish it was not there since it shatters your archaic concept of the meaning of modern American liberalism. Secondly, everything else you wrote is based on opinion, with no facts offered. Here's a couple from Wikipedia, perhaps not the best source for political science but the website's quotes are accurate. Such as from the self-professed liberal Paul Krugman, "I believe in a relatively equal society, supported by institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty.: And another from JFK, who defines liberal as, "...someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs..." Equality and welfare of the people...that about sums up the liberal philosophy.
The current liberals are the "demonizers, quick to label Tea Party activists, the NRA and conservatives as right-wing fanatics and obstructionists, while they push their socialist agenda in a Congress overcrowded with knee-wobbly Republicans.
I would appreciate, if and when you respond, your citing some sources to back up your claims, rather than expecting others to go along blindly with everything you write.
One more thing, lose the hostility. When you show anger, you help the argument of your opponent.
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