When Did "LIBERAL" Become a Dirty Word?

When did Conservative = Evil? I'd like someone to answer that one. When did Independent = Evil, Rogue or Vagrant? Someone please answer that one. I associate with nothing, but people love to assign nice codewords to me. Not for me of course, but just to keep their little mental bubbles up. I want nothing to do with liberal, conservative or whatever. Both idealogies seem pretty worthless and are now run by cretins, self-interested lobbies, and lots of brain-drains that if they were in a different life they would have been crushed a long time ago. Okay back to questioning. Why is it anytime I try to ask real questions, draw up different conclusions, point out different views I'm [insert derogatory terms here]? I expect no one to answer my questions, just keep hitting the negative button since thats all most of my enemies on here seem capable of doing. That or talking about me behind my back. Whatever.

It is simple . When the republicans took control of congress in 1994, liberal became a dirty word. It was used for Anyone that wasn't Exactly like them. And since they weren't like them, they were the enemy.

I'm not meaning to attack you. You have asked a question. I've answered it honestly. Liberal became a dirty word for me after I became very good at analysis of complex human behavior. I acquired this skill by studying the science of behavior, quite a large amount of practical applied mathematics, and the design of scientific experiments. When I use these skills to do an analysis of some complex human behavior, guess what kind person it usually is that will respond with condension, a sneer, or contempt? What kind of person do you suppose it is that is most likely to use derision as oppossed to reasoned analysis when disagreeing? What kind of person do you suppose it is that when a complex human behavior is explained to them they might laugh at you when they do not really even understand what has been told to them? That's right, a liberal. I've encountered numerous arguementative persons who do not know the difference between an independent and a dependent variable. These are people who do not know what is a standard deviation or why it is important. These same people have no idea what it means when you tell them to check the validity of an experiment or study they cite in support of one of their positions. Yet, such people try to tell me I have no idea what I'm talking about concerning various topics even when I've studied the science on both sides of an issue. What kind of person do you suppose I've encountered who is like this? That's right, a liberal. While many liberals claim to be progressive, it turns out be code words for "big government", "more government spending", "socialism" and " I know better than you what's good for you!". Far from being "progressive" these sorts of things are very "regressive". They are regressive to the failed policies of the 1960's war on poverty and LBJ's Great Society. Books have been written about this by incredibly intelligent people. Who do you think dismisses this intellectual thought simply out of hand while not bothering with reason, data, or analysis? That's right, a liberal. To sum this up, the reason so many politicians try to hide being a liberal is because in practical terms of how the word has been applied, it is the opposite of progressive, open-handed,generous and broad-minded. True, liberals perceive themselves as progressive, open-handed, generous, and broadminded. It just is not how others see them.

I feel the political definitions of both liberal and conservative are equally oppressive. I consider myself a progressive human being and a political moderate. I do personally try to stand up for my fellow man. I personally try to take care of those less fortunate. I personally believe in helping all human beings where I can. I don't necessarily feel that the political Liberals do this. I feel they are attempting to play parent to adults. They tell me how to raise my kids. They try to tell me what movies I cannot go see or what I cannot watch on television because of what a child might see. Conservatives seem to want a theocracy in this country. They want to take away the rights of certain groups of people because their religion, that not all people in the country believe, tells them that their way is the right way and all disenters are evil and anti-God. Neither political group cares. They are both power hungry. And the closer the political group is to either end of the line, the less the caring becomes. I am in no way stating that you are uncaring or oppressive. I believe that your liberal viewpoints are humanity motivated, not politically motivated.

I used to consider myself a Liberal, anniepa, but as I've grown older I am so tired of everyone having to be labeled. Now I don't classify myself as one extreme or the other, I just speak out for what I think is right. The issue of labeling people from whatever party they happen to belong to is dividing our nation. I don't want to be a part of that. I think everyone should just stand up for what they believe in.(:

I agree. I'm proudly liberal. Why would anyone espousing freedom deem liberal as a bad thing? I believe social liberalism is the target of the conservatives. Economic liberalism is something different. Hence neo-liberalism is a term often used to refer to globalism and international capitalism, US foreign policy, and the like. I guess in this context it's no longer a dirty word for Conservatives. I find it sligtly odd that being liberal or to the right defines a mind set that determines attitudes on so many issues, from war in Iraq, global warming, domestic spending on social programs, gay rights, abortion. Of course, we liberals have come to a rational, open-minded position on all these issues, while the Conservatives have a ideological, knee-jerk reaction to all these issues. Just kidding. But I do think, in general, that liberals are more idealistic, less cynical, and more generous in spirit.

When you are considered socially liberal or too liberal for that matter, it portrays you give no second look to issues, you are driven by unreasoned instincts in you social connections, and if you are so liberal that there are no constraints to the way you do things in life, then you are one person that lives without taboos and you fear nothing. You can do anything, and anything can realy be anything anniepa if you see what i mean.

Hello Anniepa, "Liberal" is just a word. It has no intrinsic power. As a word, an inanimate grouping of letters, it is incapable of causing a reaction or emotional response. It is the insideous deceptive ideologist having chosen the term, and now propping up the the term that oozes with contempt. And, I'm not talking about Democrats! I'll bet'cha thought I was, didn't ya'? Have you ever wondered why the word "liberal" (or now a days - progressive) were chosen as irregular, inconsistent, substitutions for the word "Democrat"? I was in attendance at the 1976 NYC Democrat Primary, where Jimmy Carter emerged as the primary victor. Back then, no Democrat used the term "Liberal" or "Progressive" to describe themselves. They were all "Democrats", and damned proud of it. The term liberal has become synonymous with obscenities, among both Tradional (JFK) Democrats, and Republicans because it is is the term chosen by Socialists to describe their wing of the Democrat Party. They have usurped a party with a long history of core values, and weaseled their way into, and overtaken that party, thereby substituting the Socialist Agenda onto the Democratic Party Platform. Doubt my words? Then please accept my challenge to research the tenets of the Democratic Party Platform of 2007, as compared to the Democrat Party Platform of 1960. Then, compare the 2007 Dem Party Platform with the Socialist Party Platform of 1972. I promise you're not gonna' like what you see. Under the LBJ administration, there developed a tiny, yet persistent ideological rift (funded by sources outside of US) within the Democrat Party. This metamorphosis has been slow and deliberate. As well as surprisingly stealth. Both traditional Democrats (or JFK Democrats) and Republicans have considered the insideous encroachment of the Socialists onto the unwitting American People, and most especially the Democrat Party, as a very gross betrayal of the the American People, The Founding Fathers, the principles of self-resonsibility, etc... If I asked you today Anniepa: Do you want the USA to model itself after the USSR or Cuba? I'm pretty darned confident that you would say "Of course not". Yet, that is where the Socialists are trying to lead us. I've said this to you before, and I believe it's worthy of mention again: Never in the history of mankind is there a single example of a successful pure socialist society. Nor will there ever be one, unless and until man experiences a paradigm shift in consciousness which includes the end of: greed, lust for power, and hedonism. Most Americans know that they don't want to live in a USA modeled after the Soviet Union. Socialists know this as well. So, instead of running honorably and fairly in elections, as the Socialist Party, they instead usurped the Democrat Party. When their actions have been exposed, they rely on denial, then come up with a different, yet equally innocuous word to describe their wing of the Democrat Party. Hence the emergence of "liberal" and "progressive" used by some Dem's to describe themselves and their vision for the country. At least in France, Germany, and the UK, Socialists aren't cowards. In those countries they run under their own party name. Here, they cower, lie, manipulate, and usurp -- all because they know that if they ever admitted who and what they really are, that the American People would shut them down.

I'm a proud liberal. If you ask me, the word "conservative" has dirt all over it. This administration has so much blood on their hands.

From a European perspective it is weird that Americans that have two parties that are both right wing and that some people, that are more liberal, in the true meaning of the word, denigrate those of less liberal views as liberal. (That is if they are not reaching for their sidearm) Also both your parties advocate free trade, yet you as a nation practice extremely protectionist trade policies. They advocate freedom yet have a constitution that, unlike ours does not afford you the liberty to as you will unless there is a law against it. all the best urban

O.K. Annie,I'll give you a good reason why the word "liberal" is a dirty one.It's because progressive thinkers as you refer really smacks of socialism.Liberals are always looking to change laws and government systems to pay for programs that should be resolved within the private sector not government handouts.