What does it mean to be a Liberal
The word "liberal" seems to have been successfully turned into a form of curse-word by the republican party. It’s almost as powerful as when religious extremists yell "infidel!" only worse, since at least infidel means "non-believer" (in Islam or Christianity) which may or may not be true. Using the word "liberal" as a put-down is like dismissing the very essense of what has made this country great. Using the word "liberal" as a curse is almost laughable since the desire for a more "liberal" form of government is what everyone came to this country FOR in the first place! Read on for a definition of the word Liberal from the dictionary. Do you really despise these ideals? Are you really opposed to what the word "liberal" means? If so, perhaps you should pack up and move back to whatever Fascist country bore you. Or perhaps you just never bothered to notice that liberal values (yes, I said the ‘V’ word) are American values?!lib·er·al Pronunciation Key (lbr-l, lbrl) adj.
Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious. (well, thats pretty American too! 
n. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.
lib·er·al·ism P Pronunciation Key (lbr–lzm, lbr-) n.
The state or quality of being liberal.
A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority.
often Liberalism The tenets or policies of a Liberal party.
An economic theory in favor of laissez-faire, the free market, and the gold standard.
Liberalism
A 19th-century Protestant movement that favored free intellectual inquiry, stressed the ethical and humanitarian content of Christianity, and de-emphasized dogmatic theology.
Comment posted on 11-11-2004
"Liberal policies are in favour of equal opportunities from the start, in favour of competition and pluralism. They strive, therefore, for the free access of all to all markets, education, information, labour, goods, and capital markets.
Liberal policies seek to free the individual from coercion by the state and by anonymous institutions so that he can fulfill his responsibility in freedom. Freedom requires responsibility for the community.
Liberal policies strive to enlarge the freedom of citizens in all spheres of life and to restrict the role of the state to the essentials. This includes recognizing the capacity of citizens to organise themselves.
Liberals see the tasks of the state as the protection of individual freedom and the protection of citizens against violence from within and abroad, as well as safeguarding of the constitution. Liberal policies want to ensure that rules apply to all, while leaving space for the free decision of the individual. Liberal policies do not want to predetermine a certain outcome; they want just rules instead of just results, because such results do not exist.
Liberal policies want democracy. Democracy permits choice and change, but it does not guarantee freedom. That is why Liberals are for the strict division, control, and limitation of power. public power as well as private.
Liberal policies want a state that is bound by rules and that respects freedom. The state has the duty to guarantee legal security to everybody. In a liberal state, the rule of law respects group interests. That is why it provides them with freedom in responsibility, but not with political power. Liberal policies do not want the state to be active economically. They do not want the state to compete, through its own institutions with private enterprises.
Liberal policies want to maintain the citizens’ freedom to make decisions in all areas of politics, both now and in the future. Therefore, they reject solving today’s problems at the expense of tomorrow’s generations, at the expense of sound public finances, and particularly at the expense of environment."
How UNAMERICAN!
Comment posted on 11-11-2004
Thanks for the essay, but I would like to know the author. If it is not your
own work, please credit those you quote!
Comment posted on 11-12-2004
The paragraphs are part of the Political Principles of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
Comment posted on 12-5-2004
My boss gave me a definition of liberal and conservative that I thought
was worth throwing out for comment:
"Liberals feel they are intellectually superior to conservatives while
conservatives feel they are morally superior to liberals."
Comment posted on 12-12-2004
Great interview
with Adam Werbach of Sierra Club fame on the topic of Liberalism
at Alternet. His point is that Liberalism is dead and progressives need to
discover what it is that the poor and the disenfranchised need in today’s
world.
“For example, I’ve been trying to tell my friends at the Sierra Club that
the most important battle for the Sierra Club in the next two years might
be over public education. That is the battle line over collective activity,
interdependence, the values we care about – much more so than the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That’s a skirmish along the way that’s
not strategic. It’s way off to the side.
James Dobson and Focus on the Family and all the evangelical groups
believe they’ve won Social Security and a flat tax code at this point.
Now they’re going after public education. They don’t believe that the
government should be socializing Americans in non-religious education.
So they’re trying to dismantle public education.
Which would have deep ramifications.”
Comment posted on 12-28-2004
Robert Frost’s definition