Is "Liberal" The N-Word Of The Left???

[Dino Velvet]

I live in Southern California where many liberals, sorry, progressives live. If you were to add up the sum of my political parts, I would lean to the right and be considered conservative. I have many friends on the left that I like very much. But, when I refer to them as liberals, they correct me and tell me they are progressives. Whatever. There are some who don't mind being called liberals but those are in the minority. Why do many on the left have a problem with being called liberal nowadays?

[hippifried]

No.

[umbral_necropolitan]

By calling themselves as progressive they are insinuating that they are more advanced and thus better than others. There is nothing wrong with the word liberal.

[trish]

There are a number of distinctions between the word “liberal” and what you refer to as the “N-word”. “Liberal” was actually chosen by the Democratic Party as descriptive of their political philosophy. In the last decade republican broadcasters and pundits were somewhat successful associating the term, in less discerning minds, with “socialism, communism, atheism, unamericanism, etc. However undiscerning the mind behind it, every vote counts; so some democrats fled from the “liberal’ label. I think, however, your observation is a bit late as for the last couple of years; the trend seems to be reversing. At least that is my take on it. Personally, I proudly flaunt the label, “bleeding heart liberal”. The bleeding heart symbolizes sympathy with human, community, family and individual values. The term “liberal” reflects sympathy with the tough, analytic, age of enlightenment ideals of reason and science.

[hippifried]

The "bleeding heart" part of that was a condescention aimed at branding "liberals" as weak & gullible. I reject it out of hand because liberalism is a pragmatic viewpoint regardless of anyone's feelings for their fellow man. Liberalism is about less government interference with the dealings of individuals. It's about freedom, & pooling resources for infrastructure & protection from criminality. It's about tolerance for the wierd proclivities of others. Being radical is an extremist position, as is being reactionary. I've never heard a coherent definition of "right" or "left" wing. Personally, I don't think left & right have anything to do with liberal & conservative. It's a false dichotomy that usually tells me the user of the terminology doesn't know what they're talking about.