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Friday, August 28. 2015

Left, Left-Liberal, Right-Liberal, Right


An excellent summary of American political divisions today from Left-Liberal Michael Lind: LIBERAL VIEWS - The arbitrary line between “left” and “right” is drawn smack through the middle of the liberal tradition. So, I clarify my own position: the "left-liberal."



We left-liberals have less in common with other “left” philosophies and movements than we do with “right-liberals” — the proper name for moderate conservatives in the U.S., UK, and similar societies with well-established liberal traditions. (Radical libertarians sometimes call themselves “classical liberals,” but they are not really part of the liberal tradition; their intellectual ancestors are nineteenth-century anarchists).



Lind is a reasonable guy, but my three questions to people he terms "left-liberals" are these: "What is the end-point of the Progressive, big government project?";  "Whence your faith and trust in governmental enterprises anyway?" and "How much does individual freedom enter into your political thinking?"


I have never heard satisfactory answers to those three questions.

Posted by The Barrister in Politics at 15:19 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

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You never will, because Progressives will never progress enough.
Just like Rico in "Little Ceasar", what they want is "More".
#1 Sam L. on 2015-08-28 16:18 (Reply)
I am a classic liberal. Fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

Social conservatives want to legislate your morality and fiscal liberals want to legislate your pocket book.
Mose people are classic liberals, especially if you ask them the right questions. Classic liberals opt for the most freedom from government.
They opt for lower taxes, less government legislation. They are agaist the death penalty, but are in favour of legalized drugs.
They are for the right to bear arms and the right not to wear a seat belt. The understand that governmet has a role to play but must be prudent with tax payers dollars and accountable to their citizens. They believe the government should get out of peoples bedrooms but be on the border protecting us from our enemys. Many great people of the past were classic liberals. Most of us still are when given the right to choose our own destiny.
#2 Phil Taylor (Link) on 2015-08-28 16:44 (Reply)
I am not in favor of legalizing drugs. I have literally just come back from visiting the mother of four of our grandchildren in jail. Drugs were her problem. Make no mistake she didn't get sent to jail for having or using drugs she got jail because of the dumbass things that drugs make you do. But drug use is a victimless crime you say! Tell that to her 9, 6, 4 and 3 year old children. We had them for 18 months and now the other grandparents have them.

So I am willing to compormise on those things you believe government has no business in: If you choose to use drugs then you cannot use any welfare or medicaid, cannot drive or hold a job where you could put others at risk. And if your drug use puts you in the emergency room the taxpayer cannot and will not pay the costs. Don't tell me drugs are just another free choice and then expect ME to pay the costs of your choice.

A personal note: While waiting for our daughter-in-law I saw 6-7 other mothers come out to the visitation room to spend some time with their children. I cried and was barely able to compose myself before my daughter-in-law came in. In fact I'm tearing up right now thinking about it. Everyone who wants to make drugs easier to get and use should listen to my grandchildren say their prayers at night. It breaks my heart.
#2.1 GoneWithTheWind on 2015-08-29 21:20 (Reply)
My experience is that most liberal categories are post-hoc reasoning. Their first impulse is to not be like those goobers who are conservatives. That is what they focus on in conversation and in popular media, anyway.

Sorta like high school.
#3 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2015-08-28 22:41 (Reply)
I'm relived to read that the author is staunchly anti-Marxist, but he doesn't understand the Progressive Era at all. At its core is the idea that people have progressed beyond the limits of the constitution; that individual rights should progress into social rights. It is a plan for the deliberate, but slow, implementation of authoritarian government.

I find it humorous that he quietly assigns white supremacists to the so-called Right, while espousing Wilson.

There is no mention at all of federalism, republicanism, or a separation of powers. He also doesn't understand what the term Liberal means or how it was redefined by the progressives. To the author, the peak of American thought occurred between 1890 and 1940.
#4 Jack Walter on 2015-08-29 09:26 (Reply)
"What is the end-point of the Progressive, big government project?"
Too easy, to assimilate the wealth of the middle class and distribute it to the elite and other left progressives.

"Whence your faith and trust in governmental enterprises anyway?"
They think they will be the winners in this massive money transfer.

"How much does individual freedom enter into your political thinking?"
It doesn't because they don't see that far ahead.
#5 GoneWithTheWind on 2015-08-29 10:35 (Reply)
Progressivism is fascism/crony capitalism/oligarchy/elitism elevated to a religion disguised as science. That's why they secretly love Islam, it is the closest model to what they ultimately aspire to.
#6 B Moe on 2015-08-29 16:06 (Reply)

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