Liberalism

 

So, what is liberalism again? Is it really that different from progressivism? Democrats need to reclaim both terms because they represent what the radical Right hates almost as much as they despise a Black man kneeling for the National Anthem protesting police brutality. Trump's racists gutted the African Room at the Kennedy Center, and its works of art are missing. "Degenerate art" is what the OG Nazis called it.

This is not liberalism or even conservatism. It is con-servatism.

Later I will define progressive liberals by the words of individual leaders their opponents have vehemently hated.

Teddy Roosevelt was called a progressive. FDR was called a liberal. It requires a lot of nit-picking and quibbling to differentiate between the terms, which have far more overlap than differences. This is why the propagandists of the far Right need to smear and redefine both terms in efforts to divide opposition.

There are no absolute definitions or applications of any political ideology except as dictated by authoritarian leaders. Soviet and Chinese Communism were defined by their dictators. National Socialism was defined by Hitler. MAGA is whatever Trump says it is.

The radical Right must redefine language itself to suit their bigotry and bias.

“Woke” is now whatever the radical Right hates and says it is, from Democrats to drag queens, to trans people, to universities, to the military, or to anyone different from them who wants to live their lives how they choose. The authoritarian personality cannot mind its own business. It must dominate and control everyone else. All of their targets are “woke”. (Governor Ron DeSantis’ lawyers were forced by the court to define “woke.” The lead lawyer described it as “The belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”)  Authoritarians need to redefine terms in order to keep moving the goalposts and demonizing opposition.

Naturally, they needed to redefine the word “liberal”. It’s now “woke”. And “woke” is very, very bad. Like communism. Like progressivism. Like Democrats.

Since the Clinton Presidency radical Right propagandists met with considerable success in demonizing the word “liberal” to smear everyone to the left of Dick Cheney or Trump. This is the real reason for the Left embracing the term progressive. Nevertheless, the propaganda worked because intelligence is limited and ignorance and stupidity are infinite.

And this is why the Right Wing Authoritarians are now trying to further divide the Left by claiming “Classic liberalism” or corporate neo-liberalism, is fine, but modern liberalism and progressivism are both socialism and communism. Or even fascism. Yes, the desperate lying fanatics of the radical Right go so far as to claim Hitler was a “socialist” because the NAZI Party used the term. Right, as in North Korea is actually the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea? 

No president has used Hitler’s playbook more than Trump with his demonization and scapegoating of minorities, white nationalism, his Big Lie, violent coup, and use of secret police and unjust politicized law enforcement. Hitler and Trump share the distinction of being two notable racist criminals who rose to power in flawed democracies. Both Trump and Hitler share the same immorality that imprisons non-violent human beings in unaccountable, cruel, and dehumanizing concentration camps.

The fundamental characteristic of all fascists is the desire to inflict as much punishment as they possibly can on people they hate. This is their idea of “law and order”.

And that is nowhere to be found in progressive liberalism, where law and order is for criminals, not political or personal enemies. We don’t want to imprison non-violent immigrants. We want them to pass citizenship tests and be productive members of society. This is the dreaded “replacement theory” lurking in the white nationalist amygdala. They fear becoming a minority because of how THEY have treated minorities.

At any rate, Liberalism/progressivism must be viewed as a terrible form of tyranny to be hated so much by MAGA, racists, bigots, neo-Nazis, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Christian nationalists, vulture capitalists, and greedy oligarchs. This is why the far Right needs a massive propaganda network to reinforce their hate and lies.

Still communism and fascism’s new incarnation in MAGA are the opposite of the ideals of progressive liberalism.

(Just imagine what Lincoln would say of his party falling under the thumb of a cruel racist criminal. "What, did the Confederacy win?)

This paranoid and racist opposition by the far Right is significant in defining progressive liberalism. The RWA’s are antithetical to equal rights, equal justice under law, individual freedom, democracy, and voter rights. In other words, the American ideal of government by, for, and of the people. 

Here’s some news for those “con-servative” authoritarians. With notable exceptions like the antidemocratic Senate, electoral presidential elections, and slavery in particular, progressive liberals are more conservative in the sense of supporting our Constitutional provisions for the rule of law and general welfare.

The MAGA Mob will whine about liberal progressives supporting Constitutional public healthcare, public education, public services, taxes, and regulation of commerce as being "socialist evil".  Yet they enthusiastically support the most authoritarian, corrupt and criminal president in history. They’re all in with their heroic sex offender and pedophile protector who would deny healthcare and food for the poor as he cuts taxes for billionaires and praises and pardons crooks, thugs, and swindlers like himself. The Criminal President Trump has pardoned over 70 people convicted of massive fraud against Americans, because he is ONE of the THEM.

The proof is in the pudding, folks. This has been the inevitable trajectory of con-servatism since Nixon, who would be dumped into the RINO bin with Reagan were they both alive today. Hell, even the Bushes would be squeezed out of the MAGA party today. 

MAGA Con-servativism and deregulated cutthroat capitalism are quite compatible with fascism. The Krupps, BMW, Ford, and other mega-capitalists did well under Hitler’s rule…until it all came down in flames.

And if you indulge me in one more reference the Nazi Fuhrer, let’s note his worst enemy was the very liberal Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That wasn’t very liberal, progressive, or socialist of him, was it?

His presidency is a foundation of American liberalism, found in his New Deal and in his Second Bill of Rights.

I’ll suggest FDR and JFK have defined American liberalism as best as anyone has since their presidencies.

FDR’s Second Bill of Rights:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home.

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

JFK on being liberal:

“If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.”

The next time a fascist MAGA supporter whines about “woke liberals” and “commie libs”, demand they address the reality of what progressive liberalism actually is. Tell them it’s rooted in our Constitution. And watch them squirm and twist into gaslighting pretzel monsters.