NationStates Jolt Archive

Can somebody please explain to me how the word 'Liberal' got to be (ab)used in the current American sense?

As far as I was aware, it was associated with generosity, tolerance and progressive thought (in the context of politics). How it has become a right-wing insult I just don't know.

Can somebody please explain to me how the word 'Liberal' got to be (ab)used in the current American sense?

As far as I was aware, it was associated with generosity, tolerance and progressive thought (in the context of politics). How it has become a right-wing insult I just don't know.
Perhaps because so many "liberals" mindlessly apply PC solutions to everything whether they're needed or not? :)

It wasn't so much a debate on whether or not the so called Liberals deserve the tag, rather I was wondering why choose Liberal? There are so many other words that have surely more negative associations. If you want to attack the left, why not call us all Stalinists or something?

Because in the American political vocabulary a liberal is a type of intense partisan against the traditions of the US, and is all for giving our government over to the UN. This term is used by conservatives and some moderates.

On the other hand, in the American political vocabulary a conservative is a type intense partisan who is a caveman, and hates anything new. They are all for cutting off all ties to the rest of the world and sealing the borders. This term is used by liberals and some moderates.

A careful and systematic campaign of word association; designed to drive the "word" liberal out of the mainstream of American conciousness.

I say "word" because the refutations of liberalism are lengthy and complex, while the branding of all things liberal as bad is simple and psycological. Based solely on repitition and innuendo; the largely successful effort to dirty the word involves pundits, columnists and indeed all manner of right-wing intellectuals repeatedly using the word "liberal" in place of "communist" or "corrupt politician" or any other number of pariah groups within the US.

This has been going on for some years now; we have been seeing its effects for at least 2 years. Few can forget the sheer number of times that this was used against the democratic canidate during the recent elections. It obviously has had the intended effect; liberal thinkers are having to backpedal, liberal politicians are chosing to moderate their stances to avoid being targeted by the right-wing.

As a political strategy it has been a smashing success. One wonders if a backlash will ensue at some point.

In political terms, to be called a Liberal, are you supposed to take that as an anti-left insult? Help me out here, I don't live in America or intend to, but find that whilst debating certain issues I get called a Liberal fairly frequently. It's all very odd. Is it used in everyday speech as well?

It obviously has had the intended effect; liberal thinkers are having to backpedal, liberal politicians are chosing to moderate their stances to avoid being targeted by the right-wing.
The use of the term "right-wing" only furthers my arguement that both sides are trying to paint the other side with a single term to demonize them. Just that conservatives have been more successful.

I find it amusing that Kerry was called a Liberal, by British standards he would be called a conservative. When he lost, even the British Conservative party were upset. I suppose it says a lot about the state of American politics.

In political terms, to be called a Liberal, are you supposed to take that as an anti-left insult? Help me out here, I don't live in America or intend to, but find that whilst debating certain issues I get called a Liberal fairly frequently. It's all very odd. Is it used in everyday speech as well?
not really. Liberal is a term that is almost universally dedicated to political speech, and then only by conservatives and some moderates. It's not like if someone does something stupid they get called a conservative. Or if they do something wimpy they get called a liberal. It's just a politicians insult.

The use of the term "right-wing" only furthers my arguement that both sides are trying to paint the other side with a single term to demonize them. Just that conservatives have been more successful.

I apologize if my use of the term "right-wing" was offensive. I did not mean it as such. However I dispute the term "conservative" as an appropriate for current thinking in such think-tanks. Its political ideology is deeply rooted in classical "big L" Liberalism and shares little or nothing in common with the isolationist ideals of previous "conservative" groups.

Thus the term "right-wing" to show its political leanings in the more standard "left-right" political continum familiar in the US. If you could suggest a more acceptable word to describe the neo-liberalism mixed with social conservatism that is found in many US think tanks, I'd be greatful to hear it. "Neo-con" makes one sound like a conspiracy theorist.

I apologize if my use of the term "right-wing" was offensive. I did not mean it as such. However I dispute the term "conservative" as an appropriate for current thinking in such think-tanks. Its political ideology is deeply rooted in classical "big L" Liberalism and shares little or nothing in common with the isolationist ideals of previous "conservative" groups.

Thus the term "right-wing" to show its political leanings in the more standard "left-right" political continum familiar in the US. If you could suggest a more acceptable word to describe the neo-liberalism mixed with social conservatism that is found in many US think tanks, I'd be greatful to hear it. "Neo-con" makes one sound like a conspiracy theorist.
Oh no, I don't find it offensive at all, I'm just trying to show that everyone stereotypes. That everyone uses these terms as insults.

To my understanding, the words 'liberal' and 'conservative,' in this political context, derived from the disagreement on welfare, the republicans were more 'conservative,' wanting to give out less money, while democrats were 'liberal' with the money. The two terms have since then lost their origional meaning, and come to describe political attitudes.

I don't get it myself... back in the '50s, even Republican politicians considered it to be an honor to be called a "liberal", which meant at the time that you stood for individual and institutional freedom. It appears as though this was changed around about the time of the late '50s and early '60s, into the full Cold War situation, when people who were being accused of being spies for the Soviets were using the term to mainstream themselves and have other people come to their defense. This worked relatively well, as these bookish statesmen weren't looking too threatening to anyone. However, during the Vietnam War era, some of the most strident protestors (quite a few of them out-and-out Marxists) used the "liberal" label in the same way... and people got disgusted by it. George McGovern and Walter Mondale, Democrat Presidential candidates, called themselves "liberals" openly in campaigning... only for each to win a mere handful of states, being routed by Nixon and Reagan respectively. Now to call someone a liberal is a nearly pejorative term.

I still, however, use the "liberal" term as it was originally intended... because of my quasi-libertarian views, I consider myself a liberal, although most people (especially those in Europe) refer to me as a right-wing extremist because of my economic policy issues. It's a complicated thing, I guess.

So liberal is referring more to social policy than economic? What are you called if you really are extreme in the US, is there still the Vietnam type paranoia about lefties? I suppose that the British media gives across a very one-dimensional view of American politics, almost entirely a negative one, and so you tend to pick up on certain things that may or may not be true.

So liberal is referring more to social policy than economic? What are you called if you really are extreme in the US, is there still the Vietnam type paranoia about lefties? I suppose that the British media gives across a very one-dimensional view of American politics, almost entirely a negative one, and so you tend to pick up on certain things that may or may not be true.
I don't think so, but I live on a college campus, the place with the highest concentration of liberals (not intended to be a dirty word) in the US. So, my point of view might be slightly off.