Forgive me if this rant seems well, like a rant. I've been trying to formulate my thoughts on this for a while, and decided I just need to sit down and write it out and be satisfied with whatever spills forth from my keyboard.
I've described myself before as a Conservative Independent with some Libertarian leanings a healthy respect for Classical Liberalism and significantly less respect for Progressivism. That is an incredibly long title, and I already have some complaints about the length of my blogspot address. But, I wanted to address a couple parts of that description. Why do I have a healthy respect for Classical Liberalism? Well, quite frankly on some past issues I'm quite certain I would have been considered a Liberal. Take slavery for instance, or the whole civil rights movement. I confess that had I lived at the time I have a sneaking suspicion I might have supported Robert F. Kennedy for president. And I will now resist the urge to hit backspace repeatedly. See I believe that Liberalism is an important element in maintaining maximum freedom.
Now the Progressive part. What little respect I have for Progressivism is in the fact that in this country everyone has the right to their own opinion and the peaceful expression of that opinion. Not very long ago I grudgingly gave my respect to Progressives for one issue in particular, Women's Suffrage. My mind has now been set at ease in that particular regard. Why? Because one day not too long ago a light bulb went off just above my head. Which I have to say has its positives and negatives. For positives it gives me a new understanding, for negatives it sure makes my white hairs more visible. But, I digress.
Women's suffrage is not a Progressive ideal, it is in fact a Classical Liberalism ideal. But, Progressives stole it. Why? Because they wanted to use it for their own ends. Wait for it...Wait for it...Wai...Just kidding, the magic word is Prohibition. Progressives believed that they could use women to further their own agenda of controlling the population by outlawing alcohol. Now, I'm not a huge fan of alcohol, in fact I think it sucks, but taking away a freedom is not usually a good idea. It often backfires, as it did with Prohibition, here an amendment there and amendment and we are back to where we started, people getting drunk, but less crime:) The Progressives didn't let Prohibitions prohibition get them down though. In fact this became their M.O. Steal a Liberal idea, inculcate it into your own dream agenda (Hooray for the Garden of Eden, see a previous post), then use it to gain more control. Jerks, there I said it.
Women would have gotten the right to vote without Progressives, in fact states were quickly recognizing that right and it was only a matter of time before the federal government wised up to it. But, Progressives take credit for it, jerks (okay that one was gratuitous). The lefty Progressives wanted women, and have been working to keep them ever since. Hello, how in the world did Abortion = Women's rights, thank-you Progressives, and your Eugenics awesomeness. Make no mistake abortion has deep ties with eugenics.
Thus, we see this M.O. not just with women's rights, but also in other areas. Look at Civil Rights. This movement is one that I have long been fascinated by. Freedom was starting to ring for a long oppressed people, and then Progressives came and stole it, with their "Great Society." Welfare in the United States has become a soft tyranny and far too many Black Americans are trapped in it. Oh and back to the eugenics thing, please please watch the film "Maafa 21." That film is stunning in how obvious they make the eugenic tie of abortion with the blatant racism of so many of the Progressive leaders. It’s disgusting and immoral, and yet effective.
What about environmentalist? People believe we have an obligation to be good stewards of the planet. I'm one of them. But, Progressives have come along and whipped the movement into a frenzy. Is it because they honestly believe that the earth has to be saved from climate change (which by the way has been occurring since long before humans walked the earth)? Maybe some do, but at its heart it’s about control. Environmentalists have allowed themselves to be bought by a larger agenda of more government control.
So, there it is the Modus Operandi Progresista. See a Classical Liberal agenda, steal it and make it your own. Turn it into more government control. Convince people it’s for their own good, (thank heaven for those few enlightened brilliant leaders who can walk us back into Eden), and away we go. What a mess. Someone needs to mop up this M.O.P.
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6 comments:
I would seriously like a day within your head!! you think about things (and say them), and I have usually never put a care to them...in this case, I care about what you talked about...but I don;t think I have given it much more thought than I did in 11 grades. Thanks for your insights...It really opens my eyes to different thinking! R
Thanks so much. I wouldn't wish you any significant time in my head, you might prematurely go gray. You and yours do get to spend time in my heart though :)
Are you suggesting that liberals are worried about taking care of the planet, but progressives are blowing that out of proportion by talking about climate change? I would argue that a great deal of liberals consider themselves progressives. After all, a progressive is someone pushing a reform effort. The Progressive political party from the early 1900s and today's self identified progressives are not the same thing.
Also, climate change has been going on for thousands of years, but man made pollution is a much newer phenomenon.
Kristen,
I think you are spot on that most liberals today would identify themselves as progressive. Progressivism is a rather large concept, one that I'm still trying to read up on. The main gist as I understand it is using the government as a means to better peoples lives. The problem is our government was set up so that people would be free to better their own lives. I feel like liberalism is almost a lost concept, frankly there are subjects in the past that I would have been liberal on.
With regards to pollution and climate change and all that. I actually am someone who supports our being good stewards for the planet and cutting down on pollution. But, I think to use global warming as a means to invite more government control is a mistake and does fall in line with the progressive reform agenda.
So, are you saying that you would have a liberal viewpoint on certain issues, but you are against any liberal govt reform? I am still unclear on your stance.
I understand the arguments against big government. I don't think big government is always the answer either. In reference to clean energy policy, government mandates might be somewhat necessary. There is no real incentive for big businesses to stop polluting. Without government intervention, I don't think much will change. A large number of the global warming deniers are front groups for companies that benefit from using dirty energy. So long as coal and other dirty fuels are cheaper, big business is going to want to use them. This is the type of scenario which I think government is necessary. Government isn't something we should be afraid of. It is supposed to be there to protect us. Basically, I am not so much for a big government as I am for an effective government. I feel the same way toward the current healthcare debate. I don't think the govt is out to take our healthcare away, as some in the media keep saying. Without government intervention, however, what's to stop insurance companies from taking advantage of us? Our elected officials are supposed to solve just these types of problems. We need more effective govt watchdog groups to protect people from getting ripped off by banks too. So long as we have "big business" we will need "big government". Business is concerned with the bottom line, government is (supposed to be) concerned with the people.
Sorry to rant on your blog.
No apologies necessary for ranting. It is in the name of my blog.
My blog is kind of my personal evolution of political thought. If you want to read more of my take on Progressivism, I have quite a few posts up.
Progressivism is, in my understanding, about using the government to try and reform society. My question about Progressivism is always "progress to what end, where are we going and who will we know when we're there?" It is all about not just big government but government control. It is a close relative to socialism.
Classic Liberalism and Conservativism both have the same goal, the freedom of the people. Classically Liberal things I would have supported in their day include the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. Liberal ideas I support today would include term limits for congress and the fair tax. The only reform that I really support from the government these days is if it reforms itself.
While I think we need to be good stewards of the planet, I do not support a government reform agenda based on what I consider the unconvincing theory of global warming.
Somewhere along the line, you can trace it back to Teddy and W.W., we got it in our collective American head that the government has "to do something." But, I feel like the best answer for our problems will come from a free people. We're not perfect, but we are free to be our best selves and come up with our own best answers.
I highly recommend reading anything from Thomas Sowell to get an understanding of where I'm coming from. I particularly recommend A Conflict of Visions, which outlines both sides of policial thought.
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