More Thoughts on the Term Liberal (and conservative): Part 2 of a series

lib·er·al
Pronunciation: 'li-b(&-)r&l Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lEodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free
1 a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts b archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth
2 a : marked by generosity : OPENHANDED b : given or provided in a generous and openhanded way c : AMPLE, FULL
3 obsolete : lacking moral restraint : LICENTIOUS
4 : not literal or strict : LOOSE
5 : BROAD-MINDED; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms

-Merriam-Webster


"...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.' "

-John F. Kennedy Speech of acceptance of New York Liberal Party Nomination, Sept. 14, 1960


"Inasmuch as the members of a liberal society have a right to basic requirements of human development such as education and a minimum standard of security, they have obligations to each other, mutually and through their government, to ensure that conditions exist enabling every person to have the opportunity for success in life."

-Paul Starr, from the book ‘Freedom's Power: The True Force of Liberalism’


con·ser·va·tive
Pronunciation: k&n-'s&r-v&-tiv Function: adjective
1 : PRESERVATIVE
2 a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism : as (1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions (2) : PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE
3 a : tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL b : marked by moderation or caution c : marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners
4 : of, relating to, or practicing Conservative Judaism

-Merriam-Webster


I've been getting some heat from various sources about how long it's been since I've posted. I've been kicking around the 'liberal' meme inside me head for quite a while now, and so, as they say -- out with it!So can we finally stop with the nonsense? Being liberal is a good thing, evidenced by the above aphorisms and definitions. Note the third definition: 'lacking moral restraint: LICENTIOUS.' Oh look, this definition is -- what's that? -- obsolete! Yet this is the definition mouth-breathing cretins such as Hannity, Coulter and their ilk employ in their efforts to destroy reputations. So you begin to see the motivation behind the attack on this word and the resulting calumnies that get spread. This expired definition of liberal allows for attacks on personal character, and that is what is intended when Decider-Monkey George W. Bush calls John Kerry "that liberal senator from Massachusetts." Connotation: immoral imp who will eat your babies. And for some reason that meme has sunken in to countless, unsuspecting, uninformed millions.

Now look at the term conservative. Nothing bad on its face. No obsolete meanings with negative associations. There is nothing bad about being conservative in style, or having traditional notions of what a Christmas tree should look like. What is your definition of 'traditional?' People make up their own traditions all the time. Alice and Jackie get together in the Catskills every third week in October and have been doing so since 1993. That is a tradition. And yes, it is conservative behavior when they return this year. It is also conservative to want to drive cars fueled by biomass (thanks, NoAgenda). Is NOT conservative, however, to want to ban gay-straight alliance clubs in Utah public schools, or to slap a support-the-troops bumber sticker on your gas-guzzling SUV, or to ban embryonic stem cell research while thinking you are 'pro-life.'

Okay, so all this is getting to my point: by and large, the Republican Party (and at this point they have lost any and all claims to the label 'conservative'), in their power-hungry journey to take over all three branches of government, have unleashed their destructive policies to an unsuspecting populace -- subjects? -- in large part by corrupting the English language. They coin terms like 'death tax' and 'healthy forest initiative' with not a thought as to what words mean. No, words to them are to be viewed as weapons of (mass) deception, all the better to steal, cheat and lie their way to power and fortune.

I think I'll touch more on the subject of language in politics in a later post.