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Evolution of the "Liberal"

Posted by salta 8 years, 11 months ago to Politics
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Can anyone tell me when and how the term "Liberal" changed. The word root means freedom, and the original meaning (now called "Classical" Liberal) advocated freedom for citizens. Today it universally seems to advocate freedom for state in contrast with freedom for citizens.

In hindsight, it seems like a rhetorical trick, but I doubt it was. That seems a bit too clever.
Perhaps it was a gradual process where early liberals just let their philosophy slowly become corrupted, until the name lost its original meaning.

I'm interested here in the damaging evolution of language, and what other political words are being hijacked today, and how can we stop that process.


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  • Posted by gcarl615 8 years, 11 months ago
    I also find the use of these words confusing..It baffles me. All I know is that if a elitist communist looter say she is a modern progressive, then that must be a bad thing.
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  • Posted by DanShu 8 years, 11 months ago
    Seems to me Progressives/Liberals use terms for propaganda purposes. Whatever works for them they use it. I had a hard time figuring out what I am. I finally started saying I'm a Classic Liberal/Fiscal Conservative. If I have to explain, I'm in many ways Socially liberal but I'm also a Small Government Conservative
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    • Posted by walkabout 8 years, 11 months ago
      I usually say I'm a libertarian and cite the quote (I think from a former governor of Wisconsin who said), "I want the Federal Government to protect my shores, deliver the mail and stay the hell out of my life." Frankly I don't think they need to deliver the mail. I don't know exactly what the states should do, but the most basic thing the federal government should do is: protect me from invaders (foreign) and from my neighbor -- provide a legal system of criminal and civil laws so our mutual right to swing our respective arms ends at each other's nose.
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