Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Sean Hannity

2007-04-08T01:48:34Z

Libhater: /* Controversy */

[[Image:Seanhannitykingofprussia.jpg|right|thumb|230px]]
Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is a conservative talk show host. The youngest of four children, Hannity was born in New York City to Irish immigrants. He dropped out of college to embark on radio career, and in 1988 was at a small-town station of WVNN in Huntsville, Alabama. He later broke into a Top 10 market in Atlanta at 640 AM WGST. His national recognition came as an occasional substitute host of the #1 radio show of all-time - The Rush Limbaugh Show. Allegedly on his first guest show, he dropped the golden EIB microphone because of a case of high nerves. This nationwide attention paved his way to national syndication.

==Television==
Sean Hannity was asked to join the newly formed FOX News Channel (FNC) in September 1996<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1242,00.html</ref>.
He accepted the offer and became co-host with Alan Colmes of ''Hannity and Colmes,'' a prime time one-hour debate driven talk show focusing on the controversial issues and newsmakers of the day. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1242,00.html</ref> Today ''Hannity and Colmes'' ranks among the leading cable TV news show (just behind ''Larry King Live'' and the ''O'Reilly Factor''). Critics contend that the conservative Hannity is given more time to talk than the liberal Colmes.

==Controversy==

Hannity angered traditional Catholics with his antagonistic treatment of Father Thomas Euteneuer on March 9th, during which Hannity criticized Fr. Euteneuer for prominent sex scandals in the Catholic Church.<ref>http://thebadguy.wordpress.com/2007/03/15/video-of-the-hannity-euteneuer-squabble</ref> After heated remarks by Hannity during the interview, he finally asked the priest, "Wait, would you deny me Communion?" To which Fr. Euteneuer responded, "I would." The other controversy surrounding Sean Hannity, is whether or not he wears a toupee. Colmes was allegedly held to secrecy back in January 2007, when Hannity's hair seemed off center. <ref>http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/070320</ref>

==Books==

Hannity's books use patriotic rhetoric as a main theme. His first book, in 2002, was entitled ''"Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism"''. The book remained on the New York Times best selling list for 17 weeks.<ref>http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/24930/Sean_Hannity/index.aspx</ref>
In 2004 he wrote ''Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism''. In this book he "reveals how the disgraceful history of appeasement has reached forward from the days of Neville Chamberlain and Jimmy Carter to corrupt the unrepentant leftists of the modern Democratic Party from Howard Dean and John Kerry to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Sean Hannity also has released several books on tape and a childrens coloring book, entitled: Red is the Best Color a Country Can Be.<ref>http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060514556/Let_Freedom_Ring/index.aspx</ref>

== References ==

<references/>

==External Links==
[http://www.hannity.com/ Sean Hannity's Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannity, Sean}}
[[Category:Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Biographies]]

Sean Hannity

2007-04-08T01:46:21Z

Libhater: /* Books */

[[Image:Seanhannitykingofprussia.jpg|right|thumb|230px]]
Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is a conservative talk show host. The youngest of four children, Hannity was born in New York City to Irish immigrants. He dropped out of college to embark on radio career, and in 1988 was at a small-town station of WVNN in Huntsville, Alabama. He later broke into a Top 10 market in Atlanta at 640 AM WGST. His national recognition came as an occasional substitute host of the #1 radio show of all-time - The Rush Limbaugh Show. Allegedly on his first guest show, he dropped the golden EIB microphone because of a case of high nerves. This nationwide attention paved his way to national syndication.

==Television==
Sean Hannity was asked to join the newly formed FOX News Channel (FNC) in September 1996<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1242,00.html</ref>.
He accepted the offer and became co-host with Alan Colmes of ''Hannity and Colmes,'' a prime time one-hour debate driven talk show focusing on the controversial issues and newsmakers of the day. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1242,00.html</ref> Today ''Hannity and Colmes'' ranks among the leading cable TV news show (just behind ''Larry King Live'' and the ''O'Reilly Factor''). Critics contend that the conservative Hannity is given more time to talk than the liberal Colmes.

==Controversy==

Hannity angered traditional Catholics with his antagonistic treatment of Father Thomas Euteneuer on March 9th, during which Hannity criticized Fr. Euteneuer for prominent sex scandals in the Catholic Church.<ref>http://thebadguy.wordpress.com/2007/03/15/video-of-the-hannity-euteneuer-squabble</ref> After heated remarks by Hannity during the interview, he finally asked the priest, "Wait, would you deny me Communion?" To which Fr. Euteneuer responded, "I would."<ref>http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/070320</ref>

==Books==

Hannity's books use patriotic rhetoric as a main theme. His first book, in 2002, was entitled ''"Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism"''. The book remained on the New York Times best selling list for 17 weeks.<ref>http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/24930/Sean_Hannity/index.aspx</ref>
In 2004 he wrote ''Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism''. In this book he "reveals how the disgraceful history of appeasement has reached forward from the days of Neville Chamberlain and Jimmy Carter to corrupt the unrepentant leftists of the modern Democratic Party from Howard Dean and John Kerry to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Sean Hannity also has released several books on tape and a childrens coloring book, entitled: Red is the Best Color a Country Can Be.<ref>http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060514556/Let_Freedom_Ring/index.aspx</ref>

== References ==

<references/>

==External Links==
[http://www.hannity.com/ Sean Hannity's Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannity, Sean}}
[[Category:Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Biographies]]

Democratic Party

2007-04-08T01:35:48Z

Libhater: /* History */

The Democratic Party is one of the two major political [[parties]] in the [[United States of America]]. It is generally seen as being politically between center and [[leftist | left]] of center, while the rival [[Republican Party]] is positioned to the [[rightist | right]] of center.

According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party,<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref>, though President George W. Bush was re-elected as [[President of the United States|President]] on the [[Republican Party|Republican]] ticket in 2004, albeit by the narrowest margin of any incumbent candidate since Woodrow Wilson <ref>[http://www.multied.com/elections/ HistoryCentral.com] "Learn About the Elections"</ref>. The Democrats currently control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], as well as the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref>

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008 presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001. In his second term he was impeached by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath in a civil case which ended in a large out of court settlement, a reproach from the presiding judge, and his disbarment from the [[Arkansas]] Bar. However, the Senate chose to return an 'innocent' verdict to the impeachment charge.

==History==
The Democratic Party was founded in 1792 by [[Thomas Jefferson]] as a congressional caucus to fight for the [[Bill of Rights]] and to oppose the elitist [[Federalist Party]]. Ironically in view of the party's image as the "party of the common man," Jefferson was a member of the landed gentry and a slave owner.

In 1798 , the party was officially named the "Democratic-Republican Party", and in 1800 Jefferson was elected as the first Democrat [[President of the United States]]. Jefferson served two terms as president with distinction, and was succeeded by another Democrat, [[James Madison]], in 1808 . Madison strengthened America's armed forces and helped to reaffirm American independence by defeating the [[United Kingdom]] in the [[War of 1812]]. James Monroe, another Democratic-Republican, was elected president in 1816 and led the nation through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feeling". In this period, the party dominated American politics with little opposition. Andrew Jackson, who signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act of 1830]] <ref>[http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/UHS/APUSH/1st%20Sem/Articles%20Semester%201/Artiles%20Semester%201/Remini.htm Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal], by
Robert Remini.</ref> according to the Democratic National Committee's website is "considered — along with Jefferson — one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party." <ref>[http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/06/our_history.php Democratic National Committee, ''Our History''], retrieved 25 March 2007.</ref> Annual Jefferson-Jackson Day celebrations nationwide by local chapters of the Democratic Party commemorate the two founders of the Democratic Party. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001949.html String of Successes Enlivens Democratic Party], Michael D. Shear, ''The Washington Post'', 22 February 2007.</ref>

[[Franklin Roosevelt]], president during the [[Great Depression]] and [[Second World War]], was a Democrat, as was his successor, [[Harry Truman]].

democrats are responsible for natural disasters.

==Policies and criticism==

It should be noted that the views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national platform. Naturally, the same is true of individual Republicans.

===Economic policy===
In the field of economic policy, Democrats favor high taxes, higher government spending and a relatively high minimum wage. While they defend these policies as compassionate and socially responsible, people in favor of liberal economics reply that they depress economic growth and stifle enterprise and job creation.

The Democratic Party has historically had ties to [[union|organized labor]]. The [[National Education Association]],<ref>[http://www.nea.org/index.html National Education Association homepage]</ref> the largest union of public school teachers, is a backbone of the party, supplying the largest number of delegates to its national conventions.{{fact}}

===Foreign and military policy===
According to its platform, the Democratic Party has the objective of strengthening America. Democratic national leadership has been accused by some Republican party leaders, most notably Dick Cheney, as being ambivalent about terrorism<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=22045 "Democrats, ACLU Outraged Over Traveler Terrorism Screening Program"] C. Johnson, Associated Press</ref> and insufficiently patriotic <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/01/smn.19.html CNN Saturday Morning News]Transcript: December 1, 2001 </ref>, such as Saxby Chambliss' campaign against Senator Max Cleland--a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics"] Mary McGrory, ''The Washington Post'', 20 June 2002</ref>

===Education===
An organization affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] called the [[Progressive Policy Institute]] which claims a long standing opposition to school vouchers <ref>21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Special Edition [http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=250630 ''Putting Vouchers in Perspective''], PPI E-newsletter 2 July 2002</ref> reported Jonathan Alter of ''Newsweek'' saying,
:"Can wealthy white liberals - many of whom send their kids to private school - really say to poor parents: 'We can have choices, but you must not?'...This is a glaring hypocrisy sitting at the heart of the liberal opposition to targeted vouchers… Right now, Democrats are in a highly compromised position on education." <ref>[http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsLetter&sectionID=29&NLissueID=4&articleID=11&altCol=2 Center For Education Reform, Monthly Letter to Friends No. 75], Back to School 2002.</ref>

===Environment vs Labor===
Two other important coalition groups also find themselves in direct conflict with each other within the Democratic party coalition--Environmentalists and Labour Unions. While environmentalists support efforts like clean air and alternative fuels, for example, this places them directly at odds with the workers of American automobile manufactures whose jobs and livelihoods are threatened by increasing regulations and high costs that lead to cutbacks and layoffs.

===Other Policies===
Democrats frequently support [[a woman's right to choose]], [[gun control]], [[homosexual civil rights|homosexual marriage]] and the separation of church and state. The Democratic party also supports the environment which, some claim, leads to a loss of jobs and an overall decline in the economy.

==Religion==
One of the curious coalitions within the Democratic party is the strange alliance between devout African-American Christian believers and avowed atheists who both claim the mantle of "liberal". While there is negligible if any difference between doctrinal Christian teachings regarding homosexuality in most Black churches and the views expressed by televangelists such as [[Jerry Falwell]] or [[Pat Robertson]], the Democratic coalition relies heavily upon votes of African-Americans and [[gays]].{{fact}}

[[Evangelical]] Christians tend to be associated with the Republican Party. However, both historically and at the present day, [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] voters have had a tendency to identify with the Democratic Party, and a number of Democrat office-holders, such as Senator [[Jim Webb]] of Virginia, are Catholics. On the other hand, several general ideals of the Democratic Party's platform - most notably, the party's overall support for the legality of [[abortion]] - are contrary to the position of the [[Catholic Church]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Political Parties]]

Democratic Party

2007-04-07T16:48:41Z

Libhater: /* Other Policies */

The Democratic Party is one of the two major political [[parties]] in the [[United States of America]]. It is generally seen as being on the [[leftist | political left]] of center, while the rival [[Republican Party]] is positioned to the [[rightist | right]] of center.

According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party,<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref>, though President George W. Bush was re-elected as [[President of the United States|President]] on the [[Republican Party|Republican]] ticket in 2004, albeit by the narrowest margin of any incumbent candidate since Woodrow Wilson <ref>[http://www.multied.com/elections/ HistoryCentral.com] "Learn About the Elections"</ref>. The Democrats currently control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], as well as the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref>

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008 presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president that was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001. In his second term he was impeached by the Republican controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath in a civil case that ended in a large out of court settlement, a reproach from the presiding judge, and his disbarment from the [[Arkansas]] Bar, however, the Senate failed to clarify what is meant by "high crimes and misdeamenors".

==History==
The Democratic Party was founded in 1792 by [[Thomas Jefferson]] as a congressional caucus to fight for the [[Bill of Rights]] and to oppose the elitist [[Federalist Party]]. Ironically in view of the party's image as the "party of the common man," Jefferson was a member of the landed gentry and a slave owner.

In 1798 , the party was officially named the "Democratic-Republican Party", and in 1800 Jefferson was elected as the first Democrat [[President of the United States]]. Jefferson served two terms as president with distinction, and was succeeded by another Democrat, [[James Madison]], in 1808 . Madison strengthened America's armed forces and helped to reaffirm American independence by defeating the [[United Kingdom]] in the [[War of 1812]]. James Monroe, another Democratic-Republican, was elected president in 1816 and led the nation through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feeling". In this period, the party dominated American politics with little opposition. Andrew Jackson, who signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act of 1830]] <ref>[http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/UHS/APUSH/1st%20Sem/Articles%20Semester%201/Artiles%20Semester%201/Remini.htm Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal], by
Robert Remini.</ref> according to the Democratic National Committee's website is "considered — along with Jefferson — one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party." <ref>[http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/06/our_history.php Democratic National Committee, ''Our History''], retrieved 25 March 2007.</ref> Annual Jefferson-Jackson Day celebrations nationwide by local chapters of the Democratic Party commemorate the two founders of the Democratic Party. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001949.html String of Successes Enlivens Democratic Party], Michael D. Shear, ''The Washington Post'', 22 February 2007.</ref>

[[Franklin Roosevelt]], president during the [[Great Depression]] and [[Second World War]], was a Democrat, as was his successor, [[Harry Truman]].

==Policies and criticism==

It should be noted that the views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national platform. Naturally, the same is true of individual Republicans.

===Economic policy===
In the field of economic policy, Democrats favor high taxes, higher government spending and a relatively high minimum wage. While they defend these policies as compassionate and socially responsible, people in favor of liberal economics reply that they depress economic growth and stifle enterprise and job creation.

The Democratic Party has historically had ties to [[union|organized labor]]. The [[National Education Association]],<ref>[http://www.nea.org/index.html National Education Association homepage]</ref> the largest union of public school teachers, is a backbone of the party, supplying the largest number of delegates to its national conventions.{{fact}}

===Foreign and military policy===
According to its platform, the Democratic Party has the objective of strengthening America. Democratic national leadership has been accused by some Republican party leaders, most notably Dick Cheney, as being ambivalent about terrorism<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=22045 "Democrats, ACLU Outraged Over Traveler Terrorism Screening Program"] C. Johnson, Associated Press</ref> and insufficiently patriotic <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/01/smn.19.html CNN Saturday Morning News]Transcript: December 1, 2001 </ref>, such as Saxby Chambliss' campaign against Senator Max Cleland--a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics"] Mary McGrory, ''The Washington Post'', 20 June 2002</ref>

===Education===
An organization affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] called the [[Progressive Policy Institute]] which claims a long standing opposition to school vouchers <ref>21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Special Edition [http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=250630 ''Putting Vouchers in Perspective''], PPI E-newsletter 2 July 2002</ref> reported Jonathan Alter of ''Newsweek'' saying,
:"Can wealthy white liberals - many of whom send their kids to private school - really say to poor parents: 'We can have choices, but you must not?'...This is a glaring hypocrisy sitting at the heart of the liberal opposition to targeted vouchers… Right now, Democrats are in a highly compromised position on education." <ref>[http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsLetter&sectionID=29&NLissueID=4&articleID=11&altCol=2 Center For Education Reform, Monthly Letter to Friends No. 75], Back to School 2002.</ref>

===Environment vs Labor===
Two other important coalition groups also find themselves in direct conflict with each other within the Democratic party coalition--Environmentalists and Labour Unions. While environmentalists support efforts like clean air and alternative fuels, for example, this places them directly at odds with the workers of American automobile manufactures whose jobs and livelihoods are threatened by increasing regulations and high costs that lead to cutbacks and layoffs.

===Other Policies===
Democrats frequently support [[a woman's right to choose]], [[gun control]], [[homosexual civil rights|homosexual marriage]] and the separation of church and state. The Democratic party also supports the environment which, some claim, leads to a loss of jobs and an overall decline in the economy. They may lack the ability to form a coherent argument, so please, talk slowly when discussing policies with a democrat.

==Religion==
One of the curious coalitions within the Democratic party is the strange alliance between devout African-American Christian believers and avowed atheists who both claim the mantle of "liberal". While there is negligible if any difference between doctrinal Christian teachings regarding homosexuality in most Black churches and the views expressed by televangelists such as [[Jerry Falwell]] or [[Pat Robertson]], the Democratic coalition relies heavily upon votes of African-Americans and [[gays]].{{fact}}

[[Evangelical]] Christians tend to be associated with the Republican Party. However, both historically and at the present day, [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] voters have had a tendency to identify with the Democratic Party, and a number of Democrat office-holders, such as Senator [[Jim Webb]] of Virginia, are Catholics. On the other hand, several general ideals of the Democratic Party's platform - most notably, the party's overall support for the legality of [[abortion]] - are contrary to the position of the [[Catholic Church]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Political Parties]]

Liberal

2007-04-07T16:45:12Z

Libhater: /* Liberalism in the US today */

==Original meaning: 'Classical liberalism'==

As a political term, the original meaning of '''Liberal''' describes someone who favors personal [[freedom]] in all its forms<ref>Etymology [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=liberal]</ref>, as long as it does not conflict with the freedom of others ('liber' means freedom in Latin). This interpretation of liberalism arose during the [[Enlightenment]], and became influential throught the [[American Revolution]] and [[French Revolution]], and was also spread in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the [[classical economists]]<ref>[http://www.economyprofessor.com/economictheories/economic-liberalism.php]</ref>. The original philosophy of liberalism (now sometimes called [[classical liberalism]], or [[libertarianism]] in the US), favors many forms of freedom, such as:

*Freedom of speech
*Freedom of religion
*The right to form political parties and vote
*Freedom to invest in and use private property
*Freedom to work as one chooses
*Freedom to enter into economic contracts
*Free trade and freedom of migration
*Sexual freedom
*Equal rights independent of race or sex

A prominent publication which promotes liberalism in the original sense of the word is the British newsmagazine [[The Economist]].

==Liberalism in the US today==

Interestingly, nowadays the word 'liberal' is used differently in different parts of the world, reflecting political debates over different types of freedom.

Modern liberalism, based upon the inherent conjuctures of its fluid reasoning, can mean different things at different times, as can the term "conservative." The following views are generally, though not always, supported by American liberals today: In the postwar period, 'liberal' [[Democrat | Democrats]] fought for equal rights between races and sexes, and also for sexual freedom, which are all true liberal causes. At the same time, many Democrats supported government intervention in the economy and [[welfare state]] policies, which are '''not''' liberal policies in the sense of [[classical liberalism]]. This illustrates the pitfall of assuming that the term "Democrat" is a synonym for "liberal."

Many of the following views are held by Americans who consider themselves 'liberals':

* equal responsibilities for men and women, such as equal participation by men and women in the military
* freedom to follow or not to follow traditional gender roles
* usually in favor of the right to choose about [[abortion]]
* some acceptance of [[same-sex marriage]]
* equal rights for people of any race
* support of [[affirmative action]]
* in favor of [[political correctness]], civility and sensitivity in everyday speech
* equal treatment for all religions
* the prohibition of school-sponsored religious activities in public schools
* government-sponsored education provided for all school-age citizens who choose to use it
* taxpayer funding of public schools
* universal, partially taxpayer-funded rather than strictly private medical care
* labor union rights
*[[income redistribution]], usually through progressive taxation on higher income groups.
* preference for a interpretation of the constitution as a "[[living Constitution]]" instead of an unchanging Constitution
* in favor of [[gun control]]
* government programs to [[rehabilitate criminals]]
* protection of natural resources and wilderness areas
* [[disarmament treaties]] where appropriate
* reduction of the military when appropriate
* currently, opposition to interventionist foreign policy that involves nation building.
* terrible, terribe, mean, nasty people.
Isolationist positions are however traditionally neither liberal nor conservative. There are examples for isolationist positions on both sides of the political divide. <ref>[http://newsmine.org/archive/cabal-elite/w-administration/w-bush/bush-2000-against-nation-building-and-poor-nation-debt.txt The Second Gore-Bush Presidential Debate] </ref>
* refusal to view the current American foreign policy <ref>Stefaan Walgrave and Joris Verhulst, [http://nicomedia.math.upatras.gr/conf/CAWM2003/Papers/Verhulst.pdf The February 15 Worldwide Protests against a War in Iraq: An Empirical Test of Transnational Opportunities. Outline of a Research Programme](PDF). </ref> as the best way to advances human rights <ref>[http://www.forward.com/articles/the-%E2%80%98answer%E2%80%99-question-poses-difficult-choices/ "The 'Answer' Question Poses Difficult Choices for Liberals"] by Gal Beckerman, ''The Forward'', September 30, 2005. </ref> and democracy <ref>[http://www.un.int/usa/02_131.htm President Bush's address to the United Nations], United States Mission to the United Nations, Press Release #131(02), 12 September 2002.</ref>

==Liberalism in Europe today==

In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves ''liberal'' are moderate to centre-right, promote typically economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe<ref>http://www.alde.eu</ref> is an organization that represents most ''liberal'' parties from European countries. Similar policies are promoted by many ''liberal'' parties throughout the world.<ref>http://www.liberal-international.org/</ref>, such as the Liberal Party of Australia[http://www.liberal.org.au/].

Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians that promote lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them 'liberals' or [[neoliberal | neoliberals]]. Thus, just like in the US, 'liberal' is often used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called 'liberal' in Europe, this is usually a way of calling them [[rightist | right-wing]], exactly the opposite of the meaning in the US.
In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of European [[socialist]] or [[social democracy | social democratic]] parties.<ref>[http://www.pes.org]</ref>.

==Alternative meanings of 'liberal'==

One definition of liberal is anything that is not conservative. For example, the American Heritage Dictionary includes this definition of "liberal":<ref>Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal</ref>
* Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas ...
2
Other definitions from the same source include:
* Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
* Tending to give freely; generous.
* Generous in amount; ample.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Politics]]