Difference between revisions of "Liberal"

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[[File:Biden's Hellscape.jpg|right|300px|thumb|American dictator [[Joseph Biden]] against a hellscape background, encouraging an ideological civil war]]
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{{Dablink|This article discusses the ideology of liberalism. Local differences in its meaning are listed in [[Liberalism worldwide]]. For other uses, see [[Liberal]].}}
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A '''liberal''' (alternately called a left-winger or [[leftism|leftist]]) in [[America]] is someone who advocates an increase in [[government]] spending, power, and control, typically through taxpayer-funded programs such as [[Welfare]], failed [[public school]]s, [[ObamaCare]] and support for wasteful [[USAID|foreign aid]]. Liberals often support the [[censorship]] and the [[denial]] of  [[Christian]] values<ref>Multiple references:
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[[Image:WLMK hammer and tongs Votez Liberal poster 1930.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=Colored poster showing a man with a hammer as a welder, holding onto chains; "Votez Liberal" (in French) is seen in the background |[[Canada|Canadian]] poster for the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]], in [[French language|French]], showing [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|Prime Minister Mackenzie King]] welding together the provinces of the country ahead of the [[Canadian federal election, 1930|1930 election]]. The Liberals governed Canada for nearly 70 years in the 20th century, but they suffered a rare and serious defeat in 1930.]]
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*Byas, Steve (March 18, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/31774-horowitz-american-left-is-at-war-with-christianity Horowitz: American Left Is at War With Christianity]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
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{{Liberalism sidebar}}
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* http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=2062
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'''Liberalism''' (from the Latin ''liberalis'', "of freedom"<ref>[http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=liberalis&ending= Latin Dictionary and Grammar Aid] University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 2010-02-20</ref>) is the belief in the importance of [[liberty|individual liberty]].<ref>Gaus pp. 22 ''The British philosopher [[Maurice Cranston]] is quoted: "a liberal is [one] who believes in liberty."''</ref> Liberals are very diverse in their specific views depending on their understanding of liberty, although most liberals support fundamental ideas like [[liberal democracy]], written [[Constitution|constitutions]], free and fair [[Election|elections]], [[Equal opportunity|equality of opportunity]], [[free markets]], [[free trade]], and [[secularism|secular society]]. These ideas and policies are often accepted even among political groups that do not openly profess a liberal [[political spectrum|ideological orientation]]. Liberalism encompasses several [[List of liberal theorists|intellectual trends and traditions]], but the dominant variants are [[social liberalism]], which became popular in the 20th century, and [[classical liberalism]], the original incarnation of liberal philosophy.
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*Anderson, Troy (June 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32393-the-war-to-destroy-christianity-in-america The War to Destroy Christianity in America]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
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*Dreher, Rod (October 14, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/democrats-versus-traditional-christians-beto-orourke-elizabeth-warren/ Democrats vs. Traditional Christians]. ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
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*Dreher, Rod (October 11, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/beto-vs-religious-liberty/ Beto vs. Religious Liberty]. ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
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*Scaliger, Charles (December 26, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/34255-the-left-s-abc-anything-but-christianity-syndrome The Left’s “ABC” (“Anything But Christianity”) Syndrome]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 26, 2019.</ref> and [[conservative]] viewpoints.  
  
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Liberalism first became a powerful force in the [[Age of Enlightenment]], rejecting many [[Foundationalism|foundational]] assumptions that dominated most earlier theories of government, such as [[Nobility|hereditary status]], [[state religion|established religions]], [[Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]], and the [[Divine Right of Kings]]. Early thinkers like [[John Locke]], who is often regarded as the founder of liberalism as a distinct philosophical tradition, employed the concept of [[natural rights]] to argue for the protection of [[private property]], the [[consent of the governed]], and the prevalence of [[Legislature |legislative power]] over [[Autocracy |autocratic]] forms of rule. Liberal philosophy unfolded in the context of [[Social contract|social contract theory]], which maintained that the source of legitimacy for any ruling order ultimately lied with the people, who gave up their authority in return for the [[rule of law]].  
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Increasingly, liberals side with [[transgender activism]], the [[homosexual agenda]], including [[same-sex marriage|homosexual "marriage"]].  Liberals favor a [[welfare state]] where people receive endless entitlements without working.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/23/reform-conservatives-tackle-the-failed-liberal-welfare-state/ Reform conservatives tackle the failed liberal welfare state], [[Washington Post]]</ref>  The liberal ideology has degenerated into economically unsound views and [[Liberal bigotry|intolerant ideology]]. All liberals support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of [[conservative]] principles, while lacking an actual ideology or values of their own.<ref>http://eaglerising.com/22901/liberal-crybabies-get-offended-by-caitlyn-jenner-costume/</ref> [[Secular left|Many of them]] [[Secularized Language|cannot understand]] Christian language.<ref>Williams, Thomas D., Ph.D. (December 26, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/26/religiously-ignorant-liberals-mistake-new-king-at-christmas-for-donald-trump/ Religiously-Ignorant Liberals Mistake ‘New King’ at Christmas for Donald Trump]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref> Liberals are especially prone to believe [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]], particularly those that denigrate people or views they disagree with,<ref>Murdock, Deroy (March 29, 2019). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/collusion-clingers-and-their-flat-earth-forebears/ Collusion Clingers and Their Flat-Earth Forebears]. ''National Review''. Retrieved March 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://video.foxnews.com/v/6020444417001/?playlist_id=5198073478001#sp=show-clips Tucker: Brennan and Comey disgraced themselves]. ''Fox News Video''. March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.</ref> and they are [[Liberal intolerance|increasingly intolerant]] of opposing viewpoints.<ref>Folks, Jeffrey (July 30, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/leftists-dont-want-equality-in-america-they-want-revenge Leftists don’t want equality in America. They want revenge.] ''LifeSiteNews'' (from the ''American Thinker''). Retrieved July 30, 2019.</ref> Modern liberals reject [[Classical Liberal|classical liberalism]], which is now a purported aspect of conservatism.<ref>Vance, Laurence M. (December 27, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/34256-review-of-for-a-new-liberalism Review of “For a New Liberalism”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 27, 2019.</ref>
  
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The [[French Revolution]], which implemented several liberal ideas, was the most seminal event in the history of liberalism, paving the way for the development of [[modern history]] by launching or inspiring liberal movements around the world. Other political earthquakes that preceded the French Revolution, like the [[Glorious Revolution]] and the [[American Revolution]], also accelerated the advance of liberalism. In the 19th century, liberal governments were established in many nations across [[Liberalism in Europe|Europe]], [[Liberalism and conservatism in Latin America|Latin America]], and [[Liberalism in the United States|North America]]&mdash;often through violent [[Revolution|revolutions]] and [[Civil war|civil wars]]. Liberal power increased even further in the 20th century, when liberal democracies triumphed in the [[World war|two world wars]] and survived major ideological challenges from [[fascism]] and [[communism]]. Today, liberalism is [[Liberalism worldwide|organized politically]] on all major continents, and the influence of liberals on the modern world is profound. Liberals have played a decisive role in the growth of [[republic|republics]], the spread of [[civil rights]] and [[civil liberties]], the establishment of the [[Liberal welfare reforms|modern welfare state]], the institution of [[religious toleration]] and [[Freedom of religion|religious freedom]], the evolution of [[Liberal Christianity|theological ideas]], the rise of [[Pluralism (political philosophy)|political pluralism]], and the development of [[globalization]]. They have also shown strong support for regional and international organizations like the [[European Union]] and the [[United Nations]], hoping to reduce conflict through [[diplomacy]] and [[Multilateralism|multilateral negotiations]]. Aiming to highlight the importance of liberalism in modern life, [[Political science|political scientist]] [[Alan Wolfe]] claimed that "liberalism is the answer for which modernity is the question".<ref>Wolfe pp. 254</ref>
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Polling data has consistently shown that a larger percentage of Americans identify as conservative, rather than as liberal, by a margin of 35% to 26% as of 2017; while the gap between self-identified conservatives and self-identified liberals has been narrowing in recent years,<ref>[https://news.gallup.com/poll/225074/conservative-lead-ideology-down-single-digits.aspx Conservative Lead in U.S. Ideology is Down to Single Digits]</ref> liberals and "[[progressives]]" oftentimes falsely claim that liberals outnumber conservatives. Liberals are especially active in universities.<ref>Lott, Maxim (January 18, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialism-rising-universities-and-radical-profs-helping-steer-leftward-shift-in-politics Socialism rising: Universities and ‘radical’ profs helping steer leftward shift in politics, critics say]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 18, 2019.</ref>
  
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==Etymology and definition==
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==Political positions and practices of liberals ==
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Words like ''liberal'', ''[[liberty]]'', and ''[[libertarian]]'' all trace their history to the [[Latin]] ''liber'', which means "free".<ref>Gross pp. 5</ref> One of the first recorded instances of the word ''liberal'' occurs in 1375, when it was used to describe the ''[[liberal arts]]''.<ref>Ibid., pp. 5</ref> The word's early connection with the classical education of a [[medieval university]], however, soon gave way to a proliferation of different denotations and connotations. ''Liberal'' could refer to "free in bestowing" as early as 1387, "made without stint" in 1433, "freely permitted" in 1530, and "free from restraint"&mdash;often as a pejorative remark&mdash;in the 16th and the 17th centuries.<ref>Ibid., pp. 5</ref> In 16th century [[Kingdom of England|England]], ''liberal'' could have positive or negative attributes in referring to someone's generosity or indiscretion.<ref>Ibid., pp. 5</ref> In ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] wrote of "a liberal villaine" who "hath...confest his vile encounters".<ref>Ibid., pp. 5</ref> With the rise of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], the word acquired decisively more positive undertones, being defined as "free from narrow prejudice" in 1781 and "free from bigotry" in 1823.<ref>Ibid., pp. 5</ref> Meanwhile, in 1815, the first use of the word ''liberalism'' appeared in [[English language|English]].<ref>Kirchner pp. 2-3</ref> By the middle of the 19th century, ''liberal'' had become famous and popular enough to transition into a fully politicized term for [[Liberal Party|political parties and movements]] all over the world.
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|colspan="2"|<hr/>[[MSNBC]] propagandists [[Lawrence O'Donnell]] (left) and [[Joe Scarborough]] (right).
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'''Liberals support the following political positions and practices''':<ref>https://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2014/02/21/liberal-students-have-a-funny-definition-of-diversity-n1798157</ref>
  
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The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary]]'' defines the word ''liberal'' as "giving freely, generous, not sparing; open-minded, not prejudiced; not literal (of interpretation); for general broadening of the mind".<ref>Dorrien pp. xix</ref> It also defines the word as "regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change".<ref>Ibid., pp. xix</ref> Identifying any definitive meaning for the word, however, has proven challenging to scholars and to the general public. The widespread use of the word ''liberal'' often inspires people to understand it based on a wide array of factors, like geographic location or [[political spectrum|political orientation]].<ref>Kirchner pp. 2</ref> The [[United States|American]] [[Political science|political scientist]] [[Louis Hartz]] echoed this frustration and confusion, writing that "Liberalism is an even vaguer term, clouded as it is by all sorts of modern social reform connotations, and even when one insists on using it in the Lockian sense...there are aspects of our original life in the Puritan colonies and the South which hardly fit its meaning".<ref>Hartz pp. 3-4</ref> Hartz emphasized the European origin of the word in his studies, conceptualizing a liberal as someone who believed in liberty, [[Equal opportunity|equality]], and [[capitalism]]&mdash;in opposition to the association that [[Conservatism in the United States|American conservatives]] have tried to establish between liberalism and centralized government.<ref>Ibid., pp. ix</ref>
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*Opposition to, and hatred of, [[Natural Law]], [[unalienable rights]], [[republicanism]], [[Americanism]]; support for the [[War on Freedom]]
  
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==History==
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* Wasting money on ineffective government programs (the significant economic problems in the [[Eurozone]] due to government debt will no doubt increasingly discredit this aspect of liberal ideology and make things more difficult for advocates of liberal economic ideologies)
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The history of liberalism spans the better part of the last four centuries, beginning in the [[English Civil War]] and continuing after the end of the [[Cold War]]. Liberalism started as a major doctrine and intellectual endeavor in response to the [[European wars of religion|religious wars]] gripping Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its first notable incarnation came with the [[American Revolution]] before it fully exploded as a comprehensive movement against the [[Ancien Régime|old order]] during the [[French Revolution]], which set the pace for the future development of both liberal and human history. [[Classical liberalism|Classical liberals]], who broadly emphasized the importance of [[free market|free markets]] and [[civil liberties]], dominated liberal history for a century after the French Revolution. The onset of the [[First World War]] and the [[Great Depression]], however, accelerated the trends begun in late 19th century [[United Kingdom|Britain]] towards a [[social liberalism|new liberalism]] that emphasized a greater initiative for the state in ameliorating devastating social conditions. By the beginning of the 21st century, [[liberal democracy|liberal democracies]] and their fundamental characteristics&mdash;support for [[Constitution|constitutions]], [[Election|free and fair elections]], and [[Pluralism (political philosophy)|pluralistic society]]&mdash;had prevailed in most regions around the world.
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*Many liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech">[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/20/suzanne-fields-how-the-liberal-left-is-killing-fre/ The slow death of free speech] by Suzanne Fields, ''Washington Times'', 2015</ref><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com">[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-does-the-left-want-to-suppress-free-speech/article/2532270 Why does the left want to suppress free speech?] by Michael Barone, Washington Examiner, 2013</ref>
  
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===Prelude to liberalism===
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*Judging people by the color of their skin, rather than the content of their character.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-woke-left-vs-martin-luther-king-jr The woke Left vs. Martin Luther King Jr.], ''[[Washington Examiner]]'', January 20, 2020.</ref>
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{{main|Middle Ages}}
 
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After centuries of dominance, the [[Roman Empire]] irrevocably splintered in 476 CE. The eastern part of the Roman world became the [[Byzantine Empire]] and the western part fractured into a series of kingdoms that collectively represented a shadow of the erstwhile Roman eagle. Despite these enormous geopolitical changes, however, one constant remained to give [[Europe]] a certain sense of unity and stability: [[Christianity]]. Originally insulted as a fringe cult, [[Christian|Christians]] were persecuted for centuries after the death of [[Jesus]], but they spread efficiently throughout the empire despite constant harassment from Roman authorities, appealing especially to the poor and those at the bottom of the social ladder.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 15 ''The Christian teaching spread at first among the poor, the people at the bottom of society, those whom Greek glories and Roman splendors had passed over or enslaved, and who had the least to delight in or to hope for in the existing world.''</ref> When [[Constantine I|Constantine]] integrated them into Roman life in the fourth century CE, the stage was set for the eventual domination of the Christian religion. Although the Roman Empire collapsed and splintered, Christianity was sufficiently entrenched into the fabric of society to survive the resulting sociopolitical chaos that characterized the period.<ref>Tanner pp. xviii</ref>
 
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[[Image:reformation.gif|thumb|alt=Image of Europe showing Catholic and Protestant lands in the 16th and 17th centuries |[[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] and [[Counter-Reformation|Counter Reformation]] in [[Europe]]. [[Protestant]] lands are shown in blue and [[Catholic]] lands in olive. The [[Catholic Church|Church]] tried to reverse Protestant gains for over a century before the [[Thirty Years' War|Thirty Years War]] finally halted further expansion from the Catholics. The failure of the Counter Reformation was one of the major sparks for the rise of liberalism in Europe.]]
 
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Christianity provided the post-Roman European world with a sense of purpose and direction. European experiences during the [[Middle Ages]] were often characterized by fear, uncertainty, and warfare&mdash;the latter being especially endemic in medieval life.<ref>Ibid., pp. xx</ref> Christian societies largely believed that history unfolded according to a divine plan over which humans had little control. Something of a quid pro quo relationship emerged between [[Catholic Church|the Church]] and regional rulers: the Church gave kings and queens authority to rule while the latter spread the message of the Christian faith and did the bidding of Christian social and military forces.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 22-4</ref> It was an astute, symbiotic relationship in a world rife with uncertainty and danger. For much of the Middle Ages, the authority of the Church was virtually unquestioned and unquestionable. Leaders who challenged that authority were often severely rebuked and sometimes even publicly embarrassed, as evidenced by [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]] waiting barefoot in the snow at the fort of [[Canossa]] to receive forgiveness from the Pope.<ref>Roberts pp. 476 ''To avoid trial before the German bishops presided over by Gregory (who was already on his way to Germany), Henry came in humiliation to Canossa, where he waited in the snow barefoot until Gregory would receive his penance in one of the most dramatic of all confrontations of lay and spiritual authority.''</ref> The world was very pious, and few aspects of life were spared from religious analysis and connotation. The influence of ''the Church'' can be clearly understood by the fact that the very term often referred to something like European society as a whole.<ref>Ibid., pp. 473 ''By 'the Church' as an earthly institution, Christians mean the whole body of the faithful, lay and cleric alike. In this sense the Church came to be the same thing as European society during the Middle Ages.''</ref> When it invoked the will of God in 1095, the Church set the stage for dozens of [[Crusades|crusades]] against [[Paganism|pagans]], [[Muslim|Muslims]], and various other groups.
 
  
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The Church experienced fortunate times that lasted for centuries, but outside events and internal struggles crippled the power of the greatest institution in European life. In the 14th century, disputes over papal successions&mdash;and, indeed, over just who was the Pope and who was not&mdash;rocked the [[Western world]].<ref>Tanner pp. 1</ref> These disputes significantly harmed the reputation of the Church. The middle of the 14th century also witnessed the spread of the [[Black Death]], which exterminated perhaps up to one-third of the European population&mdash;some 20 million humans gone in just a few years.<ref>Ibid., xix</ref> These enormous fatality rates incensed people across the continent, and much of their rage was directed at the Church, which was viewed as ineffectual in the face of such carnage. Flagellant confraternities gained popularity during the Black Death, edged onwards by the prophecies of [[Joachim of Fiore]], who had predicted that the world would end imminently.<ref>Ibid., 101</ref> The Black Death had a profound influence on future [[History of Europe|European history]], laying the groundwork&mdash;through peasant uprisings and the eventual emergence of a small class of property owners&mdash;for the eventual [[Pluralism (political philosophy)|pluralism]] that became a hallmark of the liberal world.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 47-8</ref> Further disillusionment with the Church prompted the growth of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The [[Protestant Reformation]] developed from sentiments that viewed the Church as an oppressive ruling order too involved in the [[feudalism|feudal]] and baronial structure of European society.<ref>Ibid., pp. 75 ''They might wish to manage their own religious affairs as they did their other business, believing that the church hierarchy was too much embedded in a feudal, baronial, and monarchical system with which they had little in common.''</ref> The growth of the [[Renaissance]] also weakened the influence of the Church while reinvigorating interest in the [[Classical antiquity|classical world]]. In the middle of the 16th century, the Church launched a [[Counter-Reformation|Counter Reformation]] to contain the bubbling agitation, but this effort ultimately unraveled in the [[Thirty Years' War|Thirty Years War]], a deadly European conflict that lasted from 1618 until 1648, which saw Catholic forces suffer massive defeats and failing to unify the European continent religiously. Meanwhile, in [[Kingdom of England|England]], disputes between the [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] and King [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] sparked a [[English Civil War|massive civil war]] in the 1640s. Charles was executed in 1649 and the Parliament finally succeeded in establishing a limited and [[constitutional monarchy]] after centuries of chaos.
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*'''[[Faucism]]'''
  
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These frenzied events sparked a deluge of social and political dialogue in English intellectual circles. The main facets of early liberal ideology emerged from these discussions, and two historians characterize the period in the following light:
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*In the [[United States]], the [[Democrat Party]] and liberals have moved so [[far left]] that there are now political figures involved in Democrat politics who are sympathetic to [[Communism]]. For example, [[Anita Dunn]], an American political strategist who served as [[White House]] Communications Director from April through November 2009 in [[Obama Administration]], said that [[Mao Zedong]] was her favorite political philosopher.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher] by [[Ben Shapiro]], Bretbart News, 2012</ref> [[Bernie Sanders]], a leading candidate in the Democrat Party's 2016 presidential nomination, although he is an adherent of [[social democracy]], he also has a history of involvement with [[Marxism|Marxist]] organizations.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by [[Paul Sperry]], New York Post,January 16, 2016</ref><ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST">[https://www.wnd.com/2016/01/is-bernie-sanders-a-communist/ IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST?] by Joseph Farah, WND, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-d-ackerman/history-lesson-bernie-san_b_9355082.html History Lesson: Bernie Sanders is no 'Communist,' and 'Democratic Socialists' are as American as Apple Pie], Huffington Post, 2012</ref> Sanders shocked his fellow liberals by putting up a [[Soviet Union]] flag in his Senate office.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post, January 16, 2016</ref> In 1998, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which was founded by Sanders, had the song ''Red Revolution'' (a song advocating communist revolution) featured on a website that they shared with the Democratic Socialists of America.<ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST"/>
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* In 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of [[Hillary Clinton]], made the statement about the Democrat Party, which is a party strongly supported by liberals, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”<ref name="constitution.com">[http://constitution.com/democrat-party-overrun-communist/  Before his death in 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton, made the statement, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”], Constitution.com</ref> In 1988, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), after decades of running their own presidential candidates, stopped running presidential candidates because the gap between Democrats and American communists had grown smaller.<ref name="youtube.com">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjFfE1MNFk Communists, the Democrat Party and Snopes]</ref> In 2016, the CPUSA urged people not to vote for Donald Trump even if they disliked Hillary Clinton (an indirect endorsement of Clinton).<ref name="youtube.com"/>  Although there are still some very substantial differences between Communists and Democrats/liberals, the line between Communists/Democrats/liberals continues to blur in the United States.<ref name="constitution.com"/> Ironically, the leading Communist country in the world, [[Communist Party of China|Communist China]], has moved farther away from Communism and now has a mixed economy of [[capitalism]] and state-owned enterprises.<ref>[China's The Most Viciously Free Market Economy On The Planet Right Now], Forbes, 2015</ref>
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* Denial of science<ref>[http://www.postlibertarian.com/2012/09/why-do-liberals-hate-science/ Why Do Liberals Hate Science?]</ref> (especially [[creation science]]) while conversely embracing [[pseudoscience]] for political and ideological reasons
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* Government's ability to solve economic problems<ref name=studentNews>[http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs]</ref>
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{{anchor|Hypocrisy}}
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* [[Liberal Hypocrisy|Hypocrisy]]<ref>http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002849963/3038298682_real_verse_liberal_hypocrisy_xlarge.png</ref>
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* Destruction of traditional [[Western civilization|Western]] morality<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/07/13/5_ways_liberalism_destroys_virtue]</ref>
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* [[Liberal hedonism|Hedonism]]
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* Rejection of Biblical standards
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* Destroying the Christian foundations on which America was built.
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* Destroying conservative family values and replacing them with immoral [[Hollywood values]], such as abortion
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* Support and justification of [[pornography]]<ref>Jones, Angela (December 31, 2020). [https://www.salon.com/2020/12/30/the-anti-porn-religious-lobby-just-destroyed-the-livelihoods-of-thousands-of-pornographers/ The anti-porn religious lobby just destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of pornographers]. ''Salon''. Retrieved December 31, 2020.</ref>
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* Support for obscenity, pornography and violence in video games<ref>The [[Warren Court]], led by '''liberal''' Justices [[William O. Douglas]], [[Hugo Black]], [[Abe Fortas]], [[William Brennan]] and Chief Justice [[Earl Warren]] issued 36 decisions granting [[First Amendment]] rights to obscenity and pornography.  These decisions remain fully supported by liberals today.</ref>
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* Libertine sexual morality (see: [[Evolutionary belief and sexual immorality]] and [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]])
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* [[Globalism]], [[one-world government]], and opposition to national [[sovereignty]] (see also: [[War on Sovereignty]])
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* Wiping out national identity, which unites a country and makes it distinct from other countries<ref>Kraychik, Robert (July 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/24/dennis-prager-leftists-dont-believe-in-national-identities/ Dennis Prager: Leftists ‘Don’t Believe in National Identities’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 26, 2018.</ref>
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* Support for [[open borders]] with no border controls or [[border wall]]s
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* Support for [[amnesty]] for illegals, and for [[Voter fraud|non-citizens voting in U.S. elections]]<ref>Murphy, James (July 27, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/29650-liberal-cities-want-voting-rights-for-non-citizens-even-illegal-ones Liberal Cities Want Voting Rights for Non-Citizens — Even Illegal Ones]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 28, 2018.</ref><ref>Dinan, Stephen (October 18, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/18/texas-democrats-ask-noncitizens-register-vote/ Texas Dems ask noncitizens to register to vote, send applications with citizenship box pre-checked]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved October 18, 2018.</ref>
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* [[Anti-Americanism]]
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* Slowly eroding the U.S. through [[Progressivism]].<ref>[http://americanprogressivism.wordpress.com/ What Is Progressivism?]</ref>
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* A "[[living Constitution]]" that is reinterpreted as liberals prefer, rather than how it is thought to have been intended.
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*Lack of [[patriotism]]<ref>Bleau, Hannah (July 4, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/04/round-up-democrats-reveal-they-dislike-celebrating-america-after-all/ Round-Up: Democrats Reveal They Dislike Celebrating America After All]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 4, 2019.</ref><ref>Byas, Steve (July 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32780-lack-of-pride-in-america-not-surprising-after-years-of-liberal-propaganda Lack of Pride in America Not Surprising After Years of Liberal Propaganda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 4, 2019.</ref>
 +
* [[Gun control]]
 +
* Prioritizing social engineering and political correctness in the military over readiness and national security<ref>Chalk, Casey (November 8, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/what-is-the-woke-military-really-preparing-us-for/ What is the New ‘Woke’ Military Really Preparing Us For?] ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved November 8, 2019.</ref>
 +
* Government programs to [[rehabilitate criminals]]
 +
* [[Censorship]] of people, organizations, and beliefs they disagree with<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/07/watch-what-you-say-the-new-liberal-power-elite-won-t-tolerate-dissent.html Watch What You Say, The New Liberal Power Elite Won’t Tolerate Dissent], [[The Daily Beast]]</ref>
 +
* Legalized [[same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]] and homosexual adoption
 +
* Brainwashing voters with propaganda
 +
* Naive acceptance of the [[Idea of Progress]]
 +
* [[Socialism]]<ref>[http://famguardian.org/subjects/Politics/Articles/Liberals.htm 60 Hard Truths about "Liberals"]</ref>
 +
* Taxpayer-funded and state-encouraged [[abortion]]
 +
* [[Murder]] (through [[abortion]], [[infanticide]], [[assisted suicide]], and [[euthanasia]]) {{anchor|Censorship}}
 +
* ''De facto'' authoritarian government<ref>[http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2014/07/liberal_authori.html Liberal Authoritarianism]</ref>
 +
* [[Authoritarianism|Authoritarian]] mindset<ref>Richarson, Bradford (June 11, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/11/liberals-not-conservatives-more-likely-possess-psy/ Study from 2012 now corrected to show liberals, not conservatives, more authoritarian]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.</ref>
 +
* Government mass-surveillance
 +
* [[Liberal Fascism|Fascist tendencies]] (see also: [[Homo-fascism]])
 +
* Spreading of [[political correctness]]
 +
* Government-funded medical care, such as [[Obamacare]] and "[[Medicare For All]]"
 +
* Strong support for the [[Nanny State]] and [[big government]] policies
 +
* Government interference into the smallest details of people's everyday lives<ref>Terrell, Rebecca (May 7, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32100-forced-vaccinations Forced Vaccinations: Is It Time for Big Brother to Become Your Doctor?] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref><ref>Duke, Selwyn (May 8, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/32236-tolerant-big-brother-let-people-drink-smoke-and-eat-red-meat-says-health-minister Tolerant Big Brother: Let People Drink, Smoke, and Eat Red Meat, Says Health Minister]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 8, 2019.</ref>
 +
* Limiting personal freedom.<ref>[http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Democratic_Party Democratic Party]</ref> Liberal support for gun control is an example of this.
 +
* [[Hate|Hatred]] of those they disagree with (see: [[Liberal hate speech]])
 +
* Smearing<ref>http://www.truthnation.com/trumps-slogan-is-a-throwback-to-reagan-and-liberals-are-furious-make-america-great-again/</ref>
 +
* Slander<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Slander-Liberal-About-American-Right/dp/1400049520</ref> (see [[Liberal Smear Machine]] and [[Politics of personal destruction]])
 +
* High progressive taxes<ref>[http://www.ijreview.com/2014/07/157256-course-lower-state-taxes-helps-growth-studys-results-prove/ This Nationwide Study Challenges Everything Liberals Have Told You About Raising Taxes]</ref> as a form of class warfare against wealthy business owners.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/Progressive_taxation Progressive taxation]</ref>
 +
* Unsuccessful Keynesian economics as opposed to sound free-market economics
 +
* Failed [[tax and spend]] economics
 +
* Brainwashing through government-censored [[public education]]
 +
* [[evolution and liberalism|Belief in evolution]]
 +
* Cessation of teacher-led [[prayer]] in classrooms and school/state-sponsored religious events.
 +
* Encouraging promiscuity and immorality through sexual education rather than teaching [[abstinence]] from premarital sex<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286671,00.html Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program Funding], [[Fox News]], Monday, June 25, 2007</ref>
 +
* Pseudo-intellectualism<ref>[http://eljam.blogspot.com/2005/09/i-hate-pseudo-intellectuals.html I hate pseudo-intellectuals]</ref>
 +
* Crying instead of accepting reality<ref>http://liberaltears.net/</ref>
 +
* Affirmative action<ref name=studentNews />
 +
* Placement of men and women in the same jobs in the [[military]]
 +
* Denial of conservative roles in history. For example, liberals frequently claim<ref>[http://www.deism.com/washington.htm George Washington and Deism]</ref> that George Washington was a deist when he was actually a devout Episcopalian.
 +
* Non-syndicalist [[labor union]]s
 +
* Many liberals engage in [[racism]]<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/03/26/25-examples-of-liberal-racism-in-quotes-n1549044 25 Examples of Liberal Racism in Quotes]</ref> (see [[liberal racism]] and [[left-wing Anti-Semitism]])
 +
* [[Liberal bigotry|Bigotry]]
 +
* [[Trump Derangement Syndrome]]
 +
* [[Nazi]]-style book burning<ref>Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 17, 2021). [https://thehill.com/homenews/539149-library-staffer-fired-after-being-accused-of-burning-trump-coulter-books Library staffer fired after being accused of burning Trump, Coulter books]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 17, 2021.</ref>
 +
* Advocating incorrect policies<ref>[https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/04/liberals-smug-condescending]</ref>
 +
* Third- and fourth-wave [[feminism]], [[gender confusion]], and [[anti-family]] policies
 +
* Abolition of the [[death penalty]]
 +
* [[Environmentalism]],<ref>and environmental organizations, for example [[Greenpeace]]</ref> including the [[Green New Deal]]
 +
* Unconstitutionally mandated separation of church and state.
 +
* Opposition to full [[private property]] rights.<ref>For example, the liberal wing of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] issued the 5–4 [[Kelo v. City of New London]] decision authorizing the taking of private property by government in order to give the property to another private entity rather than convert it to a public use.</ref>
 +
* Reinstatement of the [[Fairness Doctrine]]
 +
* Support for the [[Welfare State]]
 +
* Oppression of business rather than a laissez-faire capitalist economy
 +
* American liberals often have opposition to the U.S. Constitution and/or are often ignorant of what the U.S. Constitution states. Liberals seek to expand federal power at the expense of local government and silence the conservatives who hold them back, violating the 10th and 1st Amendments, respectively.
 +
* [[Liberal Denial|Denial]] of traditional [[gender roles]]
 +
* Support of financially irresponsible policies
 +
* Encouragement of [[Global Warming|"global warming" alarmism]]
 +
* Rejection of logical<ref>[http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140711/OPINION/140719804/2011/OPINION Liberals are illogical, and good at it]</ref> standards
 +
* Attacking people for acting decently merely because they personally don't like them, often smearing them of only seeking attention
 +
* Racism against Cuban-Americans<ref>Quintana, Ana (September 17, 2020). [https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/09/17/the-leftist-medias-unacceptable-bigotry-against-cuban-americans/ The Leftist Media’s Unacceptable Bigotry Against Cuban Americans]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Martel, Frances (November 13, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2015/11/13/2015-cubans-shouldnt-take-nbcs-racism-longer/ It’s 2015: Cubans Shouldn’t Have to Take NBC’s Racism Any Longer]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Sopo, Giancarlo (January 5, 2020). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnn-screed-exposes-progressives-growing-hatred-for-conservative-cuban-americans-like-marco-rubio The Left's growing hatred for conservative Cuban Americans exposed]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Fontova, Humberto (November 2, 2012). [https://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2012/11/02/democraticmedia-axis-again-furious-with-cubanamerican-voters-n974131 Democratic/Media Axis again FURIOUS with Cuban-American Voters!]. ''Townhall.com''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref>
 +
* The belief that Islamic terrorism is not a huge threat, and that the main reason for Islamic extremists' hostility towards America is because of bad foreign policy <ref name=studentNews />
  
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{{Cquote|The unique thing about England was that Parliament, in defeating the king, arrived at a workable form of government. Government remained strong but came under parliamentary control. This determined the character of modern England and launched into the history of Europe and of the world the great movement of liberalism.<ref>Ibid., pp. 171</ref>}}
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'''Some liberals support:'''
  
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===Enter liberalism===
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* High tolerance of government corruption as long as it is done by other liberals <ref>http://www.infowars.com/correction-liberals-not-conservatives-are-psychotic</ref>
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[[Image:John Locke.jpg|thumb|150px| |alt=Portrait of philosopher John Locke as an old man in his study |[[John Locke]] is widely regarded as the ''Father of Liberalism'' for his important contributions to liberal philosophy. Locke coherently described some of the elementary principles of the nascent liberal movement, like the right to [[private property]] and the [[consent of the governed]].]]
+
* [[Tyranny]] to varying degrees.  In lesser forms, a [[Nanny State]] is preferred<ref>http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii</ref>
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The early hero of that movement, the founder of liberal thought as a distinct ideology and the frequently identified ''Father of Liberalism'',<ref>Delaney pp. 18</ref><ref>Godwin et al., pp. 12</ref> was an English physician and philosopher whose words later inspired revolutions: [[John Locke]]. To fully appreciate the thinking of Locke, however, requires knowing a few facts about the people that he opposed. His greatest rival was [[Thomas Hobbes]]. Hobbes and Locke looked at the same world and disagreed on nearly everything, although their arguments laid the groundwork for later social contract theories outlining the relationship between people and their governments.<ref>Copleston pp. 39-41</ref> Their political sympathies and affiliations certainly inspired their ideas. Hobbes supported the monarchy and Locke backed Parliament. Hobbes was a fan of centralized, dictatorial authority. He wanted government to be like [[Leviathan]], a mythical sea monster from the [[Bible]]. Locke preferred the legislature much more because he felt like Parliament embodied the will of the people. Locke developed a relatively radical political notion that earned him the paternal liberal sobriquet, arguing that government acquires consent from the governed. His celebrated ''[[Two Treatises of Government|Two Treatises]]'' (1690), the foundational text of liberal ideology, outlined his major ideas. Once humans moved out of their natural state and formed societies, Locke argued as follows: "Thus that which begins and actually constitutes any political society is nothing but the consent of any number of freemen capable of a majority to unite and incorporate into such a society. And this is that, and that only, which did or could give beginning to any lawful government in the world."<ref>Locke pp. 170</ref> The stringent insistence that lawful government did not have a supernatural basis was a sharp break with most previous traditions of governance.
+
* [[Elitism]]<ref>https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130604122602AANvhvF</ref> See: [[Liberal elite]]
 +
* [[Treason]]<ref>http://crooksandliars.com/2016/07/mikes-blog-round-25</ref>
 +
* [[Anti-Semitism]] (strong support for "[[Palestine]]", opposition to the state of [[Israel]], and even [[Holocaust denial]])
 +
* [[Genocide]] and [[eugenics]] in the form of [[abortion]] (see [[Abortion and eugenics]] and [[Margaret Sanger]])
 +
* Enforced celebration of homosexuality<ref>http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/weve-gone-from-tolerance-of-homosexuality-to-forced-celebration-of-it.html/</ref>
 +
* Pedophilia<ref>[http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/liberals-hard-pressed-make-pedophilia-legal-get-ready-sharia-law/]</ref>
 +
* Bestiality as a human right<ref>[http://www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/1677/liberals_repeal_ban_on_bestiality_in_the_military Liberals Repeal Ban on Bestiality in the Military]</ref> See: [[Liberalism and bestiality]]
 +
* [[Sadism]]<ref>http://catholiccitizens.org/views/66534/uses-disgust-%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/</ref>
 +
* [[Obesity]] via the [[Fat acceptance movement]] <ref>http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/rosie-odonnell-said-she-will-leave-america-youll-love-the-reason/</ref>
 +
* Robbery and other forms of crime (see [[Gun control]])
 +
* A strong tendency to ban or censor things they do not like and make things they like compulsory – in other words, having the government control everything.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*[https://www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/collection/13-things-liberals-want-to-ban/ 13 Things Liberals Want To Ban]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
 +
*Crowder, Steven (June 24, 2015). [https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/top-10-things-liberals-want-to-ban/ Top 10 Things Liberals Want to Ban]. ''Louder with Crowder''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
 +
*Clayson, Dennis (May 16, 2018). [https://wcfcourier.com/news/opinion/clayson/if-liberals-don-t-like-it-they-ban-it/article_8ef54d06-5f65-11df-9f06-001cc4c002e0.html If liberals don't like it, they ban it]. ''The Courier''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.</ref>
 +
*[[Neurodiversity]] and stopping [[autism]] treatments, considering these "torture".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theautismcafe.com/the-dangers-of-the-neurodiversity-movement/|title=Autism and the limits of the neurodiversity movement}}</ref>
 +
__TOC__ <!--Do not remove this. We want to keep the insights on the first screen of viewing-->
  
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Locke had other intellectual opponents besides Hobbes. In the ''First Treatise'', Locke aimed his guns first and foremost at one of the doyens of 17th century English conservative philosophy: [[Robert Filmer]]. Filmer's ''Patriarcha'' (1680) argued for the [[Divine Right of Kings]] by appealing to [[Bible |biblical]] teaching, claiming that the authority granted to [[Adam]] by God gave all the male successors of Adam a right of dominion over all other humans and creatures in the world.<ref>Copleston pp. 33</ref> Locke disagreed, to put it mildly. He disagreed so thoroughly and obsessively, in fact, that the ''First Treatise'' is something like a sentence-by-sentence refutation of ''Patriarcha''. Reinforcing his respect for consensus, Locke argued that "conjugal society is made up by a voluntary compact between men and women".<ref>Kerber pp. 189</ref> Locke maintained that the grant of dominion in Genesis was not to men over women, as Filmer believed, but to humans over animals.<ref>Ibid., pp. 189</ref> Locke was certainly no [[feminism|feminist]] by modern standards, but the first major liberal thinker in history accomplished an equally major task on the road to making the world more pluralistic: the integration of women into social theory.<ref>Ibid., pp. 189</ref> The intellectual journey of liberalism continued beyond Locke.
+
== Liberal intolerance ==
 +
[[File:Death-camps-trump-supporters.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Liberalism in 2019 America: "Death Camps for Trump Supporters Now!"]]
 +
''See also:'' [[Liberal intolerance]] and [[Liberal bigotry]]
 +
Many modern liberals have a tendency to be intolerant of ideas that contradict [[liberalism|liberal ideology]] which increasingly includes many strange notions<ref>Byas, Steve (August 8, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29740-the-growing-intolerance-of-the-left The Growing Intolerance of the Left]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 8, 2018.</ref> (see: [[Liberal intolerance]]). For example, radical [[feminism|feminists]] commonly claim that one is not born a man or woman, but one becomes a man or woman through [[gender]] socialization.<ref>[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-gender/#GenSocCon - Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender - Gender socialization], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</ref>
  
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[[René Descartes]] asked in the 17th century if there were any beliefs that one could hold axiomatically&mdash;that is, any beliefs that could be regarded as a priori knowledge. He personally concluded that self-existence&mdash;"I think, therefore I am"&mdash;and the existence of a supernatural deity were two such beliefs.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 291</ref> Descartes was looking for these kinds of absolutely certain beliefs because he was a deeply skeptical philosopher. He was so skeptical, in fact, that he launched a quest to find out if there was anything about the world that he could really be certain of. Once Descartes introduced systematic doubt as a formal philosophy, the intelligentsia of the European world took up the banner and spearheaded the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], a period of profound intellectual vitality that questioned old traditions and influenced several European monarchies throughout the 18th century. A prominent example of a monarch who took the Enlightenment project seriously was [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] of Austria, who ruled from 1780 to 1790 and implemented a wide array of radical reforms, like the complete abolition of [[serfdom]], the imposition of equal taxation policies between the [[aristocracy]] and the [[Peasant|peasantry]], the institution of [[religious toleration]], including equal [[civil rights]] for [[Jews]], and the suppression of Catholic religious authority throughout his empire, creating a more [[Secularism |secular]] nation in its place.<ref>Ibid., pp. 333</ref> The ideas circulating in the Enlightenment did not exist in a vacuum, a fact to which the Americans and later the French, with permanent consequences for human history, paid much tribute.
+
A Pew Research study found that “consistent liberals” were most likely to block others on [[social media]] for disagreeing with them politically.<ref>[https://hotair.com/archives/2014/10/21/pew-survey-consistent-liberals-most-likely-to-block-others-on-social-media-for-disagreeing-with-them-politically/ Pew survey: “Consistent liberals” most likely to block others on social media for disagreeing with them politically]</ref>
 +
[[Image:Coulter2006.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Leftists prevented Ann Coulter from speaking at [[University of California, Berkeley]] through threats of violence.<ref name="foxnews.com">[https://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/26/ann-coulter-cancels-berkeley-event-amid-protests.html Ann Coulter cancels Berkeley event amid protests, says decision 'a dark day for free speech in America'], Fox News, 2017</ref> ]]
 +
=== Liberal intolerance and violence ===
 +
{{See also|Left-wing violence in the Trump era}}
 +
As noted above, may liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech"/><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com"/>  For example, there have been several intolerant, liberal mobs which have shut down conservative speakers at college campuses (in 2017, there were two cases in the United States where violence or threats of violence were used to shut down free speech at college campuses).<ref name="foxnews.com"/><ref>[http://www.mediaite.com/online/left-wing-hooliganism-wins-again-over-free-speech/ Intolerant Far-Left Mob Wins Again Over Free Speech, This Time at Berkeley], Mediaite, 2017</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/opinions/ann-coulter-berkeley-free-speech-randazza-opinion/ Dear Berkeley: Even Ann Coulter deserves free speech], CNN, 2017</ref>
  
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===Liberalism and revolution===
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[[Democrats]] used paid leftists agitators to disrupt [[Donald Trump]] rallies.<ref name="washingtontimes.com">[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/18/undercover-video-shows-democrats-saying-they-hire-/ Democratic heads roll after video shows agitators planted at Trump rallies], ''Washington Times'', 2016</ref><ref name="frontpagemag.com">[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264543/undercover-video-democrats-caused-violence-trump-matthew-vadum UNDERCOVER VIDEO: DEMOCRATS CAUSED VIOLENCE AT TRUMP RALLIES], Frontpage Magazine, 2016</ref> As far as the paid agitators, veteran left-wing strategist Robert Creamer confirmed on hidden camera that [[Hillary Clinton]] “is fully in it” and “Hillary knows through the chain of command what’s going on.”<ref name="frontpagemag.com"/>  The agitators were sent to Trump rallies to anger Trump supporters and incite violence.<ref name="washingtontimes.com"/>
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{{main|French Revolution}}
 
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{{main|American Revolution}}
 
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[[Image:Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.png|250px|left|thumb|alt=An image showing the framers discussing the United States Constitution in Philadelphia |The [[Philadelphia Convention]] in 1787 adopted the [[United States Constitution]], a very radical document for its time. The Constitution established a [[Federalism|federalist]] [[republic]] with three [[Separation of powers|equal branches of government]], a reflection of [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] influence on the American framers.]]
 
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The [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonies]] had been loyal British subjects for decades, but tensions between the two sides were exacerbated by the [[Seven Years War]], which lasted from 1756 until 1763. The war drained British coffers and forced the monarchy to squeeze more and more resources from its recalcitrant colonies. The colonies resented this [[No taxation without representation|taxation without representation]] and decided, after a myriad of internal discussions and petitions to the British government, that they would declare independence and face the consequences. Military engagements in the [[American Revolution]] began in 1775 and were largely complete by 1781, when a Franco-American army combined with a [[Battle of the Chesapeake|French fleet]] bottled up thousands of British troops at [[Siege of Yorktown|Yorktown]]. The American Revolution formally concluded in 1783 with the [[Peace of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]], in which the British recognized American independence.  
 
  
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After the war, the colonies debated about how to move forward. Their first attempt at something like unity occurred with the [[Articles of Confederation]], which were eventually regarded as too inadequate to provide security, or just even a functional government. The colonies held a [[Philadelphia Convention|Constitutional Convention]] in 1787 to resolve the problems stemming from the Articles of Confederation. The resulting [[Constitution of the United States]] was a monumental document, not just in American history but in world history as well. In the context of the times, the Constitution symbolized&mdash;true to the revolution that made it happen&mdash;an extremely revolutionary and liberal document. The Americans skipped the monarchical system and settled on a [[republic]], laying the groundwork for over two centuries of liberal democratic expansion throughout the globe. The Constitution revealed the degree to which the Enlightenment had influenced the American colonies. The very basic fabric of the new American government was lifted from the pages of a French philosopher, the [[Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu|Baron de Montesquieu]], whose ''[[The Spirit of the Laws|Spirit of Laws]]'' (1748) laid the framework for a republic with three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 320</ref> The American theorists and politicians that created the Constitution were also heavily influenced by the ideas of Locke. As one historian writes: "The American adoption of a democratic theory that all governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, as it had been put as early as the Declaration of Independence, was epoch-marking."<ref>Roberts pp. 701</ref> The American Revolution was an important struggle in liberal history, and it was quickly followed by the most important: the [[French Revolution]].
+
There have been a number of attacks against President Donald Trump supporters after his election which the [[mainstream media]] underreported.<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2016/11/17/heres-a-list-of-completely-substantiated-and-underreported-attacks-on-trump-supporters/ Here’s A List Of Completely Substantiated (And Underreported) Attacks On Trump Supporters], Daily Caller, 11/17/2016</ref> In addition, there have been a number of instances of leftists and Trump supporters clashing at Trump rallies after his election.<ref>[https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3014061/violence-donald-trump-supporters-clash-rallies/ 'CIVIL WAR' Violence erupts as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters clash with rivals at US rallies], The Sun, March 2017</ref>
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[[Image:Women's March on Versailles.jpg|250px|right|thumb|alt=An engraving showing women armed with pikes and other weapons marching |The [[The Women's March on Versailles|march of the women]] on [[Versailles]] in October 1789, one of the most famous examples of popular political participation during the [[French Revolution]], forced the royal court back to [[Paris]]. It would remain there until the proclamation of the [[First French Republic|First Republic]] in 1792.]]
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==== Owning the libs ====
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"The world has never since been the same,"<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 361</ref> wrote two historians, after France fell into revolution in 1789. German writer [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Johann von Goethe]] reportedly told the defeated Prussian soldiers after [[Battle of Valmy|Valmy]] that "from this place and from this time forth commences a new era in world history, and you can all say that you were present at its birth".<ref>Coker pp. 3</ref> Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in [[human history]], and the end of the [[early modern period]], which started around 1500, is traditionally attributed to the onset of the French Revolution in 1789.<ref>Frey, Foreword</ref> The Revolution is often seen as marking the "dawn of the [[modern history|modern era]]".<ref>Ibid, Preface</ref> Describing the participatory politics of the French Revolution, one historian commented that "thousands of men and even many women gained firsthand experience in the political arena: they talked, read, and listened in new ways; they voted; they joined new organizations; and they marched for their political goals. Revolution became a tradition, and [[republicanism]] an enduring option."<ref>Hanson, p. 189</ref>
 
  
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The French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the [[Estates-General of 1789|Estates-General]] in May. The first year of the Revolution witnessed members of the [[Third Estate]] proclaiming the [[Tennis Court Oath]] in June, the [[Storming of the Bastille|assault on the Bastille]] in July, the passage of the [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]] in August, and an [[The Women's March on Versailles|epic march]] on [[Versailles]] that forced the royal court back to [[Paris]] in October. The next few years were dominated by tensions between a liberal legislature and a [[conservatism|conservative]] monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms. The liberals proclaimed a [[First French Republic|republic]] in September 1792 and the [[Louis XVI of France|king]] was executed the next year. External threats also played a dominant role in the development of the Revolution. The [[French Revolutionary Wars]] started in 1792 and ultimately featured spectacular French victories that facilitated the conquest of the [[Italian peninsula]], the [[Low Countries]], and most territories west of the [[Rhine]]&mdash;achievements that had defied previous French governments for centuries. Internally, popular sentiments radicalized the Revolution significantly, culminating in the brutal [[Reign of Terror]] from 1793 until 1794. After the fall of [[Maximilien Robespierre|Robespierre]] and the [[Jacobin (politics)|Jacobins]], the [[French Directory|Directory]] assumed control of the French state in 1795 and held power until 1799, when it was replaced by the [[French Consulate|Consulate]] under [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].
+
''See also:'' [[Owning the libs]]  
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[[File:Charles Meynier - Napoleon in Berlin.png|thumb|right|250px|alt=A painting showing cavalry in parade in Berlin, with the Brandenburg Gate in the background |With the ''[[La Marseillaise|Marseillaise]]'' echoing across the streets, the massive [[Grande Armée|French]] parade through [[Berlin]] in 1806 was a chance for [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon]] to showcase himself as the liberal guardian of the [[French Revolution|Revolution]]. His opponents, however, thought he was a capricious dictator who represented a fundamental threat to European security.]]
 
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Napoleon ruled as First Consul for about five years, centralizing power and streamlining the bureaucracy along the way. The [[Napoleonic Wars]], pitting the heirs of a revolutionary state against the old monarchies of Europe, started in 1805 and lasted for a decade. Along with their boots and [[Charleville musket|Charleville muskets]], [[Grande Armée|French soldiers]] brought to the rest of the European continent the liquidation of the feudal system, the liberalization of property laws, the end of seigneurial dues, the abolition of guilds, the legalization of divorce, the disintegration of Jewish ghettos, the collapse of the Inquisition, the permanent destruction of the Holy Roman Empire, the elimination of church courts and religious authority, the establishment of the metric system, and equality under the law for all men.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 428-9</ref> Napoleon wrote that "the peoples of Germany, as of France, Italy and Spain, want equality and liberal ideas,"<ref>Ibid., pp. 428</ref> with some historians suggesting that he may have been the first person ever to use the word ''liberal'' in a political sense.<ref>Ibid., pp. 428</ref> He also governed through a method that one historian described as "civilian dictatorship," which "drew its legitimacy from direct consultation with the people, in the form of a plebiscite".<ref>Lyons pp. 111</ref> Napoleon did not always live up the liberal ideals he espoused, however. His most lasting achievement, the Civil Code, served as "an object of emulation all over the globe,"<ref>Ibid., pp. 94</ref> but it also perpetuated further discrimination against women under the banner of the "natural order".<ref>Ibid., pp. 98-102</ref>
 
  
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Stubborn French ambitions combined with a long conflict against Britain, the failure of the [[Continental System]], and the [[French invasion of Russia|catastrophe in Russia]] eventually led to the collapse of the [[First French Empire|First Empire]] in 1815 at the [[Battle of Waterloo|fields of Waterloo]], where the [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]] made its last stand under the rhythms of the ''[[La Marseillaise|Marseillaise]]'', which was banned in the [[Bourbon Restoration]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 139</ref> [[Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich|Metternich]], the Austrian foreign minister, laid the groundwork for the conservative decades that stretched into the middle of the 19th century. This unprecedented period of chaos and revolution, however, had introduced the world to a new movement and ideology from which there was seemingly no escape.
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[[Owning the libs]] is a political strategy used by various [[conservative]]s in the [[United States]] that focuses on upsetting political liberals and [[Leftism|leftists]] who often tend to be thin-skinned (See also: [[Irritating an opponent (military and political tactic)]]).
  
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===Children of revolution===
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== Liberals and politics/law ==
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{{main|Classical liberalism}}
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[[File:ObamaCareSymbol.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Forced collectivization of healthcare.]]
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[[Image:En Mendigorría.jpg|thumb|290px|left|alt=Black and white engraving showing large numbers of soldiers arrayed against one another at the Battle of Mendigorría |The Liberals arrayed against the [[Carlism|Carlists]] at [[Battle of Mendigorría|Mendigorría]], the most important battle of the [[First Carlist War]], which resulted in a heavy defeat for the conservative Carlists. The [[Carlist Wars]] plagued [[Spain]] throughout the 19th century, even though the Carlists never managed to assume power.]]
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In the United States, liberals currently use two Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to try to expand their power: the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. The General Welfare Clause mentions "promoting the general welfare". This, to a liberal, means taxing the rich at increased rates and redistributing that money. The Commerce Clause, on the other hand, says that Congress has the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, between the states and with the Indian tribes. Since the days of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] this clause has been interpreted very loosely and has resulted in the federal government expanding its power. The latest example is The Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as [[Obamacare]]. In the ACA, the liberals justify the [[individual mandate]] by saying it regulates commerce between the states.  
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The world after the [[French Revolution]] provided liberals with an opportunity to reshape the basic structures of society. [[Abolitionism |Abolitionist]] and [[suffrage]] movements took off in the 19th century throughout the Western world. Slowly but surely, democratic ideals were spreading. Parliamentary power in Britain increased, France established an [[French Third Republic|enduring republic]] in the 1870s, and a [[American Civil War|vicious war]] in the United States ensured the survival of that nation and signaled the end of slavery. Meanwhile, strange assortments of liberal and nationalist sentiments were on the march in [[Italy]] and [[Germany]], which finally coalesced into nations in the late 19th century. Liberal agitation in [[Latin America]] reached a fever pitch as the region was gradually brought into the common social and political patterns of the modern world.
 
  
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Liberals after the Revolution wanted to develop a world free from government intervention, or at least free from too much government intervention. They championed the ideal of [[negative liberty]], which constitutes the absence of coercion and the absence of external constraints.<ref>Heywood pp. 47</ref> They believed governments were cumbersome burdens and they wanted governments to stay out of the lives of individuals.<ref>Ibid., pp. 47-8</ref> Liberals simultaneously pushed for the expansion of [[civil rights]] and for the expansion of [[Free market|free markets]] and [[free trade]]. The latter kind of economic thinking had been formalized by [[Adam Smith]] in his monumental ''[[Wealth of Nations]]'' (1776), which revolutionized the field of economics and established the "invisible hand" of the free market as a self-regulating mechanism that did not depend on external interference.<ref>Ibid., pp. 52</ref> Sheltered by liberalism, the ''[[laissez-faire]]'' economic world of the nineteenth century emerged with full tenacity, particularly in the [[United States]] and in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 53</ref>
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The decline in liberal principles can be illustrated by how Franklin Delano Roosevelt opposed and condemned public sector unions, stating that the idea of collective bargaining can't be transferred from the private to the public sector, as that would result in the government being unable to carry out its duties. Yet today, decades later, [[Democrats]] and liberals are in lock-step with public sector unions, as they "donate" money to the reelection campaign in exchange for more taxpayer money in their wallets and fluffed up pensions.
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[[Image:Eugène Delacroix - La liberté guidant le peuple.jpg|thumb|290px|right|alt=Colored painting showing a bare-breasted woman waving the French flag and being followed by a band of revolutionaries |''[[Liberty Leading the People]]'' by [[Eugène Delacroix]]. The iconic image of romantic revolution, it celebrates the [[July Revolution]] of 1830 in [[France]]. The July Revolution permanently removed the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon monarchy]] from French soil and catapulted the [[Orléanist|Orléanist liberals]] to power for nearly two decades, after which the [[Revolutions of 1848|1848 revolutions]] established the [[Second French Republic|Second Republic]].]]
 
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Politically, liberals saw the 19th century as a gateway to achieving the promises of 1789. In Spain, the ''Liberales'', the first group to use the 'liberal' label in a political context,<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 479</ref> fought for the implementation of the [[Spanish Constitution of 1812|1812 Constitution]] for decades&mdash;overthrowing the monarchy in 1820 as part of the ''[[Trienio Liberal]]'' and [[First Carlist War|defeating]] the conservative [[Carlists]] in the 1830s. In France, the July Revolution of 1830, orchestrated by liberal politicians and journalists, removed the Bourbon monarchy and inspired similar uprisings elsewhere in Europe. Frustration with the pace of political progress, however, sparked even more gigantic [[Revolutions of 1848|revolutions in 1848]]. Revolutions spread throughout the Austrian Empire, the German states, and the Italian states. Governments fell rapidly. Liberal nationalists demanded written constitutions, representative assemblies, greater suffrage rights, and freedom of the press.<ref>Ibid., pp. 510</ref> A [[French Second Republic|second republic]] was proclaimed in France. Serfdom was abolished in Prussia, Galicia, Bohemia, and Hungary.<ref>Ibid., pp. 510</ref> The supposedly indomitable Metternich, the Austrian builder of the reigning conservative order, shocked Europe when he resigned and fled to Britain in panic and disguise.<ref>Ibid., pp. 509</ref> Eventually, however, the success of the revolutionaries petered out. Without French help, the Italians were easily defeated by the Austrians. With some luck and skill, Austria also managed to contain the bubbling nationalist sentiments in Germany and Hungary, helped along by the failure of the Frankfurt Assembly to unify the German states into a single nation. Under abler leadership, however, the Italians and the Germans wound up realizing their dreams for independence. The Sardinian Prime Minister, Camillo di Cavour, was a shrewd liberal who understood that the only effective way for the Italians to gain independence was if the French were on their side.<ref>Ibid., 546-7</ref> [[Napoleon III of France|Napoleon III]] agreed to Cavour's request for assistance and France defeated Austria in the [[Second Italian War of Independence|Franco-Austrian War]] of 1859, setting the stage for Italian independence. German unification transpired under the leadership of [[Otto von Bismarck]], who decapitated the enemies of Prussia in war after war, finally [[Franco-Prussian War|triumphing against France]] in 1871 and proclaiming the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, ending another saga in the drive for nationalization. The French proclaimed a [[French Third Republic|third republic]] after their loss in the war, and the rest of French history transpired under republican eyes.
 
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[[Image:Eloy Alfaro Delgado.jpg|thumb|130px|left|alt=Colored painting of Eloy Alfaro as an old man in his uniform |[[Eloy Alfaro]] was the leader of the [[Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party|Radical Liberals]] and the founder of modern [[Ecuador]]. He led the [[Liberal Revolution of 1895]], which toppled a conservative government that had ruled Ecuador for several decades.]]
 
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Just a few decades after the French Revolution, liberalism went global. The liberal and conservative struggles in Spain also replicated themselves in Latin America. Like its former master, the region was a hotbed of wars, conflicts, and revolutionary activity throughout the nineteenth century. In Mexico, the ''liberales'' instituted the program of ''La Reforma'' in the 1850s, reducing the power of the military and the Catholic Church.<ref>Stacy pp. 698</ref> The ''conservadores'' were outraged at these steps and launched a revolt, which sparked a deadly conflict. From 1857 to 1861, Mexico was gripped in the bloody [[Reform War|War of Reform]], a massive internal and ideological confrontation between the liberals and the conservatives.<ref>Ibid., 698</ref> The liberals eventually triumphed and Benito Juárez, a dedicated liberal and now a Mexican national hero, became the president of the republic. After Juárez, Mexico suffered from prolonged periods of dictatorial repression, which lasted until the [[Mexican Revolution]] in the early 20th century. Another regional example of liberal agitation can be found in [[Ecuador]]. Like other nations throughout the region at the time, Ecuador was steeped in conflict and uncertainty after gaining independence from Spain. By the middle of the 19th century, the country had descended into chaos and madness, with the people divided between rival liberal and conservative camps. From these conflicts, [[Gabriel García Moreno|García Moreno]] established a conservative government that ruled the country for several years. Predictably, the liberals were incensed at the conservative regime and overthrew the whole thing in the [[Liberal Revolution of 1895]]. The [[Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party|Radical Liberals]] that toppled the conservatives were led by [[Eloy Alfaro]], a firebrand who implemented a variety of sociopolitical reforms, including the separation of church and state, the legalization of divorce, and the establishment of public schools.<ref>Handelsman pp. 10</ref>
 
  
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Liberals were active throughout the world in the 19th century, but it was in Britain that the future character of liberalism would take shape. The liberal sentiments unleashed after the French Revolution ultimately coalesced into the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]], formed in 1859 from various [[Radicals (UK)|Radical]] and [[Whig (British political party)|Whig]] elements, which went on to produce one of the greatest British prime ministers ever&mdash;[[William Gladstone]], who was also known as the 'Grand Old Man'.<ref>Cook pp. 31</ref> Under Gladstone, the Liberals reformed education, disestablished the Church of Ireland, and introduced the secret ballot for local and parliamentary elections. Following Gladstone, and after a period of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] domination, the Liberals returned with a vengeance in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1906|general election of 1906]], aided by working class voters worried about food prices. After that historic victory, the Liberal Party shifted from its classical liberalism and laid the groundwork for the future British [[welfare state]], establishing various forms of health insurance, unemployment insurance, and pensions for elderly workers.<ref>Heywood pp. 61</ref> The intellectual foundations for this [[Social liberalism|new liberalism]] were coherently established by philosopher [[Thomas Hill Green]], who conceived of [[positive liberty]] as the affirmation of autonomous individual capacities.<ref>Ibid., pp. 59</ref> Green rejected the idea that humans were driven solely by self-interest, emphasizing instead the complex circumstances that are involved in the evolution of our moral character. In a very profound step for the future of modern liberalism, he also tasked social and political institutions with the enhancement of individual freedom and identity.<ref>Adams pp. 54-5</ref> After various global and catastrophic events, like wars and economic collapses, this new kind of liberalism would sweep over much of the world in the 20th century.
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Current dictionaries describe the liberal ideology by pretending that a liberal is "a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties" or "a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets,"<ref>[http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=liberal&sub=Search+WordNet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h=00 Noun S: (n) liberal]</ref> or "open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc." or "favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties."<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal liberal]</ref> In practical usage, the term "liberal" is more closely synonymous with "radical," "immoral," "anti-freedom," "elitist," or "bad."
  
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===Modern liberalism===
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==Liberals and uncharitableness==
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{{main|Social liberalism}}
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[[File:Krdo13.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|An [[Obamaville]] was a tent city or shanty town in the [[United States]] created by homeless people during [[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]]'s presidency.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=174965</ref><ref>https://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100627_Huge_tent_city_takes_root.html</ref><ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/12/welcome-obamaville-sign-colorado-tent-city-media-mum</ref>
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[[Image:Liberal reforms socialism.jpg|thumb|290px|right|alt=Colored poster showing a man trying to get a bull across a river with stepping stones that spell "socialism."|A [[National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations|Conservative]] poster in Britain attacking the [[Liberal welfare reforms]] of Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]] as [[socialism|socialist]]. The reinvention of liberalism as a driving force behind the [[welfare state]] sparked many accusations of socialism from the [[Right-wing politics|right]] in various countries.]]
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The 20th century started perilously for liberalism. The [[First World War]] sparked geopolitical turmoil throughout the European continent and threatened to unravel the success of [[liberal democracy]]. However, the Allies managed to win the war, and the number of republics in Europe reached 13 by the end of the war, as compared with only three at the start of the war in 1914.<ref>Mazower pp. 3</ref> The [[Russian Revolution (1917)|Russian Revolution]], which occurred during the war, marked another milestone on the road of modernity. The eventual communist victory and the creation of the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]] highlighted the threat that liberalism now faced from a new and deadly enemy. Meanwhile, the uncertain world that emerged from the cauldron of the First World War suffered from massive economic setbacks in the years following 1918. Inflation skyrocketed in many European nations and the stock market in the United States collapsed in 1929, triggering a series of recessions throughout the Western world that became collectively known as the [[Great Depression]]. Liberalism survived through the rise of [[fascism]] and the [[Second World War]] before facing off against communism for several more decades during the [[Cold War]].  
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[[United States|American]] liberals have been observed to give less to charity than American conservatives.<ref name=georgeWill>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html Conservatives More Liberal Givers], [[RealClearPolitics]]</ref> ]]
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''See also'': [[Liberals and uncharitableness]]
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In March 2008, [[George Will]] wrote at [[RealClearPolitics]] concerning the [[United States]]:
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{{cquote|Sixteen months ago, [[Arthur C. Brooks]], a professor at [[Syracuse University]], published "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism." The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than [[conservative]]s....
  
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World War I proved a major challenge for liberal democracies, although they ultimately defeated the dictatorial states of the [[Central Powers]]. The war precipitated the collapse of older forms of government, like [[Empire|empires]] and [[Dynasty|dynastic states]], a phenomenon that became quite apparent in Russia. The massive defeats that Russia sustained in the first few years of World War I significantly tainted the reputation of the monarchy, already reeling from [[Russo-Japanese War|earlier losses]] to [[Japan]] and political struggles with the [[Constitutional Democratic Party|Kadets]], a powerful liberal bloc in the Duma. Facing huge shortages in basic necessities along with [[February Revolution|widespread riots in early 1917]], Czar Nicholas II abdicated in March, bringing to an end three centuries of Romanov rule and paving the way for liberals to declare a republic. To Russia's liberals, the French Revolution was the centerpiece of human history, and they repeatedly used the slogans, symbols, and ideas of the Revolution&mdash;plastering ''[[liberté, égalité, fraternité]]'' over major public spaces&mdash;to establish an emotional attachment to the past, an attachment that liberals hoped would galvanize the public to fight for modern values.<ref>Shlapentokh pp. 220-8</ref> But democracy was no simple task, and the Provisional Government that took over the country's administration needed the cooperation of the Petrograd Soviet, an organization that united leftist industrial laborers, to function and survive. Under the uncertain leadership of Alexander Kerensky, however, the Provisional Government mismanaged Russia's continuing involvement in the war, prompting angry reactions from the Petrograd workers, who drifted further and further to the left. The Bolsheviks, a communist group led by [[Vladimir Lenin]], seized the political opportunity from this confusion and launched a [[October Revolution|second revolution]] in Russia during the same year. The communists violently overthrew the fragile liberal-socialist order in October, after which Russia witnessed several years of civil war between communists and conservatives wishing to restore the monarchy. The communist challenge to liberalism, however, paled in comparison to the economic problems that rocked the Western world in the 1930s.
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If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:
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[[Image:John Maynard Keynes.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=Black and white photograph of economist John Maynard Keynes smiling as an old man |[[John Maynard Keynes]] is widely regarded as one of the most influential economists of all time. He was a brilliant investor and a committed member of the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]]. His ideas, which are still [[2008–2009 Keynesian resurgence|widely felt]], formalized modern liberal economic policy.]]
 
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The Great Depression fundamentally changed the liberal world. It was such a calamitous period in Western civilization that the civilization itself looked like it was risking total and complete collapse. There was an inkling of a new liberalism during the [[First World War]], and even earlier in the 19th century among some states and regions, but [[social liberalism|modern liberalism]] finally hatched in the 1930s with the Great Depression and a new economic mastermind whose ideas formalized the responsibilities of the modern state in its administration of the economy: [[John Maynard Keynes]]. Classical liberals posited that completely free markets were the optimal units capable of effectively allocating resources&mdash;that over time, in other words, they would produce full employment and economic security.<ref>Shaw pp. 2-3</ref> Keynes spearheaded a broad assault on classical economics and its derivatives, arguing that totally free markets were actually not that ideal, and that hard economic times required intervention and investment from the state. Where the market failed to properly allocate resources, for example, the government was required to stimulate the economy until private funds could start flowing again&mdash;a "prime the pump" kind of strategy designed to boost industrial production.<ref>Colton and Palmer pp. 808</ref>
 
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[[Image:Wpa1.JPG|thumb|270px|left|alt=Colored photograph from the 1930s showing workers digging with their shovels; a red truck in the background. |Unskilled laborers working for the [[Works Progress Administration]], a [[New Deal]] agency that employed millions of workers during the [[Great Depression]]. Putting the unemployed to work through public programs is a key tenet of [[social liberalism]].]]
 
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The social liberal program launched by [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] in the United States, the [[New Deal]], proved very popular with the American public. In 1933, when FDR came into office, the unemployment rate of the United States stood at roughly 25 percent.<ref>Auerbach and Kotlikoff pp. 299</ref> The size of the economy, measured by the [[Gross National Product|GNP]], had fallen to half the value it had in early 1929.<ref>Dobson pp. 264</ref> The electoral victories of FDR and the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] precipitated a deluge of deficit spending and public works programs. In 1940, the level of unemployment had fallen by 10 points to around 15 percent.<ref>Steindl pp. 111</ref> Additional state spending and the gigantic public works program sparked by the [[Second World War]] eventually pulled the United States out of the Great Depression. From 1940 to 1941, government spending increased by a mammoth amount of 59 percent, the GDP skyrocketed 17 percent, and unemployment fell below 10 percent for the first time since 1929.<ref>Knoop pp. 151</ref> By 1945, after vast quantities of government spending, public debt stood at a staggering 120 percent of GNP, but unemployment had been effectively eliminated.<ref>Rivlin pp. 53</ref> Most nations that emerged from the Great Depression, including the likes of Sweden and Germany, did so with deficit spending and strong intervention from the state.
 
  
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The economic woes of the period prompted widespread unrest in the European political world, leading to the rise of [[fascism]] as an ideology and a movement arrayed against both liberalism and communism. Broadly speaking, fascist ideology emphasized elite rule and absolute leadership, a radical rejection of equality, the imposition of patriarchal society, a stern commitment to war as an instrument of natural behavior, the elimination of supposedly inferior or subhuman groups from the structure of the nation, and the conception of life as an "unending struggle" in which the strong would destroy and dominate the weak.<ref>Heywood pp. 218-26</ref> In Germany, the Nazis slighted the first year of the French Revolution: "1789 is abolished".<ref>Ibid., pp. 214</ref> Echoing the Germans, Mussolini stated that "we stand for a new principle in the world; we stand for the sheer, categorical, definitive antithesis to the world of democracy...to the world which still abides by the fundamental principles laid down in 1789".<ref>Perry et al., pp. 759</ref> Hitler went further, commenting that the chief principle of fascism was "to abolish the liberal concept of the individual and the Marxist concept of humanity, and to substitute for them the Volk community, rooted in the soil and united by the bond of its common blood".<ref>Ibid., pp. 759</ref> The fascist and nationalist grievances of the 1930s eventually culminated in the [[Second World War]], the deadliest conflict in human history. The Allies won the war by 1945, and their victory set the stage for the [[Cold War]] between communist states and liberal democracies.  
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-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).
  
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The Cold War featured extensive ideological competition and several [[Proxy war|proxy wars]], but the Soviet Union and the United States never fought against one another directly. At the end of the 20th century, communist states in [[Eastern Europe]] collapsed precipitously, leaving liberal democracies as the only legitimate forms of government. At the beginning of the Second World War, the number of democracies around the world was about the same as it had been forty years before.<ref>Colomer pp. 62</ref> After 1945, liberal democracies spread like wildfires. Even as late as 1974, roughly 75 percent of all nations were considered dictatorial, but now more than half of all countries are democracies.<ref>Diamond, cover flap</ref> This last achievement speaks volumes about the influence of liberalism, and it prompted an American intellectual, speculating on the "[[end of history]]," to make the following claim:
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-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.<ref name=georgeWill />}}
  
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{{Cquote|What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar history, but the end of history as such; that is, the end point of...ideological evolution and the universalization of...liberal democracy as the final form of human government.<ref>Browning et al., pp. 61</ref>}}
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=== Liberal politicians and uncharitableness ===
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The political magazine the [[American Spectator]] featured an article which focused on [[liberal politicians and uncharitableness]] exposing the hypocrisy of the liberal politicians it featured.<ref>[http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c5_1238044128&c=1 Charity Donations and Liberal Hypocrisy]</ref> In addition, [[Barack Obama]] has been criticized concerning [[Barack Obama and uncharitableness|his lack of charitable giving]].
  
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==Philosophy==
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==Liberals and superstition==
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Liberal philosophy had precursons in the Classical world. The Roman Emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]] wrote praising "the idea of a polity administered with regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed".<ref>Marcus Aurelius, ''Meditations'', Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 9780199540594.</ref>  But liberalism is a philosophy of the city, and disappeared from Europe during the Middle Ages.  In the medieval period, the Near East was more liberal than Europe; [[Islamic ethics]] allowed more [[freedom of religion]] than the [[Roman Catholic Church]].<ref>{{citation|first=Antony T.|last=Sullivan|title=Istanbul Conference Traces Islamic Roots of Western Law, Society|journal=[[Washington Report on Middle East Affairs]]|date=January-February 1997|page=36|url=http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0197/9701036.htm|accessdate=2008-02-29}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Weeramantry|first=Judge Christopher G.|title=Justice Without Frontiers: Furthering Human Rights|year=1997|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|isbn=9041102418|page=134}}</ref>  The return of liberalism to Europe was presaged by such pivotal events as the ''[[Magna Carta]]'', which reduced the power of the English monarch.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9050003/Magna-Carta "Magna Carta"] in ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' Online</ref>.  Most histories of modern liberal thought, however, begin with [[John Locke]] (1632–1704).
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''See also:'' [[Irreligion and superstition]]
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[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|thumb|right|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to [[superstition]], tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians."<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]
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The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]].<ref name=irrational>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html Look Who's Irrational Now]</ref>
  
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Locke's ''[[Two Treatises on Government]]'' (1689) discussed two fundamental liberal ideas: intellectual liberty, including freedom of conscience, which he further expounded in the same year in ''[[A Letter Concerning Toleration]]'', and economic liberty, the right to have and use property.  These early liberal ideas were tentative (and published anonymously).  Locke did not extend religious freedom to [[Roman Catholic]]s or atheists and thought that the right to have and use property, included the right to own slaves.  Locke developed further the earlier idea of [[natural law|natural rights]], a forerunner of the modern conception of [[human rights]], which Locke described as the right to "life, health, liberty, or possessions".
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Also, in September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:
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{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith &mdash; it's what the empirical data tell us.
  
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Another 17th-century Englishman, [[John Lilburne]] (also known as ''Freeborn John''), argued for basic human rights which he called [[freeborn|freeborn rights]], the [[natural rights]] that every human being is born with, as opposed to rights bestowed by government or by human law.<ref>Pauline Gregg, ''Free-Born John: A Biography of John Lilburne'', Phoenix Press, 2001,
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"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience, such as evolution than evangelical Christians....
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ISBN 9781842122006</ref>
 
  
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[[Image:Charles Montesquieu.jpg|thumb|left|100px|alt=Portrait of philosopher Charles Montesquieu as an old man |[[Charles Montesquieu]] wrote ''[[The Spirit of the Laws|The Spirit of Laws]]'' in 1748.]]
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This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in [[pseudoscience]], cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.<ref name=irrational />}}
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On the European continent, the doctrine of laws restraining even monarchs was expounded by [[Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu]], whose ''[[The Spirit of the Laws]]'' argues that "Better is it to say, that the government most conformable to nature is that which best agrees with the humour and disposition of the people in whose favour it is established", rather than accept as natural the mere rule of force. Following in his footsteps, political economist [[Jean-Baptiste Say]] and [[Destutt de Tracy]] were ardent exponents of the "harmonies" of the market, and in all probability it was they who coined the term ''[[laissez-faire]]''. This evolved into the [[physiocrats]], and to the [[political economy]] of [[Rousseau]].<ref>Charles de Montesquieu, ''The Spirit of the Laws'', Cambridge University Press, 1989, ISBN 9780521369749</ref><ref>Richard Whatmore, ''Republicanism and the French Revolution: An Intellectual History of Jean-Baptiste Say's Political Economy'',  Oxford University Press, 2001, ISBN 9780199241156</ref>
 
  
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The late French enlightenment saw two figures who would have tremendous influence on later liberal thought: [[Voltaire]], who argued that the French should adopt [[constitutional monarchy]] and disestablish the ''Second Estate'', and Rousseau, who argued for a natural freedom for mankind.
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== Secular left ==
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''See also:'' [[Secular left]]
  
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[[Image:Anders Chydenius.jpg|100px|thumb|right|[[Anders Chydenius]]]]
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The [[secular left]] consists of [[leftist|left]]-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries.  They support "strict government [[secularism]]".<ref>http://www.secularleft.us/about</ref>
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Rousseau also argued the importance of a concept that appears repeatedly in the history of liberal thought, namely, the [[social contract]]. He rooted this in the nature of the individual and asserted that each person knows their own interest best. His assertion that man is born free, and that education was sufficient to restrain him within society, rocked the monarchical society of his age.  His ideas were a key element in the declaration of the [[National Assembly]] during the French Revolution, and in the thinking of Americans such as [[Benjamin Franklin]] and [[Thomas Jefferson]]. In his view the unity of a state came from the concerted action of consent, or the "national will".  This unity of action would allow states to exist without being chained to pre-existing social orders, such as aristocracy.<ref>Will and Ariel Durant, ''Rousseau and Revolution'', MJF Books, 1997, ISBN 9781567310214</ref>
 
  
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The "[[Scottish Enlightenment]]" included the writers [[David Hume]] and [[Adam Smith]].
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=== Decline of the secular left ===
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[[Image:Adam Smith.jpg|100px|thumb|left|alt=Black and white engraving of Adam Smith as an old man, looking to the side |[[Adam Smith]] was one of the most important [[classical liberalism|classical liberal]] thinkers.]]
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''See also:'' [[Decline of the secular left]] and [[Religious conservatism and politics]]
  
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[[David Hume]]'s contributions were many and varied, but most important was his assertion that fundamental rules of human behavior would overwhelm attempts to restrict or regulate them.  In ''[[A Treatise of Human Nature]]'', 1739–1740, he disparaged [[mercantilism]] and the accumulation of gold and silver by governments. He argued that prices were related to the quantity of money, and that hoarding gold and issuing paper money would only lead to inflation.<ref>David Hume, ''A Treatise of Human Nature'', Cornell University, 2009, ISBN 9781112156120</ref>
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In some regions where the secular left has considerable influence, they [[Decline of the secular left|are losing]] an increasing amount of their power.
  
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Although Adam Smith is the most famous of the economic liberal thinkers, he was not without antecedents. The [[physiocrats]] in France had proposed the systematic study of political economy and asserted the self-organizing nature of markets.  Benjamin Franklin wrote in favor of the freedom of American industry in 1750.  In [[Sweden-Finland]] the period of liberty and parliamentary government from 1718 to 1772 produced a Finnish parliamentarian, [[Anders Chydenius]], who was one of the first to propose free trade and unregulated industry, in ''[[The National Gain]]'', 1765.  His impact has proven to be lasting particularly in the Nordic area, but it also had a powerful effect in later developments elsewhere.<ref>A. Marisson, ''Free Trade and Its Reception 1815-1960: Freedom and Trade'', Routledge, 1998, ISBN 9780415155274</ref>
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Religious conservatism is a big driver of [[social conservatism]].  Religious conservatism is growing in the world, and it is affecting politics (see: [[Religious conservatism and politics]]).<ref>
 +
[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vCDeKPRSo Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century]</ref>
  
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[[Adam Smith]] (1723–1790) expounded the theory that individuals could structure both moral and economic life without direction from the state, and that nations would be strongest when their citizens were free to follow their own initiative. He advocated an end to feudal and mercantile regulations, to state-granted monopolies and patents, and he promulgated "[[laissez-faire]]" economics.  In ''[[The Theory of Moral Sentiments]]'', 1759, he developed a theory of motivation which tried to reconcile human self-interest and an unregulated social order.  In ''[[The Wealth of Nations]]'', 1776, he argued that the market, under certain conditions, would naturally regulate itself and would produce more than the heavily restricted markets that were the norm at the time. He assigned to government the role of taking on tasks which could not be entrusted to the profit motive, such as preventing individuals from using force or fraud to disrupt competition, trade, or production. His theory of taxation was that governments should levy taxes only in ways which did not harm the economy, and that "The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state." He agreed with Hume that capital, not gold, is the wealth of a nation.<ref>Adam Smith, ''The Wealth of Nations'', Bantam Classics,2003, ISBN 9780553585971</ref><ref>Adam Smith, ''The Theory of Moral Sentiments'', Book Jungle, 2007, ISBN 9781604244199</ref>
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== Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity ==
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''See also:'' [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]] and [[Liberal Christianity]]  
  
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[[Image:Immanuel Kant (painted portrait).jpg|100px|thumb|[[Immanuel Kant]]]]
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According to a 2007 study reported in the ''Journal of Family Issues'', adherents of [[liberal Christianity]] are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]].<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/hillhsstudy/articles/Chapter10_Article%2001.pdf Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?]</ref>
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[[Immanuel Kant]] was strongly influenced by both Hume's empiricism and continental rationalism. His most important contributions to liberal thinking are in the realm of ethics, particularly his assertion of the [[categorical imperative]]. Kant argued that received systems of reason and morals were subordinate to natural law, and that, therefore, attempts to stifle this basic law would meet with failure. His idealism would become increasingly influential, since it asserted that there were fundamental truths upon which systems of knowledge could be based. This meshed well with the ideas of the English Enlightenment about natural rights.<ref>Immanuel Kant, ''Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals'', 3rd ed.. Hackett, 1993, ISBN 9780872201675</ref>
 
  
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=== Philosophical foundations for liberalism ===
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As noted above, liberals are [[Evolution and liberalism|more likely]] to adhere to evolutionary belief than conservatives. A study conducted by the Australian National University, revealed that belief in evolution is associated with moral permissiveness.<ref>[https://creation.com/morals-decline-linked-to-belief-in-evolution Morals decline linked to evolution]</ref>
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==== Natural rights liberalism ====
 
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The early liberal thinkers like [[John Locke]] endorsed liberal politics because of a belief in [[natural rights]]. They believed that humans beings were endowed with certain rights, and that the purpose of government was to protect these rights. Prominent liberal thinkers of this school include the aforementioned Locke, [[Thomas Paine]], [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[Robert Nozick]]. This viewpoint is closely related to [[deontological libertarianism]].{{citation needed|date=February 2010}}
 
  
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==== Consequentialist liberalism ====
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== American liberalism ==
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The concept of natural rights later fell out of favor, and [[consequentialist]] arguments became prominent. Philosophers like [[David Hume]], [[Jeremy Bentham]] and [[John Stuart Mill]] were responsible for this trend, and they criticized earlier concepts about natural rights. Bentham famously denounced them as "nonsense upon stilts".{{citation needed|date=February 2010}} Thus, consequentialist liberals support liberal policies because they think that these policies best promote human well-being and happiness. Consequentialist arguments in favor of liberal policies are especially common within economics. Some prominent consequentialist liberals, in addition to the aforementioned thinkers, include [[Adam Smith]], [[Karl Popper]] and [[Friedrich Hayek]]. This viewpoint is closely related to [[consequentialist libertarianism]].{{citation needed|date=February 2010}}
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''See also:'' [[American liberalism]] and [[Liberal elite|Liberal elitism]]
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As noted above, [[American liberalism]] is a political ideology that dominates the [[Democratic Party]]. Its heroes include [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Eleanor Roosevelt]], and [[Martin Luther King]].
  
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==Liberalism worldwide==
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According to the Gallup Organization, in the United States, 25% of the population were liberals and 36% were conservatives in 2016.<ref>[US Conservatives Outnumber Liberals by Narrowing Margin], Gallup, January of 2017</ref>
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{{main|Liberalism worldwide}}
 
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{{Quote box|align=right|width=30%|Liberals are committed to build and safeguard free, fair and open societies, in which they seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one is enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity...Liberalism aims to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. |[[Liberal International]]<ref>[http://www.liberal-international.org/editorial.asp?ia_id=508 The International] Liberal International. Retrieved 2010-02-20.</ref>}}
 
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Politically, liberalism is organized extensively throughout the world. [[Liberal Party|Liberal parties]], think tanks, and other institutions are common in many nations, although they advocate for different causes based on their ideological orientation. Liberal parties can be [[Centre-left|center-left]], [[Centrism|centrist]], or [[Centre-right|center-right]] depending on their location. They can further be divided based on their adherence to [[social liberalism]] or [[classical liberalism]], although all liberal parties and individuals share basic similarities like support for [[civil rights]] and [[Democracy|democratic institutions]]. On a global level, liberals are united in the [[Liberal International]], which has over 100 influential liberal parties and organizations from across the [[Political spectrum|ideological spectrum]]. Some parties in the LI are among the most famous in the world, like the [[Liberal Party of Canada]], while others are among the smallest, like the [[Liberal Party of Gibraltar]]. Regionally, liberals are organized through various institutions depending on the prevailing geopolitical context. In the [[European Parliament]], for example, the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]] is the predominant group that represents the interest of European liberals.
 
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===Europe===
 
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{{main|Liberalism in Europe}}
 
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[[Image:Liberal Democrats UK Logo.svg|thumb|200px|right|alt=Logo showing yellow dove in white background |The [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Liberal Democrats]] have achieved one of the most remarkable comebacks in the political history of European liberalism. After the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] almost went extinct in the 1950s, a long period of renewal culminated in a union with the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]] in 1988 to form the current party, [[Party standings in the British House of Commons|one of the largest in Britain]].]]
 
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In [[Liberalism in Europe|Europe]], liberalism has a long tradition dating back to 17th century. Scholars often split those traditions into English and French versions, with the former version of liberalism emphasizing the expansion of democratic values and constitutional reform and the latter rejecting authoritarian political and economic structures, as well as being involved with nation-building.<ref>Kirchner pp. 3</ref> The continental French version was deeply divided between ''moderates'' and ''progressives'', with the moderates tending to elitism and the progressives supporting the universalization of fundamental institutions, such as [[universal suffrage]], [[Public education|universal education]], and the expansion of [[Property|property rights]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 3</ref> Over time, the moderates displaced the progressives as the main guardians of continental European liberalism. Moderates were identified with liberalism or [[liberal conservatism]] whereas progressives could fall under a number of [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] camps, from liberalism and [[Political radicalism|radicalism]] to [[republicanism]] and [[social democracy]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 3</ref> A prominent example of these divisions is the German [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]], which was historically divided between national liberal and social liberal factions.<ref>Ibid., pp. 4</ref>
 
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[[Image:Katarina Kresal.jpg|thumb|220px|left|alt=Photograph of smiling woman with blonde hair; white background |[[Katarina Kresal]] is the leader of the [[Centre-left|center-left]] [[Liberal Democracy of Slovenia|Liberal Democrats]], the most powerful party in [[Slovenia]] since the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]].]]
 
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Modern European liberal parties exhibit diverse tendencies. Before the [[First World War]], liberal parties dominated the European political scene, but they were gradually displaced by socialists and social democrats in the early 20th century. The fortunes of liberal parties since [[World War II]] have been mixed, with some gaining strength while others suffering from continuous declines.<ref>Ibid., pp. 10</ref> The [[Collapse of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|fall of the Soviet Union]] and the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]] at the end of the 20th century, however, allowed the formation of many liberal parties throughout [[Eastern Europe]]. These parties developed varying ideological characters. Some, like the [[Slovenia|Slovenian]] [[Liberal Democracy of Slovenia|Liberal Democrats]] or the [[Lithuania|Lithuanian]] [[New Union (Social Liberals)|Social Liberals]], have been characterized as [[Centre-left|center-left]].<ref>Karatnycky et al., pp. 247</ref><ref>Hafner and Ramet pp. 104</ref> Others, like the [[Romania|Romanian]] [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]], have been classified as [[Centre-right|center-right]].<ref>Various authors pp. 1615</ref> Meanwhile, some liberal parties in Western Europe have undergone renewal and transformation, coming back to the political limelight after historic disappointments. Perhaps the most famous case features the [[Liberal Democrats]] in [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The Liberal Democrats are the heirs of the once-mighty [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]], which suffered a huge erosion of support to the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] in the early 20th century. After nearly vanishing from the British political scene altogether, the Liberals eventually united with the [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]], a Labour splinter group, in 1988&mdash;forming the current Liberal Democrats along the way. The Liberal Democrats have earned significant popular support in [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|recent general elections]] and [[United Kingdom local elections, 2008|local council elections]], marking the first time in decades that a British party with a liberal ideology has achieved such electoral success. Both in Britain and elsewhere in Western Europe, liberal parties have cooperated often with socialist and social democratic parties, as evidenced by the [[Purple (government)|Purple Coalition]] in the [[Netherlands]] at the turn of the 21st century. The Purple Coalition, one of the most consequential in [[History of the Netherlands|Dutch history]], brought together the progressive left-liberal [[Democrats 66|D66]],<ref>Schie and Voermann pp. 121</ref> the market liberal and center-right [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]],<ref>Gallagher et al., pp. 226</ref> and the socialist [[Dutch Labour Party|Labour Party]]&mdash;an unusual combination that ultimately [[Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands|legalized same-sex marriage]], [[Euthanasia in the Netherlands|legalized euthanasia]], [[Prostitution in the Netherlands|legalized prostitution]], and instituted a non-enforcement [[Drug policy of the Netherlands|policy on marijuana]].
 
  
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===Americas===
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In 2017, the ''Financial Times'' declared about [[American liberalism]]:
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{{main|Liberalism in the United States}}
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[[File:FDRoosevelt by Perskie.png|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ]]
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{{main|Liberalism and conservatism in Latin America}}
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{{Cquote|...as Democrats struggle to reinvent themselves in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, their party remains captured by a toxic mix of [[identity politics]] and corporate interests. The establishment wing is still convinced that racism and [[misogyny]], not economic populism, sank Mrs Clinton, and that wooing big corporate donors is still the way to victory in the next election.
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[[Image:ObamaAbingtonPA.JPG|thumb|200px|right|alt=Photograph of Barack Obama speaking in front of a teleprompter |[[Barack Obama]] is the current, [[List of Presidents of the United States|44th]] [[President of the United States]] and the leader of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. He arrived in office facing a [[Financial crisis of 2007–2010|major economic crisis]], to which he and his party responded by passing the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|Recovery Act]] as a source of [[Fiscal policy|fiscal stimulus]].]]
 
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In [[North America]], unlike in Europe, the word ''liberalism'' almost exclusively refers to [[social liberalism]] in contemporary politics. The dominant [[Canada|Canadian]] and [[United States|American]] parties, the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] and the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], are frequently identified as being modern liberal or [[Centre-left|center-left]] organizations in the academic literature.<ref>Puddington pp. 142 ''After a dozen years of center-left Liberal Party rule, the Conservative Party emerged from the 2006 parliamentary elections with a plurality and established a fragile minority government.''</ref><ref>Grigsby pp. 106-7 [Talking about the Democratic Party] ''Its liberalism is for the most part the later version of liberalism&mdash;modern liberalism.''</ref><ref>Arnold pp. 3 ''Modern liberalism occupies the left-of-center in the traditional political spectrum and is represented by the Democratic Party in the United States.''</ref> [[Modern liberalism in the United States]] traces its history to the popular presidency of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], who initiated the [[New Deal]] in response to the [[Great Depression]] and won an unprecedented four elections. The [[New Deal coalition|New Deal tradition]] established by FDR left a decisive legacy and impacted many future American presidents, including [[John F. Kennedy]], who defined a liberal as follows:
 
  
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{{Cquote|...someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people&mdash;their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties&mdash;someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad.<ref>Alterman pp. 32</ref>}}
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While money matters, and there may have been some voters who turned away from Mrs Clinton because of gender, the key reason that the Democrats lost in 2016 and are struggling to rebrand themselves is that they have failed to grasp two things.
  
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[[Liberalism in the United States|American liberals]] and other American [[Political ideologies in the United States|ideological groups]] have been the subject of significant demographic analysis. From January to December 2009, polls conducted by the [[The New York Times|New York Times]] and [[CBS News]] revealed that between 20% and 27% of American adults identify as ''liberal'', versus ''moderate'' or ''conservative''.<ref>[http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-times-cbs-news-poll-the-war-in-afghanistan#p=12 New York Times/CBS News Poll] New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-21</ref> In the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential election]], exit polls showed that 22% of the electorate self-identified as ''liberal'', 34% as ''conservative'', and 44% as ''moderate''.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1 Exit Polls Conducted by Edison Research Media] CNN. Retrieved 2010-02-21</ref>
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Firstly, most Americans today care more about jobs than identity, and secondly, the same downward mobility that pushed the white working class towards Mr Trump is moving up the socio-economic food chain, and fast. As research by groups from the International Monetary Fund to the OECD to McKinsey has shown, the technology-related job disruption that resulted in rust belt job losses and wage stagnation since 2000 is beginning to affect white-collar workers across nearly every sector....
  
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In Canada, the long-dominant Liberal Party, affectionately known as ''the Grits'', [[History of the Liberal Party of Canada|ruled the country]] for nearly 70 years during the 20th century. The party produced some of the most famous prime ministers in [[History of Canada|Canadian history]], like [[Pierre Trudeau]] and [[Jean Chrétien]], and has been primarily responsible for the development of the Canadian [[welfare state]]. The enormous success of the Liberals&mdash;virtually unmatched in any other [[liberal democracy]]&mdash;has prompted many political commentators over time to identify them as the nation's ''natural governing party''.<ref>Penniman pp. 72</ref><ref>Chodos et al., pp. 9</ref>
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But Democrats overestimated the power and relevance of identity politics (there are still more whites without a college degree than minorities), and underestimated the breadth and depth of labour disruption. In any case, says Robert Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, “it was always a mistake to separate out issues of race and class, because they go hand in hand. In economically insecure times, fear of the ‘other’ increases.” It is a phenomenon exploited by Mr Trump.<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/b34f5536-2c02-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c Economics, not identity, is key to reviving American liberalism], Financial Times, 2017</ref>}}
  
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In [[Liberalism and conservatism in Latin America|Latin America]], liberal agitation dates back to the 19th century, when liberal groups frequently fought against and violently overthrew [[Conservatism|conservative]] regimes in several countries across the region. Liberal revolutions in countries like [[Mexican Revolution|Mexico]] and [[Liberal Revolution of 1895|Ecuador]] ushered in the modern world for much of Latin America. Today, [[Classical liberalism|market liberals]] in Latin America are organized in the [[Liberal Network for Latin America|Red Liberal de América Latina]], a network that brings together dozens of liberal parties and organizations. RELIAL includes parties like [[New Alliance Party (Mexico)|Nueva Alianza]] in [[Mexico]] and the [[Cuban Liberal Union]], which aims to secure power in [[Cuba]]. Some major liberal parties in the region continue, however, to align themselves with social liberal ideas and policies&mdash;a notable case being the [[Colombian Liberal Party]], which is a member of the [[Socialist International]]. Another famous example is the [[Paraguay|Paraguayan]] [[Authentic Radical Liberal Party]], one of the most powerful parties in the country, which has also been classified as center-left.<ref>Ameringer pp. 489</ref>
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In recent years, American liberals have experienced a number of political losses and many liberals in the United States have become embittered (see: [[American liberalism and 21st century political losses]]),
  
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===Asia and Oceania===
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[[Democrats]] and most media outlets in the [[U.S.]] are blatantly liberal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp|title=Media Bias basics|publisher=[[Media Research Center]]}}</ref> Liberalism in North America today practices three primary tactics to attack the Republican Party, and sometimes to attack American values in general. These three liberal tactics can be pronounced using the following [[acronym]]: SIN. Liberals (1) '''s'''hift the subject, they (2) '''i'''gnore the facts, and they (3) '''n'''ame call.<ref>Scott Baker. [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-herman-cain-give-the-dont-miss-speech-at-cpac/ Did Herman Cain Give the ‘Don’t Miss’ Speech at CPAC?], ''[[The Blaze]], February 12, 2011.</ref><ref>[[YouTube]]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N3-j3HM7-A& Herman Cain: "Stupid People Are Ruining America"], February 11, 2011.</ref>
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[[Image:Liberal ph.png|thumb|200px|right|alt=Logo showing a big white "L" on a red and blue background with the word "liberal" above |The [[Philippines|Filipino]] [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] has produced [[List of Presidents of the Philippines|three presidents]] since it was founded in 1945.]]
 
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In [[Asia]], liberalism is a much younger political current than in [[Europe]] or the [[Americas]]. Continentally, liberals are organized through the [[Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats]], which includes powerful parties like the [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] in the [[Philippines]], the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] in [[Taiwan]], and the [[Democrat Party (Thailand)|Democrat Party]] in [[Thailand]]. Two notable examples of liberal influence can be found in [[India]] and [[Australia]].
 
  
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In [[Australia]], liberalism is primarily championed by the [[Centre-right|center-right]] [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]].<ref>Monsma and Soper pp. 95</ref> The Liberals in Australia support [[free markets]] as well as [[social conservatism]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 95</ref><ref>Karatnycky pp. 59</ref> In [[India]], the most populous democracy in the world, the [[Indian National Congress]] has long dominated political affairs. The INC was founded in the late 19th century by liberal nationalists demanding the creation of a more liberal and autonomous India.<ref>Hodge pp. 346</ref> Liberalism continued to be the main ideological current of the group through the early years of the 20th century, but [[socialism]] gradually overshadowed the thinking of the party in the next few decades. A famous struggle led by the INC eventually earned India's independence from Britain. In recent times, the party has adopted more of a liberal streak, championing open markets while simultaneously seeking social justice. In its ''2009 Manifesto'', the INC praised a "secular and liberal" Indian nationalism against the nativist, communal, and conservative ideological tendencies it claims are espoused by the [[Right-wing politics|right]].<ref>[http://www.congress.org.in/manifesto09-eng.pdf 2009 Manifesto] Indian National Congress. Retrieved 2010-02-21</ref>
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* Liberals typically support a "mixed" economy, a policy similar to that of [[fascism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fora.tv/2008/01/30/Liberal_Traits_of_Fascism|title=Video discussion about how modern liberalism is actually fascist by author Jonah Goldberg.}}</ref>
  
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===Africa===
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* Liberals claimed a monopoly on [[compassion]], [[decency]], and [[social justice]] (as defined by themselves), posing as the sole defenders of [[civic virtue]] against a horde of backwoodsmen, racists, and religious fanatics. [https://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/the_disgrace_of_liberalism.html]
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Liberalism in [[Africa]] is comparatively weak. In recent times, however, liberal parties and institutions have made a major push for political power. On a continental level, liberals are organized in the [[Africa Liberal Network]], which contains influential parties like the [[Popular Movement]] in [[Morocco]], the [[Senegalese Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] in [[Senegal]], and the [[Rally of the Republicans]] in [[Côte d'Ivoire]]. Among African nations, [[South Africa]] stands out for having a notable [[Liberalism in South Africa|liberal tradition]] that other countries on the continent lack. In the middle of the 20th century, the [[South African Liberal Party|Liberal Party]] and the [[Progressive Party (South Africa)|Progressive Party]] were formed to oppose the [[South Africa under apartheid|apartheid]] policies of the government. The Liberals formed a [[multiracial]] party that originally drew considerable support from [[Urban area|urban]] Africans and college-educated whites.<ref>Van den Berghe pp. 56</ref> It also gained supporters from the "westernized sectors of the [[Peasant|peasantry]]", and its public meetings were heavily attended by [[Black people|black Africans]].<ref>Ibid., pp. 57</ref> The party had 7,000 members at its height, although its appeal to the white population as a whole was too small to make any meaningful political changes.<ref>Ibid., pp. 56</ref> The Liberals were disbanded in 1968 after the government passed a law that prohibited parties from having multiracial membership. Today, liberalism in South Africa is represented by the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]], the official opposition party to the ruling [[African National Congress]].
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{{cquote|There's another goal, from my point of view, which is to try to lay the groundwork for a radical political force which would conceive of itself as distinctly to the left of moderate, reformist American liberals. And that has two aspects. One is to try to change that liberalism, to transform it by analysis, critique, and activism; the second is to build a radical movement which would be an autonomous force in its own right, which would be distinct from the traditional American liberal consensus. This radical part of the program involves not simply supporting the liberal students against conservative students and conservative professors, but trying to act on them, to push them to the left. It also involves trying to find and support, even trying to help create, networks of radical students in law school and of radical professors around the country — students and teachers who see themselves as wanting to go a lot further than most people want to go.<ref>[http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=liberal+teachers&fr=yfp-t-501&fp_ip=MX&u=duncankennedy.net/documents/Liberal%2520Values%2520in%2520Legal%2520Education.pdf&w=liberal+liberals+teachers+teacher&d=BNZFhPReRjC1&icp=1&.intl=us Liberal Values in Legal Education] Duncan Kennedy (professor at Harvard Law School)</ref>}}
  
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== Notes ==
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===Liberal Rankings of Congress Members===
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{{reflist|2}}
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The National Journal compiles the votes of each congress member each year and uses the information to create rankings<ref>[http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/index.htm How the House voted]</ref> of how liberal each member of the United States [[Congress]] is. In addition to showing the voting records of each member and given an overall all ranking of liberalness, the National Journal also ranks congress members by liberalness in the areas of social, economic, and foreign policy.
  
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==References==
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=== American liberalism, demographics and expected tipping point in the decline of American liberalism ===
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*Adams, Ian. ''Ideology and politics in Britain today''. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-719-05056-1
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[[File:Hillary Clinton.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Hillary Clinton]] ]]
−
*[[Eric Alterman|Alterman, Eric]]. ''Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America''. New York: Viking Adult, 2008. ISBN 0-670-01860-0
+
 
−
*Ameringer, Charles. ''Political parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s''. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1992. ISBN 0-313-27418-5
+
Due to the explosive growth of [[global Christianity]] in traditional cultures and their influence on Western [[Christianity]] and the higher birth rate of [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]] and religious conservatives, social conservatism is expected to rise.
−
*Arnold, N. Scott. ''Imposing values: an essay on liberalism and regulation''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN 0-495-50112-3
+
 
−
*Auerbach, Alan and Kotlikoff, Laurence. ''Macroeconomics'' Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. ISBN 0-262-01170-0
+
The Birkbeck College, University of London professor Eric Kaufman wrote in his 2010 book ''Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth?'' concerning America:
−
*Browning, Gary et al. ''Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the Present''. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2000. ISBN 0-761-95926-2
+
{{cquote|High evangelical fertility rates more than compensated for losses to liberal Protestant sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white secularism has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious fundamentalists of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will tip the balance in the [[Culture War|culture wars]] towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as abortion. By the end of the century, three-quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global religious right, its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire Abrahamic family.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-are-years-2012-and-2020-key-years.html Why are 2012 and 2020 key years for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?]</ref>}}
−
*Chodos, Robert et al. ''The unmaking of Canada: the hidden theme in Canadian history since 1945''. Halifax: James Lorimer & Company, 1991. ISBN 1-550-28337-5
+
 
−
*Coker, Christopher. ''Twilight of the West''. Boulder: Westview Press, 1998. ISBN 0-813-33368-7
+
==Liberalism in Europe today==
−
*Colomer, Josep Maria. ''Great Empires, Small Nations''. New York: Routledge, 2007. ISBN 0-415-43775-X
+
[[File:Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin, Moscow 6 dec 2014 - 05-cropped.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[France|French]] liberal politician [[François Hollande]] was the President of the French Republic from 2012 until 2017. ]]
−
*Colton, Joel and [[Robert Roswell Palmer|Palmer, R.R.]] ''A History of the Modern World''. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-07-040826-2
+
In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves ''liberal'' are moderate in outlook, ranging from centre-left to centre-right, typically promote economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe<ref>[http://www.alde.eu Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament]</ref> is a party of the [[European Parliament]] 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/ World Federation of Liberalism]</ref> such as the Liberal Party of Australia.<ref>[http://www.liberal.org.au/ Liberal Party of Australia]</ref>
−
*Cook, Richard. ''The Grand Old Man''. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-419-16449-X
+
 
−
*Copleston, Frederick. ''A History of Philosophy: Volume V''. New York: Doubleday, 1959. ISBN 0-385-47042-8
+
Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians for promoting lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them "liberals" or [[neoliberal]]s. Thus, just as in the US, "liberal" may occasionally be used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called "liberal" in Europe, it has an entirely different meaning than in the US. In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of both European [[socialist]]/[[social democracy|social democratic]] or Social/progressive liberal parties, in contrast to conservative or fiscal liberal parties which again falls into the right-wing part of the political spectrum.<ref>[http://www.pes.org Party of European Socialism]</ref>
−
*Delaney, Tim. ''The march of unreason: science, democracy, and the new fundamentalism''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-192-80485-5
+
{{clear}}
−
*Diamond, Larry. ''The Spirit of Democracy''. New York: Macmillan, 2008. ISBN 0-805-07869-X
+
[[File:JohnStuartMill.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px||[[John Stuart Mill]] was a [[classical liberal]]. ]]
−
*Dobson, John. ''Bulls, Bears, Boom, and Bust''. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2006. ISBN 1-851-09553-5
+
 
−
*Dorrien, Gary. ''The making of American liberal theology''. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. ISBN 0-664-22354-0
+
==Historical Liberalism ==
−
*Frey, Linda and Frey, Marsha. ''The French Revolution''. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2004. ISBN 0-313-32193-0
+
In history, the word "liberal" has meant different things at different times, and was associated with individual liberty in prior centuries. In the postwar period, liberals supported government intervention in the economy and welfare state policies, as well as peaceful coexistence with the communist block, which are not liberal policies in the sense of classical liberalism. After the end of the [[Cold War]], with the demise of socialism and communism, many liberals embraced some ideas from economic neo-liberalism, and coined it the "Third Way". In the area of [[national security]] and foreign policy, liberals in the [[U.S.]] failed to define a consistent stance, even after the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq. Liberals generally support affirmative action, gay marriage, and abortion.<ref>[http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Bailey/Greenberg-Bailey/Homosexual%20Eugenics.pdf Parental Selection of Children’s Sexual Orientation], '''PDF''', "Political liberals tend, for whatever reason, to be ardent supporters of both gay rights and pro-choice programs." Greenberg and Bailey</ref>
−
*Gallagher, Michael et al. ''Representative government in modern Europe''. New York: McGraw Hill, 2001. ISBN 0-072-32267-5
+
 
−
*Gaus, Gerald. ''Contemporary theories of liberalism''. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2003. ISBN 0-761-96139-9
+
=== Original meaning: Classical Liberalism ===
−
*Godwin, Kenneth et al. ''School choice tradeoffs: liberty, equity, and diversity''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002. ISBN 0-292-72842-5
+
Liberalism is a political philosophy with freedom as its core value. The term was originally applied to supporters of individual liberties and equal rights, but, in America, the term has come to represent a movement of social change that often conflicts with [[conservative]] values such as moral values and traditions derived from Northern European Protestantism.
−
*Grigsby, Ellen. ''Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Politics Science''. Florence: Cengage Learning, 2008. ISBN 0-495-50112-3
+
 
−
*Gross, Jonathan. ''Byron: the erotic liberal''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2001. ISBN 0-742-51162-6
+
See [[Classical Liberal]]ism. Compare [[Libertarianism]].
−
*Hafner, Danica and Ramet, Sabrina. ''Democratic transition in Slovenia: value transformation, education, and media''. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-585-44525-8
+
 
−
*Handelsman, Michael. ''Culture and Customs of Ecuador''. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30244-8
+
== Influential/famous liberals  ==
−
*Hanson, Paul. ''Contesting the French Revolution''. Hoboken: Blackwell Publishing, 2009. ISBN 1-405-16083-7
+
''See also:'' [[Infamous liberals]]
−
*[[Louis Hartz|Hartz, Louis]]. ''The liberal tradition in America''. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1955. ISBN 0-156-51269-6
+
[[File:Margaret Sanger and Charles V. Drysdale cph.3b18067.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Margaret Sanger]] was the founder of [[Planned Parenthood]] ]]
−
*Heywood, Andrew. ''Political Ideologies: An Introduction''. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. ISBN 0-333-96177-3
+
* [[Margaret Sanger]]
−
*Hodge, Carl. ''Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800-1944''. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. ISBN 0-313-33406-4
+
 
−
*Karatnycky, Adrian. ''Freedom in the World''. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0-765-80760-2
+
* [[Barack Hussein Obama]]<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/cheney-obama-is-the-worst-president-of-my-lifetime-2014-7 CHENEY: Obama Is 'The Worst President Of My Lifetime']</ref>
−
*Karatnycky, Adrian et al. ''Nations in transit, 2001''. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-765-80897-8
+
 
−
*Kerber, Linda. "The Republican Mother: Women and the Enlightenment—An American Perspective," in [[American Quarterly]]. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1976, Vol. 28, No. 2.
+
* [[Elizabeth Warren]]
−
*Kirchner, Emil. ''Liberal parties in Western Europe''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-521-32394-0
+
 
−
*Knoop, Todd. ''Recessions and Depressions'' Westport: Greenwood Press, 2004. ISBN 0-313-38163-1
+
* [[George Soros]]
−
*[[John Locke|Locke, John]]. ''Two Treatises of Government''. reprint, New York: Hafner Publishing Company, Inc., 1947. ISBN 0-028-48500-9
+
 
−
*Lyons, Martyn. ''Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution''. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1994. ISBN 0-312-12123-7
+
* [[Emmanuel Macron]]
−
*Mazower, Mark. ''Dark Continent''. New York: Vintage Books, 1998. ISBN 0-679-75704-X
+
 
−
*Monsma, Stephen and  Soper, J. Christopher. ''The Challenge of Pluralism: Church and State in Five Democracies‎''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. ISBN 0-742-55417-1
+
* [[Saul Alinsky]]
−
*Penniman, Howard. ''Canada at the polls, 1984: a study of the federal general elections‎''. Durham: Duke University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-822-30821-5
+
 
−
*Perry, Marvin et al. ''Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society'' Florence, KY: Cengage Learning, 2008. ISBN 0-547-14742-2
+
* [[Noam Chomsky]]
−
*Puddington, Arch. ''Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. ISBN 0-742-55897-5
+
 
−
*Rivlin, Alice. ''Reviving the American Dream'' Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 1992. ISBN 0-815-77476-1
+
* [[John Maynard Keynes]]
−
*[[John Roberts (historian)|Roberts, J.M.]] ''The Penguin History of the World''. New York: Penguin Group, 1992. ISBN 0-19-521043-3
+
 
−
*Shaw, G. K. ''Keynesian Economics: The Permanent Revolution''. Aldershot, England: Edward Elgar Publishing Company, 1988. ISBN 1-852-78099-1
+
* [[David Thorstad]],<ref>http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm</ref> a founding member of NAMBLA.
−
*Shlapentokh, Dmitry. ''The French Revolution and the Russian Anti-Democratic Tradition''. Edison, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1997. ISBN 1-560-00244-1
+
 
−
*Stacy, Lee. ''Mexico and the United States''. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2002. ISBN  0-761-47402-1
+
* [[Al Gore]]
−
*Steindl, Frank. ''Understanding Economic Recovery in the 1930s''. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2004. ISBN 0-472-11348-8
+
 
−
*Tanner, Norman. ''The Church in the Later Middle Ages''. New York: I.B. Tauris, 2008. ISBN 1-845-11438-8
+
* [[Pope Francis]]
−
*Van den Berghe, Pierre. ''The Liberal dilemma in South Africa''. Oxford: Taylor & Francis, 1979. ISBN 0-709-90136-4
+
 
−
*Van Schie, P. G. C. and Voermann, Gerrit. ''The dividing line between success and failure: a comparison of Liberalism in the Netherlands and Germany in the 19th and 20th Centuries''. Berlin: LIT Verlag Berlin-Hamburg-Münster, 2006. ISBN 3-825-87668-3
+
* [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]
−
*Various authors. ''Countries of the World & Their Leaders Yearbook 08, Volume 2''. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. ISBN 0-787-68108-3
+
 
−
*[[Alan Wolfe|Wolfe, Alan]]. ''The Future of Liberalism''. New York: Random House, Inc., 2009. ISBN 0-307-38625-2
+
* [[Howard Zinn]]
 +
 
 +
* [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]]
 +
 
 +
* [[Albert Einstein]]
 +
 
 +
* [[Bill Nye]]
 +
 
 +
* [[John Wayne Gacy]] - In an interview where he denied killing any of his victims, [[serial killer]] John Wayne Gacy said he was [[bisexuality|bisexual]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT129 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> and "very liberal".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> Gacy was also a [[Democrat Party]] activist who had his picture taken with [[Rosalynn Carter]].<ref>[http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/45527 Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg]</ref>
 +
 
 +
* [[Gene Roddenberry]]
 +
 
 +
==Liberal Organizations of thought==
  
−
== Further reading ==
+
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
−
=== Prominent law scholars ===
 
−
* Putting liberalism in its place / Paul W Kahn, 2005 ([[Yale University]])
 
−
* Liberalism divided: freedom of speech and the many uses of State power / Owen M Fiss, 1996 (Yale University)
 
−
* The future of liberal revolution / Bruce A Ackerman, 1992 (Yale University)
 
−
* Social justice in the liberal state / Bruce A Ackerman, 1980 (Yale University)
 
−
* Notions of fairness versus the Pareto principle: on the role of logical consistency / Louis Kaplow, 2000 ([[Harvard University]])
 
−
* Knowledge & politics / Roberto Mangabeira Unger., 1975 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Principles for a free society / Richard Allen Epstein, 1999 ([[University of Chicago]])
 
−
* Fairness in a liberal society / Richard Allen Epstein, 2005 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* Skepticism and freedom: a modern case for classical liberalism / Richard Allen Epstein., 2003 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* Cultivating humanity: a classical defense of reform in liberal education / Martha Nussbaum, 1997 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* Free markets and social justice / Cass R Sunstein, 1997 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* Reasonably radical: deliberative liberalism and the politics of identity / Anthony Simon Laden, 2001 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* The new inequality: creating solutions for poor America / ed. Joshua Cohen, 1999 ([[Stanford University]])
 
−
* The rise and fall of British liberalism, 1776-1988 / Alan Sykes, 1997 (Stanford University)
 
−
* A stream of windows: unsettling reflections on trade, immigration, and democracy / Jagdish Bhagwati, 1998 ([[Columbia University]])
 
−
* Nature and politics: liberalism in the philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau / Andrzej Rapaczynski, 1987 (Columbia University)
 
−
* Law and liberalism in the 1980s: the Rubin lectures at Columbia University / Vincent Blasi, 1991 (Columbia University)
 
−
* Ways of war and peace: realism, liberalism, and socialism / Michael W Doyle, 1997 (Columbia University)
 
−
* The Liberal future in America: essays in renewal / ed. Michael B Levy, 1985 ([[University of California, Berkeley]])
 
−
* Boundaries and allegiances: problems of justice and responsibility in liberal thought / Samuel Scheffler, 2001 (University of California, Berkeley)
 
−
* The anatomy of antiliberalism / Stephen Holmes, 1993 ([[University of New York]])
 
−
* Passions and constraint: on the theory of liberal democracy / Stephen Holmes, 1995 (University of New York)
 
−
* Benjamin Constant and the making of modern liberalism / Stephen Holmes, 1984 (University of New York)
 
−
* Liberal rights: collected papers, 1981-1991 / Jeremy Waldron, 1993 (University of New York)
 
−
* Liberals and social democrats / Peter Clarke., 1978 ([[University of Oxford]])
 
−
* Law and the community: the end of individualism? / ed. Leslie Green, 1989 (University of Oxford)
 
−
* From promise to contract: towards a liberal theory of contract / Dori Kimel, 2003 (University of Oxford)
 
−
* The new enlightenment: the rebirth of liberalism / ed. Peter Clarke, 1986 (University of Oxford)
 
−
* Constitutional justice: a liberal theory of the rule of law / T.R.S Allan, 2001 ([[University of Cambridge]])
 
  
−
=== Prominent philosophers ===
+
*[[AARP|AARP - American Association of Retired People]]
−
* Liberalism and social action / John Dewey, 1963 (University of Chicago)
+
*[[ACLU|ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union]]
−
* Combat liberalism / Mao Zedong, 1954 ([[Peking University]])
+
*[[ACORN|ACORN - Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]]
−
* Free thought and official propaganda / Bertrand Russell, 1922 (University of Cambridge)
+
*[[AFL-CIO|AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations]]
−
* Political Liberalism / John Rawls, 2005 (Harvard University)
+
*[[Amnesty International|AI - Amnesty International]]
−
* Lectures on the history of political philosophy / John Rawls, 2007 (Harvard University)
+
*[[A.N.S.W.E.R.|ANSWER - Act Now to Stop War and End Racism]]
−
* The law of peoples; with, The idea of public reason revisited / John Rawls., 1999 (Harvard University)
+
*[[CAIR|CAIR - Council on American-Islamic Relations]]
−
* Conditions of liberty: civil society and its rivals / Ernest Gellner, 1994 (University of Cambridge)
+
*[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]
−
* Liberty: incorporating four essays on liberty / Isaiah Berlin., 2002 (University of Oxford)
+
*[[Democratic National Committee]]
−
* Objectivity and liberal scholarship / Noam Chomsky, 2003 ([[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]])
+
*[[Greenpeace]]
−
* Profit over people: neoliberalism and global order / Noam Chomsky, 1999 (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
+
*[[MoveOn.org]]
−
* Democracy in a neoliberal order: doctrines and reality / Noam Chomsky, 1997 (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
+
*[[NARAL|NARAL - National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League]]
−
* Liberal politics and the public sphere / Charles Taylor, 1995 (McGill University)
+
*[[NAACP|NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]]
−
* Beyond liberalization: social opportunity and human capability / Amartya Kumar Sen., 1994 (Harvard University)
+
*[[National Committee for an Effective Congress]]
−
* Sovereign virtue: the theory and practice of equality / Ronald Dworkin, 2000 (University of New York))
+
*[[National Education Association]]
−
* The legacy of Isaiah Berlin / ed. Ronald Dworkin., 2001 (University of New York)
+
*[[National Organization of Women|NOW - National Organization of Women]]
−
* Concealment and exposure: and other essays / Thomas Nagel, 2002 (University of New York)
+
*[[PETA|PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]]
−
* Liberals and communitarians / Stephen Mulhall., 1992 (University of Oxford)
+
*[[Planned Parenthood|Planned Parenthood Federation of America]]
−
* John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism / Alan Ryan, 1995 (University of Oxford)
+
*[[Progressives for Obama]]
−
* Liberal reform in an illiberal regime: the creation of private property in Russia / Stephen Williams, 2006 (University of Oxford)
+
*[[Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]]
−
* Liberalism, religion, and the sources of value / Simon Blackburn, 2005 (University of Cambridge)
+
*[[SEIU|SEIU - Service Employees International Union]]
−
* Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America / Richard Rorty, 1999 (Stanford University)
+
*[[U.S. Peace Council]]
−
* Bridging Liberalism and Multiculturalism in American Education / Bob Reich, 2002 (Stanford University)
+
Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509044946/http://www.politixgroup.com/lo.htm The Politix Group]
−
* Boundaries and allegiances: problems of justice and responsibility in liberal thought / Samuel Scheffler, 2001 (University of California, Berkeley)
 
−
* The logos reader: rational radicalism and the future of politics / ed. Michael Thompson, 2006 (University of Pittsburgh)
 
−
* The feminist critique of liberalism / Martha Craven Nussbaum, 1997 (University of Chicago)
 
−
* Nietzsche, politics, and modernity: a critique of liberal reason / David Owen, 1995 (University of Arizona)
 
−
* Contemporary Theories of Liberalism / Gerald Gaus, 2003 (University of Arizona)
 
−
* Pragmatic Liberalism and the Critique of Modernity / Gary Gutting, 1999 (University of Notre Dame)
 
  
−
=== Prominent political scientists ===
 
−
* Communities and Law: Politics and Cultures of Legal Identities/Gad Barzilai, 2003 [[University of Michigan]]
 
−
* Liberal America and the Third World; political development ideas in foreign aid and social science / Robert A Packenham, 1973 (Stanford University)
 
−
* Structural conflict: the Third World against global liberalism / Stephen D Krasner, 1985 (Stanford University)
 
−
* Democracy's discontent: America in search of a public philosophy / Michael J Sandel, 1998 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Liberalism and the limits of justice / Michael J Sandel, 1998 (Harvard University)
 
−
* The spirit of liberalism / Harvey Claflin Mansfield., 1978 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Liberalism and the moral life / Nancy L Rosenblum, 1989 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Bentham's theory of the modern state / Nancy L Rosenblum, 1978 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Another liberalism: romanticism and the reconstruction of liberal thought / Nancy L Rosenblum., 1987 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Liberalism and its critics / Michael J Sandel, 1984 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Technopols: freeing politics and markets in Latin America in the 1990s / Jorge I Domínguez., 1997 (Harvard University)
 
−
* The new majority: towards a popular progressive politics / Theda Skocpol, 1999 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Tyranny and liberty: big government and the individual in Tocqueville's science of politics / Harvey Mansfield., 1999 (Harvard University)
 
−
* The new American dilemma: liberal democracy and school desegregation / Jennifer L Hochschild, 1984 (Harvard University)
 
−
* Politics out of history / Wendy Brown, 2001 (University of California, Berkeley)
 
−
* Radicals and conservatives / William McGovern;  David S Collier, 1957 (University of California, Berkeley)
 
−
* Tocqueville's revenge: state, society, and economy in contemporary France / Jonah D Levy, 1999 (University of California, Berkeley)
 
−
* Liberalism's crooked circle: letters to Adam Michnik / Ira Katznelson, 1996 (Columbia University)
 
−
* Liberal socialism (Carlo Rosselli) / ed. Nadia Urbinati, 1994 (Columbia University)
 
−
* On liberal revolution (Piero Gobetti) / ed. Nadia Urbinati, 2000 (Columbia University)
 
−
* The clash of orthodoxies: law, religion, and morality in crisis / Robert P George, 2001 ([[Princeton University]])
 
−
* Liberal equality / Amy Gutmann., 1980 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Diversity and distrust : civic education in a multicultural democracy / Stephen Macedo, 1999 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Liberal virtues: citizenship, virtue, and community in liberal constitutionalism / Stephen Macedo, 1991 (Princeton University)
 
−
* The inner ocean: individualism and democratic culture / George Kateb, 1992 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Economic change and political liberalization in Sub-Saharan Africa / Jennifer A Widner, 1994 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Natural law, liberalism, and morality: contemporary essays / Robert P George, 1996 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Natural law and public reason / Robert P George, 2000 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Liberal international relations theory: a social scientific assessment / Andrew Moravcsik., 2001 (Princeton University)
 
−
* Liberalism and international relations theory / Andrew Moravcsik, 1992 (Princeton University)
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
−
== External links ==
+
==Quotes on Liberals==
−
{{sisterlinks}}
+
"I never use the words [[Democrats]] and [[Republicans]]. It's [[liberals]] and [[Americans]]." -James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under [[Ronald Reagan]]
−
* [http://www.liberal-international.org/ Liberal International] is the premier international political federation of liberal parties and institutions.
+
 
−
* [http://www.alde.eu/ Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe] is the major liberal political group in the European Parliament.
+
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." -[[Ronald Reagan]]
−
* [http://www.africaliberalnetwork.org/default.aspx?i_PageID=188 Africa Liberal Network] is the main organization for liberal parties on the African continent.
+
 
−
* [http://www.liberal.ca/ Liberal Party of Canada] is one of the largest and the most dominant liberal parties in the world.
+
“Liberals see racism where it doesn't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it and ignore it within their own ranks.” ―[[Michelle Malkin]]
−
* [http://www.liberal.gi/ Liberal Party of Gibraltar] is one of the smallest liberal parties in the world.
+
 
−
* [http://www.theliberal.co.uk The Liberal] is a British magazine dedicated to coverage of liberal politics and liberal culture.
+
"Words mean nothing to liberals. They say whatever will help advance their cause at the moment, switch talking points in a heartbeat, and then act indignant if anyone uses the exact same argument they were using five minutes ago." -[[Ann Coulter]]<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2010/11/23/the_25_best_quotes_about_liberals The 25 Best Quotes About Liberals]</ref>
−
* [http://mises.org/ Ludwig von Mises Institute] is a think tank devoted to the promotion of libertarian and classical liberal socioeconomic policies.  
+
 
−
* [http://www.fnst-freiheit.org/webcom/show_article.php/_c-705/i.html Friedrich Naumann Foundation] is a global advocacy organization that supports liberal ideas and policies.  
+
"The reason any conservative's failing is always major news is that it allows liberals to engage in their very favorite taunt: Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the only sin that really inflames them. Inasmuch as liberals have no morals, they can sit back and criticize other people for failing to meet the standards that liberals simply renounce. It's an intriguing strategy. By openly admitting to being philanderers, draft dodgers, liars, weasels and cowards, liberals avoid ever being hypocrites." -Ann Coulter
−
* [http://www.adaction.org/ Americans for Democratic Action] is an American advocacy organization that champions modern liberalism.
+
 
−
* [http://www.prospect.org/ The American Prospect] is an American political magazine that backs social liberal policies.  
+
"If you can somehow force a liberal into a point-counterpoint argument, his retorts will bear no relation to what you've said -- unless you were in fact talking about your looks, your age, your weight, your personal obsessions, or whether you are a fascist. In the famous liberal two-step, they leap from one idiotic point to the next, so you can never nail them. It's like arguing with someone with Attention Deficit Disorder." -[[Ann Coulter]]
−
* [http://www.relial.org/ RELIAL] (in Spanish) is a group of Latin American liberal organizations that advocates for market liberal causes.  
+
 
−
* [http://www.silc.se/ Swedish International Liberal Centre] (in Swedish) is a liberal organization that aims to spread pluralism and democracy worldwide.
+
"Inside many liberals is a totalitarian screaming to get out. They don't like to have another point of view in the room that they don't squash and the way they try to squash it is by character assassination and name calling." -David Horowitz
−
* [http://liberalconspiracy.org/ Liberal Conspiracy] is the premier left-liberal blog about British politics.
+
 
−
* {{sep|liberalism}}
+
"End results that work that don't involve government threaten liberals." -[[Rush Limbaugh]]
 +
 
 +
"I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living. I'd like to know why they make excuses for cowards who spit in the faces of the police and then run behind the judicial sob sisters. I can't understand these people who carry placards to save the life of some criminal, yet have no thought for the innocent victim." -John Wayne
 +
 
 +
==Quotes by Liberals==
 +
 
 +
"The number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S." -[[Joe Biden]]
 +
 
 +
"There is no reason the nation of Africa cannot, and should not, join the ranks of the worlds most prosperous nations." -Joe Biden<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/StupidStuffDemocratsSay Stupid Stuff Democrats Say]</ref>
 +
 
 +
"Romney wants to give EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION BILLION in tax breaks to the rich." -Joe Biden
 +
 
 +
"Will the Mars Rover be able to show the flag the astronauts planted there before?" -Sheila Jackson Lee
 +
[[File:Pelosi tears up speech.PNG|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Nancy Pelosi]] ]]
 +
"Isn't it a little racist to call it Black Friday?" -Joy Behar
 +
 
 +
"Is there such a thing as a man-made stroke? …I know what this [Republican] party is capable of." -[[Joy Behar]]
 +
 
 +
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." -[[Al Gore]]
 +
 
 +
"The center of the earth is about a million degrees." -Al Gore
 +
 
 +
"A zebra does not change its spots." -Al Gore
 +
 
 +
"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied." -[[Jeremiah Wright]]
 +
 
 +
"Every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs." -[[Nancy Pelosi]]
 +
 
 +
"My favorite word, that is really easy, my favorite word is 'the word'." -Nancy Pelosi
 +
 
 +
"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” - Nancy Pelosi
 +
 
 +
"Why can't I just eat my waffle?" -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
 +
 
 +
"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go." -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
 +
 
 +
"Welcome to Cinco de Quattro!" -Barack Obama
 +
 
 +
"The time has changed for come." -Barack Obama
 +
 
 +
"They support democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan" -John Kerry
 +
 
 +
"My fear is that the whole island (of Guam) will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." -Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/08/17/the-25-stupidest-liberal-quotes-of-the-last-decade-n1666619 The 25 Stupidest Liberal Quotes Of The Last Decade]</ref>
 +
 
 +
"Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security." -Obama foreign policy adviser Richard Danzig
 +
 
 +
"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." -Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry<ref>http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Hilarious_Liberal_Quotes</ref>
 +
 
 +
"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?" -Marion Barry
 +
 
 +
"My appetite is so good that I can eat the table cloth right off the chair." -Democrat Congressman Joe Moakley
 +
 
 +
"Those who died in the earthquake, their lives will never be the same again." -Barbara Boxer
 +
 
 +
"I have to march because my mother couldn't have an abortion." -Maxine Water<ref>http://www.azquotes.com/quote/687234</ref>
 +
 
 +
"I dare you, you little fruitcake!" -Democrat Congressman Pete Stark
 +
 
 +
"I root for hurricanes" -James Wolcott
 +
 
 +
"I've got a secret for you: Kiss my a**." -George McGovern
 +
 
 +
"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." -[[Norman Thomas]], six-time U.S. presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America<ref>http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Norman.Thomas.Quote.FFB1</ref>
 +
 
 +
"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -Hillary Rodham Clinton<ref>Hawkins, John (June 16, 2015). [https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2015/06/16/draft-n2012995 20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved May 16, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
"Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." -Walter Mondale
 +
 
 +
== Modern liberalism and the use of mockery rather than reasonable argumentation ==
 +
 
 +
In a ''BloombergView'' article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about modern liberalism:
 +
{{Cquote|But the left has work to do, not only on policy and organization but also on attitude. Too many of my [[progressivism|progressive]] friends seem to have forgotten how to make actual arguments, and have become expert instead at condemnation, derision and mockery. On issue after issue, they’re very good at explaining why no one could oppose their policy positions except for the basest of motives. As to those positions themselves, they are too often announced with a zealous solemnity suggesting that their views are Holy Writ -- and those who disagree are cast into the outer political darkness. In short, the left has lately been dripping with hubris, which in classic literature always portends a fall.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-11-11/trump-and-the-fall-of-liberalism Trump and the Fall of Liberalism] by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
== Liberal influence in extreme ideologies (and vice-versa) ==
 +
{{See also|Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism|Communism and Nazism}}
 +
 
 +
Although the following individuals were not liberals, they shared several left-wing/liberal views in their ideologies, which overlapped with American/European liberalism.
 +
 
 +
=== Marxist/communist figures ===
 +
[[File:Ocasio Cortez.jpeg|thumb|250px|[[AOC]] ]]
 +
*[[Karl Marx]]—opposed religion and supported taking it completely out of public life; supported the disestablishment of the family; strong support for labor, socialism, and an expansive government.<ref>''The Communist Manifesto''</ref> Admired by many liberals,<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Dedaj, Paulina (May 5, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/05/moviemaker-michael-moore-wishes-karl-marx-happy-200th-birthday.html Moviemaker Michael Moore wishes Karl Marx a happy 200th birthday]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
 +
*Duke, Selwyn (May 2, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/28951-ny-times-hails-marx-on-his-birthday-you-were-right New York Times Hails Marx on His Birthday: “You Were Right!”] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
 +
*Sunkara, Bhaskar (January 25, 2013). [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/25/karl-marx-relevant-21st-century Why the ideas of Karl Marx are more relevant than ever in the 21st century]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
 +
*Cooper, Ryan (May 4, 2018). [http://theweek.com/articles/770718/time-normalize-karl-marx It's time to normalize Karl Marx]. ''The Week''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref> including [[European Commission]] president [[Jean-Claude Juncker]].<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Hale, Virginia (May 5, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/05/05/eu-president-heartfelt-defence-karl-marx/ EU Chief Jean-Claude Juncker Defies Protests to Deliver Heartfelt Defence of Karl Marx]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
 +
*Byas, Steve (May 5, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28979-european-commission-president-praises-karl-marx-s-contributions-to-european-union European Commission President Praises Karl Marx’s Contributions to European Union]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
 +
*Byas, Steve (April 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28934-eu-commission-president-juncker-set-to-honor-karl-marx European Commission President Juncker Set to Honor Karl Marx]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref>
 +
*[[Vladimir Lenin]]—socialist, supported an expansive government, supported [[one-world government]]
 +
*[[Mao Zedong]]—socialist. Introduced [[Maoism]], some American liberals admire him<ref>Shapiro, Ben (October 17, 2012). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref>
 +
*[[Joseph Stalin]]—socialist. Introduced [[Stalinism]], admired by many (European-) socialists/liberals.<ref>https://www.tni.org/es/node/7617</ref>
 +
*[[Fidel Castro]]—socialist, opposition to religion, government-run healthcare. In addition, Castro is admired by numerous American/European liberals.<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/26/trudeau-called-castro-a-remarkable-leader-twitter-imagined-what-he-would-say-about-stalin/?tid=pm_world_pop Trudeau called Castro a ‘remarkable leader.’ Twitter imagined what he would say about Stalin.] ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jill-stein-praises-fidel-castro-a-symbol-of-the-struggle-for-justice/article/2608223 Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Richardson, Valerie (November 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/28/aaron-mair-sierra-club-president-fidel-castro-had-/ Sierra Club president: Fidel Castro had ‘more honor’ than Donald Trump]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016">[https://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=4323#3 The O'Reilly Factor - Monday, November 28, 2016]. ''billoreilly.com''. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref>
 +
*[[Hugo Chavez]]—socialist. Admired by many American/European liberals.<ref>Kew, Ben (May 4, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/04/ten-influential-public-figures-praised-venezuelas-descent-socialist-hell/ 10 Famous People Who Praised Venezuela’s Descent Into Socialist Hell]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2017.</ref>
 +
*[[Che Guevara]]—socialist, admired by many liberals<ref>[http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/05/illegal-immigrants-rally-in-support-of.html Illegal Immigrants Rally For Dead Marxist Che Guevara]</ref><ref>[http://www.che-mart.com/WhoisChe.php Che-Mart]</ref><ref>Jones, Nigel (January 2, 2009). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4077397/It-is-a-sad-reflection-of-our-time-that-Che-Guevara-is-seen-as-a-hero.html It is a sad reflection of our time that Che Guevara is seen as a hero] ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Che_Guevara_in_popular_culture&oldid=833775290</ref><ref>Reiland, Ralph R. (August 12, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/29769-che-guevara-romanticizing-tyranny Che Guevara: Romanticizing Tyranny]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 12, 2018.</ref>
 +
*[[Bernie Sanders]]-socialist.
 +
*[[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]-socialist.
 +
 
 +
In 2019, several members of the [[European Commission]] sang the far-left Marxist song "Bella Ciao."<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (December 5, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/05/leftist-european-commissioners-slammed-singing-far-left-bella-ciao/ EU Commissioners Slammed for Singing Marxist Anthem ‘Bella Ciao’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 7, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
=== Fascists ===
 +
[[File:Godwin's Law.png|thumbnail|right|340px|[[Elizabeth Warren]] ]]
 +
:''See also:'' [[Liberalism#Nazism and socialism|Nazism and socialism]]
 +
 
 +
*[[Adolf Hitler]]—supported animal "rights,"<ref>[ https://books.google.com/books?id=e7FME0btkH0C&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=hitler+animal+rights&source=bl&ots=PIxjDRDBj1&sig=tbJisPm39hMcxj1g6xL0Kh0sn7g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3qZP7xOPTAhVr4oMKHeTMA_c4FBDoAQhKMAc#v=onepage&q=hitler%20animal%20rights&f=false Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions], pg. 62.</ref><ref>Harrison, David; Paterson, Tony (September 22, 2002). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1407954/Thanks-to-Hitler-hunting-with-hounds-is-still-verboten.html Thanks to Hitler, hunting with hounds is still verboten]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref name="EllisWash."/> environmentalism,<ref name="EllisWash.">Washington, Ellis (March 26, 2011). [https://www.wnd.com/2011/03/279449/ The Nazi Cult of the Organic']. ''WND''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/ecology/nazi_ecology.htm Nazi "Ecology"], Frank Furedi, ''columbia.edu''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Musser, Mark (February 6, 2016). [https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/02/yale_professor_on_nazi_environmentalism_so_close_yet_so_far.html Yale Professor on Nazi Environmentalism: So Close, yet So Far]. ''American Thinker''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> gun control (see [[Gun Control in Nazi Germany]]),<ref>Halbrook, Stephen (December 2, 2013). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2013/12/how-nazis-used-gun-control-stephen-p-halbrook/ How the Nazis Used Gun Control]. ''National Review''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Kline, Audrey D. (May 9, 2014). [https://mises.org/library/gun-control-nazi-germany Gun Control in Nazi Germany]. ''Mises Institute''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Wolverton, II, J.D., Joe (January 30, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/14367-nazi-gun-control-laws-a-familiar-road-to-citizen-disarmament Nazi Gun Control Laws: a Familiar Road to Citizen Disarmament?] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Stupp, Herbert W. (July 13, 2015). [https://spectator.org/63424_hitler-and-gun-control/ Hitler and Gun Control]. ''The American Spectator''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Hoft, Joe (March 24, 2018). [https://thegatewaypundit.com/2018/03/reminder-hitler-also-used-children-to-promote-gun-control/ FLASHBACK: Hitler Also Used Children to Promote Gun Control]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref> socialism,<ref>http://louderwithcrowder.com/myth-busted-actually-yes-hitler-was-a-socialist-liberal/</ref> single-payer healthcare (see [[Health care in Nazi Germany]]), and a large expansionist government, and had an intolerance for opposing views.
 +
*[[Benito Mussolini]]—a socialist from a socialist family who only split from mainstream socialism due to his support for Italy during [[World War I]] rather than supporting a [[one-world government|globalist workers' revolution]].<ref>[http://www.biography.com/people/benito-mussolini-9419443 Benito Mussolini]. ''Biography.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/italian-history-biographies/benito-mussolini Benito Mussolini]. ''Encyclopedia.com'' (from the Encyclopedia of World Biography''). 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> Prior to [[World War I]], Mussolini wrote for socialist publications and spoke highly of Marx.<ref>Greenspan, Jesse (October 25, 2012). [http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mussolini 9 Things You May Not Know About Mussolini]. ''History.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> He used gun control to help gain power.<ref>Quammen, E. David (August 12, 2013). [http://www.teapartytribune.com/2013/08/12/italian-gun-control-right-before-mussolini-seized-total-control/ Italian ‘gun control’ right before Mussolini seized total control….]. ''Tea Party Tribune''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
 
 +
*[[Conservative vs. liberal]]
 +
*[[Liberal corporate tyranny]]
 +
*[[Left-wing war on women]]
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
  
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{|background="none" width="100%" border="0"
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* [[Godless liberal]]
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* [[Last wordism]]
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* [[Essay:Liberal celebrity obsession|Liberal celebrity obsession]]
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* [[Essay:Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia|Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia]]
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* [[Liberal Christianity]]
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* [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]
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* [[Liberal Democrats]]
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* [[Liberal Elite]]
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* [[Essay: Liberal Falsehoods|Liberal Falsehoods]]
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* [[Liberal Fascism]] tendencies.
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* [[Liberal friendship]]
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* [[Liberal Gloss]]
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* [[Liberal grading]]
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* [[Liberal hypocrisy]]
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* [[Essay:Liberal hysteria|Liberal hysteria]]
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* [[Essay:Liberal Intellectualism|Liberal Intellectualism]]
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* [[Liberal labels]]
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* [[Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right|Liberal Lies About the American Right]]
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* [[Liberal logic]]
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* [[The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness|Liberal Mind]]
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* [[Liberal Party]]
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* [[Liberal supremacist]]
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* [[Massachusetts liberal]]
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* [[Progressives]]
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* [[Scientific Illiteracy and Liberals]]
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* [[European Liberalism]]
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* [[Liberal and conservative]]
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* [[Liberal anger]]
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* [[Liberal competitiveness]]
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* [[Liberal concealment]]
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* [[Liberal conscience]]
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* [[Liberal dislikes]]
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* [[Liberal excuses]]
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* [[Liberal hyperbole]]
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* [[Liberal infiltration]]
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* [[Liberal media hype]]
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* [[Liberal opinion]]
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* [[Liberal relativism]]
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* [[Liberal revisionists]]
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* [[Liberal self-righteousness]]
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* [[Liberalism-ism]]
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* [[Liberals and conservatives]]
 +
* [[Essay:Liberal Intelligence]]
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* [[Essay:Incoherence of liberal thought]]
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* [[Essay:Liberal Predictions of the Decade]]
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|}
  
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* [[Best New Conservative Words#New Liberal Terms|New Liberal Terms]]
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* http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
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[[Category:Social theories]]
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*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-how-the-specter-of-communism-is-ruling-our-world How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World]. ''The Epoch Times''.
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Latest revision as of 22:19, December 13, 2025

American dictator Joseph Biden against a hellscape background, encouraging an ideological civil war

A liberal (alternately called a left-winger or leftist) in America is someone who advocates an increase in government spending, power, and control, typically through taxpayer-funded programs such as Welfare, failed public schools, ObamaCare and support for wasteful foreign aid. Liberals often support the censorship and the denial of Christian values[1] and conservative viewpoints.

Increasingly, liberals side with transgender activism, the homosexual agenda, including homosexual "marriage". Liberals favor a welfare state where people receive endless entitlements without working.[2] The liberal ideology has degenerated into economically unsound views and intolerant ideology. All liberals support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of conservative principles, while lacking an actual ideology or values of their own.[3] Many of them cannot understand Christian language.[4] Liberals are especially prone to believe conspiracy theories, particularly those that denigrate people or views they disagree with,[5][6] and they are increasingly intolerant of opposing viewpoints.[7] Modern liberals reject classical liberalism, which is now a purported aspect of conservatism.[8]

Polling data has consistently shown that a larger percentage of Americans identify as conservative, rather than as liberal, by a margin of 35% to 26% as of 2017; while the gap between self-identified conservatives and self-identified liberals has been narrowing in recent years,[9] liberals and "progressives" oftentimes falsely claim that liberals outnumber conservatives. Liberals are especially active in universities.[10]

Political positions and practices of liberals

Lawrence O'Donnell raging.jpg Scarborough.jpg
MSNBC propagandists Lawrence O'Donnell (left) and Joe Scarborough (right).

Liberals support the following political positions and practices:[11]

  • Wasting money on ineffective government programs (the significant economic problems in the Eurozone due to government debt will no doubt increasingly discredit this aspect of liberal ideology and make things more difficult for advocates of liberal economic ideologies)
  • Many liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.[12][13]
  • Judging people by the color of their skin, rather than the content of their character.[14]
  • In the United States, the Democrat Party and liberals have moved so far left that there are now political figures involved in Democrat politics who are sympathetic to Communism. For example, Anita Dunn, an American political strategist who served as White House Communications Director from April through November 2009 in Obama Administration, said that Mao Zedong was her favorite political philosopher.[15] Bernie Sanders, a leading candidate in the Democrat Party's 2016 presidential nomination, although he is an adherent of social democracy, he also has a history of involvement with Marxist organizations.[16][17][18] Sanders shocked his fellow liberals by putting up a Soviet Union flag in his Senate office.[19] In 1998, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which was founded by Sanders, had the song Red Revolution (a song advocating communist revolution) featured on a website that they shared with the Democratic Socialists of America.[17]
  • In 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton, made the statement about the Democrat Party, which is a party strongly supported by liberals, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”[20] In 1988, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), after decades of running their own presidential candidates, stopped running presidential candidates because the gap between Democrats and American communists had grown smaller.[21] In 2016, the CPUSA urged people not to vote for Donald Trump even if they disliked Hillary Clinton (an indirect endorsement of Clinton).[21] Although there are still some very substantial differences between Communists and Democrats/liberals, the line between Communists/Democrats/liberals continues to blur in the United States.[20] Ironically, the leading Communist country in the world, Communist China, has moved farther away from Communism and now has a mixed economy of capitalism and state-owned enterprises.[22]
  • Denial of science[23] (especially creation science) while conversely embracing pseudoscience for political and ideological reasons
  • Government's ability to solve economic problems[24]

Some liberals support:

Liberal intolerance

Liberalism in 2019 America: "Death Camps for Trump Supporters Now!"

See also: Liberal intolerance and Liberal bigotry Many modern liberals have a tendency to be intolerant of ideas that contradict liberal ideology which increasingly includes many strange notions[72] (see: Liberal intolerance). For example, radical feminists commonly claim that one is not born a man or woman, but one becomes a man or woman through gender socialization.[73]

A Pew Research study found that “consistent liberals” were most likely to block others on social media for disagreeing with them politically.[74]

Leftists prevented Ann Coulter from speaking at University of California, Berkeley through threats of violence.[75]

Liberal intolerance and violence

See also: Left-wing violence in the Trump era

As noted above, may liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.[12][13] For example, there have been several intolerant, liberal mobs which have shut down conservative speakers at college campuses (in 2017, there were two cases in the United States where violence or threats of violence were used to shut down free speech at college campuses).[75][76][77]

Democrats used paid leftists agitators to disrupt Donald Trump rallies.[78][79] As far as the paid agitators, veteran left-wing strategist Robert Creamer confirmed on hidden camera that Hillary Clinton “is fully in it” and “Hillary knows through the chain of command what’s going on.”[79] The agitators were sent to Trump rallies to anger Trump supporters and incite violence.[78]

There have been a number of attacks against President Donald Trump supporters after his election which the mainstream media underreported.[80] In addition, there have been a number of instances of leftists and Trump supporters clashing at Trump rallies after his election.[81]

Owning the libs

See also: Owning the libs

Owning the libs is a political strategy used by various conservatives in the United States that focuses on upsetting political liberals and leftists who often tend to be thin-skinned (See also: Irritating an opponent (military and political tactic)).

Liberals and politics/law

Forced collectivization of healthcare.

In the United States, liberals currently use two Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to try to expand their power: the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. The General Welfare Clause mentions "promoting the general welfare". This, to a liberal, means taxing the rich at increased rates and redistributing that money. The Commerce Clause, on the other hand, says that Congress has the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, between the states and with the Indian tribes. Since the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt this clause has been interpreted very loosely and has resulted in the federal government expanding its power. The latest example is The Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. In the ACA, the liberals justify the individual mandate by saying it regulates commerce between the states.

The decline in liberal principles can be illustrated by how Franklin Delano Roosevelt opposed and condemned public sector unions, stating that the idea of collective bargaining can't be transferred from the private to the public sector, as that would result in the government being unable to carry out its duties. Yet today, decades later, Democrats and liberals are in lock-step with public sector unions, as they "donate" money to the reelection campaign in exchange for more taxpayer money in their wallets and fluffed up pensions.

Current dictionaries describe the liberal ideology by pretending that a liberal is "a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties" or "a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets,"[82] or "open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc." or "favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties."[83] In practical usage, the term "liberal" is more closely synonymous with "radical," "immoral," "anti-freedom," "elitist," or "bad."

Liberals and uncharitableness

An Obamaville was a tent city or shanty town in the United States created by homeless people during Barack Obama's presidency.[84][85][86]

American liberals have been observed to give less to charity than American conservatives.[87]

See also: Liberals and uncharitableness In March 2008, George Will wrote at RealClearPolitics concerning the United States:

“ Sixteen months ago, Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Syracuse University, published "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism." The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than conservatives....

If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:

-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.[87]

”

Liberal politicians and uncharitableness

The political magazine the American Spectator featured an article which focused on liberal politicians and uncharitableness exposing the hypocrisy of the liberal politicians it featured.[88] In addition, Barack Obama has been criticized concerning his lack of charitable giving.

Liberals and superstition

See also: Irreligion and superstition

The Wall Street Journal reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians."[89]

The Wall Street Journal reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University, shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology.[90]

Also, in September of 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported:

“ The reality is that the New Atheist campaign, by discouraging religion, won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith — it's what the empirical data tell us.

"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience, such as evolution than evangelical Christians....

This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in pseudoscience, cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.[90]

”

Secular left

See also: Secular left

The secular left consists of left-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries. They support "strict government secularism".[91]

Decline of the secular left

See also: Decline of the secular left and Religious conservatism and politics

In some regions where the secular left has considerable influence, they are losing an increasing amount of their power.

Religious conservatism is a big driver of social conservatism. Religious conservatism is growing in the world, and it is affecting politics (see: Religious conservatism and politics).[92][93]

Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity

See also: Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity and Liberal Christianity

According to a 2007 study reported in the Journal of Family Issues, adherents of liberal Christianity are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically conservative Christians.[94]

As noted above, liberals are more likely to adhere to evolutionary belief than conservatives. A study conducted by the Australian National University, revealed that belief in evolution is associated with moral permissiveness.[95]

American liberalism

See also: American liberalism and Liberal elitism As noted above, American liberalism is a political ideology that dominates the Democratic Party. Its heroes include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King.

According to the Gallup Organization, in the United States, 25% of the population were liberals and 36% were conservatives in 2016.[96]

In 2017, the Financial Times declared about American liberalism:

Franklin D. Roosevelt
“ ...as Democrats struggle to reinvent themselves in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, their party remains captured by a toxic mix of identity politics and corporate interests. The establishment wing is still convinced that racism and misogyny, not economic populism, sank Mrs Clinton, and that wooing big corporate donors is still the way to victory in the next election.

While money matters, and there may have been some voters who turned away from Mrs Clinton because of gender, the key reason that the Democrats lost in 2016 and are struggling to rebrand themselves is that they have failed to grasp two things.

Firstly, most Americans today care more about jobs than identity, and secondly, the same downward mobility that pushed the white working class towards Mr Trump is moving up the socio-economic food chain, and fast. As research by groups from the International Monetary Fund to the OECD to McKinsey has shown, the technology-related job disruption that resulted in rust belt job losses and wage stagnation since 2000 is beginning to affect white-collar workers across nearly every sector....

But Democrats overestimated the power and relevance of identity politics (there are still more whites without a college degree than minorities), and underestimated the breadth and depth of labour disruption. In any case, says Robert Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, “it was always a mistake to separate out issues of race and class, because they go hand in hand. In economically insecure times, fear of the ‘other’ increases.” It is a phenomenon exploited by Mr Trump.[97]

”

In recent years, American liberals have experienced a number of political losses and many liberals in the United States have become embittered (see: American liberalism and 21st century political losses),

Democrats and most media outlets in the U.S. are blatantly liberal.[98] Liberalism in North America today practices three primary tactics to attack the Republican Party, and sometimes to attack American values in general. These three liberal tactics can be pronounced using the following acronym: SIN. Liberals (1) shift the subject, they (2) ignore the facts, and they (3) name call.[99][100]

  • Liberals typically support a "mixed" economy, a policy similar to that of fascism.[101]
“ There's another goal, from my point of view, which is to try to lay the groundwork for a radical political force which would conceive of itself as distinctly to the left of moderate, reformist American liberals. And that has two aspects. One is to try to change that liberalism, to transform it by analysis, critique, and activism; the second is to build a radical movement which would be an autonomous force in its own right, which would be distinct from the traditional American liberal consensus. This radical part of the program involves not simply supporting the liberal students against conservative students and conservative professors, but trying to act on them, to push them to the left. It also involves trying to find and support, even trying to help create, networks of radical students in law school and of radical professors around the country — students and teachers who see themselves as wanting to go a lot further than most people want to go.[102] ”

Liberal Rankings of Congress Members

The National Journal compiles the votes of each congress member each year and uses the information to create rankings[103] of how liberal each member of the United States Congress is. In addition to showing the voting records of each member and given an overall all ranking of liberalness, the National Journal also ranks congress members by liberalness in the areas of social, economic, and foreign policy.

American liberalism, demographics and expected tipping point in the decline of American liberalism

Hillary Clinton

Due to the explosive growth of global Christianity in traditional cultures and their influence on Western Christianity and the higher birth rate of conservative Christians and religious conservatives, social conservatism is expected to rise.

The Birkbeck College, University of London professor Eric Kaufman wrote in his 2010 book Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth? concerning America:

“ High evangelical fertility rates more than compensated for losses to liberal Protestant sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white secularism has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious fundamentalists of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will tip the balance in the culture wars towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as abortion. By the end of the century, three-quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global religious right, its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire Abrahamic family.[104] ”

Liberalism in Europe today

The French liberal politician François Hollande was the President of the French Republic from 2012 until 2017.

In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves liberal are moderate in outlook, ranging from centre-left to centre-right, typically promote economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe[105] is a party of the European Parliament that represents most liberal parties from European countries. Similar policies are promoted by many liberal parties throughout the world,[106] such as the Liberal Party of Australia.[107]

Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians for promoting lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them "liberals" or neoliberals. Thus, just as in the US, "liberal" may occasionally be used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called "liberal" in Europe, it has an entirely different meaning than in the US. In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of both European socialist/social democratic or Social/progressive liberal parties, in contrast to conservative or fiscal liberal parties which again falls into the right-wing part of the political spectrum.[108]

John Stuart Mill was a classical liberal.

Historical Liberalism

In history, the word "liberal" has meant different things at different times, and was associated with individual liberty in prior centuries. In the postwar period, liberals supported government intervention in the economy and welfare state policies, as well as peaceful coexistence with the communist block, which are not liberal policies in the sense of classical liberalism. After the end of the Cold War, with the demise of socialism and communism, many liberals embraced some ideas from economic neo-liberalism, and coined it the "Third Way". In the area of national security and foreign policy, liberals in the U.S. failed to define a consistent stance, even after the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq. Liberals generally support affirmative action, gay marriage, and abortion.[109]

Original meaning: Classical Liberalism

Liberalism is a political philosophy with freedom as its core value. The term was originally applied to supporters of individual liberties and equal rights, but, in America, the term has come to represent a movement of social change that often conflicts with conservative values such as moral values and traditions derived from Northern European Protestantism.

See Classical Liberalism. Compare Libertarianism.

Influential/famous liberals

See also: Infamous liberals

Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood

Liberal Organizations of thought

Source: The Politix Group

Quotes on Liberals

"I never use the words Democrats and Republicans. It's liberals and Americans." -James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Ronald Reagan

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." -Ronald Reagan

“Liberals see racism where it doesn't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it and ignore it within their own ranks.” ―Michelle Malkin

"Words mean nothing to liberals. They say whatever will help advance their cause at the moment, switch talking points in a heartbeat, and then act indignant if anyone uses the exact same argument they were using five minutes ago." -Ann Coulter[115]

"The reason any conservative's failing is always major news is that it allows liberals to engage in their very favorite taunt: Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the only sin that really inflames them. Inasmuch as liberals have no morals, they can sit back and criticize other people for failing to meet the standards that liberals simply renounce. It's an intriguing strategy. By openly admitting to being philanderers, draft dodgers, liars, weasels and cowards, liberals avoid ever being hypocrites." -Ann Coulter

"If you can somehow force a liberal into a point-counterpoint argument, his retorts will bear no relation to what you've said -- unless you were in fact talking about your looks, your age, your weight, your personal obsessions, or whether you are a fascist. In the famous liberal two-step, they leap from one idiotic point to the next, so you can never nail them. It's like arguing with someone with Attention Deficit Disorder." -Ann Coulter

"Inside many liberals is a totalitarian screaming to get out. They don't like to have another point of view in the room that they don't squash and the way they try to squash it is by character assassination and name calling." -David Horowitz

"End results that work that don't involve government threaten liberals." -Rush Limbaugh

"I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living. I'd like to know why they make excuses for cowards who spit in the faces of the police and then run behind the judicial sob sisters. I can't understand these people who carry placards to save the life of some criminal, yet have no thought for the innocent victim." -John Wayne

Quotes by Liberals

"The number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S." -Joe Biden

"There is no reason the nation of Africa cannot, and should not, join the ranks of the worlds most prosperous nations." -Joe Biden[116]

"Romney wants to give EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION BILLION in tax breaks to the rich." -Joe Biden

"Will the Mars Rover be able to show the flag the astronauts planted there before?" -Sheila Jackson Lee

Nancy Pelosi

"Isn't it a little racist to call it Black Friday?" -Joy Behar

"Is there such a thing as a man-made stroke? …I know what this [Republican] party is capable of." -Joy Behar

"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." -Al Gore

"The center of the earth is about a million degrees." -Al Gore

"A zebra does not change its spots." -Al Gore

"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied." -Jeremiah Wright

"Every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs." -Nancy Pelosi

"My favorite word, that is really easy, my favorite word is 'the word'." -Nancy Pelosi

"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” - Nancy Pelosi

"Why can't I just eat my waffle?" -Barack Hussein Obama

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go." -Barack Hussein Obama

"Welcome to Cinco de Quattro!" -Barack Obama

"The time has changed for come." -Barack Obama

"They support democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan" -John Kerry

"My fear is that the whole island (of Guam) will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." -Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson[117]

"Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security." -Obama foreign policy adviser Richard Danzig

"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." -Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry[118]

"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?" -Marion Barry

"My appetite is so good that I can eat the table cloth right off the chair." -Democrat Congressman Joe Moakley

"Those who died in the earthquake, their lives will never be the same again." -Barbara Boxer

"I have to march because my mother couldn't have an abortion." -Maxine Water[119]

"I dare you, you little fruitcake!" -Democrat Congressman Pete Stark

"I root for hurricanes" -James Wolcott

"I've got a secret for you: Kiss my a**." -George McGovern

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." -Norman Thomas, six-time U.S. presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America[120]

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -Hillary Rodham Clinton[121]

"Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." -Walter Mondale

Modern liberalism and the use of mockery rather than reasonable argumentation

In a BloombergView article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about modern liberalism:

“ But the left has work to do, not only on policy and organization but also on attitude. Too many of my progressive friends seem to have forgotten how to make actual arguments, and have become expert instead at condemnation, derision and mockery. On issue after issue, they’re very good at explaining why no one could oppose their policy positions except for the basest of motives. As to those positions themselves, they are too often announced with a zealous solemnity suggesting that their views are Holy Writ -- and those who disagree are cast into the outer political darkness. In short, the left has lately been dripping with hubris, which in classic literature always portends a fall.[122] ”

Liberal influence in extreme ideologies (and vice-versa)

See also: Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism and Communism and Nazism

Although the following individuals were not liberals, they shared several left-wing/liberal views in their ideologies, which overlapped with American/European liberalism.

Marxist/communist figures

AOC

In 2019, several members of the European Commission sang the far-left Marxist song "Bella Ciao."[138]

Fascists

Elizabeth Warren
See also: Nazism and socialism

See also

References

  1. ↑ Multiple references:
  2. ↑ Reform conservatives tackle the failed liberal welfare state, Washington Post
  3. ↑ http://eaglerising.com/22901/liberal-crybabies-get-offended-by-caitlyn-jenner-costume/
  4. ↑ Williams, Thomas D., Ph.D. (December 26, 2016). Religiously-Ignorant Liberals Mistake ‘New King’ at Christmas for Donald Trump. Breitbart. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ Murdock, Deroy (March 29, 2019). Collusion Clingers and Their Flat-Earth Forebears. National Review. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  6. ↑ Tucker: Brennan and Comey disgraced themselves. Fox News Video. March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ Folks, Jeffrey (July 30, 2019). Leftists don’t want equality in America. They want revenge. LifeSiteNews (from the American Thinker). Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ Vance, Laurence M. (December 27, 2019). Review of “For a New Liberalism”. The New American. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  9. ↑ Conservative Lead in U.S. Ideology is Down to Single Digits
  10. ↑ Lott, Maxim (January 18, 2019). Socialism rising: Universities and ‘radical’ profs helping steer leftward shift in politics, critics say. Fox News. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ https://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2014/02/21/liberal-students-have-a-funny-definition-of-diversity-n1798157
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The slow death of free speech by Suzanne Fields, Washington Times, 2015
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Why does the left want to suppress free speech? by Michael Barone, Washington Examiner, 2013
  14. ↑ The woke Left vs. Martin Luther King Jr., Washington Examiner, January 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher by Ben Shapiro, Bretbart News, 2012
  16. ↑ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist, New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post,January 16, 2016
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST? by Joseph Farah, WND, 2016
  18. ↑ History Lesson: Bernie Sanders is no 'Communist,' and 'Democratic Socialists' are as American as Apple Pie, Huffington Post, 2012
  19. ↑ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist, New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post, January 16, 2016
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Before his death in 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton, made the statement, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”, Constitution.com
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Communists, the Democrat Party and Snopes
  22. ↑ [China's The Most Viciously Free Market Economy On The Planet Right Now], Forbes, 2015
  23. ↑ Why Do Liberals Hate Science?
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs
  25. ↑ http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002849963/3038298682_real_verse_liberal_hypocrisy_xlarge.png
  26. ↑ [1]
  27. ↑ Jones, Angela (December 31, 2020). The anti-porn religious lobby just destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of pornographers. Salon. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  28. ↑ The Warren Court, led by liberal Justices William O. Douglas, Hugo Black, Abe Fortas, William Brennan and Chief Justice Earl Warren issued 36 decisions granting First Amendment rights to obscenity and pornography. These decisions remain fully supported by liberals today.
  29. ↑ Kraychik, Robert (July 24, 2018). Dennis Prager: Leftists ‘Don’t Believe in National Identities’. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  30. ↑ Murphy, James (July 27, 2018). Liberal Cities Want Voting Rights for Non-Citizens — Even Illegal Ones. The New American. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  31. ↑ Dinan, Stephen (October 18, 2018). Texas Dems ask noncitizens to register to vote, send applications with citizenship box pre-checked. The Washington Times. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  32. ↑ What Is Progressivism?
  33. ↑ Bleau, Hannah (July 4, 2019). Round-Up: Democrats Reveal They Dislike Celebrating America After All. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  34. ↑ Byas, Steve (July 4, 2019). Lack of Pride in America Not Surprising After Years of Liberal Propaganda. The New American. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  35. ↑ Chalk, Casey (November 8, 2019). What is the New ‘Woke’ Military Really Preparing Us For? The American Conservative. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  36. ↑ Watch What You Say, The New Liberal Power Elite Won’t Tolerate Dissent, The Daily Beast
  37. ↑ 60 Hard Truths about "Liberals"
  38. ↑ Liberal Authoritarianism
  39. ↑ Richarson, Bradford (June 11, 2016). Study from 2012 now corrected to show liberals, not conservatives, more authoritarian. The Washington Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  40. ↑ Terrell, Rebecca (May 7, 2019). Forced Vaccinations: Is It Time for Big Brother to Become Your Doctor? The New American. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  41. ↑ Duke, Selwyn (May 8, 2019). Tolerant Big Brother: Let People Drink, Smoke, and Eat Red Meat, Says Health Minister. The New American. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  42. ↑ Democratic Party
  43. ↑ http://www.truthnation.com/trumps-slogan-is-a-throwback-to-reagan-and-liberals-are-furious-make-america-great-again/
  44. ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Slander-Liberal-About-American-Right/dp/1400049520
  45. ↑ This Nationwide Study Challenges Everything Liberals Have Told You About Raising Taxes
  46. ↑ Progressive taxation
  47. ↑ Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program Funding, Fox News, Monday, June 25, 2007
  48. ↑ I hate pseudo-intellectuals
  49. ↑ http://liberaltears.net/
  50. ↑ George Washington and Deism
  51. ↑ 25 Examples of Liberal Racism in Quotes
  52. ↑ Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 17, 2021). Library staffer fired after being accused of burning Trump, Coulter books. The Hill. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  53. ↑ [2]
  54. ↑ and environmental organizations, for example Greenpeace
  55. ↑ For example, the liberal wing of the U.S. Supreme Court issued the 5–4 Kelo v. City of New London decision authorizing the taking of private property by government in order to give the property to another private entity rather than convert it to a public use.
  56. ↑ Liberals are illogical, and good at it
  57. ↑ Quintana, Ana (September 17, 2020). The Leftist Media’s Unacceptable Bigotry Against Cuban Americans. The Daily Signal. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  58. ↑ Martel, Frances (November 13, 2015). It’s 2015: Cubans Shouldn’t Have to Take NBC’s Racism Any Longer. Breitbart News. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  59. ↑ Sopo, Giancarlo (January 5, 2020). The Left's growing hatred for conservative Cuban Americans exposed. Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  60. ↑ Fontova, Humberto (November 2, 2012). Democratic/Media Axis again FURIOUS with Cuban-American Voters!. Townhall.com. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  61. ↑ http://www.infowars.com/correction-liberals-not-conservatives-are-psychotic
  62. ↑ http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii
  63. ↑ https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130604122602AANvhvF
  64. ↑ http://crooksandliars.com/2016/07/mikes-blog-round-25
  65. ↑ http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/weve-gone-from-tolerance-of-homosexuality-to-forced-celebration-of-it.html/
  66. ↑ [3]
  67. ↑ Liberals Repeal Ban on Bestiality in the Military
  68. ↑ http://catholiccitizens.org/views/66534/uses-disgust-%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/
  69. ↑ http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/rosie-odonnell-said-she-will-leave-america-youll-love-the-reason/
  70. ↑ Multiple references:
  71. ↑ Autism and the limits of the neurodiversity movement.
  72. ↑ Byas, Steve (August 8, 2018). The Growing Intolerance of the Left. The New American. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  73. ↑ - Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender - Gender socialization, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  74. ↑ Pew survey: “Consistent liberals” most likely to block others on social media for disagreeing with them politically
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Ann Coulter cancels Berkeley event amid protests, says decision 'a dark day for free speech in America', Fox News, 2017
  76. ↑ Intolerant Far-Left Mob Wins Again Over Free Speech, This Time at Berkeley, Mediaite, 2017
  77. ↑ Dear Berkeley: Even Ann Coulter deserves free speech, CNN, 2017
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 Democratic heads roll after video shows agitators planted at Trump rallies, Washington Times, 2016
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 UNDERCOVER VIDEO: DEMOCRATS CAUSED VIOLENCE AT TRUMP RALLIES, Frontpage Magazine, 2016
  80. ↑ Here’s A List Of Completely Substantiated (And Underreported) Attacks On Trump Supporters, Daily Caller, 11/17/2016
  81. ↑ 'CIVIL WAR' Violence erupts as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters clash with rivals at US rallies, The Sun, March 2017
  82. ↑ Noun S: (n) liberal
  83. ↑ liberal
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  85. ↑ https://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100627_Huge_tent_city_takes_root.html
  86. ↑ http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/12/welcome-obamaville-sign-colorado-tent-city-media-mum
  87. ↑ 87.0 87.1 Conservatives More Liberal Givers, RealClearPolitics
  88. ↑ Charity Donations and Liberal Hypocrisy
  89. ↑ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html
  90. ↑ 90.0 90.1 Look Who's Irrational Now
  91. ↑ http://www.secularleft.us/about
  92. ↑ Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London
  93. ↑ Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century
  94. ↑ Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?
  95. ↑ Morals decline linked to evolution
  96. ↑ [US Conservatives Outnumber Liberals by Narrowing Margin], Gallup, January of 2017
  97. ↑ Economics, not identity, is key to reviving American liberalism, Financial Times, 2017
  98. ↑ Media Bias basics. Media Research Center.
  99. ↑ Scott Baker. Did Herman Cain Give the ‘Don’t Miss’ Speech at CPAC?, The Blaze, February 12, 2011.
  100. ↑ YouTube. Herman Cain: "Stupid People Are Ruining America", February 11, 2011.
  101. ↑ Video discussion about how modern liberalism is actually fascist by author Jonah Goldberg..
  102. ↑ Liberal Values in Legal Education Duncan Kennedy (professor at Harvard Law School)
  103. ↑ How the House voted
  104. ↑ Why are 2012 and 2020 key years for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?
  105. ↑ Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament
  106. ↑ World Federation of Liberalism
  107. ↑ Liberal Party of Australia
  108. ↑ Party of European Socialism
  109. ↑ Parental Selection of Children’s Sexual Orientation, PDF, "Political liberals tend, for whatever reason, to be ardent supporters of both gay rights and pro-choice programs." Greenberg and Bailey
  110. ↑ CHENEY: Obama Is 'The Worst President Of My Lifetime'
  111. ↑ http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm
  112. ↑ John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster, Transcript
  113. ↑ John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster, Transcript
  114. ↑ Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg
  115. ↑ The 25 Best Quotes About Liberals
  116. ↑ Stupid Stuff Democrats Say
  117. ↑ The 25 Stupidest Liberal Quotes Of The Last Decade
  118. ↑ http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Hilarious_Liberal_Quotes
  119. ↑ http://www.azquotes.com/quote/687234
  120. ↑ http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Norman.Thomas.Quote.FFB1
  121. ↑ Hawkins, John (June 16, 2015). 20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her. Townhall. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  122. ↑ Trump and the Fall of Liberalism by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView
  123. ↑ The Communist Manifesto
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  125. ↑ Multiple references:
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  127. ↑ https://www.tni.org/es/node/7617
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  129. ↑ Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice'. Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
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  132. ↑ Kew, Ben (May 4, 2017). 10 Famous People Who Praised Venezuela’s Descent Into Socialist Hell. Breitbart News. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  133. ↑ Illegal Immigrants Rally For Dead Marxist Che Guevara
  134. ↑ Che-Mart
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  136. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Che_Guevara_in_popular_culture&oldid=833775290
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  138. ↑ Tomlinson, Chris (December 5, 2019). EU Commissioners Slammed for Singing Marxist Anthem ‘Bella Ciao’. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
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  142. ↑ Nazi "Ecology", Frank Furedi, columbia.edu. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
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  144. ↑ Halbrook, Stephen (December 2, 2013). How the Nazis Used Gun Control. National Review. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  145. ↑ Kline, Audrey D. (May 9, 2014). Gun Control in Nazi Germany. Mises Institute. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  146. ↑ Wolverton, II, J.D., Joe (January 30, 2017). Nazi Gun Control Laws: a Familiar Road to Citizen Disarmament? The New American. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  147. ↑ Stupp, Herbert W. (July 13, 2015). Hitler and Gun Control. The American Spectator. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  148. ↑ Hoft, Joe (March 24, 2018). FLASHBACK: Hitler Also Used Children to Promote Gun Control. The Gateway Pundit. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  149. ↑ http://louderwithcrowder.com/myth-busted-actually-yes-hitler-was-a-socialist-liberal/
  150. ↑ Benito Mussolini. Biography.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  151. ↑ Benito Mussolini. Encyclopedia.com (from the Encyclopedia of World Biography). 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  152. ↑ Greenspan, Jesse (October 25, 2012). 9 Things You May Not Know About Mussolini. History.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  153. ↑ Quammen, E. David (August 12, 2013). Italian ‘gun control’ right before Mussolini seized total control….. Tea Party Tribune. Retrieved May 9, 2017.

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