The "L" word

The word "liberal" originally was used to describe a person who espoused the political philosophy that championed individual rights and freedoms. It comes from the Latin "Liber" meaning free, or "liberty".

Honest. That's true. I just looked it up.

Much has changed.

The mark of a liberal thinker today is one who believes in the government taking care of the individual.

The mark of the liberal in olden days (like before the 1970s) was, according to the dictionary-encyclopedia that came with my computer, a willingness to think new thoughts and a willingness to question the old ways things had been done in the past. The word "progressive" was often used for such a liberal thinker, meaning such person was in favor of "progress" and betterment - defined as progressively more and more individual freedom and personal independence.

The idea was that the liberal was not afraid of change, as the old stuck-in-the-mud conservatives were. The goal of the liberal was ever more individual liberty (from the government, one assumes) through progressive new ideas. The thought of the individual citizen being subjugated by a government, or TO a government, was unthinkable to a liberal.

What used to be a quest for equal opportunity for all men as supported by liberals of old, has today "evolved" into a quest for equal access to material things. Before, the desire was for equal access to a good education, equal access to jobs. To a liberal, equality meant opening doors of opportunity.

When did that change? When did liberalism (which I would have been proud to have been a part of) change to material "things" being given to certain citizens (whom the liberals of today label "disadvantaged") instead of teaching them to fish and making sure they had equal access to the big lake?

I'm not talking about the sick and people with disabilities. I'm talking about people who just don't have a high income.

Today, the liberal no longer fights for equal opportunity and equal access. Rather he is concerned with finding ways to get "stuff" for people who don't have as much "stuff" as other people have. This "stuff" is taken, of course, from people who HAVE "stuff". Sorta like Robin Hood, don't you know.

Am I the only one in the world who thinks this is wrong?

Labels

I was thinking today about politics. I don't like to think about politics. Politics makes my head hurt and my mood get nasty.

I divide politics into two parts: those who swim in the cesspool (politicians) and those who encourage the swimmers.

Having long ago given up on the fantasy that any politician is going to to anything good for me personally (or do anything other than further his own position in the cesspool, for that matter) I no longer am disappointed when they do their stupid little things, or when they slowly become more and more unresponsive to the people who elected them to that giant cess pool.

Occasionally, however, when I read the news for example, politics creeps into my thoughts for a few seconds until I can reach the faucet and turn off the stream of effluent. Such a time was this morning.

It was the same old thing. Each side was calling the other side names and telling each other what losers they were and bragging how their side had a master plan to help the poor American people. You know, the usual toilet flush that happens when two groups of ignorant people open their mouths.

Here are some of the labels they spewed forth. Nothing new.

Liberals

Conservatives

Far Left

Far Right

Progressive

Religious Right

Left Wing Loons

Bleeding Hearts

Democrats

Republicans

Independents

One-Worlders

Isolationists

Now, I have a hard time identifying with either side, since I love my country and care about the people who live in it. It is also hard for me because I am cursed with having a brain.

I have read long ago, and have recently had it confirmed, that the more people claim to have the real "truth", the more they have everything all neatly figured out, the greater the likelyhood is that they are wrong. Wrong in thinking that they have truth, and wrong about knowing how things really are in this world.

Since I was a very young man, just out of my teenaged years of infinite wisdom, I have concluded that I don't really know that much at all about how things are. So, as far as politics are concerned, I soon became an observer rather than an active participant.

Because I sit just to the left of center on the political spectrum, both sides naturally think I am opposite to them. Being in the center, I am so far to the right of the Lefties that I must seem like a speck on the horizon to them. The same is true for the wild-eyed fanatics on the Right. To them, I am so far to the left I am just another loon who doesn't get it.

That seems to be the key here: people who are different than you, Right or Left, just don't get it. You know how things should be. Your values are right and the other side's values are wrong. And most importantly, your thoughts are obviously correct and the other side's values are obviously wrong and deluded. Smug you both are. You have it all figured out. Well, good for you. Now all you have to do is go back to name-calling and marginalizing the views of non-believers, and thinking up new names to call each other. New slogans like

Tax cuts for the rich

Bush lied about Iraq

Liberals hate America

A contract on America

We won: just get over it

Puke puke puke puke puke puke.

In America, meanwhile, on the streets, the poor get poorer and the rich get poorer and the dream is fading terribly from being walked on by both politicians and their enablers.

I want to try and step on some toes and hurt some feelings with my next few posts, if at all possible. Max has returned to the back porch and has put his feet up on the railing and is ready to spew forth some old cowboy American philosophy that has long gone out of fashion. Your personal oxen are about to get gored. He apologizes for the coming carnage in advance.

I am beginning to think it simply is not possible for me to make a short post. I try. Honest to god, I try. Forgive me Elvira.