Reflection and more on Alan Colmes book of How Liberals Saved America. Colmes is a
Fox News radio host, go figure. He is known for his wit and human and his intellect
and he works for FOX news; it fairly boggles the mind. Some thoughts that come
forward include the following.
America was founded on a liberal idea – a representative
democracy without a state religion. That makes it left of England where the
Church of England dictated laws and mores. Freedom of religion was created here
to get rid of the oppression of religion.
There are no religious tests to hold office
– liberal.
The commander and chief of the army is a
civilian – liberal.
Taxation shall have representation –
liberal.
A three part government for checks and
balances – liberal.
The constitution is based upon English Law
dating back to the Magna Carta (1215) not the bible – liberal.
Common law comes from the people night a “higher
authority” – liberal.
No titles of nobility, or centralized power
vested in one person – liberal.
The Declaration of Independence stated
legal and natural rights – liberal.
All people are equal – liberal.
And the list goes on today liberal ideas of
social security, Medicare, assistance to the elderly, government safety nets,
governmental roles in regulating economic fluctuations, etc.
This is the heritage of liberal thinking
and liberals continue to lead the way for the common good and sharing our
nations prosperity among all our people.
Colmes shows in his book how liberals
define our nation and move it forward. He promotes the idea that we must
continue to become ever more liberal, progressive, for us to remain the beacon
of freedom and democracy for the world.
For those who are old enough you will
recognize the liberal ideas were not solely embodied in the Democratic Party
but was also historically integral in the Republican party. Lincoln was a
liberal. Look at the medical proposals of Richard Nixon, among many Republican
leaders prior to the Reagan era which were more liberal than Obamacare.
Liberality, which the extreme right today often uses as a dirty word today,
extends beyond party belief. It stands at the foundation of our democracy and
continues in programs and legislation that reflect care for all Americans
today.
"Liberality, which the extreme right today often uses as a dirty word today, extends beyond party belief."
ReplyDeleteYou use the term "extreme right" to describe a large mainstream movement, still close to the center, which is not on the extremes at all.
Yes, liberalism became a "dirty word" because it became synonymous in the US with statism and other situations where our human rights are crushed in the name of more power for those who rule.
dmarks and others might find this simple 10 question quiz to determine where you stand politically. Take it and find out where you stand. As you might guess I came out liberal.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
I came out liberal as well, even though I answered a number with a centrist POV. Regarding dmarks definition, I find these to be less biased (from the quiz link)
ReplyDeleteLeft (Liberal)
Liberals usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net" to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles. [nothing about 'crushing
human rights] ..their definition of conservative seems
fair as well:
Right (Conservative)
Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates "traditional values." They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement.
..and they note and define 'statists' which seems to better
fit dmarks definition.