Will the Real Liberal Please Stand Up?

I've long argued that labels like "liberal" and "conservative" can be misleading and bereft of meaning.  Finding agreement among all as to their meaning is about as easy as understanding every line in a James Joyce novel.

Hindrocket of PowerLine posts with a marvelous example of the blurring between what is liberal and what is not.

How far have we come from the days when liberals instinctively rallied to the cause of freedom? President Bush's policies have freed 50 million people. His grand aim is to liberate the Arab world, not only because freedom is desirable for its own sake--which it is, of course--but because he believes, we think correctly, that only by bringing liberty to that part of the world can we reverse the cancerous growth of terrorism.

Today, the liberals' response to the spread of freedom is one of sour disapproval. They attribute the liberation of 50 million to a weird "neocon" conspiracy. They call President Bush a "liar" when he speaks of his desire to help Arabs and Muslims realize their God-given right to be free.

Whatever happened to the left? When did it give up on the cause of freedom? I don't know. But the American left's abandonment of the cause of liberty is one of the saddest facts of modern history.

Who is the liberal, indeed.

Comments

[Scott]

I am a real liberal. That is why I had to support Bush, when I couldn't stomach Reagan.