I am a liberal and proud of it. And I am getting a little sick and tired of liberals always having to “play nice”.
(Okay, social liberal and fiscal conservative – but you get the point.)
The problem with liberals isn’t that they take a knife to a gun fight. No. They have a nuclear arsenal but they know responsibility. They think of the other side. They think of what is just and what is wrong. What would be fair to say and what won’t. They shouldn’t always have to be so nice.
The problem isn’t that liberals think they are better than others. It’s that they think of others in the first place. They don’t want to insult them. Wake up! It’s not as if the other side think of you before they act.
Look, liberals have justice and history behind them. Liberalism means moving forward. Not being scared of new things. Seeing things as a challenge and taking it on. The alternative means being scared of change and wanting to hold on to old values and systems. You think that this was how America was build? (Or the world for that matter.) You think America would be here if people were to scared to do new things? You wonder why the liberals are at the coast? Because they tackle the world. Head on. Hell, we would still be stuck riding bicycles if it was up to the other side. Guess who challenged the moon?
I am a liberal. Yes, I have a few deep rooted conservative streaks in me. Especially when it comes to economics. But true conservatism thank you. I don’t like it when government subsidize business. And I don’t like it when government have too much power over social issues and my personal life. It’s not conservatism. It’s “selectivism”… when we ”select” government to only conform to our values and we select to be tolerant to only those who look like us, speak like us, walk like us, do like us, eat like us, drive like us, waste like us… You get the picture. it’s not conservatism. It’s facism cloaked in pretty words. It’s socialism dressed in the latest value fashion. It’s nationalism shot with the latest high definition jargon.
But I am not always a nice liberal. I say that if a man slaps me I don’t hold his hand and wait for him to “come around” to my way of thinking. I’ve tried that. Guess what? It doesn’t always work. And I don’t have time for them to come along and see it my way. I’ll rather save the person who is dying of hunger and struggling with poverty. They are my real concern.
I am liberal and proud of it.
I am a liberal. But I am ready to rumble. Time to pull out the big guns of liberalism. Equality, justice, liberty and freedom for all.
Liberals… Stand up and be strong. Remember what you gave the world. The civil rights movement. Child labor laws. Equal rights for women. YOU gave this world equality. You gave it justice. Freedom. Liberty. You fought for it. And you won each and every time. Don’t forget that you have been on the right side of history each and every single time. But you only got it by fighting for it. By standing up and not being quite. And by fighting inch by inch. Step by step. Not always by being nice. Now is the time to fight for justice, equality, freedom and liberty for all. You made the world. Now take it back.
I am Liberal. And proud of it. But I don’t always play nice.
I am liberal. Proudly liberal. I am strong. And I am right. Feel my power. Liberal power!
(With a touch of true conservatism to add flavor.)
November 9, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Indeed you are, my man, and you are angry too! An angry liberal.
And I love it.
November 9, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I’ve always hated those fake definitions. I remember listening to Rush Limpstraw early in his career and hearing how selling stakes in OUR national forests to the Dutch for logging was his idea of conservatism. I started wondering then exactly what the word conservative means. In honesty though it’s the generalized connotations that I don’t like. A good term needs to be derived for a middle of the roader.
November 9, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Just what are you suggesting that people suck on? 1. Is it sanitary? And 2. Would Mrs. AA approve????
November 9, 2008 at 8:34 pm
@Robert – Hell yeah! I think the “nice guys” have stayed quiet for too long.
@skuttlefish – I agree. I will call myself a liberal to put those who see it as a swear word down. But in all honesty… I am not. I am me. Somewhat liberal. Somewhat conservative. A bit of everything. The world is grey and not black and white. No person fits the little box perfectly. Let’s work on that name a bit for the middle a bit.
@Amber – Hum… No comment… Haha!
November 9, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I’m with Norman Mailer.
November 10, 2008 at 1:20 am
Hear, hear!
November 10, 2008 at 1:43 am
Yes…. I know what you mean!
November 10, 2008 at 10:51 am
The American people have spoken.
It seems that you and I are almost exactly alike yet totally different!
I’m a rather strange mix of liberal and conservative, but, like you, I don’t have much appreciation for bigots.
And I’m still reveling in the absolutely sweetest irony that the Black electorate by 96% to 4% had the honor of giving the GOP as it stands now the final, hearty shove into oblivion it deserves!
A point in fact: Obama won by 7,000,000 votes. NOW take a guess as to the size of the Black electorate…
November 10, 2008 at 5:27 pm
You get top marks for enthusiasm, even if I think you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
I suspect that most thinking people have veins of conservatism mixed in with their liberal beliefs. Fortunately most people are neither extreme, but some where more centrist.
It is far more profound to change a person’s thinking with words and actions than with fists. The good and true ideas will have their day. I remain optimistic…
November 10, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Best Music Parodies of Election 2008…
There’s been a plethora of parodies performed this election cycle with the subject matter on the right being SO INVITING. I felt obliged to dedicate a post to some of my favorites.
“Hot Headed” Lyrics: Bruce Hopman Vocal…
November 11, 2008 at 1:44 am
Very amusing, I like the first portion of the definition: one who is generous. That’s too funny. 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. Read Obama and the Keeper of his Brothers and Sisters
This is my first time on your site, so forgive me if I miss the sarcasm; you’re not really serious about the definition of a liberal are you?
In either case, you are too funny.
November 11, 2008 at 2:18 am
Abrahama Obama approved.
November 11, 2008 at 8:39 am
@Toaf – Me as well boet. But if it comes down to the crunch… I would rather be called a liberal than a conservative.
@Johanna – Yes!
@BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet – It’s our time…
@Keven – And isn’t there something Biblical about the number 7?
@sahlah – I know… I should be nicer. And most days I am. But after what they have done… They must remember that I owe them nothing. They lost. It is up to us to decide how we govern and not them. They didn’t even give us scraps these last 8 years and I am a bit sick of always having to be the “nice guy”. I will. But not because I have to.
@It’s Just My Opinion – Those are funny!
@bernie – Good point. But a misguided point. I’ll be writing about both the study and the general topic of giving and caring in the next day or two. Hope you will come back to have a look.
@Abrahama Obama – Haha! Thanks! (And a cool name by the way.)
November 11, 2008 at 11:10 am
I’ll gladly update my article if your review of the study shows that liberals are more generous than conservatives.
That’s a promise.
November 11, 2008 at 6:47 pm
It’s ok, berne.
We should all kowtow to you. After all, you are a higher form of life.
The numberz prove it…
January 13, 2009 at 2:26 am
Keven, page hits prove nothing. Logic and facts should rule. Where did I ask for kowtow? I asked for a review of the study.
January 26, 2009 at 2:57 pm
This is funny! Tolerance? Not of people you disagree with! Freedom? Not if you make too much money! Prejudice? Sure, if it’s of “conservatives”! Glad you’ve redefined 2nd class citizens, should be an enlightening 8 years!
Be warned, Atlas will shrug, and you will be crushed in the aftermath. But I’m glad to hear you will go down swinging!
March 30, 2009 at 1:02 pm
[...] Read more: I’m a liberal and proud of it [...]
March 30, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Labels are funny things. I used to wear a 34″ waist pants. Now I’m down to something much different. Some things fit well. Others don’t Kind of like Liberal and Conservative. Neither fit well. Some 31′s fit and some 36′s will fit in a pinch. I’m not going to say that all 31′s fit and I’m not going to say i’m comfortable with the 36 either. Neither extereme fits me comfortably. Not anymore.
April 1, 2009 at 10:30 am
Aggressive liberalism has lead to a huge mess all over the world. Most countries are changing policy towards conservatism – or at least a hybrid of the 2 weighted heavily towards conservatism. In my view, rightly so. Utopian life is what heaven’s for. Unfortunately we are all fallable human beings and idealistic blue sky pipe dreams have a very small piece to play in this world. Aggressive liberalism has lead to PC which is so overkill….it has caused overkill.
April 1, 2009 at 11:50 am
I am a Conservitive. But I am ready to rumble. Time to pull out the big guns of conservitism. Equality, justice, liberty and freedom for all.
What exacty are you implying conservitives are not? Why are we the enemy. It doesn’t matter you have defined what you are. I agree with you. (did that just come off my keyboard.) If you mean what you say.
I have 9 principles on my wall and 12 values. You have most of the values. I am haveing a hard time attacking what you say because I don’t know who you see as responsible to get the job done. You can’t attack values.
We disagree on how to do the job. I have yet to see the nuclear arsenal you claim to have in what the sterotypical liberal way to accompish things is. I doubt your sterotypical. I hope your not sterotypical.
Sterotypical is, Increse the Governments power by increseing their money so that we can’t be free because there are so many uncommonsense rules attached. We can’t build things on privite property with out going to the federal community and that is wrong. We can’t progress because the progressives block the way. The Enviromentalists have fozen or will freeze the world as it is today in an attempt to gain more power and shut down anything that requires energy. They do it through the federally funded EPA and lawsuits. And yes I can back that up.
Civil Rights movement, what do they do lately for us. Prevent children from praying to God privately for help with their work because the’re in a federally publicly funded school. They didn’t stop eminent domain by towns for corporations use. I know the town would progress but I am willing to ride my bike to keep private property private. Civil Rights movement keeps murdering scum alive by opposing the death penalty. But what if they are kids? well what if? 10 percent of homicides are premeditated murder by gang memebers and wacos who are 17.(the actual numbers are under 18 but close enough).
Oh labor unions, there was a use for them, there is a use for them. But today they are the secondary reason for jobs going overseas. They are the primary reason for our auto industry being in a bad state when the federal and banks money problem sunk them. And the teacher labor unions have supported some abominable things like, you must join the union and pay their dues and unions get state money so they can force you to pay their dues and , sex ed and the gay issue for really way to young kids.
Social Security and Medicare, you mean the thing that was going to kill our constitution when we went backrupt. It was going to, now we have liberal progressives in the old style of the word in control of the House, the Senate, and the white house. Mussouli is going to make the trains run on time. While blameing conservities for all of the fiscal mess, not just some of it all of it, they are going to spend like drunk saliors. more money then they can loan. yes that is a fact. The fed printed money to loan to the treasury. Not that the fed had a choice we could have just declared bankruptcy. Right. (the idea has appeal it would stop the madness.)
Mean while progressives are worried about what? Global Warming cause by CO2 and the Poor of this country. So they are going to tax the “rich” of most their money. (thus causing us to have no jobs) Inflate our money.(so it is worthless) Are they going to tax our coal away from our barrals as we stand jobless in the street because it emits CO2, or just force us to take a job with the government like a good prole. But hey the trains will run on time.
That’s my nuclear arsonal. What the heck have progressive done for us lately.
April 2, 2009 at 3:44 am
Nice post EnergyEngineer!
April 2, 2009 at 3:21 pm
@scienkoptic – Haha! True… I was messing around. Stirring the pot…
@Private Julius – Uhm… I think Aggressive anything has lead to the trouble we are in. Liberal, conservative, facism, dictators, religion etc. Any of those done with an aggressive angle leads to failure. Aggressive conservatism of President Bush, aggressive religion by the mad guy in the mountains etc. And I don’t agree that the world is moving towards a more conservative approach. True maybe 3-4 years ago but the current economic failure has resulted in all major (and most minor) political leaders asking for more control through regulations. On a social side… The trend continues to have people’s rights as individual be protected compared to those who wants only those rights that keep them were they are.
@EnergyEngineer – How you doing mate? I won’t respond to everything but I’ll just say this. I agree with you that the labels I used are actually pretty useless. The two of us don’t agree on many things (coal, oil, tax etc – we see it differently) but we do share one thing and that is the most important in my eyes at least. Values. We share the same values. And before I forget – I do agree with you that on the extreme side of the liberal spectrum people do just as many stupid things. Like schooling, discipline etc. In all honesty, I am much more of a middle-of-the-road kind of guy.
April 3, 2009 at 3:01 am
I guess you are right AA. My definition of “liberal” is perhaps more expansive.
April 7, 2009 at 2:28 am
Hi… I came across your blog quite by accident, and i’m sorta hooked now. If we look at it, i guess, as per the definition atleast, being liberal IS the only way to be. Live and let live. Of course, when it comes to politics, there are a lot of angles invovled, but as far as i’m concerned, anyone who has this philosophy at heart cant go TOO wrong.