[Peace-discuss] How Progressives and Liberals are Different

[E.Wayne Johnson]

Coalition-building is not easy.  There are so many things that we take joy 
in differing about.

The original Tea-bagger appears to have been now-governor Quinn.

Gerald Celente says that the trend is for Progressives and Libertarians to 
work
together.  It can be done.  We have to realize that there is a common enemy 
(or
common goals if you prefer a positive tautology).





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at illinois.edu>
To: "peace discuss" <Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 2:01 AM
Subject: [Peace-discuss] How Progressives and Liberals are Different


How Progressives and Liberals are Different
By SAM SMITH

Progressives, as liberals did before Reagan, emphasize doing the most for 
the
most – which is how we got socio-economic programs such as Social Security,
Medicare, and a minimum wage. Today’s liberals favor expanding health 
insurance
company profits over expanding Medicare and strongly support Democratic
presidents who undermine the very programs that earlier liberals created 
such as
social welfare and Social Security.

Progressives don't act like prudes and prigs.

Progressives don’t think the commerce clause of the Constitution should be 
used
just because you feel like doing something, such as avoiding single payer 
health
insurance. There is a huge difference between using the commerce clause to
guarantee human rights and using it to subsidize health insurance companies.

Progressives recognize the Green Party and its members as part of a broad
coalition. Most liberals act as though Greens were a new kind of HIV.

Progressives try to convince people with whom they disagree, not just scold 
them.

Progressive oppose the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq; liberals like
them as long as a Democratic president is running them.

Progressives oppose the war on drugs, America’s most masochistic and deadly
battle since Vietnam. Liberals treat it with utter indifference.

Progressives believe what people do is more important than how politely they
talk about it.

Progressives don't think you should have to go to grad school to have an
important role in government.

Progressives respect state and local government; liberals often act like 
they're
a Republican plot. Progressives understand the importance of the devolution 
of
power to the lowest practical level.

Progressives worry about locked doors, liberals about glass ceilings, which 
is
why liberals thought Obama's election would create a post-racial society.Too
many liberals are infatuated with symbolism such as electing a black 
president,
while ignoring the real problems most minorities face in everything from the 
job
market to dealing with the law.

Even progressives who don't own guns respect the right of others to do. 
Besides,
why piss them off the way liberals have done, when they could be allies on a
host of other issues, beginning with civil liberties.

But then, progressives still defend civil liberties. Liberals seem to have
forgotten about them and ignore Obama's abuse of them.

Progressives pursue issues; liberals support candidates.

Progressives don't give up an issue just because the candidate they voted 
for is
now in office and opposes it.

Liberals love Clinton and Obama while despising the Bushes who preceded 
them.
They don’t seem to notice that our government continued to move to the right
under both Democrats and that neither repealed any significant policies of 
their
GOP predecessors

Progressives don't think bailing out banks is an economic stimulus, but that
helping to create jobs and stop foreclosures is.

Progressives support local public schools and their teachers; liberals go 
along
with the Bush-Obama attack on public education.

Progressives are not afraid of criticizing Israel for its abusive treatment 
of
Palestine. Liberals either support Israel's criminal actions or are afraid 
of
being called anti-Semites so don't say anything.

Progressives have new ideas; liberals come up with new compromises with the 
right.

Progressives believe that change is produced by broad coalitions brought
together on specific issues, but not necessarily agreeing on all policy.
Liberals believe change will come when everyone acts like they do.

[Sam Smith is the editor of the Progressive Review, where this column 
originally
appeared.]
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