Will the Real Liberal Please Stand Up Pt 1

"Liberalism," in my opinion has nothing to do with democracy, a democratic republic, freedom, or even humanity. By nature, to be a liberal is the antithesis of liberty.  But before we travel too far down that path, let us look at Merriam Webster's definition of the word:

Definition of liberalism

1. 1 :  the quality or state of being liberal
2. 2a often capitalized :  a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianityb :  a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard (see gold standard 1)c :  a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy (see autonomy 2) of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties; specifically :  such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (such as those involving race, gender, or class)d capitalized :  the principles and policies of a Liberal (see ¹liberal 6b) party

I find the reference to the "theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard" to be especially forthcoming when discussing today's self proclaimed "liberal."

Not all "liberals" are cut of the same cloth.  I would go so far, in fact, to state that most liberals aren't really of the liberal ilk, but more centrist in political persuasion. Many go to Christian churches and believe in the traditional Judeo-Christian God of Abraham. Others proclaim different spiritual preferences and follow those precepts, not unlike their republican or Conservative kin. 

The separation occurs around three significant positions, or at least in recent political history, according to most leftists:

1. A large federal government should have autonomous power over the individual states.
2. Federal borders are mostly irrelevant and the removal of illegal aliens is inhumane.
3. Taxation of higher wage earners at a significant rate should be required to pay for those less fortunate.

We can debate issues like abortion, welfare, healthcare, gay marriage, et al. until the cows come home. None of the aforementioned should be downplayed or ignored, but I would pose that any of those could be bucketed in one of the three positions noted above.

True "liberals" are anything but the textbook definition of what a liberalism is.  The liberal who proclaims that taxation, open borders, and a large federal government cannot and will not fit into what Merriam Webster defines as a liberal.  What then, or better yet, where can an individual like this be better labeled?

Spending time reading definitions can be an enlightening exercise.  From Merriam Webster:

Definition of socialism

1. 1 :  any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2. 2a :  a system of society or group living in which there is no private propertyb :  a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3. 3 :  a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Consider the bellowing from previous President Obama and the liberals of our country that touted redistribution of wealth.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Healthcare Act (or Obamacare) is a tax, which means one of its intended consequences was to redistribute wealth from one section of the economic strata and distribute it proportionately to another.

I would be remiss if I did not offer this particular definition for consideration:

Definition of communism

1. 1a :  a theory advocating elimination of private propertyb :  a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
2. 2 capitalized a :  a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the U.S.S.R.b :  a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of productionc :  a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitablyd :  communist systems collectively

As you can plainly see, the lines between socialism and communism begin to blur as you spend time considering their similarities (many) and differences (few).

I argue that today's true liberal fits somewhere between a defined socialist and communist, wishing for an end to capitalism (they enjoy calling it crony capitalism, although most have no idea what this means), desire an end to private property ownership, and a re-centering of our population to large urban centers (this has been a classic racist movement perpetuated by the left for years, but will be the topic of another post in the near future).  Read and listen closely when liberals scream about autonomy and social justice, then ask yourself, or better yet--ask them, how a "rigged" system should be fixed.  Their answer may surprise you!