Am I (and are you) a "liberal extremist" or an 'evil progressive"?

I have come to call myself a socialist. It's more difficult to corrupt that term than any I know that could apply to me.

But do you know what those other terms mean or imply? Are there actual definitions? I do understand what a socialist is - so why is that not maligned?

Socialist does get maligned but it is easy enough to rectify. The other terms drift around enough that I no longer have a clear definition of them.

Well, hopefully my labellers will come in here and explain themselves. I sure don't want to go into this Christmas season without knowing what I'm accused of. I'll have to come up with some obscure, undefined labels of my own, I think.

You know you can be both

The poster who called you an evil progressive likely believes all progressive people are evil. If so, then what woulld be so wrong with being an 'evil progressive'? After all, all such evil people fought for:
- equality before the law (when the Feudal system placed Lords above commoners)
- slavery to be abolished
- anti-discrimination
- women to have the right to vote
- workplace health & safety laws
etc

I know liberals used to be the backbone of the Democratic party. For some reason liberal became a dirty word and liberals began calling themselves progressives. As the base of the Democrats became more fragmented the terms began to be bandied about in different ways.

pro·gres·siv·ism /prəˈɡresəˌvizəm/
noun
support for or advocacy of social reform.
"the country is seen as a bastion of social progressivism"
Definitions from Oxford Languages

What is Progressivism in simple terms?
Progressivism is a way of thinking that focuses on social progress. It is a philosophical movement and political movement. The idea of progress is the belief that human society is improving over time.


So, you want to bring back Grog with his tink, tink, tink? LOL, no, just no.

Who or what is a Grog with a tink, tink, tink??

The caveman with a rock, beating a stone to chip away at other rocks...

Thank you, neptune. I did look it up but wondered if it had come to mean something else in the US, but if it doesn't, I see why gun-loving Grog finds it evil.

When progressives commit atrocities against innocent people, all ethical and moral people consider it evil.

Technological advancement is good.

Progressives harming innocent people... not so good.

They can call me whatever they want as long as its not a gun loving right wing trumplican.

To the anti democracy, pro Trump, pro killing black people and protestors, etc., any non Republican is an evil progressive

“A rose by any other name”, etc. I was never one for labels or being labeled. I see nothing accomplished by such labels and name calling.
However, I have never seen our country politics more segmented and neutered.

As for the past and present US leadership, the only leader that has moved the needle for me in last 15 years was Obama. And he, for various reasons, some of which were beyond his control, was ineffective as a leader.

The leadership of the Democratic Party clearly has lost their way. Of course, the Repugnant Repugs are far worse and have resorted to having moribund reprobate as their leader. Democracy is at stake and so is peace domestically as well as internationally in the vote trending as we head towards 2024.

As an example of misdirection, when Putin fullfills his plan and invades Ukraine , how will US respond? How should any US Prez. respond. Then after some sort of intervention or sanction, what happens with responses to China’s aggression with Taiwan, etc. This is no time for laissez-faire mediocrity in US leadership.

Anyhow, I’ve strayed a bit…

Carry on!

BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NEWS: Well, look at the time. I’ll try to keep this brief. After 28 years of peacock logos on much of what I own, it is my choice now to jump without a net into the great unknown. As I do for the first time in my 62 years, my biggest worry is for my country.

The truth is, I’m not a liberal or a conservative. I’m an institutionalist. I believe in this place. And in my love of my country, I yield to no one.

But the darkness on the edge of town has spread to the main roads and highways and neighborhoods. It is now at the local bar, and the bowling alley, the school board, and the grocery store. And it must be acknowledged and answered for.

Grown men and women who swore an oath to our Constitution, elected by their constituents, possessing the kinds of college degrees I could only dream of, have decided to join the mob and become something they are not while hoping we somehow forget who they were.

They’ve decided to burn it all down with us inside. That should scare you to no end as much as it scares an aging volunteer fireman.

To my coworkers, my love and thanks...

As a proud New Jersey native, this is where I get to say, "regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention."

What a ride it’s been. Where else, how else was a kid like me going to meet presidents and kings and the occasional rock star? These lovely testimonials that I can never truly repay make me hyper-aware that it has been and remains a wonderful life. It’s as if I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning in Bedford Falls.

The reality is though, I will wake up tomorrow in the America of the year 2021, a nation unrecognizable to those who came before us and fought to protect it, which is what you must do now. My colleagues will take it from here.

I will probably find it impossible to be silent and stay away from you and lights and cameras after I experiment with relaxation and find out what I’ve missed and what’s out there.

Every weeknight for decades now, I’ve said some version of the same thing. Thank you for being here with us. Us, meaning the people who produced this broadcast for you. And you, well, without you, there’s no us.

I’ll show myself out. Until we meet again, that is our broadcast for this Thursday night.

Liberals have got a bad name over here ever since Nick Clegg went into an alliance with David Cameron.

I'm no Liberal, I'm a Socialist.

Why are you worried about terms that are only used by a couple of no marks anyway.