Liberal And Proud

[poliphilo]

I remember a time when "liberal" wasn't a bad word.

And I've never understood how we got to this present situation where politicians of both left and right use it to smear their opponents.

Here's how my Pocket Oxford Dictionary defines it.

Open-handed, generous, not sparing (of), abundant, (of persons, conduct, provision made etc); open-minded, unprejudiced, free from pedantry; (Pol.) advocating democratic reforms......

So what's not to like? I'm seeing a bowl full of scrumptious rosy apples- and you're telling me they're rotten?

I think there's some sort of mean trick being played on us here.

I'm a liberal. Or try to be- it's a high ideal. And I want to live in a liberal society.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I used to vote Labour.

Then along came Tony Blair and moved "my" party to the right. Now, on some issues, they're more authoritarian and illiberal than the Conservatives.

I'm terribly confused by it all.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Proof that politics is all just buckets of bilge, is what I think.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

It is...but it's bilge we have to deal with every day...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking this more and more. I went through a phase where I had an addiction to political news; now I'm easing back.

I've never lived any place where my vote made a difference. No matter who I vote for in the next election it's a done deal that the Labour candidate will win.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

In the ill fated election between Gore and the present Yahoo in the WhiteHouse, I asked the young man I was riding with at the time if he was registered to vote. He said he was, but he didn't intend to vote. I gave him the 'your vote counts, if you don't vote you don't have any right to complain...' lecture, and he voted. He voted for Gore (just as I did). And we all know what the results of THAT were.

I will give him credit, though, after he moved he did register, and he emailed to tell me I'd be proud of him, he voted in the last election.

But...I feel the same way you do. It isn't a race. It's obvious long before the election who is going to win, which I think might keep people away from the polls...I dunno. It makes me sad. I always vote, I believe enough to believe that it is IMPORTANT to vote, that it is my civic duty to vote. And then I hear the so called 'intelligent' folks say they won't vote because it doesn't make a different. If all the people who don't vote because it doesn't make a difference got together and voted, maybe it WOULD make a difference. What's it teaching the 'kids' if their teachers and profs don't vote - I think it's teaching THEM that their vote doesn't count...but


well, you get the idea.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There's this word that's been cropping up recently and it bothers me.

"post-democratic".

There's a feeling over here (maybe over there as well) that our democracy isn't working any more. People aren't participating, the institutions are decaying, our leaders are getting to be less answerable to the people.

So what happens in a post-democratic world?

Will I like it?

As Churchill said, "democracy is the worst system of government there is- apart from all the others."

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

There's a feeling over here (maybe over there as well) that our democracy isn't working any more. People aren't participating, the institutions are decaying, our leaders are getting to be less answerable to the people.

If 'the people' don't elect them, then why should they be answerable?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a vicious circle.

And of course the people in power are delighted if no-one holds them to account.