What is the difference between a liberal and a progressive and a conservative?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 11:30:18 -0500

Now that the election is over I'd like to solicit your opinions on the differences and the similarities between these three ideologies. "Politics" and "Progressive" are not included in the tags below. So, I included this question under American history and equality also. Politically these terms may mean one thing. Economically, they may mean something different. How did each idea emerge?

Response by SFC George Smith made Nov 13 at 2016 11:42 AM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 11:42:32 -0500

one thinks every one should feel guilty...
one feels every one else is at fault and should pay...
and the other goes to work and is Pissed because,... its His fault,... has to pay for every one else... and they want him to feel guilty...

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Nov 13 at 2016 11:44 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 11:44:19 -0500

C'mon. It's a valid question and "research" is going to show you why. There are countless conflicting opinions. Basically, "Liberal" and "Conservatives" are labels that have been usurped countless times. I well-remember one famous Senator who laughed about being a Conservative in one decade and a Liberal in another without ever changing her opinions or positions. I have experienced the same thing. I am a classic Liberal. I believe in individual liberty. Today's "liberal" promotes the tyranny of large government. The Progressive is pretty well defined, but Progressives seem to run from it. Basically, Teddy Roosevelt was among the first "Progressives". But it was Woodrow Wilson who perverted Teddy's inclinations and gave the Movement a new direction. He wrote and spoke extensively on it, so it's hard to avoid. Progressivism is a Movement dedicated to the proposition that decisions, the big decisions, should be left to those best able to make them: The Intelligentsia. Fundamentally, they employ precisely the same reasoning that every monarch, satrap, dictator, oligarch, and tyrant has used throughout history to justify their position to govern We the People. They, of course, will argue that their intentions are far superior to other tyrants. Now, let's sit back and watch the Progressives among us appear with exploding heads and call me out...

Response by SPC Kevin Ford made Nov 13 at 2016 12:05 PM

SPC Kevin Ford — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 12:05:42 -0500

Loaded terms, but here is my stab at it.

Progressives want to make things better (whatever they perceive that to mean) through change. In one sense people who voted for Trump could be considered progressive, though I doubt many would appreciate the moniker.

Liberals tend to support the social aspects of libertarianism, but without the fiscal aspects. E.g. life, liberty, justice, equality for all.

Conservatives tend to want things to remain the same or go back to an earlier state. Their opposite is more progressivism than liberalism.

The funny thing about the two ideologies is what is progressive and what is conservative depends on the current and recent norms. How this has played out in the US recently is that conservatives don't want a lot of change in social values, a strong military to preserve the status quo and not too many people upsetting the apple cart, primarily when they perceive that the government is doing the apple cart upsetting. Modern US liberals tend to have more progressive tendencies; wanting things to change on the social front and willing to shoulder a larger collective burden to society to meet what they believe are its responsibilities and wiling to use the power of government to enact that change.

That's my rough definitions, though I'm sure they are not perfect. There are aspects under these definitions where people who consider themselves to be largely conservative are progressive and vice versa.