A rose by any other...

Modern liberals, tired of having their political-ideological names disparaged as dirty words throughout conservative and other media, have taken to a new strategy: reinventing themselves as “progressives.”

The term progressive derives itself from its own etymological root: progress. In turn, the word progress comes from the Latin progressus, which means to advance or to go forward. Americans often use this word, progress, to describe our advancement in a particular activity, such as making progress on a project.

However, in the late 19^th century, groups of certain political philosophies, particularly those in favor of changing and innovating politics along with the recent mass industrialization, began calling themselves progressives to distinguish themselves from the conservative ideologies predominant in America at the time.

During the late 1800s and early 20^th century, a progressive was merely someone who advocated gradual, or progressive, social change in favor of workers’ rights, social justice, and particularly, the issue at the time: curtailing monopolies. Soon the political movement caught on and parties with progressive platforms began to appear, mostly advocating an end to monopoly and corporate corruption.

At this day in age, calling an end to monopoly is very much a popular idea. It has been engraved into the tablets of political platforms everywhere, manifesting itself most recently with Microsoft and Wal-Mart. Indeed, to even support these corporations is to commit political suicide, and most people who do find themselves in a small minority surrounded by members of the anti-corporate lynch mob. Money, they decry, is evil and those who create wealth, the producers, are even worse for holding it for their own selfish ends, such as a nice home or car.

But obviously, being a progressive is no longer about curtailing monopolies, as pointed out above, now very much a mainstream idea. To call oneself a progressive in the 21^st century implies to things: first, that person probably supports public policy initiatives somewhere along to the left of Hillary Clinton (think Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer), and second, that person is a proud wearer of a blue badge of courage running deep into the heart of social justice.

But what really is a progressive?

Shakespeare so famously quoted in his play Romeo and Juilet that, “a rose by any other name is just as sweet.” Modern liberals, tormented by alleged right-wing lies about their hypocrisy and dirty politics, are hiding themselves behind their new badge, that of progressivism. However, both liberal and progressive are exactly the worst misnomers one could possibly use to either describe, praise, or even insult left-wing political ideologies.

Liberal comes from the word liberty, and one who is liberal is said to exercise liberty. It was a popular label during the American Revolution to call oneself a liberal. It meant you were a supporter of capitalism, freedom, and republican and democratic institutions.

As pointed out above, progressivism implies progress, and liberalism implies liberty. So how is it that people across American society, and even the world, continue to call themselves and be called by others names that better describe proponents of free markets and individual rights?

Progress is about innovation and change. Any member of any left-wing ideology is not about progress and change; they only believe they are. They conjure up fictitious views a utopia (a word that in and of itself means no place, meaning non-existent) built on the same sorts of political lies that were propagated shortly before the rise of the Soviet Union. In fact, to control people through legislation and coercion is very opposite of progress. It is a return to the primitive to feudalism and socialism, to ideas that seek to rule people’s lives by threatening men with the only thing humans in all societies value: death. Is death a progressive idea? Can the human race survive and progress if will kill everyone?

Liberalism is about granting liberty. Economic liberalism, as preached by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, is about free markets. And social liberalism is about allowing people to make decisions for themselves, regardless of specific morals that may become all too adulterated and abused. There is no way to guarantee liberty for anyone if a nation cannot guarantee it for itself, and the modern, so-called liberals want to do exactly the opposite, whether it be for environmental policies, educational policies, or even morally-imposing policies.

If society is to advance, or progress, to the point of guaranteeing life and liberty for all, as so eloquently stated in the Declaration of Independence, then Americans and especially left-wingers must stop inscribing the name progressive across American media. Ideas of feudalistic and socialistic mentalities do not build the foundations of a free society, ideas of freedom do.