re: #240 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸

it would really benefit the national dialog if any of us had any idea or explanation, much less agreement, on the meaning of the word “liberal”

i invite D_F or anybody else to submit their definitions

“conservative” could benefit from this exercise as well.

for myself, i claim no real knowledge on the meaning of either term, so i don’t use them, except in quotes to signify my lack of acceptance of them as really meaningful

To my way of thinking, the essence of conservatism is attachment to the status quo.

Those right-wing whackjobs who want to privatize Medicare and Social Security aren’t conservative — such a big change in such basic programs, that have been in place for generations and people have spent their whole lives counting on them… that’s not conservative. It’s just right-wing revanchism. (opposing same-sex marriage is legitimately conservative)