We must remind our brothers and sisters that freedom is a LIBERAL concept

[iconoclastNYC]

We must start speaking about liberalism in a historical context and reclaim it from the way the GOP has boxed it in.

[applegrove]

1. So too democracy. The old conservative party was dead. Isolationism

doesn't work in a world that is as small as ours. So too - ignoring future. Cons had no choice but to rob the Liberals of part of what they stood for.

So they stole democracy (but not nation-building .. obviously) & humanitarian war (without the humanitarian part).

And now they try hard to split Dems into two parties - so that moderate liberals (who go for trade) will form with them a new party.. the middle party. The party that always would win a presidency.

Why conservatives ran around and swiftboated the term "liberal" a decade ago. They had to have it - so they could call it their own.

Liberal means liberal trade. I means trade not hindered by royalty, religious or monopoly power.

[iconoclastNYC]

3. Swiftboated "Liberal"

Spot on. That's exactly what they did. We have to start using negativity as propoganda tools. The DLC says we shoudln't tho so our leaders don't.

Tim Kain's SOTU rebuttal made me sick to my stomach. I think Karl Rove was the one who picked him to speak.

[ChoralScholar]

2. At some point

social security, federal banking protection, universal suffrage, integration, freedom of expression, revolt against Britain... etc.

were all LIBERAL ideas.

If things move forward at all, it's because WE DID IT.

Conservatives always want things to stay status quo, or to return to a former status quo.

[iconoclastNYC]

4. Yes. They are regressive, we are progressive.

And there are no conservaties anymore, not in the GOP anyway.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. Hell, according the the GOP

most of those ideas are STILL liberal.

[applegrove]

11. Playing 'dos si dos' with the issues. Isolationism is a conservative

thing.

[applegrove]

5. We need to take back the name - LIBERAL

[AmericanErrorist]

6. May I remind you that the control of freedom to protect

the general welfare in an important part of a liberal message (even in Europe to a lesser extent).

[applegrove]

7. Absolutely. It was about getting information & power out of the hands

of elites. Church had power over information until the enlightenment.

That was bad. They had a bias towards "usery" which meant there was no credit for a thousand years: the dark ages.

Economists like DeSoto have pointed out the problem in less developed nations is things like people not having title to land they could then get a loan on to go to school, start a business, etc. You could not borrow against your future. Because of the dominance of the Catholic church.

[RC]

9. Freedom is a LIBERAL Concept

That would make a great bumper sticker.

[Boo Boo]

10. LIBERal / LIBERty / LIBERate...

liber (origin: Latin)

libatio : libation.
libellus : little book.
libenter : willingly, with pleasure.
liber : child, offspring.
liber libera, liberum : free, independent, unrestricted.
liber libri : book.
liberalis : courteous, generous, gentlemanly.
liberaliter : courteously, generously, honorably.
liberatio : release, liberation, aquittal, setting free.
libere : freely, openly, frankly.
libero : to lift (an obstacle), raise.
libero : to set free, deliver, liberate, release / exempt
libertas : freedom, liberty, independence / frankness, candor.

You can put Bushie down for the first one (libatio), but the rest of that stuff is downright un-American!