“Against what is stupid, nonsensical, erroneous, and evil, liberalism fights with the weapons of the mind, and not with brute force and repression.” ~ Ludwig von Mises

Are you a Liberal or a Progressive?

A few years ago after a Manitou Springs City Council meeting, I stood outside City Hall and talked with two Democrats about the city’s politics and proposed policies, resolutions, and bureaucratic-fueled mandates when I thought to ask both, “Are you a liberal or a progressive? What’s the difference?”

Neither had an answer. Both shook their heads as if to indicate they had no idea. One said she “might be a liberal” and the other wasn’t sure of her own label but guessed she was a progressive. In the end, their answer was, “They’re basically the same thing.” I did not think much of it and dropped the issue. (See this article for a distinction between the two labels.)

Fast forward to today and articles span the political spectrum labeling “liberals” when mentioning Democrats or their policies. Also, typically, “liberal” is compared to “conservative” as if the singular definition of “liberal” is to simply not be a conservative. Many mistakenly believe conservatives are the same as “free-market liberals.” But it important to understand that for many conservatives, the underlying priority of their beliefs is in conserving the status quo, which often means supporting illiberalism in different forms, such as the War on Drugs, among other policies.

The article, “Conservatism and Classical Liberalism Don’t Share the Same Value,” offers a view of conservatism and liberalism. The term “liberal” is not usually explained or defined, leaving people to determine for themselves how to define it. Sadly, this has allowed mass confusion to reign with regards to “liberals” and “liberalism.”

What is a liberal and what is illiberalism?

Properly understood, liberalism and liberals have a rich tradition of supporting individual rights, usually set against the circumstances of ruthless, generational monarchies. They also generally view government as a necessary evil to protect individuals from other individuals, protect property rights, and guard against invasions from foreign governments and nations. You can read up on the original definitions of liberalism and “What is a Liberal?”

But too many people today are ascribing the term “liberal” when the correct word should be “illiberal.” The road to the modern definition of “liberal” compared to its origin can be read in the article “How the Word Liberalism Came to Mean Its Opposite.” Meanwhile, illiberalism is the practice of taking away people’s freedoms through government coercion and force.

Great Suppression of 2020

All during the Great Suppression of 2020, otherwise known as the coronavirus pandemic, illiberalism reared its ugly head in repeated and brutal fashion. Lockdowns are a feature of illiberalism; it requires people to obey arbitrary edicts handed down by public health bureaucrats and political tribalist governors. The frequent statements of punishing those who disagree or do not obey those edicts are all forms of illiberalism. Mask mandates, too, fit into this mold. Censorship of dissenting views during the pandemic promoted illiberalism.

Other illiberal views include gun control laws and minimum wage laws, both of which run up against the US Constitution. Gun control began as a racist tool to prevent Blacks from owning guns and protecting their families and communities from racists. Minimum wage laws, too, have a racist history; both gun control and minimum wage laws are forms of illiberal policies. 

Broadly speaking, most use of the term “liberal” today is reserved for an assumption that everyone knows exactly what is being labeled when the opposite may be happening. As with the two Democrats I asked, confusion about the terms may be a feature and not a bug of illiberalism itself.

Conservatives in Manitou Springs

An example: there are quite a few conservatives in Manitou Springs government and political class. By “conservative,” I mean, “someone who wants to preserve the status quo,” and in this context, it would be easy for me to make the case they want minimal changes to the city’s political infrastructure. Now ask what a “liberal” wants in Manitou Springs and you will likely get an assortment of answers, none of which touches upon the original meaning. 

But in the end, most people who label themselves as “liberals” do not spend time defining the term nor do they take any particular pains to be consistent with the definition. This isn’t specific to Democrats and those who also label themselves as “liberals” — Trump supporters often remark along the lines of, “Take that libtard!”, a direct reference to “liberals,” though usually in the context of a Democrat opposing Trump and his policies.

They Ain’t Liberal

Meanwhile, “liberals,” or at least those who label themselves as such, should consider being consistent to the original definition, if for no other reason than to help reduce confusion. Liberalism is the protection of individual rights and property rights. The protection of freedoms and liberties of Americans ensured within the Constitution is consistent with liberalism.

So, it is not that people who label themselves as “liberal” understand liberalism. It is just that they ain’t liberal. They support illiberal policies while using words like “equality” but fail to understand the consequences of governmental intervention in things like, as one example, minimum wage laws.

This has been the problem in a nutshell: Too few people understand the definition of a liberal, and they do not know how to apply it in political contexts, and even fewer people seem to care. That is all right. I am a classical liberal and I am here to take back the liberal label from illiberals.

The Maverick Observer, or “The Moe” as we affectionately call it, is an online free-thinking publication interested in the happenings in our town. We launched in February 2020 to hold our politicians and businesses accountable. We hope to educate, inform, entertain, and infuse you with a sense of community.