How important are labels? How do you think of yourself and how do others see you? Now that elitist socialists are leaving the label liberal to go to the label progressive can we take back liberal for the camp of limited government pro-liberty. Libertarian seems like such an awkward word. Its label value has been damaged by the LP. What about the label Free-market Liberal.
lib·er·tar·i·an
| 1. |
a person who advocates liberty, esp. with regard to thought or conduct. |
| 2. |
a person who maintains the doctrine of free will (distinguished from necessitarian). |
lib·er·al
| 1. |
favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs. |
| 2. |
(often initial capital letter ) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform. |
| 3. |
of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism. |
| 4. |
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties. |
| 5. |
favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers. |
| 6. |
of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies. |
| 7. |
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners. |
| 8. |
open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc. |
| 9. |
characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor. |
| 10. |
given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation. |
| 11. |
not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule. |
| 12. |
of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts. |
| 13. |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.con·serv·a·tive
| 1. |
disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change. |
| 2. |
cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate. |
| 3. |
traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit. |
| 4. |
(often initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Conservative party. |
| 6. |
having the power or tendency to conserve; preservative. |
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February 27, 2008 at 8:40 am and is filed under A Market Liberal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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February 27th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Interesting. But, just as you claim the LP has tarnished the label libertarian… the same could be said for socialists tainting the word liberal. So either way we’re going to have to do some branding work.
With that in mind, I would rather just stick with libertarian. I think libertarianism is actually spreading and I see a lot more folks shifting in that direction as of late.
Can we not work on the word libertarian instead?
February 29th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Yes libertarian and liberal have both been tarnished but the difference is that there is a much greater and stronger heritage to the label liberal. Liberal still has positive value around the world. The American revolution was the only great liberal revolution. Liberal education, liberal economic reforms these are still meaningful phrases. Libertarian is too long and awkward of a word to use as a good label.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Viva la liberal!