The derogatory use of the word ''Liberals''

[Shekwan]

Calling somebody a liberal has been seen as a derogatory term since the Reagan era in the US, but has never really spread outside the US as a derogatory term. I think it's pretty funny how this is seen as a derogatory term in the US, and ''progressive'' elsewhere. How did the use of ''Liberal'' as a derogatory term start in the US?

I think some of the terms are great for when I'm joking with friends who are liberal. Nothing declares victory in a debate among friends by accusing someone of conspiring with the lesbian left!

So yeah I guess what I'm asking is how did it become shameful to be a liberal in the US? Why have we not seen ''conservatives'' being branded in the same manner in Europe due to the relative popularity of liberal leaning parties?

Also any new derogatory terms for liberals along the lines of ''lesbian left'' would be great. I don't like to promote derogatory terms, and I certainly don't subscribe to the Republican ideology, but some are hilarious.

 

[philippe]

It's a part of the strategy to diminish and smear your opponents who come with sound arguments

 

[holy king]

well, the americans use the word wrongly in the first place, that's why the derogatory use didnt make it out of the usa.

also, i think that almost everywhere the right just calls the left "left" to smear it.

 

[Patroklos]

Hippies ruined the word. /thread

 

[Princeps]

Hippies ruined the word. /thread

Yeah, because those "classical liberals" were all about "small government" and "personal responsibility" and so on so on.

It's a tired and utterly debunked myth. The classical liberals, whenever in power, had no qualms with using the state for national interests and populist programs.

 

[GenMarshall]

The way I see it, its a way to scapegoat one's opponents by eather correctly or wrongly label someone a liberal. Liberals do the same thing with the word "conservatives".

In short, its just a childish way to classify and place people on the extreme fringes of the political map.

 

[philippe]

Hippies ruined the word. /thread

no, poeple like you did.
also, define "hippy"

 

[Patroklos]

Yeah, because those "classical liberals" were all about "small government" and "personal responsibility" and so on so on.

It's a tired and utterly debunked myth. The classical liberals, whenever in power, had no qualms with using the state for national interests and populist programs.

It doesn't matter what the realtiy of liberalism is, this is all about perception. The simple fact is that when politics when media crazy via the television the public face of the "left" and "liberals" was not serious men in suits and ties logically dicussing problems (even though most of them fit this category) but rather long haired hippies smoking dope at rock concerts burning draft cards. It was a trick of timing, but the reality is that image resonated and sticks and is why the word liberal still invokes that persona even today no matter what color liberal you are.

It is not entirely accurate, but it is what it is.

Similarly, the word "conservative" was cast as the rigid square type in the same period, and is even now being recast into the fundie evangical cast as we speak. Again, not accurate, but it is what it is.

no, poeple like you did.

What exactly is a person like me? Please feel free to rejoin us when you have something intelligent to say.

 

[bhsup]

Liberals I can deal with. Honest people who just happen to disagree with me about the direction the nation should take in certain areas, that's okay. Dick Gephardt for one. I disagree with him about almost everything, but I respect him as a devoted public servant who truly thought his ideas were the best for Missouri and the nation.

It's those "leftists", the real whackos that have forced the Democratic party so far left that it is getting to the point where it's not even funny anymore, but are a real threat to the nation that freak me out. Amazingly, they are actually getting leadership roles in the Democratic party. This has led to disaffected people moving away from the dems and voting Republican, pulling the Republican party too far left as well, which is a damned shame. What ever happened to respectable dems like Sam Numm and Lieberman who had to leave to party to win his seat?

also, define "hippy"

A picture is worth a thousand words.

EDIT: Oh, and the whole "Americans use the wrong definition" thing ticks me off. Jam and jelly mean different things in the US and UK. We're not obligated to retain the same definition as other parts of the world for a word. Deal with it. (Not directed at philippe, just the general idea that our definition is wrong because other parts of the world have a different one)

EDIT #2: Example of leftist

 

[Shekwan]

It doesn't matter what the realtiy of liberalism is, this is all about perception. The simple fact is that when politics when media crazy via the television the pulic face of the "left" and "liberals" was not serious men in suits and ties logicallu dicussing problems but rather long haired hippies smoking dope at rock concerts burning draft cards. It was a trick of timing, but the reality is that image resonated and sticks and is why the word liberal still invokes that persona even today no matter what color liberal you are.

It is not entirely accurate, but it is what it is.

It's not accurate at all. Also it's not like Americans in the 20 - 35 y/o bracket remember the hippies. They lasted like 5 years as a popular movement.

I can say that definately this is not my view of liberals. When I think if a famous liberal... I dunno, William Gladstone? If I was to think of an American example probably FDR, surely he is mostly positively viewed by the American public? Yet he was a dirty liberal and advocated socialism for all. Hey he even allied with the Soviets!

 

[philippe]

I mean, it's the right-wing who started to use the word deragatory, patroklos, and don't be such an ad hom when i add winks to make it light-hearted, chill man, smoke some hippy tobacco

 

[Patroklos]

I mean, it's the right-wing who started to use the word deragatory, patroklos, and don't be such an ad hom when i add winks to make it light-hearted, chill man, smoke some hippy tobacco

DAMN HIPPIE I mean liberal...

And yes, I'm sorry for jumping on you

 

[Patroklos]

It's not accurate at all. Also it's not like Americans in the 20 - 35 y/o bracket remember the hippies. They lasted like 5 years as a popular movement.

Why would they not remember hippies? Honestly, do you have any justification for this? Hippies and other counter culture movement types were what they saw on their TV sets everyday when they bought their first TV sets, before that everyone was just another voice on the radio or sterile print in a newspaper. Flamboyant left wing types are far more impressive (or depressing) and thus memorable when seen. If you lived in any place that wasn't a city center that might have been the first time you actually saw a self proclaimed "liberal" period, and first impressions count.

 

[scy12]

well, the americans use the word wrongly in the first place, that's why the derogatory use didnt make it out of the usa.

also, i think that almost everywhere the right just calls the left "left" to smear it.

Exactly.

Around here The word conservative is considered an insult. Even if people do have conservative views.

Liberal is actually not used much . Τhey rather use the word Progressive to describe themselves.

 

[Trajan12]

Eh, I've never understood how in a Liberal Democracy the concept of Liberalism has been dragged through the mud. But then again I don't quite want to.

 

[Shekwan]

Why would they not remember hippies? Honestly, do you have any justification for this? Hippies and other counter culture movement types were what they saw on their TV sets everyday when they bought their first TV sets, before that everyone was just another voice on the radio or sterile print in a newspaper. Flamboyant left wing types are far more impressive (or depressing) and thus memorable when seen. If you lived in any place that wasn't a city center that might have been the first time you actually saw a self proclaimed "liberal" period, and first impressions count.

Um well, a 35 year old would be born in 1973 and the hippie movement died out in the late sixties. Yeah they would have heard of hippies, but not seen in in current news. Also hippies are hardly close ideologically to the American ''liberal'' party, the Democrats.

I don't know if you watch FOX news or the like, but if you do you'll see plenty of charismatic conservatives. Hehe, liberals are ''flamboyant'' and conservatives are ''charismatic''?

 

[Patroklos]

Um well, a 35 year old would be born in 1973 and the hippie movement died out in the late sixties. Yeah they would have heard of hippies, but not seen in in current news. Also hippies are hardly close ideologically to the American ''liberal'' party, the Democrats.

News flash for you, a very large portion of the US population is over 35. Regardless, the images from that time are iconic and that perception will be passed down.

I don't know if you watch FOX news or the like, but if you do you'll see plenty of charismatic conservatives. Hehe, liberals are ''flamboyant'' and conservatives are ''charismatic''?

Obnoxious maybe, but that is far different than flamboyant. There are very few conservatives out there with colorful beaded vests/ purple tinted sun glasses/shaggy beards and matted hair/marching though steets holding hands on acid/singing/living on communes. That is flamboyant and that image, for good or bad, has become a lasting one and is invariably linked to the Democratic party and liberals in general.

Like I said it is not always accurate (but sometime is), but neither are most labels in this shere.

 

[Red Door]

The way I see it, its a way to scapegoat one's opponents by eather correctly or wrongly label someone a liberal. Liberals do the same thing with the word "conservatives".

In short, its just a childish way to classify and place people on the extreme fringes of the political map.

CG wins .

 

[MobBoss]

Um well, a 35 year old would be born in 1973 and the hippie movement died out in the late sixties. Yeah they would have heard of hippies, but not seen in in current news. Also hippies are hardly close ideologically to the American ''liberal'' party, the Democrats.

I don't know if you watch FOX news or the like, but if you do you'll see plenty of charismatic conservatives. Hehe, liberals are ''flamboyant'' and conservatives are ''charismatic''?

Fwiw, there were still hippees on the streets when I went to the University of Arkansas in the early 80s. It was a hobby to drive down the street they hung out on and squirt them with fire extinguishers....

 

[Shekwan]

News flash for you, a very large portion of the US population is over 35. Regardless, the images from that time are iconic and that perception will be passed down.

Images of Martin Luther King and JFK are even more iconic and even more identifyable as liberal than hippies. Why is it that when liberals are mentioned, hippies come up but not two of the most influential men of the 20th century? Again heres the smear campaign in all it's glory - I want the word ''Liberal'' back!

Obnoxious maybe, but that is far different than flamboyant. There are very few conservatives out there with colorful beaded vests/ purple tinted sun glasses/shaggy beards and matted hair/marching though steets holding hands on acid/singing/living on communes. That is flamboyant and that image, for good or bad, has become a lasting one and is invariably linked to the Democratic party and liberals in general.

Like I said it is not always accurate (but sometime is), but neither are most labels in this shere.

Ok so again we have this hippy thing. Surely you would identify great Democratic American presidents as examples of liberals, the civil rights groups, suffragettes etc as more pertinent examples of liberalism in action? There are lots of progressive movements beyond hippies (If you call them that, they're probably regressive actually). Did you have a bad experience with a hippy or something?

You're right about the labels being applied wrong. How come the minority of negative examples of liberalism has overcome the positive images?

I really don't think Liberals are being successful in doing the same thing to the word conservative. Maybe it's just harder to say it in a spiteful manner?