Progressivism and liberalism are not the same thing!

[wuushew]

Often on DU the term or label progressivism is thrown around as replacement for liberalism, which unfortunately has been smeared/discredited by the right.

I don't know if anyone caught last night's "On Point" on NPR, it was an excellent show. Progressivism of the 19th century was a movement by white middle class Protestants to control the social behavior of both the working class and the newly mega-rich. Prohibition, eugenics and sexual behavior laws are important ways which classical progressivism differs from modern liberalism which exalts personal freedom and expression of thought.

No doubt progressivism has given us many important economic and governmental institutions but those who seek new and more pleasing political labels must realize that evangelical Christianity shares the closest ties to what in the 19th and 20th centuries was the progressive movement.

[Maple]

1. Well that's nice

but this is the 21st century.

Conservatism, liberalism and all the rest don't mean what they did in the 19th century either.

[wuushew]

2. You deny fellow DU'ers seek alternative labels?

lets embrace liberalism and be done with it.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. And Objectivism™ was a poetry movement

But words change meanings.

--bkl

[StlMo]

4. Words mean what people decide they mean. For me, those two are synonyms.

Liberalism = Progressivism

(To Me)

[Rowdyboy]

6. Very interesting because I see it a little differently...

I see Clark, Kerry, Edwards, and Gephart as libeerals and Dean, Kucinich and Nader as progressive. Everyhting is in how you define your terms.

[LevChernyi]

5. how does that differ from modern liberalism

Tobacco and alcohol prohibitionism is alive and well, it just takes the form of "sin taxes" now. They also represent puritanical forces that try and clamp down on anything purient so long as they aren't homosexual. I don't think the acorn fell that far from the tree and I'll keep using "progressivism" until a better description for left-libertarian comes around.

[quaker bill]

7. I am sure there is an actual difference in ideas

But in practical terms current useage of the terms interchangeably means this distinction has dissolved.