"Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails be wise by good advice." -Sophocles

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

"Permissives" Better Description than "Progressives" for Today's Liberals

Having listened to media coverage of the campaigns from a wide variety of sources, I could not help but notice that the MSM uses the term "secular progressive" with increasing frequency to describe social liberals, and unfortunately many conservative columnists and talk show hosts (like Hugh Hewitt, whom I enjoy) accept this term and use it themselves. I know that using the term "secular" draws a distinction between those who espouse a religious world view and those who would prefer an absence of religion, but it is the term "progressive" which rankles me most.
I refuse to accept the term "progressive" when talking about liberals, as it is a politically correct euphemism (almost as bad as "undocumented worker" used for illegal alien). Conservatives are called conservative because they seek to preserve, as closely as possible, the institutions and socio/economic policies established at the founding of our nation as provided by the constitution. True conservatives then could rightly be referred to as "constitutional conservationists." What is the opposite of a conservationist? One who destroys, demolishes, ruins, or abolishes.
Liberals engaged in environmental conservation take pride in preserving, maintaining, and protecting that which they value. When corporations or local governments determine that economic "progress" will be enhanced by encroaching on the environment through construction and land development, liberal "conservationists" seek injunctions and decry construction as being destructive and harmful. They certainly would never refer to the land developers as "progressive."
"Progress" then, is in the eye of the beholder.Since the definition of progress is entirely subjective depending on what one considers improvement, social liberals should not be allowed the moniker of "progressive." They should merely be called what they are, permissives. Everything unnatural and immoral is accepted, embraced, and declared a "right." Moral absolutes? The Permissives surrendered to moral relativism decades ago, and have now "progressed" to the point where they permit what is wrong to be called right. They lack the fortitude to declare any behavior as wrong (except religious expressions by Christians). No, "progressive" they are not. The "Secular Permissives will eventually permit the collapse of our defense (by "progressively" negotiating with terrorists), our economy (by "progressively" raising taxes, and our national morality (by "progressively" permitting a complete abandonment of religious values in public life).


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