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"Although they will be regularly deployed this campaign season, the terms "liberal" and "conservative" have largely lost analytical usefulness -- if they ever had any."
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"The people who opposed the Iraq war and still oppose it are called "liberals." Those who advocated it and still support it are called "conservatives."
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Poor journalism. Extremely important topic because in a sound bite news environment, name calling by illogical labels frame the debate and distracts from legitimate discourse. Mr. Hart drifts from the central theme and arguments are disjointed from his (important and true) initial premise and conclusion about the logical absurdity of such labels since there are no "pure" forms of these animals.
In some broad sense on an optimism-caution spectrum (e.g., Locke vs. Hobbes) the terms may have value, but analytic realism — fact plus analysis — is what successful politics demands.
Expand on the illogical and deceptive nature of such labels and their pervasive use in politics to manipulate emotions rather than focus on the facts of the issues at hand. Most commonly used are,
“Conservative” and “Liberal” as general labels are disceptive, inflamatory, and appeal to ignorance because there are almost no purely C or L persons. The “general” labels mask that there are many different disciplines (religious, political, fiscal, economic, etc.), in each of which, a reasonable person may choose to position as, what might be called, C or L or even, GOOD GRIEF!, moderate. (OH! That would be a flip-flopper). The most abused is the “character” label. No flag pin – bad character while abusing power, subverting law and the Constitution and human rights (etc ad nauseam) still carries a good character label. Country bumpkin label good, elitist label bad. Patriotic good if its my party. Non existent if the other party. The example are endless, the picture is clear. The labels are mind rotting yet appeal to the “macho” in your face “character” of a constituancy. Sadly, masterful manipulation of print and broadcast media has (falsely and deceptively) distilled the C vs L debate to the following: CONSERVATIVE =Republican = morally and religiously correct = GOOD. Conversely: LIBERAL = Democrat = morally and religiously wrong = EVIL. This just as absurd as labeling ALL Republicans as War mongering , Capitalist war profiteers who eat their young and enslave their parents.