• maporita@unilem.org
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    9 months ago

    Liberalism is the founding basis of modern Western democracy. So not quite the same as an obscure fact about a species of tree.

    • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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      9 months ago

      “Obscure fact” is a weird way to say “literally the defining characteristics.”

      But you’re right, it’s far, far more embarrassing for an American to not be able to define liberal, or at least vaguely recognize its meaning in this context.

      • Muddybulldog@mylemmy.win
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        9 months ago

        Liberal, in US English, is almost solely used to describe left of center politics. For the definition of liberal that you’re referring to the common term is Libertarian.

        • hydrospanner@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          The trouble I have with a definition like that is that it raises another question: what’s ‘center’?

          And if you define that by a point between hard right and hard left, then as the right goes even farther into their own reactionary bubble, diving even farther right, the “center” skews to the right to account for it.

          • Muddybulldog@mylemmy.win
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            9 months ago

            There really hasn’t been much change in the hard right and hard left in the United States through its history. We’ve just fluctuated back and forth on what parts you dare say out loud.

        • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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          9 months ago

          Leaving aside for the moment that the most common “libertarian” identifies as a “classical liberal” how do you people keep having dumber takes?

          • JigglySackles@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            You aren’t exactly a novel contributor to the broader discussion either. All you are doing is claiming shit, not backing anything up, and telling others to Google it while being a snide and condescending prick.

            • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              Just ignore him. He is the type of dude that thinks arguing about the prescriptive versus descriptive use of the word “literally” is a personality.