I found this very interesting. I didn't want to start a new thread but if doesn't belong here VV can move it.
http://leftcall.com/379/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-liberal/
"Liberals believe we will not fully realize true authentic freedom and liberty until the day rights are no longer subject to negotiation, and when people no longer need to fight for equal rights under the law. And modern social liberals believe this is only attainable when we level the economic playing field. This doesn’t mean everyone makes the same salary, it means everyone has a greater chance at a job that pays a living wage in a country with much less income and wealth inequality. When wealth concentrates in the hands of too few, the rights of the many are effortlessly tempered by a few.
Liberals believe we are all in this together. There are over 300 million Americans, and over 7 billion people on the planet. A “go it alone” attitude is simply untenable. We should be united in the idea of improving life on this planet for all human beings. We should not assume the worst about others without proof warranting that contempt. And more importantly, we should not construct legislation that punishes people for actions they may not have committed. For example, we should not cut food stamps because we believe some people abuse the system. Condemning people who find themselves at a vulnerable crossroads in their life, is no way to behave in a civil society. Liberals believe most people are honest and descent human beings who are simply trying to provide for themselves and their family.
It turns out even liberalism is not immune from its own effects, as the modern social liberal, one who supports social justice, economic equality and the idea of a social contract, is an evolution of the Enlightenment period liberal. And modern conservatives, at least those not on the extreme fringes of the right-wing, exist within the construct of liberalism because they too, usually, support the social contract. Most conservatives defend the liberal achievements of the past, whether it’s Social Security, Medicare or civil rights. And most people, including conservatives, are open to change, even if it’s only on a limited basis. So what I’m saying is that conservatism exists as a check on liberalism. That is, conservatism exists to keep the march of progress in check, to make sure we do not change the structure of society faster than its individual members can adapt. And to many liberals, this is antithetical to the way we operate. We believe progress is inevitable so why not accept it so we can move on to the next issue. But there might be something to be said for having measured change over longer increments of time, and that’s where conservatism serves as this check. But make no mistake, in each new generation, conservatives will be supporting the liberal ideas and liberal government programs that conservatives of the past were railing against."
Sent from my iPhone
