Anti-progressives always want to use the term 'socialism' when describing all of the social contract programs they completely disdain:
Medicare For All.... Social Security.. Creating Decent Jobs & A Living Wage.. Free College Education.. Income & Wealth Equality... Getting Big-Money Out of Politics... Combating Climate Change... Fair & Humane Immigration Policies.. Racial Justice.. Reforming Wall Street... et al.
When anti-progressives hear the terms: socialist, liberal, and progressive, they equate them equally to the ideology of that of Lenin, Marx, and Mao... but they are NOT similar.
Definition of Socialism (Merriam-Webster):
1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.
Definition of Liberalism
1 : the quality or state of being liberal
2 a : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity
b : a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard.
c : a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties; specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (such as those involving race, gender, or class)
d : the principles and policies of a Liberal
Progressive Approach is very simple to summarize..
..and is built upon the ideas of generations of progressives from Theodore Roosevelt & Franklin Roosevelt to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & Barack Obama:
"Everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does his or her fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules."
1. Everyone deserves a fair shot at a decent, fulfilling, and economically secure life.
2. Everyone should do his or her fair share to build this life through education and hard work and through active participation in public life.
3. Everyone should play by the same set of rules with no special-privileges for the well-connected or wealthy.
4. Successful families & communities cannot exist without cooperation.
5. Progressives value human interdependence on a larger scale, and accept the importance of looking beyond their own needs to help others and find global solutions to global problems.
6. Purpose of government is to advance the common good, to secure and protect the rights of its citizens, and to help to create a high quality of life and community well-being.
7. An economy that works for everyone, not just the few.
8. And belief that all nations should uphold universal human rights, and to work together to solve common challenges.
... This is what a progressive America looks like.
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