tzor wrote:In a nutshell, the progressive theme is economic, with government control over corporations, while the liberal theme is social, with government control over the “care” of others, whether it is their employment, their retirement, their rights, or just giving them a free lunch in terms of housing.
I am not sure where you got that definition, but it sounds more like a grouping conservatives like to use.
When I was young, hippies, war protestors, people fighting for civil rights of various types, etc were all the liberals. They were definitely anti-establishment, "don't trust the government" but accept and care for one another and the earth group. This idea that liberal somehow is equivalent to a "lazy bum who just wants to sop off the government" is partially a response by some "establishment" types to some hippies (a very limited movement, though their impact was profound), but the ironic truth is that most hippies were actually pretty independent folks who did not rely on the government at all. They did not trust the government enough to rely upon it.
As some got older, things changed. Some became "respectable" folks. Some did find themselves with kids and did seek government support, (but not with relish). Though many conservatives like to paint it otherwise, the largest group of homeless people, "dependent" on the government were for a long time single men who had served in the Vietnam war. A good many single mothers of children of my generation got single because of the war. (directly or indirectly)
Things have changed, yes, but with all these accusations of "liberals" causing this "society of dependence", the truth is that it was the Vietnam war and race that really contributed most to those problems.
Now, the causes are economics.. again, economics largely orchestrated and put forward by the conservatives. Removeal of regulations regarding mortgages let banks and credit agencies give out stupid loans to people who could not even pay. Removal of restrictions on credit cards led to most credit card companies moving to Delaware or, more recently, the Dakotas and effective elimination of all state limits on interest rates (yes, 30 years ago 18% flat rate MEANT 18% was the rate to stay!). AND, yes, health care.
There never has been and never was a liberal party (that I know of). Certainly, while the Democrats are often more liberal than the Republicans, at least on some issues. They are in no way a really "liberal" party.
