There's a presumptious impertinence I look on as theft:
The acquisition of "liberal" by those on the left.
How often it irks when they're used together,
With no mind to give any thought as to whether
It might well be the case that "liberal" might
Be perfectly suited to those on the right!
........................................................................
Thanks for the comments, gents.
I wonder how many times the words "liberal" and "left"
have been paired against the total of "liberal" linked to
"right". The appropriation deserves to be challenged
for its basic premise that only one such "pairing" can
exist in the rainbow spectrum of human attitudes and behaviour. I have my own experience about the
moral imperative that is associated with one and not
the other - and it has not been attractive or justified.
As for Americans...with a substantial U.S. set of family
relations in the South and Far West of that country...I know they can often come across as brash and short on
patience with what they see as wishy-washy attitudes
in a land that was forged in fierce individualism and a get-ahead striving for self-improvement. Rightly or
wrongly, they have a deep suspicion of anything they
might term the "free lunch" attitude to life. But that
doesn't mean they won't stop to lend a hand to someone in need - or admire those who use their circumstances
to do likewise. The fact is that the USA is basically
a collection of assorted often contrasting attitudes of
mind, and what you meet can depend on where you happen to be.
Certainly, if I visited the country I wouldn't expect to be
welcomed with open arms by describing my employment
using "liberal" terminology. It infers a presumption that
it is somehow deserving of elevated morally superior status and no American is likely to take kindly to that.
Impertinence? Hmm. I was once in conversation with an American in Iceland, who based his view of the world on what he learned from Fox News. He asked me what kind of newspaper I worked for. I replied that I'd call it a "liberal" newspaper. When I went to the toilet he confided to my wife that he thought me brave to make such an admission, to use the "l" word. So, by all means, test your theory by going over to the States and declaring yourself a "liberal", MC - assuming that they let you in. It's not a course of action I would seriously advise, though.
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elPintor
Thu 13th Apr 2017 01:11
Be assured, gentlemen, that we are all being profiled, no matter our politics or nationality...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPhWR4d3FJQ
elP