Do you buy into the entire "liberal agenda?"

[JEFF9K]

If not, do you keep quiet, or do you freely express your dissenting opinions on Democratic Underground?

It seems to me that a thinking person won't agree with every part of any large agenda. Here at Democratic Underground I've noticed that expressing disagreement is met with hostility and bombardment with negative comments. It makes me wonder if there's a kind of mindless buying-in like that which is so common among conservatives.

[Lint Head]

1. I buy into the entire "liberal agenda". But my interpretation of some of the

liberal ideologies could be different from others.

[YoungDemCA]

2. This, more or less.

[immoderate]

3. Where can I find this "agenda?"

How much is a "buy in?"

--imm

[Vincardog]

26. I have been looking for it too. Someone please post it or a link s I can Buy in.

[Live and Learn]

29. +1 What exactly is the agenda?

I am about as liberal as anyone can get and I have yet to see the agenda.

[MNBrewer]

41. It's in the next aisle over from the "gay agenda"

About 2/3's of the way down, middle shelf.

[immoderate]

48. I'm not near an Agendarama.

That's the suburbs for you.

--imm

[merrily]

108. LOL! Agendarama. Love it.

[tazkcmo]

136. Nice.

Sell that one to Colbert.

[mndemsocialist]

4. What are "liberal" policies?

The word "liberal" is meaningless to me. I am a democratic socialist.

In 1984, I and a friend were speaking with George McGovern in Iowa. My friend and I were wearing our DSA buttons (Demcoratic Socialists of America).

He leaned over to us, pointed at our buttons, and said, "That's what I consider myself to be". I was too polite to ask him, "Then why, Senator, don't you call yourself a democratic socialist instead of liberal, whatever that means?"

[merrily]

109. Interesting. Did he actually call himself liberal then?

[jwirr]

154. I worked for him and the answer to that question is the same problem the Bernie Sanders is facing

today. He could not have won because Americans do not understand the difference between the isms. Many of us consider ourselves to be Democratic Socialists. We vote as Democrats because it is the closest we can come to what we want.

[Initech]

5. If we're talking these things then yes:

- Equal rights for everyone
- No militaristic police force
- Marriage rights for everyone
- Corporations are not people
- Ending misogyny
- Ending corporate welfare
- Regulating the media and making sure that they report facts and not opinions
- Locking up those that looted our treasury and started wars for profit
- Raising the minimum wage

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

12. Most of those sound good, although I would have lengthened #5 to

- Ending misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia

and added streamlined the immigration process.

The media should be able to report opinions as well, but they need to be plainly labeled as such, and not passed off as 'fact'.

[PeaceNikki]

151. add reproductive freedom to that list. it's in our platform.

[Protalker]

6. we have a big tent

I personally want Hillary for president. I am a progressive but realize we need the vast middle as well as the far out left to win. Then we will get some of what we want. Self righteous anger serves no one. Look at the right.

[sabrina 1]

84. What we need is the half of the country that doesn't vote because they

are so disillusioned with politics. We don't need this 'middle' which includes letting War Criminals off the hook, letting Wall St Criminals do whatever they want and bailing them out with OUR money when they commit serious enough crimes to collapse the world economy.

That's what we HAVE because we keep on saying we CAN'T instead of WE THE PEOPLE have the POWER to stop all this.

I know people who don't vote. IF they did they would vote for a REAL PROGRESSIVE. They will NOT vote for the 'middle', the 'third way', for forever war, for torture, for Wall St, to cut SS. They believe that their votes don't count.

IF we could get them to believe that we too do not want that kind of government, then they would vote. But all we do is say 'there's an election coming up (every two years) and we know our side isn't perfect but it's slightly better than the other side'. And so that's what we get, either the REALLY bad, or the status quo.

I do not support Hillary for the record, have not done so since she cast her vote for Bush's wars and never will.

[mattclearing]

93. Hillary is not a progressive.

If you care about the undue influence of corporate money in politics (which is the crux of progressive positions), then Hillary cannot be your candidate. She has nothing to offer and is part of the problem.

[AverageJoe90]

7. To be truthful with you, Jeff, is there really a single "Liberal agenda"?

Not trying to be combative here, really. I myself am a liberal/progressive, but I'm not afraid to deviate from some party lines if I know and feel that it's right, and/or sensible to do so. Unfortunately, in my case, it has sometimes been met with derision and beratement, etc. from some of the more dogmatic members of this site. So it's not always easy to be on the "other side", as it were.

I do think we tend to be more open-minded than the Republicans as a whole(and certainly way ahead of the Freepers!), though, our own occasional failings notwithstanding.

[Protalker]

16. consensus brings progress

Why is this so bad? I disparage an all or nothing approach. It leads to intolerance.

[AverageJoe90]

31. "I disparage an all or nothing approach. It leads to intolerance." I actually agree with you there..

The sad thing is, though, the all or nothing approach doesn't to seem to be exactly rare, from my experience, especially with some cliques around here; you're either with them 100% or you're not with them at all(even including, on occasion, the "you are A because you don't hold specific view B"; for example, you may remember that there were some folks who accused people critical of Mr. Snowden of being cheerleaders for the NSA Security State.). And I do find that to be unfortunate, TBH.

[JEFF9K]

32. Defining the "liberal agenda" ...

Defining the "liberal agenda" ... would make for a good thread. I thought of adding it to this one.

[tazkcmo]

137. Probably should have

before you started a thread about it.

[tularetom]

8. I'm pretty gullible, I'll buy anything - want to explain it to me?

In very general terms I believe in people before profits and peace instead of war.

I can fit almost any issue into one of those parameters.

[JEFF9K]

35. How about ...

* Drug legalization?

* Political correctness carried to extremes?

* Assuming the police are always wrong?

[markpkessinger]

62. A straw man of a premise supported by straw men arguments

1. As for drug legalization, there are liberals to be found on both sides of that question. Also, there are varying degrees of legalization that liberals/progressives support -- some support only legalization of marijuana and that solely for medical uses; others support legalization of marijuana (but not other drugs) for recreational purposes as well. Still others would extend legalization to many other, or even all other, illicit drugs. Out of those many positions liberals/progressive might support (including opposition to legalization) represents the "liberal agenda," in your view?

2. First, I gotta say that complaints about political correctness, as opposed to political correctness in and of itself, have become the tail that wags the dog. In most cases, what is derisively dismissed as 'political correctness' is really just a call fora little respect for others, and a sensitivity to their experiences (experiences that may be quite different from your own) -- in other words, civility and good manners. So, in that context, what exactly is your definition of being "carried to extremes?" And can you point to a single legislative initiative, sponsored by liberals/progressives anywhere in the country that has sought to enshrine such "political correctness carried to extremes" into law, in such a way that it could legitimately be construed as part of some "liberal agenda?"

3. I have seen no one -- save for the occasional outlier -- who really assumes the police are always wrong. What I see is that, because of so many documented incidents of police having acted wrongfully, and then having lied about it, people are no longer willing to reflexively believe police accounts of incidents involving alleged police misconduct. It isn't so much that police assume police are always wrong; it is rather that people are no longer willing to assume police are always right, or that police versions of events are necessarily truthful. I think it is a far healthier state of affairs for all concerned that police accounts of events involving alleged police misconduct are held up to the same level of skepticism and scrutiny as is the account of any individual accused of any other crime. I don't think you can even establish that the assumption that police are always wrong even genuinely exists to any significant respect (again, save for some outliers here and there), let alone demonstrate that such an assumption is part of some "liberal agenda."

Now, it may well be that your position on any or all of these issues places you at odds with a great many liberals/progressives. But given the varying degrees of support or opposition that exist among liberals/progressives to any of these issues, the assertion that there is some sort of mindless conformity going on that parallels that of the GOP is really prety lame. Hell, we liberals/progressives can't even agree among ourselves as to who genuinely is a 'liberal/progressive!'

[nomorenomore08]

73. "People are no longer willing to reflexively believe police accounts."

YES.

"I think it is a far healthier state of affairs for all concerned."

I do too.

And the less said about the bullshit "political correctness" meme, the better. It really is just an excuse to be an asshole.

[JEFF9K]

94. I'm guessing that ...

you haven't expressed disagreement on any of what have apparently become mainstream opinions at this site.

Please explain how anything in the opening post qualifies as "straw man."

[tazkcmo]

140. He did.

Read it.

[gollygee]

82. This short list is largely garbage

I have no strong opinion about #1, though I do know liberals strongly opposed. I suppose I'm generally in favor of marijuana legalization as it's less of a problem than alcohol and seems to be illegal for political rather than health reasons, but I haven't thought much about the rest.

But the right-wing cry of "political correctness" is really just an expression of desire to be racist, sexist, garbage spewers. No, it isn't OK for people to use hate language, and it isn't an issue of being "politically correct" to expect people to not spew hate. It's an expectation that people be decent human beings who don't trample upon others.

And NO ONE believes the police are always wrong - we're just tired of people acting like the police are always right. They aren't infaliable. There should be good, objective investigations of shooting incidents performed by groups without conflicts of interest, therefore not by their police department or city/county.

[JEFF9K]

95. Try expressing opposition to marijuana legalization at this site ...

and you might see my point.

My notion of "political correctness carried to extremes" has nothing to do with hatred. At this site, it's not being able to make reference to things like bodyw*ight.

Try going to a "Ferguson" thread and mentioning the number of police that have been attacked by an "unarmed" man and killed with their own gun and see how you are treated.

[gollygee]

113. Your said that you are tired of people assuming that police are always wrong

and now you're complaining about people not assuming that one police officer in one specific situation (Ferguson) was right. Do you see how different those are?

What the right-wing calls "political correctness" is a hatred of kindness toward people who are different from them. If you can't handle being kind to people who are different to you, call it that. Don't hide behind a right-wing phrase.

[JEFF9K]

114. I didn't say that.

And I'm not "hiding behind a right-wing phrase." I'm only against political correctness carried to extremes.

[tazkcmo]

141. You did not say

marijuana. You said "drugs". Changing the goal posts already? I'm done reading your garbage. Say hi to my brother when you get back to FR.

[tazkcmo]

139. That's it?!!

Pretty short list and 3 out of 3 are utter bullshit.

[wyldwolf]

9. I've never seen the 'liberal agenda' explained definitively enough to buy into it 100%

Civil rights/equal protection under the law - check.
Health care as a right - check
voting as a right - check.
women's reproductive rights - check.
Social safety net - check.

I DO believe in a muscular foreign policy which often gets me branded as a 'conservative' here. But what the hell, I consider myself progressive (adjective) on most issues, not a "Progressive (noun) and freely express my dissenting opinions on DU and elsewhere.

[JaneyVee]

10. So far so good.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Of course. I wrote the hymnal. I really wish y'all would obediently step in line.

Seriously... who is the final arbiter of "the liberal agenda"?

I'm a liberal and I can tell you what I believe. That doesn't preclude the idea that you can call yourself a liberal and believe different things.

Were that not true, DU would be a quiet place.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

28. How true

[AverageJoe90]

33. This. Just this. Also, may I add on to this?

Indeed, liberals come in many stripes, and hold many different views.

For example:

1.)Just because one may be more critical of the President, compared to the average, does not mean they do not respect him.

2.)Just because one may not like Edward Snowden, or how he did things, doesn't mean that one doesn't have concerns about the problems with the NSA.

3.)Just because one doesn't believe that climate change is necessarily going to destroy the planet/civilization, or that humanity is headed for likely/inevitable destruction/permanent decline, etc., doesn't mean that one cannot be concerned for the state of the environment, or that one wants no action against global warming.(and yes, the opposite is true as well: someone who may sometimes feel pessimistic about the state of climate action, etc. it doesn't mean that they are a nutty Guy McPherson-esque doomer.)

4.)Just because one may be disillusioned with the Democratic Party sometimes, doesn't mean that they are lukewarm fair-weather liberals or whatever.

5.)Just because one may support the State of Israel, in and of itself, does not mean that they support the abuse of Palestinians, or corruption in the IDF, or bigotry amongst certain factions in the Knesset(Likudniks, specifically, and other hard rightist parties there), etc.(and just because one is critical of Israel, that does not necessarily make them a raving anti-Semite)

6.)Just because one may be critical of some things that some more radical feminists may do or say, does not mean they are a secret MRA, or that they hate women, etc.(and just because a few feminists may act nasty towards men they don't like, that doesn't make all feminists bad people. At all. I should know, btw, because I am a feminist.)

7.)And just because someone may hold some truly out-of-left-field views, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are on DU to cause trouble, or that they're crazy, etc.

So, anyway, that's really it. TL;DR-placing people into boxes really doesn't work. Let's just try to respect our ideological diversity for what it is.

[nilesobek]

89. I've taken a lot of heat

for supporting Russia while there is an obvious neo-con plot to subvert them. Otherwise I'm left of center. The idea that a liberal "bible," should be created makes me shudder.

[Puzzledtraveller]

13. I don't buy into anything.

I am against authoritarianism, much of the wholesale buyers are quite okay with it.

[Boreal]

57. Agreed

On both counts.

[CANDO]

87. I was here for 12 years and then made a mistake.

While I was never a prolific poster, if I felt like adding my perspective to a thread I did so. Well, as for the authoritarians, there are certain topics you simply don't offer up your perspective from your life experiences. Because ....well...as I found out, mine didn't matter and it pissed off the authoritarian cliques and I soon was sent away for a 3 month vacation of sorts. So now I'm back to just reading mostly. And avoiding certain thread topics.

[JEFF9K]

97. You can be penalized at this site ...

for saying things that are 100% accurate.

I think of liberals as people who believe in things like facts and science. Maybe those things now take a back seat.

[LiberalAndProud]

14. Which liberal's agenda?

I have found that I have never agreed with anyone on every single point. Whether I express a dissenting opinion probably has more to do with how passionate I am on a given topic than how comfortable or uncomfortable I feel here.

[JEFF9K]

98. Good answer!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. you say it ... like it is a bad thing

you know the "quotation marks" make it special or, something.

[steve2470]

21. +1 nt

[JEFF9K]

37. The "liberal agenda" is hard to define.

That's why I put it in quotes.

[Codeine]

17. There's no liberal agenda.

Most of us agree on probably 90% of things. That's good enough for me. I'm happy being allied with people who might disagree with me on certain issues.

[JEFF9K]

38. Are you comfortable ...

expressing dissent on this site?

[Codeine]

70. I absolutely am. It helps that I'm kind of an asshole

and that I don't give two shits what people think of me, of course.

But I've never felt bound by any perceived need for ideological purity or what have you.

[JEFF9K]

99. I've been kind of shocked ...

at how badly one can be treated here for going against the grain.

[BainsBane]

18. I'm a leftist

A number of the views expressed by many liberals are far too accommodating of capital for my tastes. I think it's pretty clear I disagree with people on a host of issues, as many of us do. There is no one subject that everyone agrees with, even something as basic as voting for the Democratic nominee. Additionally, there are plenty of leftist (liberal, if you like) views that are met with ridicule here: concerns about misogyny and white privilege are among them. I don't believe everyone on this site even considers themselves to be liberal, so I think the idea that everyone agrees on a set agenda is absurd.

Your use of the term "liberal agenda," however, makes me think your concerns might come from the other end of the political spectrum. Certainly there are people here who hold views that are not in keeping with liberals on a host of issues. We have a gungeon, after all.

[JEFF9K]

40. I am solidly in the liberal camp.

[BainsBane]

54. What then would motivate you to write this OP?

[JEFF9K]

59. Please explain how that makes sense.

[nomorenomore08]

74. It seems to implicitly place "liberalism" in a bad light. Though that may not have been your intent.

[JEFF9K]

100. I thought that "liberal agenda" ...

was a good catch-all term.

[nomorenomore08]

142. I guess so. It just smacks of right-wing talking points to some people - kind of like "gay agenda."

And for the record, as a Democratic-voting Social Democrat I agree with basically all of the so-called liberal agenda, and may even be to the left of it in some aspects. I don't know what "extreme political correctness" is supposed to mean, but I'm certainly anti-censorship, and tend to think the solution to bad speech is more speech. This applies to society as a whole, mind you, not a privately owned website (which DU is).

[daredtowork]

19. I Don't Trust the Politicians

I buy into most of the talking points of the "liberal agenda".

But I'm usually disappointed when the politicians I vote for don't follow through on the talking points. Instead, like the Clintons, they start "triangulating" in ways that just seems to be implementing an increasingly "Conservative Middle Agenda" instead of the one that I voted for them to implement. This is why, despite the fact I really want to get a woman into the Oval Office, I can't imagine voting for another Clinton.

Same thing with Obama. He was swept into office on a platform of Hope and Change. He was supposed to represent the full Liberal Agenda. But instead he again kept looking for that "middle" which somehow always turned out to be "conservative" instead of the "liberal agenda" he was elected to implement.

I thought the popular vote was supposed to send a message about what the people wanted!

From what I can see, there is a lot of consistency on the "liberal agenda", and dissenting opinions are voiced freely as well. The only problems is that the candidates don't actually care about it. They care about who is funding their campaign and how the media is making them look at the moment, and that's it.

[steve2470]

20. I'm definitely left of center....

I don't agree 100% with everything espoused here, but I think we can disagree on details of policy and methodology. I think the vast majority of us want the same things. We simply disagree on methods and details. YMMV.

[JEFF9K]

103. 90%+

I think that almost everyone here agrees on at least 90% of the "liberal agenda."

[Marr]

22. Of course-- we decided just last week that all must obey.

Did you miss the meeting? DID YOU MISS THE MEETING???

[AngryAmish]

23. I do, as long as I can get deep fried mozzarella sticks

I love that stuff. And everyone, stop making your marinara sweet. Yes, you need some sugar in an arrabiata sauce for balance but especially good tomatoes have a lot of sugar already. Marsala is a touch sweet too, if you put that in your marinara.

[lovemydog]

123. Agree one hundred percent.

!

[conservaphobe]

24. No, definitely not.

I'm more of a mainstream liberal Democrat who watches MSNBC, embraces organizations like Center For American Progress, and votes a straight Democratic ticket regardless of differences.

I'm not an activist. I was drawn to the party because I'm poor and am horrified at the way minorities are treated.

If you act like a character from Portlandia, I want nothing to do with you.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

30. Oh come on now

The Critical mAss people are quite entertaining.[URL=http://www.sherv.net/][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[JEFF9K]

42. For some reason ...

... I get along well with everyone who uses an FDR avatar.

[Spider Jerusalem]

25. What is this "liberal agenda" you speak of?

What I believe:

Regarding civil rights: People should have equal rights and opportunities under the law regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious belief (this includes protections against discrimination in the workplace, in education, etc, along with the right to marry and have children/adopt).

Crime and punishment: Capital punishment should be abolished, solitary confinement should be reserved for extraordinary cases of incorrigible offenders, drugs should be decriminalised.

Other things: government should serve the interests of the people and not those of corporations. Military adventurism in the Middle East and elsewhere is a bad idea.

[AverageJoe90]

34. I'm pretty much with you on this one. =) nt

[liberal N proud]

27. There's a liberal agenda?

Or just a right wing me me of a liberal agenda?

[JEFF9K]

45. I needed a term to emcompass ...

liberal beliefs and policies.

[liberal N proud]

69. Liberal is a big thing, there no one single answer

Here are some institutionalized descriptions.



http://www.google.com/#q=what+does+it+mean+to+be+liberal

[RobertEarl]

36. Sure do. Why not?

This is a liberal agenda website. There are other websites that may be more fit for those who don't 'buy' into being as good a liberal as they can.

Especially if one gets upset with liberal agendas, then one should go shopping elsewhere. The people who have the most problems with DU are not really all that liberal, imo. Or progressive, either.

[JEFF9K]

47. Some things are "liberal" only ...

... because someone decided they are "liberal."

[RobertEarl]

53. Is there something you don't like about the LA?

Go ahead, Jeff, be brave and tell us if there are some who don't meet your specs.

[JEFF9K]

64. I've already listed some of them.

I don't set "specs." I consider your wording to be rather smart-alecky.

But I'll repeat a question for your benefit. What is liberal about EXTREME POLITICAL CORRECTNESS?

[RobertEarl]

66. Never said PC was

Hey, you posted an op, then when questioned further you post something off the wall. What is YOUR agenda?

But as for PC there are some good reasons for being more PC.

The problem with agendas like yours is you are not brave enough to state your case. I have little patience for beating-around-the-bush hidden agendas like yours. What? Is that not PC enough for you?

[JEFF9K]

111. Please read more carefully.

What did I say that's "off the wall?"

I am not questioning political correctness, just political correctness carried to extremes.

I have no hidden agenda. My post and comments can't be any clearer.

[nomorenomore08]

76. Does "EXTREME POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" even exist outside of a few random Internet cranks?

You can make all the blatantly offensive comments you want, and so long as none rise to the level of a specific personal threat, the worst that will happen is you'll be banned from certain websites.

[etherealtruth]

39. I don't know what this "liberal agenda' is ...but I sure as hell know

..I do not buy into the right wing nut job agenda

[MineralMan]

43. So, tell us what you think that agenda is.It means different things

to different people. What are the characteristics of it, from your point of view? Feel free to use as many words as necessary.

[JEFF9K]

49. Everyone here knows ...

... what I mean by "liberal agenda." I don't agree with every single thing that is considered to be "liberal." Do YOU?

[whathehell]

104. I think people object to the word "agenda"..Try Democratic or Progressive principles.

the other thing sounds too much like "the gay agenda" which is a BS right wing meme.

[oldhippie]

44. Of course I do ...

This is DU. You either get with the agenda, or you just git.

[JEFF9K]

50. A true "liberal agenda" should allow for dissent.

Sounds like YOU don't.

[oldhippie]

51. There is no valid ...

... reason for dissent. Get with the program.

[JEFF9K]

60. I hope you are joking.

[oldhippie]

68. Do you support Democrats?

Or are you here under false pretenses? Get with the program, man.

[JEFF9K]

106. If you want to suppress dissent ...

you aren't much of a liberal.

[oldhippie]

112. There is some dessent that needs to be suppressed ...

.... like racism, sexism, and various other nuttery that is not to be tolerated. I think you need to read the ToS for this site.

No bigoted hate speech.
Do not post bigotry based on someone's race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or lack thereof, disability, or other comparable personal characteristic. To be clear: This includes any post which states opposition to full equal rights for gays and lesbians; it also includes any post asserting disloyalty by Jewish Americans, claiming nefarious influence by Jews/Zionists/Israel, advocating the destruction of the state of Israel, or arguing that Holocaust deniers are just misunderstood. In determining what constitutes bigotry, please be aware that we cannot know what is in anyone's heart, and we will give members the benefit of the doubt, when — and only when — such doubt exists.

[JEFF9K]

115. It goes without saying ...

... that I'm referring to LEGITIMATE dissent.

[oldhippie]

117. No it doesn't. nt

[JEFF9K]

126. For your benefit, from here on ...

I will state the obvious in all my threads and comments. Sorry to everyone else.

[gollygee]

83. There are certain fundamental positions liberals have.

Such as that all people of all races and genders are of equal value and should be treated as such. There is no room for dissent there. Do you think there should be? Should a white supremacist be welcomed into the Democratic Party?

[JEFF9K]

116. I'm referring to legitimate disagreement.

Especially about things that aren't, or shouldn't be considered, intrinsically liberal.

The vast majority of liberal commenters I've encountered are against supplementing the resources of our safety forces with free military surplus. How is THAT a liberal position?

Some people here think it's okay to promote drug abuse. (Check the J.J. Cale thread) How is that considered liberal?

How is EXTREME, I repeat, EXTREME, I repeat again because so many commenters keep missing it, how is EXTREME political correctness liberal?

[gollygee]

134. How would it be a liberal position

to want our police forces outfitted like military forces in combat zones? Americans are not war enemies.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

46. Liberal Agenda?

Mine must of got lost in the mail 'cause I don't have one and I am most assuredly, liberal................

“If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.”

― John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage

[JEFF9K]

52. How do you feel ...

... about the movement here at DU to add extreme political correctness to the agenda?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

55. I don't pay it any mind.

You say movement that must mean organization and that's not happening here. We have thousands of voices and points of view and none of it really matters. We have lost the art of compromise here at DU and here in American politics........

[Change has come]

67. What liberal terms or phrases

do you feel are being stymied by this 'extreme political correctness'?

[JEFF9K]

118. You can't refer to bodyw*ight.

You can't jokingly refer to Glenn Beck's followers as "Beck's B*tches," even though his audience is all male and the reference is clearly to the more modern usage of the term.

You can't make an honest comment in the women's room in response to a thread that is clearly untrue or you can be banned.

And I keep seeing threads about putting an end to misogyny at this site, yet I've seen no threads expressing "hatred for women," which is the definition of the word.

[quaker bill]

56. The "liberal agenda" to the extent it exists

does not go far enough.

[DefenseLawyer]

58. If you truly believe that the Democratic Party platform is a "liberal agenda"

You've been watching too much tv

[Laelth]

61. I don't think many posters are answering your actual question.

There are, in fact, verboten ideas here. If you actually believe some of these verboten ideas, you would be wise to remain silent about them.

ymmv

-Laelth

[JEFF9K]

65. One "verboten idea" ...

... is apparently that the police are sometimes right. When did that become part of the agenda?

[Laelth]

78. Second bit of advice.

Lurk, listen, and learn.



-Laelth

[JEFF9K]

119. I will quit the site ...

... before compromising my beliefs.

[tazkcmo]

152. Good

We'll be better off. FR is always there for you.

[whathehell]

110. Sometimes the police are right, but we haven't seen a lot of that lately.

That being said, I HAVE seen positive reports here about police when they do good things.

Even Rachel Maddow, promoting police body cameras, did a piece the other night that

depicted a real-life incident of a cop mistakenly appearing to be "in the wrong" due

to the limited powers of a dashboard camera.

[JEFF9K]

122. I am against the seemingly automatic protests ...

that take place before the facts are in.

[whathehell]

138. One 'fact' that needed no time to sort out was that Michael Brown's dead body was left

lying in the street, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and that was VERY disrespectful...Beyond that, there have been SLEW of

killings of young. unarmed black men, many of them by cops, in the last year or so...I understand their feelings completely.

[nomorenomore08]

143. One every 28 hours. The majority, but not all, via cop. n/t

[whathehell]

147. Horrible -- Federal investigation of municipal police

forces around the country seems required.

[Codeine]

71. I think the truly "verboten" views

are all of a nature that would outright disqualify a person from being considered even vaguely liberal/progressive.

Can you give an example of such a position that isn't an utterly right-wing belief?

[nomorenomore08]

77. +1000

Against marriage equality? You're not a liberal, full stop. Opposed to a woman's basic bodily autonomy? Ditto.

[Laelth]

79. Sure. Foreign policy is a good example.

Many people here hold different positions on the Israel/Palestine issue, and neither position is entirely or inherently right-wing.

-Laelth

[Codeine]

80. That's not a verboten view here.

A significant minority of posters here are quite pro-Israel. Respected, well-regarded posters with long histories, I might add. It's probably no longer the majority DU view, but by no means does it appear the sort of thing people get hounded about.

[lumberjack_jeff]

107. Verboten views? I can suggest some verboten *facts*.

For all practical purposes, men and women are paid equally for the same work.
The affordable care act discriminates against men explicitly.
Half of heterosexual intimate partner violence is reciprocal, and 70% of the rest is perpetrated by the woman.
92% of workplace fatalities are men.
The justice system favors women. Men are given longer sentences for the same crime. (Coincidentally, the difference between sentences given to men relative to women, 60% is the same as the difference between sentences given to blacks relative to whites)
The 14th amendment doesn't guarantee men equal protection; the supreme court says so.

Notice all the stupid hyperlinks? There are posters who have made a hobby of alerting on posts like these. Being factual isn't good enough, one must also cover one's ass.

[HereSince1628]

63. I probably buy the part that overlaps with the Progressive Agenda

But no one really articulates what a Liberal Agenda is.

The progressive agenda intends to make progress in advancing Dignity, Liberty and Inclusive democratic governance.

[JEFF9K]

128. Great signature line!

[lovemydog]

72. I guess I'd identify as a democratic socialist.

I'm solid left.

Do I buy into the entire "liberal agenda?" You'd need to define what it is for me to reply accurately. Overall yes, in terms of raising the minimum wage, raising taxes on the rich, lowering taxes for the working poor and working middle class, better access to quality education. Perhaps I most vehemently disagree with the democratic party on the issue of military spending. I think we should take care of our veterans better than we do now, and spend more on that, but also that we should cut our defense/military-industrial complex spending a significant amount, perhaps even by half.

Expressing disagreement? I pick and choose. On economic issues I try to inform and / or express my views when I can and in a way that is good for my soul.

On social issues, I probably disagree often but try not to express much disagreement because 1) I feel that the economic issues are more important and 2) I try not to change what I probably can't change in others.

I don't feel it necessary to post a lot, or vehemently disagree with anyone else who post here because I like most progressives in real life so I figure that even if I disagree with them on a message board it's kind of silly because at heart I'm a populist and a humanist and I would probably like that person in real life. So what the heck, I just let a lot of the other stuff roll of my back. Sometimes it makes me laugh, and sometimes after longer periods of thought I might even come to find that I agree with some particular posters on a lot of other things.

I hope this answers some of your questions. And that you enjoy a good weekend.

[JEFF9K]

124. May we all enjoy the weekend ...

... that was brought to us by the liberals, progressives, socialists, and even communists of the American Labor Movement.

[lovemydog]

149. Yes indeed.

[Historic NY]

75. Horse hockey..

[lovemydog]

85. I'm against horse hockey unless

it is among mutually consenting adult horses.

[GeorgeGist]

86. "I don't know"

[Matrosov]

88. Apparently I'm a troll

Some aspects of the liberal agenda aren't liberal enough, while others are unnecessary or counterproductive.

For instance, in regard to the discussions about Israel vs Palestine or ISIS, I've pointed out that some fellow progressives are a little too eager to give Islamic extremists a pass because of our opposition to Christian extremists. Yet one extremism doesn't counter the other, and we should be weary of anyone wanting to mistreat others in the name of religion.

I also think if we try too hard to dismiss any conservative criticism of President Obama as racism, we ignore the hatred that conservatives have for progress in general. Keep in mind how many of them would froth at the mouth at the mention of President Clinton, even though President Clinton is white and from Arkansas. Some might have a special hate for President Obama because he's African-American, but make no mistake, they hate anyone who doesn't want the United States to go back to the Middle Ages.

Sadly, some of us who dissent get dismissed as right-wing trolls by a handful of posters. One thread thread I created, in which I explained how the lack of progress in regard to gun control was the fault of us control activists, and in which I offered some suggestions in regard to fighting our gun culture, was reported for supposedly being written by a "gun nut" and the person asked the Malicious Intruder Removal Team to come after me.

[Generic Brad]

90. At least you're not a sock puppet

Look - this place is full of emotional, knee jerk reactionaries in certain situations and calmer heads are not always appreciated. We will never eliminate that.

It is possible to support the Second Amendment without being an NRA shill. It is possible to be both socially liberal and fiscally conservative. It is possible to agree with things in general but take issue with a specific situation.

When this place is an echo chamber it is incredibly boring. And when we personally attack other members for not towing the company line 100% when expressing an honest opinion or presenting information that contradicts the meme of the day, it is counter productive.

I don't think you are a troll and I encourage you to keep posting. Develop some rhino skin and press on.

[lovemydog]

120. That's a thoughtful post, Matrosov.

I appreciate it. I hope you continue reading & posting here. As you've seen, there's a fair amount of paranoia as to people's motives, what is and isn't trollish behavior, etc. Don't let it get you down. I enjoy hearing from different voices here. As you probably do too. Have a good rest of the looooong weekend.

[JEFF9K]

125. Good post!

Excellent points!

[madokie]

91. Why do you feel you have to ask this question, Jeff9k?

[socialist_n_TN]

92. No. I buy in to the entire socialist agenda......

nm

[99Forever]

96. Why yes I do! The entire thing, without exception!

(Now, could you kindly explain what it is I just signed up for?)

[merrily]

101. If all you see on DU is a liberals, you are not looking hard enough.

Many centrists and liberals post here and both get disagreement.

As far as referring to it as a liberal "agenda" what does that even mean? I'll pass.

[Jackpine Radical]

102. Here is that Liberal Agenda, fresh from 2008 when I discovered it:

THE LIBERAL AGENDA

Jackpine Radical

I've been hearing a lot lately about some Liberal Agenda that President Obama is about to inflict on us unwilling Americans any second now. Well, this kind of talk scared me as much as the next red-blooded patriot, so I did what any right-thinking person would do under these circumstances. I rushed out and bought up all the 9mm pistol ammunition I could find in the local sporting goods stores. (In case you didn't know it, 9mm is by far the most popular round for home defense.) Turns out all I could find was 3 very overpriced boxes because everyone else seems to have thought of doing this before me. Well, maybe that was for the best, considering that I don't own any 9mm firearms.

Then I started to wonder--what exactly is this Liberal Agenda, anyway? I asked around and nobody down at the Dew Drop Inn seemed to know exactly for sure, so I started searching with the Google and whatnot, and I finally actually found a copy posted on one of those liberal socialist websites. So, without further ado (whatever that is), I present to you--

THE LIBERAL AGENDA

All NASCAR events will immediately be outlawed.

Alcohol will no longer be served in public places, but tavern and bar owners may apply for re-licensure to serve marijuana and effete coffee-based beverages.

Abortions will be available on demand for everyone, and will be mandatory for any pregnant woman who is not a card-carrying Democrat.

Gay marriage will be legalized, as will inter-species domestic partnerships.

All military vehicles such as tanks, airplanes and ships will be painted in rainbow colors to signify inclusiveness, and will be emblazoned with pink triangles.

Atheism will immediately be proclaimed the State religion. Anyone refusing to evolve into an atheist will be sent to a Darwinian re-education camp.

Illegal immigrants will be given preference in federal hiring.

Church services will be outlawed everywhere and replaced with Sunday-morning sensitivity training and yoga.

All guns will be confiscated immediately. People who voluntarily turn in three or more firearms will be awarded free surfboards.

All faith-based charity funding will cease immediately, and the funds will be diverted to the new Adopt-A-Terrorist programs that will be starting up in every state.

[lovemydog]

121. That's hilarious JR.

I hadn't seen it before. Thanks for sharing. Have a good rest of your weekend.

[HERVEPA]

105. Who are you trying to fool JEFF9K?

[JEFF9K]

130. Please explain.

[HERVEPA]

133. "Liberal Agenda"

Straight out of the playbook. Next post on "Gay Agenda"?

[JEFF9K]

146. As I've explained here about a dozen times within the comments ...

I am referring to current liberal policies. Sorry that I chose the apparently loaded word, "agenda."

[linuxman]

127. I support what seems right to me.

I don't let some motherfuckers in a suits tell me what I should and shouldn't believe.

Did I just fail the purity test!?!?!

[JEFF9K]

129. That's a good answer.

But lots of people giving orders about what to think and believe don't wear suits, e.g., Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck ...

[linuxman]

131. Clown suit, business suit, whatever.

[cheapdate]

132. "Liberal agenda" is as meaningless as "activist judges".

"Liberal" is a word that's so overused that it's become virtually meaningless.

At the very least, a political liberal believes that the government should not be in the business of dictating morality. Beyond that, "liberal" is anyone's guess.

[tazkcmo]

135. I'm fromMissouri

Show Me this "liberal agenda" you speak of. I thank you in advance for the in depth, detailed and alphabetical listing you no doubt have handy to share.

[JEFF9K]

150. We all have an idea of what the "liberal agenda" is.

And most of us agree with most of it.

[Louisiana1976]

144. I'm a socialist but I vote Democratic. Some of my positions go further than liberal positions.

[JEFF9K]

145. That's reasonable.

It sounds like you support the "Democratic wing" of the Democratic Party.

[madville]

148. A few unpopular opinions

I support responsible firearms ownership, I believe in a person's right to self defense, I hunt and fish regularly, other than that I'm pretty liberal on most issues.

[raouldukelives]

153. I buy into it. My agenda is pretty simple. Don't do to others what you wouldn't do to yourself.

I've always assumed that was the liberal agenda. Treating others the way you wish to be treated. Pretty simple to apply it to modern life as well. Is what I am doing making the world better, worse or assuring more of the same?