Moore to Come, Part 2

(This post continues sentiments uttered in previous posts - or reiterates. Or something. Probably not.)

Again, I draw your attention to the Urban Dictionary.

suggested definitons for:

Liberal
a: A word used to describe someone who tells you how they "feel" instead of what they think.

b: Someone who wants to help the poor and downtrodden WITH YOUR MONEY. They never volunteer THEIR time or money, they leave that to the churches they so detest. They also want to see the wealthy and powerful to be unseated because they are jealous. An American communist. If a liberal ever does have money, he is a politician that could not cut muster with the Republican party and is only an opportunist who is lying to the hordes of ignorant poverty stricken who believe he will save them from the bed which they themselves pissed in.

Many liberals are just baby boom hippies who are too self-righteous to rethink their dated teenage rebellions. They have made many songs and movies glorifying an anti-war position, and this media deluge of philosophical masturbation has won over much of the younger generation.

c: Jealous, whiny, and loudmouthed (on the internet).

Loves to talk about opinions, but gets all upset when other people's opinions differ from their own. Owns a tinfoil hat.

Though I found the most telling to be this one:

1) One who espouses 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.

2) Somebody for whom the Democratic Party no longer speaks.

(I hope I haven't found my way into a "What exactly is a liberal, anyway?" essay. Damn.)

It strikes me as amazing how those who promote broad change scare people. Moveon.org describes itself as:

MoveOn is a catalyst for a new kind of grassroots involvement, supporting busy but concerned citizens in finding their political voice. Our nationwide network of more than 2,000,000 online activists is one of the most effective and responsive outlets for democratic participation available today.

Now that's democrat - small d. Which is a tough sell when the main page invites you to:

A) Investigate the Vote - that being the Ohio vote which gave Bush the 2004 election
B) Take on Fox - because "24 hours a day, Fox News Channel turns Republican talking points into news headlines."
C) A link to the Daily Misleader - an article showing you Bush "gaffes"

That's democrat. Small d.

I emphasize this sentiment because those claiming to offer opportunities of information and activism on this side of the spectrum tend to alienate as opposed to incorporate. Which is why Jack Matthews of the NY Daily News claims Farenheit: 9-11 won Bush the election. Get a mob mad enough, and you'll motivate them to do everything possible to beat you down.

A professor from my freshman Political Science course introduced the term politics as "a conversation about how we should live." If that's the case, we liberals do as much damage to the conversation with our collective whining and search to sound smarter as conservatives with their war cries and silence of opposition. I thought David Brooks nailed it on the head the other day in the Times:

You have to remember that Republicans have a different relationship to ideas than Democrats. When Democrats open their mouths, they try to say something interesting. If the true thing is obvious and boring, the liberal person will go off and say something original, even if it is completely idiotic. This is how deconstructionism got started.

Republicans are less concerned with displaying their own cleverness. When they actually stumble upon an idea, they are so delighted they regurgitate it over and over again. Where others might favor elaboration, Republicans favor repetition.

If that's the case, I'm gonna go think things through some more. Moore to Come.