• Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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    5 months ago

    Liberal is defined as being a supporter of liberalism.

    Liberalism is the dominant ideology in much of the world, which believes in Private Property Rights and thus supports the Capitalist Status Quo.

    Liberalism was considered “left” during the French Revolution, against the Monarchy, but is now a right wing ideology as opposed to Socialism.

    It doesn’t take being a “tankie” to know what Liberalism is, lmao. Definitely not a sockpuppet and certainly not susceptible to misinformation, you just generally are ill-informed and violently upset.

    • steventrouble@programming.dev
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      5 months ago

      It’s not just a question of property rights though. There’s a ton of other things liberals believe in, including democracy, equality, freedom of speech, etc, all of which are categorically left wing.

      • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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        5 months ago

        You defined Liberalism as simply “being on the left.” This is untrue, it’s a Capitalist ideology and therefore at minimum on the right. Liberalism may claim to be in favor of free speech and equality, but the fact that wealthy people control speech and inherently create class society proves this hollow.

        I do disagree with Capitalism, I am a Socialist. Liberalism should be attacked. Leftism will become the majority as Capitalism continues to decline worldwide and inequality continues to skyrocket, individuals being “nicer” about spreading theory will not speed this process up. That belief is Utopianism.

        • steventrouble@programming.dev
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          5 months ago

          It’s not a capitalist ideology any more than psychology is. Not everything that involves the concept of ownership is inherently capitalist.

          We should be pushing for better lives for everyone, and socializing things that aren’t working is obviously the end goal. But calling everything that mentions something you don’t like capitalism is extremism, plain and simple. Not everything is black and white.

          • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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            5 months ago

            It is absolutely a Capitalist ideology, because Liberalism centers around Private Property Rights. The idea is “the freer the markets, the freer the people.” No, I do not mean Libertarianism.

            We should be pushing for better lives for everyone, yes. Capitalism, the system by which competing Capital Owners exploit workers via taking the surplus value of their labor, is not working. Exploitation is rising, wages are stagnating with respect to productivity, and the Tendency for the Rate of Profit to Fall is causing this exploitation to be exported to the Global South. This endless M-C-M’ circuit by which commodity production services accumulation into fewer and fewer hands results in obscene wealth and power in the hands of the few.

            That’s Capitalism, and that’s what I oppose, and presumably you as well. I know very well what Capitalism is, why it’s bad, why it cannot last forever, and why Socialism is better.

            • steventrouble@programming.dev
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              5 months ago

              It doesn’t center around private property. It’s not even first on the list. It’s just one of many things they believe.

              • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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                5 months ago

                It is centered on Private Property, because it’s focused on Capitalism. Property Rights are largely what separates liberals from Socialists.

                Exploitation is rising in the long term. Pinkertons stopped murdering because American Unions crumbled and manufacturing was largely moved overseas, where we super-exploit for super-profits.

                Liberals have been dragged kicking and screaming by radicals for their entire existance forward.

                • steventrouble@programming.dev
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                  5 months ago

                  Gah, you’re so close to being correct. If you were to just qualify that last statements by saying “some liberals” instead of “all liberals”, you’d have it right. But your black and white statements you’re making ignore the reality, which is that most liberals are pro-union, most liberals are anti-exploitation, and most liberals are pro-socialized healthcare/energy/schools/etc, which are all left-leaning ideals.

                  You’re right, property rights is one of the only things separating liberals from socialists. Which means we agree on most things with them, and they are therefore fellow lefties.

                  • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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                    5 months ago

                    I am referring to Liberalism the ideology, and those who follow it. Of course I am speaking of the average, do you expect me to make a poll?

                    Most liberals like to think that they are pro-union, but Capitalism has crushed most American Unions. Most liberals think they are anti-exploitation, but support Capitalism, which is necessarily exploitative. Most liberals are indeed pro Social Programs, but not Socialism, and so they generally fall short of enacting actual change.