News Ralph Nader's Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us

[Al68]

It's just an example of how spin has devolved our language, and that in turn has devolved the capacity of people to discern the motives of groups and individuals. I see it as a sad state of affairs, but a clever (if immoral) use of manipulation.

Interestingly, the word "liberal" in Europe is still commonly used to mean someone who believes in unregulated free market capitalism. Some Europeans have remarked in this forum how strange they found it that Americans use the word to mean the opposite.

I normally avoid using the word at all, unless I use the phrase "classical liberal", which makes it clear I'm referring to Enlightenment style liberalism, ie socially and economically libertarian.

Of course I have yet to find an accurate word to describe the economic political philosophy of Democrats that isn't objected to.

 

[nismaratwork]

Interestingly, the word "liberal" in Europe is still commonly used to mean someone who believes in unregulated free market capitalism. Some Europeans have remarked in this forum how strange they found it that Americans use the word to mean the opposite.

I normally avoid using the word at all, unless I use the phrase "classical liberal", which makes it clear I'm referring to Enlightenment style liberalism, ie socially and economically libertarian.

Of course I have yet to find an accurate word to describe the economic political philosophy of Democrats that isn't objected to.

It's a study in how labels are created and disseminated. It really is a deliberate matter that warps these words in the last few decades, so it's not simple linguistic drift. I think your choice to avoid the use of potentially misleading language is a wise one, unless the context is obvious.