From: d89-jsp@nada.kth.se (Jan Sparrendahl)
Subject: Re: "Liberal" - A Misnomer
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 16:22:40 GMT

In article <pjs7us@twilight.wpd.sgi.com>, coolidge@speaker.wpd.sgi.com (Don Coolidge) writes:
|> In article <JASON.92Sep8151229@ab20.larc.nasa.gov>, jason@ab20.larc.nasa.gov (Jason Austin) writes:
|> |>  A conservative believes in a
|> |> reduction of government and traditional values while a liberal
|> |> believes in the expansion of government to supply everyone with
|> |> everything they need. 
|> 
|> Incorrect on both definitions, both by the dictionary and by practice
Why don't people consult webster's when someone tries to redefine
a word in order to restrict thought.

1. lib.er.al \'lib(-*)-r*l\ \-r*-le-\ aj [ME, fr. MF, fr. L liberalis 
   suitable for a freeman, generous, fr. lib]er free; akin to OE le-odan to 
   grow, Gk eleutheros free 1a: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts 
   {~ education} archaic  1b: of or befitting a man of free birth 2a: marked 
   by generosity and openhandedness {~ giver} 2b: given in a generous and 
   openhanded way {~ amount} : BOUNTIFUL obs  3: lacking moral restraint : 
   LICENTIOUS 4: not literal : LOOSE {a ~ translation} 5: BROAD-MINDED, 
   TOLERANT; esp : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional 
   forms 6a: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism cap  6b: 
   of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the 
   principles of political liberalism; esp : of or constituting a political 
   party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual esp. 
   economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and 
   constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure 
   these objectives n giving freely and unstintingly. LIBERAL suggests 
   openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given; 
   GENEROUS stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or 
   importance of the gift; BOUNTIFUL suggests lavish, unremitting giving or 
   providing; MUNIFICENT suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or 
   princes - lib.er.al.ly av SYN syn LIBERAL, GENEROUS, BOUNTIFUL, MUNIFICENT 
   mea
2. liberal n : one who is liberal : as : one who is open-minded in the 
   observance of orthodox or traditional forms cap  : a member or supporter of 
   a Liberal party : an advocate of liberalism esp. in individual rights

Word: conservative
1. con.ser.va.tive \-'s*r-v*t-iv\ aj 1: PRESERVATIVE 2a: of or relating to 
   a philosophy of conservatism 2b: of or constituting a political party 
   professing the principles of conservatism : as cap  2b1: of or constituting 
   a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established 
   institutions cap  2b2: Progressive Conservative 3a: tending or disposed to 
   maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL 3b: 
   MODERATE, CAUTIOUS cap  4: of or relating to a movement in Judaism that 
   holds sacred the Torah and the religious traditions but accepts some 
   liturgical and ritual change - con.ser.va.tive.ly av
2. conservative n 1a: an adherent or advocate of political conservatism cap 
    1b: a member or supporter of a conservative political party 2a: one who 
   adheres to traditional methods or views 2b: a cautious or discreet person



|> I believe your mistaken definitions above have led you to additional
|> erroneous conclusions. Take Sweden, for example, as a left-wing government
|> (a considerable amount of socialism, far more than we've ever had).
|> Not only have they never had anything like our level of crime, but
|> their economy has grown proportionally much more than ours over the
|> last twenty years or so. Or perhaps you consider the USSR to have been
|> leftwing? They certainly carried state socialism to a far greater
|> extreme than Sweden, but their social and legal framework was far
|> rightwing, as far from liberal as one can get. And they were as 
|> inefficient as hell (they were, I concede, far too inflexible in 
|> defining morality :^).

	As a matter of fact Sweaden has a right wing
	government since one year. It is a coalition government
	that consists of:
	The Moderates (Savers,Conservative)
	Peoples Party (Spenders, claims to be liberal)
	Christian Democratic Party (Stinkers, Radical Theochrats)
	Center Party (Peasants)

Swedish public spending isn't *THAT* much higher than US public spending.
The planning is better though.





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