The West Wing and RL

[thistlechaser]

I'm nearing the end of The West Wing (TV show from quite a few years back). One of the things I like best about it is it has increased my previously mostly nonexistent interest in politics. Another cool thing about it is how timely it is -- even an episode that ran more than ten years ago has themes that could be happening right now; I've lost count how many times West Wing covered something that I saw in the news that same day.

But the ep I saw today (The Live Debate) covered something that's been bothering me for a while: Conservatives, right wing folks, currently toss "liberal" around like it's the most horrible of insults. Apparently this isn't a new thing, as it came up in this episode from 2005. The fictional Democratic candidate's reaction to it is so well done, I wonder why I never thought to put it this way myself?

Quoting the ep:
Republican candidate: "No. Of course you didn't say it. You're not an unthinking liberal. (pause, next words said in mocking/humor) Are you?"

Democratic candidate: "I know you like to use that word 'liberal' as if it were a crime."

RC: "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used that word. I know Democrats think liberal is a bad word. So bad you had to change it. What do you call yourselves now, progressives? Is that it?"

DC: "It's true. Republicans have tried to turn liberal into a bad word. Well, liberals ended slavery in this country."

RC: "A Republican President ended slavery."

DC: "Yes, a liberal Republican, Senator. What happened to them? They got run out of your party. What did liberals do that was so offensive to the Republican party? I'll tell you what they did. Liberals got women the right to vote. Liberals got African-Americans the right to vote. Liberals created Social Security and lifted millions of elderly people out of poverty. Liberals ended segregation. Liberals passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act. Liberals created Medicare. Liberals passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act. What did conservatives do? They opposed them on every one of those things ­ every one. So when you try to hurl that label at my feet, 'Liberal', as if it were something to be ashamed of, something dirty, something to run away from, it won't work, Senator. Because I will pick up that label and I will wear it as a badge of honor."


Compare that to what's happening today. Who is out for equal rights for gay folks? For same-sex marriages? Who stands against those things? Who is making progress? Who is against progress? How in the world did people get away with making 'liberal' into a bad thing to be? Why did we let them?

Edit: What the hell, LJ spammers. I just got a spam comment on a journal I forgot I had, ed_the_hyena, a journal where the latest post was in 2004. Sheesh!

Comments

[gmth.livejournal.com]

My nephew posted this on Facebook a while back. I've seen different variations of it over the years, but this is the first one specifically about "those Goddamn liberals:"

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised. All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry. In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It's noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression. Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe is home from work.

He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha! I heard something like that on the radio just yesterday. Someone called in, ranting and raving about (some industry) being regulated, about how the government needed to keep its hands out of business... then before the call ended he said something like "(Credit card company) screwed me over, what can I do?". The expert taking calls actually laughed at him, telling him that that's exactly what regulation does: Protects people from being screwed over by companies.

It's the lack of knowledge that makes these people attack like they do...

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

You know who else was a liberal? Hitler*.

*-Blatant lies, Nazi party was on the other side of the spectrum.

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

I think. I actually looked up the political spectrum before I posted this, but I'm still confused by it. O_o

[veloxe.livejournal.com]

Don't worry achi, that's just politics doing it's job.

[fealubryne.livejournal.com]

Ah, politics. I generally keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics, because my own views tend to bring both sides down on me equally. Since I was raised in a family that's pretty much split down the middle I've seen (and heavily urged to convert to) both sides, and there's aspects of each that I really really agree with, while there's aspects of each that I really really disagree with. But I guess that's to be expected. There's extremists on either side, and in this day and age only the sensationalism is really brought to the forefront anymore, so actually trying to figure where values lie is next to impossible.

When it comes right down to it, it seems to me the term "liberal" has become interchangeable with the word "extremist" and that's (obviously) inaccurate. I mean, heck... look at the bloody definitions!

lib·er·al   
[lib-er-uhl, lib-ruhl] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2.
( often initial capital letter ) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3.
of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4.
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5.
favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6.
of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7.
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8.
open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9.
characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10.
given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11.
not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12.
of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13.
of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.

Verus...
ex·trem·ist   
[ik-stree-mist] Show IPA
–noun
1.
a person who goes to extremes, especially in political matters.
2.
a supporter or advocate of extreme doctrines or practices.


Pretty big difference. Heck, coming right down to it... I'd almost say the reasons I don't identify with Republicans or Democrats at this point is because I'm too "liberal" in my views. They don't fit into either category, heh.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha! You're too liberal to be (what many folks would call) a liberal!

[voidmagus.livejournal.com]

I'm generally termed too conservative (in the traditional sense) to be conservative. I border on anarchism, in practice. Basically, I don't trust the government to successfully do much. I never trust anyone else to do something I can do myself. Do no harm, do unto others, etc. I don't need laws to tell me how to be a good person. Bad people are taught quickly to avoid me and mine.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I don't need laws to tell me how to be a good person.

Laws or religion or anything else! All people should be like this.

[veloxe.livejournal.com]

Who is out for equal rights for gay folks? For same-sex marriages? Who stands against those things? Who is making progress?

This man! (http://theageofvolcanoes.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/sulu-in-sword-play-george-takei-in-star-trek.jpg)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*dies* You, sir, are correct!

[fealubryne.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend saw this and is now running around in the background declaring that he should be the next president.

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

He uses it like an epithet because to him, from his viewpoint, it *is* an epithet. Liberals stand for all the sorts of things him and his ilk hate.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes. Which is very sad.