People that use ‘lib’ as an insult I need your help.
 

I have a colleague from a relatively privileged background in middle England asked why ‘liberal’ is used as a dirty word in the states.

He is confused how the dictionary definition of liberal (social welfare, freedoms, open business) could be a bad thing in the country of liberty.

I’m lucky enough to had the opportunity to witness discussion from such honourable ‘lib hatin merkins’ as populate the p99 game and boards so did my best to offer an answer:

“Personally, I believe in the value of social programs. Not particularly due to morale or welfare arguments, but because I believe they are effective economic investments.

However, I feel many people that support such programs can be a little tone deaf or condescending (“why can’t people against these programs see they would be better off”) and fail to understand why someone that would benefit from it could be against it.

I’m involved in a computer game community which happens to include a good number of rural Americans, people that I never would have normally been able to converse with.

From my discussions with them, and from my knowledge of the emotional effects of unemployment from my company partner’s doctorate, these people are not interested in being financially better off due to social hand outs. They want real employment and economic opportunities, similar to how there used to be industrial and agricultural opportunity previously in the states. They don’t want to be non-contributors dependant on subsidies from blue city taxes. They want to be independent and in control of their lives.

For this reason, rightly or wrongly, they conflate liberal social welfare with a suppression of their ability to support themselves as individuals.”

I hope i put forward a decent, good faith representation for at least some ‘lib haters’ and was hoping you can either call me out if i am totally off the mark, or provide additional reasoning why some view ‘lib’ as a dirty word.

Please keep it civil and clean.

Old movies were the good guy with the gun would always disparage some 'liberal' politician or 'democrat'. Basically. Usually a soldier, detective, or cop on the front lines. Dealing with some choice a politician made.

Very old meme from the days before color film or technicolor.

Don't really feel like digging around youtube, but there is one really iconic scene were everyone's hero was like this, and it even stuck in my head forever. I didn't hate the character at the time. I personally thinkfeel that particular scene had a huge impact on a lot of people.

But ya, I think you hit the sentiment directly on the head. I would phrase it thus, There's an assertion that social welfare has the potential to hinder individual opportunity by creating a form of dependence or edging out less desirable employment and creating a certain class of people below poverty or below the middle class, thus entrenching them.

It may just be due to a lack of exposure, and so a lot of people that spent 50 years on a farm watching that movie and enjoying their tea, just are inclined to think this way. Understandibly, "they never needed help before". Now the economy is crashing, they don't want a hand out suddenly. (though not true as farming subsidies have been around forever), but it's an illustration of how this could work.

I think my disconnect is that this is some kind of polarized thinking, and in order to disparage one you have to rule it out completely having any positive effect. Which is troublesome.

Nothing is ever usually so clear cut.

Feel free to pass on my feelings and thoughts :D I publicly share them for just such a reason.

Won't happen, I am not a liberal nor any type of maga idiot, but slurs are used to identify with the opposite party in a positive manner "i am not of thee, superiority" it doesn't have to make sense, it's an oversimplification grounded in camp band standing.

edit: referring to modern day usage by facebook warriors.

P99 forum moderators are slowly and systemically purging the conservative voices on this forum. If you wont believe me, look at the thread I just posted.

Sadly, American liberals are not free thinkers, nor do they allow freedom of thought or expression that runs contrary to their own ideology. Hence me being banned on this forum for having an avatar of the sitting President of the United States.

There is a lot of ambiguity in the word liberal, but at its root, classical liberals are good people that lien far more libertarian than to the left. Progressives and Socialists highjacked the word liberal as their own.

While you are entitled to your opinion, I don’t think that post is particularly in the spirit of the OP and could be viewed as a little inflammatory. I’m aware this thread could easily spin out and kindly ask you to reconsider whether your words will aid or hinder what I hope to be discussed and edit appropriately, knuckle, and I ask that with utmost respect.

Libs choose Smith and Keynes over Smith and Wesson. 😎

You're a loser, a traitor, and a racist. Donald Trump is a failure who lost the White House, Senate, and House.

Kick rocks and never come back. And don't forget! All elections are rigged, never vote again. Leave that to the adults. Enjoy living in your shitty fly-over state.

So you’re saying they are called ‘lib’ ironically? I hope to pass on some of the thoughts in this thread, if everyone is happy for me to do so.

Seek employment

Stop projecting. Good bye, loser. :D :D :D

Donald Trump lost. You like Donald Trump. You like losers. :) :) :)