[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

What a crock of #^&#^&#^&#^&. In the past 100 years you claim "progressives" have influenced our country we've become the most powerful nation on the planet,

There have always been a "most powerful nation on the planet." Dictatorships, monarchies, republics, etc. have all been powerful and even the most powerful. The Founders defeated a monarchy that was reputed to be the most powerful military on earth. Power is not a unique result of Progressivism, nor would we not be powerful under our pre-Progressive constitutional Republic. We, no doubt, would be as powerful or more.

cleaned up so much of our environment, got rid of child labor, reduced poverty, worked to defeat multiple enemies, advanced healthcare, invested in science which has driven corporate innovation, rocked the best legal system in existence,

Advancements in science, environmental improvement, more efficient ways to use labor, have happened throughout human history, and have not depended on Progressive politics nor were hindered by our pre-Progressive government. Humanitarianism, compassion, welfare for the needy, military power,again, are not Progressive creations. Corporate innovation, market innovation and wealth, free enterprise, are not Progressive creations, nor dependent on Progressive politics except as part of the Big Business/Big government Complex. On the contrary, they could be overall, a lot better if the populace/market was less regulated by Progressive need for control. And the best legal system in existence was not created by Progressivism. On the contrary, Progressivism is dismantling that system bit by bit and replacing it with top down control.

expanded civil liberties etc... etc... etc...

Civil liberties have been contracted, not expanded. Slavery was abolished before Progressivism. Women's suffrage started in states before Progressivism. Those were not Progressive brainchildren. Racial equality was instituted by law before Progressivism. Progressive type liberties such as those for newly created genders (which didn't exist pre-Progressivism) imposed restrictions on others and divided us by creating protected classes with special rights. Gay marriage was not an expansion of civil liberties. It was a redefinition of marriage for the purpose of expanding the class of people who could get government benefits through marriage. Homosexuals could live and love together without labeling it marriage. Though homo-sexuals were more widely discriminated against during pre-Progressivism and also for most of the Progressive era, and even banned and prosecuted in various communities, they weren't in others. It was only a matter of time with science and cultural advances (that were constantly happening throughout history and not dependent on Progressivism) that such draconian policies and practices would be challenged legally by using the legal, pre-Progressive, constitutional avenues.

Our country is great, largely because of progressive thinking. We can do a lot better but the proof is in the putting.

How is your life suffering because of progressive policy?

It was great before Progressivism. Progressivism is not the reason our country is great. Progressive thinking is not a product of Progressivism. Nor vice versa. Actual progress, and progressive thinking advanced fairly steadily, with a few bumps in certain areas, throughout history, and are far more advanced by individual freedom than by government control. Progressivism as a political philosophy and system is not progressive in the literal, non-political meaning of the word. It was an erroneous, self-aggrandizing, label created by the founders of the movement. They thought they were the next synthesis of evolutionary human social and governmental progress.

Progressivism is not actually progressive as a political system. It is a newer, gentler (for the time being), version of past authoritarian regimes. The notion that it is the reason for human progress is, as you put it, a crock of #^&#^&#^&#^&. It has pretty much managed to flourish on the bedrock of this nation's founding.

It developed in ascendance starting slowly, then more quickly over time toward its present dominance. And as it is reaching its apex of power, it's growing, massive and unwieldy structure is beginning to be exposed by things like those that concern Pete F, such as Corporatism (Big Government/Big Busaness complex), disappearance of the middle class, and "income inequality." It is also crumbling into the fissures of division by race, gender, income level, class struggle, expansion of government dependence, destruction and minimization of individual motivation, atomization of national culture creating culture wars, descent into a meaningless Post Modern relativism with its psychological stresses, alienation, futile wars, unsustainable government debt, I would add godlessness but that would be considered a plus by Post Modern, Social Marxist, Progressive relativists.