Stupid Excuses
Joe Katzman writes on a lousy excuse used by some people in political debate: that it's the job of American liberals to criticize America, whereas it's the job of liberals in other countries to criticize their own nations.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and a far too common bit of reasoning. A real liberal criticizes where criticism is deserved, no matter where it is. And praises the praiseworthy, wherever it is.
If you aren't doing that, you aren't really a liberal, even if some of the Right would call you one.
* Update * - To clarify, it's not Joe Katzman I'm saying is wrong. It's the people he's criticizing who are wrong. I meant to be agreeing with Joe, not criticizing him.
What has fairhanded, logical reasoning got to do with liberalism? Surely what you are describing is the behaviour of well-reasoned non-bigoted individuals, regardless of their political bias?
Good point, Ben. I was thinking, perhaps erroneously, that a liberal was the opposite of a conservative. :)
Dean, I think you're misreading Joe's post; I took it, pretty clearly, to be aimed at liberals in other countries who only protest against the actions of the U.S., and not those of their own country. No one is exempt from criticism...I'm pretty sure Joe thinks that and I know that I do.
A.L.
"Liberal" means tolerant and open-minded.
I'm sure you have (or will) notice that Dean takes issue with the modern correlation between Liberal and Left. He refers to liberalism in a more classical sense.
Well, you could put it that way.
Or you could say that I'm just sick of the way certain people on the Right AND the Left have hijacked a perfectly sensible word.
Since when does "open-minded, tolerant, and amenable to reform" imply political party affiliation? And why do you have to be a "conservative" to believe in democracy, human rights, and individual freedom?
Call it my stubborn streak. I refuse to be put into little boxes by people anyway. I think what I think. You either find my writings worthy of your time or not. I refuse to be stuck in these little boxes people want to put themselves and each other into.
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Uh, by the way, if that sounded harsh, it wasn't meant to be addressed to CM or anyone in particular. It's just a general statement of philosophy.