What does the word "progressive" mean to you?

From M-W:

pro·gres·sive
adjective \prə-ˈgre-siv\

a : of, relating to, or characterized by progress
b : making use of or interested in new ideas, findings, or opportunities
c : of, relating to, or constituting an educational theory marked by emphasis on the individual child

I have to say that self-proclaimed progressives of the 20st and 21st century represents pretty much everything the opposite.

History is milestoned alongside the road of progress with more and more restriction to the authority and power of the government and its flocks; but progressives make sure government take as much power as it could whenever it could, more power to the government, less power to the people.

History is also punctuated with one amazing science discovery after another, one promising economic phenomena after another, progressives dread at almost all new discoveries: super-sonic airliner? Too dangerous; nuclear plant? Their liberal-arts educated minds can't process physics and engineering, too dangerous; genetic modification and engineering? Wow, bio-engineering again is too much for their brain, playing gods is too dangerous. And go back to england Richard Dawkins. Globalization? Nah, we are just gonna stick to cellphones, internet and computers — children of globalization while actively work against it (at least verbally and on blogs).

The progressives went away from the definition C even further: as oppose to individualism, colleges are saturated with all sorts of politically correct collectivist ideas: love thy neighbor, food for the needy, foreign intervention is acceptable, high welfare for all...

in US, children are indoctrinated with various anti-individual ideas from early age on, in europe — norway for example, progressive parents go so far as to sent their children to Utøya summer camp, namely, it is a place for incubating future leaders, factually, it is the updated (or not so updated) version of SS Hitlerjugend division training ground.

It is either people often grant wrong meaning to the word, or the word is always hi-jacked by its arch enemies.

So, what does the word "progressive" mean to you?

 

It's what socialists started calling themselves after "socialism" wasn't gaining any traction in society.

 

Progress is an inevitability in the attitudes of the young in any society.

Conservatism is an inevitability in the attitudes of the aged of any society.

This is the great dilemma.

Notions of Conservative and progressive thought are always bound to their relative culture.

 

Progressivism is simply doing things differently then they've been done in the past.

Bringing in new technology, new thoughts and beliefs, new systems and basically changing the status quo.

Where progressivism runs into trouble is that change for the sake of change isn't necessarily a good thing. Its the old adage of "if its not broke don't fix it."

Progressives will often push their agenda before societies as a whole are ready for what they are offering and it creates conflict.

 

Today's political lexicon describes a progressive as having socialist/marxist roots. Mr. Hussein would fit that description to a tee.

 

This would be the only part I disagree with. I don't think many progressives want change for the sake of change nor do I think it is their largest problem. Their biggest problem visible to me anyways is their adherence to what they think will achieve their objectives. Many progressives don't know how to implement their ideal changes(healthcare, education, nationalization or privatization, etcetera) and so are vulnerable to manipulation. They side with those who promise it but never intend to deliver. Same problem with conservatives but this thread isn't about that it's about demonizing progressives.

 

A liberal who has just realized that he/she is hated for being irresponsible, immoral, and needs to cover up his/her identity using a more positive sounding label.

 

There's a reason why they started calling terrorist attacks "man caused disasters", our wars "overseas contingency operations", and tax increases "revenue enhancements". Once certain words or terms become too controversial, they simply start calling them something else.

 

i.e. the word is a mask to hide previous failure and make it look like a successful path for us to be treading. That mask should be (but oddly isn't) unpopular. It's popular since it gives the appearance of something positive and wonderful. The word makes people think it's the path to Utopia, which is very nice and popular. But it shouldn't be popular since in reality, it is no such path and has proven itself to be actually detrimental to the solution to the very things that it proposes to solve.

 

In the US, it has functionally come to mean progress toward socialism.

 

That's ridiculous.

You sound like another 99er voting against his interests................

































Just kidding.... It's true. Progressives are extremely scary and dangerous Collectivists.

 

What do I think of when I hear the word Progressive?
Teodore Roosevelt! The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s.[1] One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political machines and bosses. Many (but not all) Progressives supported prohibition in order to destroy the political power of local bosses based in saloons.[2] At the same time, women's suffrage was promoted to bring a "purer" female vote into the arena.[3] A second theme was achieving efficiency in every sector by identifying old ways that needed modernizing, and emphasizing scientific, medical and engineering solutions.

Many people led efforts to reform local government, public education, medicine, finance, insurance, industry, railroads, churches, and many other areas. Progressives transformed, professionalized and made "scientific" the social sciences, especially history,[4] economics,[5] and political science.[6] In academic fields the day of the amateur author gave way to the research professor who published in the new scholarly journals and presses. The national political leaders included Theodore Roosevelt, Robert M. La Follette, Sr., Charles Evans Hughes and Herbert Hoover on the Republican side, and William Jennings Bryan, Woodrow Wilson and Al Smith on the Democratic side.

Initially the movement operated chiefly at local levels; later it expanded to state and national levels. Progressives drew support from the middle class, and supporters included many lawyers, teachers, physicians, ministers and business people.[7] The Progressives strongly supported scientific methods as applied to economics, government, industry, finance, medicine, schooling, theology, education, and even the family. They closely followed advances underway at the time in Western Europe[8] and adopted numerous policies, such as the banking laws which became the Federal Reserve System in 1914. They felt that old-fashioned ways meant waste and inefficiency, and eagerly sought out the "one best system".[9][10]

Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican, but he was also a tree hugger, one of the first to impliment strict regulations on Wall Street Trading, establishing government funding for schools, and was a fighter in every possible way! This is the kind of person you are putting down when you mock progressive values, and if he were here today, he would not hesitate to punch the lot of you in the snoot! LOL!

 

Progressive means to me, someone or some idea, policy or advanced thinking that is continually trying new ideas, Now when I think of a "conservative" I thing of a very rich man with a hat, and a stogie puffing away. He is completely out of touch with the real world because he isn't required to live in the real world due to his immense wealth. The man truly believes he is better than the "common man". This conservative man thinks that they are God's gift to the world, and that all should defer to his expertise. The wealthy conservative man despises gays, despises poor people, and they think that our government should cater to them exclusively. They drink fine champagne, the eat fine food, and they often have their own personal jet. They think that anyone who hasn't succeeded to the levels they have are lazy losers. I could go on and on but, I think you see where I'm going here.

 

I found this article an interesting explanation of liberal/progressive and what the two mean: http://www.alternet.org/story/14620..."liberal"_thinking_can_be_part_of_the_problem

 

The definition you posted is not the "political" definition of the word progressive. Today the word liberal and progressive are used interchangeablly. Look up the progressive party and the progressive liberal caucus. Most of its members are also members of the Socialist Party of American and many also members of the Communist Party of American(many receiving campaign contributions from both including Senator and President Obama).

 

The technical definition of 'Progressivism' is a political philosophy advocating political, social, and economic reform in opposition to conservative or reactionary policies. Personally, as a progressive, I do not prescribe to this meaning. Instead, I further qualify it by advocating for innovative, pragmatic, feasible, effective, and efficient political, economic, and social reform towards greater liberty, freedom, equality of opportunity, and, if possible, equality of result, in that order.

 

Well that sounds way to much as what conservatives advocate. Progressives/liberals want what you advocate but they believe the Government can provide it. Unfortunately it is not the Government but rather those that pay ordinary income tax on their hard earned income that provide it. We already have laws that provide freedom, equality, educational opportunity. You don't have to go to the best schools to learn and we all have the opportunity to attend school and access to libraries. the difference is how a student and their parents approach that opportunity. My husband didn't go to Harvard Medical School but he is still a successful well liked physician. We both went to small country grade schools and consolidated H.S. and State colleges and have earned a good living and never had any assistance from the Federal or State Governments and neither have our 2 children. I am probably neither a liberal or a covservative but if I had to make a choice I would pick Conservative/Republican as I don't believe in a Socialist, Marxist or Communistic form of Government. I also don't believe it will benefit our form of Government for 50% of those eligible to vote to owe no federal income tax and yet benefit from what this Country provides and a large percentage still recieve a check from the Federal Government at tax time in the form of credits. These individuals obviously have incentive to support a Socialist approach to taxation and government. The problem is that the number of workers owing no Federal income tax on their ordinary income is continuing to grow and once that number exceeds the number that owe taxes we are all doomed as is our Government. I have posted many suggestions on other threads regarding the reason that "millionaires and billionaires"(of which Obama and the Democrats include families earning above $250K)pay less and that the true Millionaires+ pay taxes on their Capital Gains and claim less Ordinary Income. That is why I support a Progressive Capital Gains Tax; just as the Ordinary Income is taxed progressively.

 

I am a syncretic ideologue. This means the left-right and the up-down political paradigms are insufficient qualifiers. What I advocate is in the form of a directional path, that being towards a greater liberty, freedom, equality of opportunity, and, if possible, equality of result. The means of doing so need not be linear or devolutionary. They need not be progressive, albeit I prescribe to Progressivism as a sub-set of my overall political philosophy. Government and the private sector should be involved in the process. In other words, I am a "big-picture" individual.

 

Depends who uses it
right wing - neoliberal
eurosocialists - neoliberal
christian democrats - neoliberal
liberals - neoliberal
democrats - neoliberal
nazis - nazi
greens - green
communists - revisionist scum
anarchists - progressive is a common joke among anarchists

 

The world's first, and so far only, supersonic airliner, Concorde, had its maiden flight under a Labour (progressive), government in Britain.

 

Progressives are mostly the young and some elderly who have failed to mature adequately. Progressives run head-long into anything they deem 'different' enough from traditional roots because they think they will live forever. Progressives only care about the 'latest' whatever hair-brained scheme anyone comes up with as long as it matches their 'group think.' For the Progressive, the past is a dirty, filthy place to be forgotten and indeed buried...Never to return. Old lessons, traditional thinking, values, morals are all.....passe.

 

And it was a utter flop.

 

The term progressive like the term liberal, when used in the US, means something completely different now than it did century or two ago hence the confusion.

 

Really? I wouldn't call nearly 30 years in commercial service an 'utter flop'. The Boeing SST, on the other hand...whatever happened to that?

 

That's what I would suspect.