"I Am A Progressive"

(something of a rant/manifesto/what have you that I posted on my website)

http://www.oliverwillis.com/2006/03/10/progress/

I Am A Progressive
by Oliver Willis

I am a progressive. Not a liberal, but a progressive. I think the definition of that word is murky at best. Here’s how I see it, why I believe that embracing progressive principles is the best path for America, and why progress needs to become the mantra of the Democratic party.

1. There Are Only Two Choices
You can go forward or you can go backward. Those are the only two choices available. The “safety” in keeping things as is or looking back at the “good old days” only inhibits the ability to move forward and improve. A few examples: a monarchy running America vs. a constitutional democracy; teletype vs. telephone; Jim Crow vs. Civil Rights. It’s easy to say “stop” and accept things as they are, but it’s objectively better to work towards doing better.

2. America Is Progressive
We’ve never stood still for any length of time. We told King George to stuff it. Rosa Parks sat in the front of the bus. We went to the moon. We made the personal computer a household appliance. Why in God’s name would we stop now? We can do so much more than the great things we’ve done so far but we have to kick those who would retard our forward momentum aside and resign them to the dustbin of history. It would be un-American not to.

3. Wealth Through Progress
Who do you want to be – Mr. Potter or George Bailey? We can keep wealth with the miserly few, to be counted again and again by an old cranky crone with a dark heart. Or we can be George Bailey – the lovable, affable center of the town who never saw a fellow citizen too far down on his luck. The George Baileys invest in our national town because down the line we’ll all be hard workers with the kind of money Old Man Potter’s got without giving up our souls.

4. Peace & Security, Progress Style
It isn’t Vietnam, so quit acting like it. The signs and the vigils were a spectacle in 1960-something, but they’re just noise now. It’s time to persuade folks, not shout them down for not seeing things exactly your way. But Vietnam did happen, and if we want to move past it we need to collectively remember its lessons and move forward with new tactics that build on past mistakes. Pretending it away keeps us in the same old rut.

5. Equality Is Progress
When the Declaration of Independence said “all men are created equal” it wasn’t true. America didn’t say “oh well, that’s just how it is”. It took us time but we started fixing it. Soon, it wasn’t just the men who we considered equal. We moved forward, past the existing situation until we created a better one. Why would we stop now? Or even worse, roll back the clock and take away progress? It’s not just crazy… it’s stupid.

6. Regressives Need Not Apply
We are part of the world now, and we are just one node in the global village. Our past success means zip if we just sit on our laurels. Kids in Okoboji, Iowa have competition… in Asansol, India. They need massive investment in order to develop their skills so they not don’t just “get by”, but kick ass. Preaching flat earth science to them deals them a losing hand right from the start. To dominate we must embrace progress.

7. The Keys To Progress
How do we get to the next level? Protect. Improve. Unite. American Progressives believe that the path to success for our country is in protecting our citizens (defending the homeland and building on past success and failure for our international dealings), improving our country (investing in education; supporting advances in science, medicine, business, the arts and beyond; not destroying the planet while we’re here), and uniting our people (working together for a greater purpose beat the Nazis, sent us to the moon and helped build the Internet).

But you can't pursuade those who don't want to listen, particularly not with a complacent press that refuses to air any real debate. Not that the huge protests are doing any good either, but people have to do SOMETHING.

I like the "It's A Wonderful Life" reference.

Thanks for the compliment, but I would argue that protesting for the sake of just doing something accomplishes nothing. I'm 28, and the first time I've ever protested was against the Iraq war. I want those hours back. I'm well aware of the problems with the media (I work at Media Matters for America) but its been shown that when you present a clear message to people it can work, no matter what the filter is. I would argue that Rep. Murtha's clear, precise argument against the war has done more to sway people than a hundred anti-war protests have been. We need to encourage more Murthas, both in the government and in our neighborhoods.

rather than diatribes and rants. I don't believe in simply attacking--you need to explain why your way is better.

Of course I get the obligatory "freepers don't listen to reason" responses, but, if that's true, why in the hell would they listen to rants?

well said!

It describes my beliefs just fine, and I'd rather not jump on the catchphrase-du-jour bandwagon.

But one could be both. I like the term, not as something to hide behind because "Liberal" is perceived to be a four-letter-word, but because it is a term that denotes positivity and gives a sense of moving forward. I'm a proud liberal as well, but I also use the term progressive interchangeably. Once again not as some kind of euphemism, but rather as an additional modifier. That's just me though.

I too disagree with simply using progressive as a euphemism for liberal. I think liberalism is equal to freedom, and the definition I'm pushing here is something like the application of liberal freedom towards a specific goal (progress).

As is the OP's response to you.

What I hate is when people DO hide behind the word "progressive" in lieu of "liberal" either because a) conservatives have demonized the word "liberal" or b) they want to pretend that "progressive" describes something more "left-wing" than "liberal." Either reason is stupid, IMO. But there's nothing wrong with using liberal and progressive as interchangable synonyms.

Besides, in our Orwellian world, it's just a matter of time before the wingnuts start to discredit the term "Progressive" just as they did Liberal. When it does begin, most will blush and stammer and say: "I'm not progressive, I am just 'forward thinking'." And another good word will bite the dust.

In a way, I'm attempting to draw a line in the sand here. Our side wilted against the assault vs. liberal for some reason (that was before my time). Let's not allow progress to be attacked this time around.

At the moment I'm a carrot. :)

It can be a conservative catchword, a centrist one or a liberal one or a beyond-liberal one. So it all depends of what flavor of progressive you're talking about.

Me, I'm a Bernie Sanders-Paul Wellstone-Dennis Kucinich - Pete DeFazio - Jan Schakowsky -- Barbara Lee variety of Progressive mixed in with a Teddy Kennedy Liberal.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)