Is the liberal dream dead?

I keep hearing sources twonk on about how the liberal dream crashed and was disproved. I don't see how this is possible, before you can really 'prove' anything you need an honest, observant, rational and unbiased researcher. You might find a conservative with one of those four traits, but all at once? He wouldn't be a conservative would he?

I think it is pretty clear that history shows conservatism to be the last thing you want in power. One of the big arguments in conservatism is that selfishness is a constructive force. You know it may be, but a selfish leader is never going to prove that. A selfish leader is going to be selfish. He isn't going to do things that help others. He isn't going to do things that prevent harm to others unless it profits himself. Conservative forces may actually be constructive but never if they are ultimately in charge. The moment conservatism mixes itself with deceit and secrecy, truth falls by the side. Reputation becomes more important that actual performance and ethic. Honest people are punished for the crime of honor.

is that someone who's selfish isn't a member of any group, and will plant a knife in a comrade's back as soon as it's "necessary" to promote himself the minute their selfish agendas find a point of contention.

Selfishness as a virtue is purely nonsense, and institutionalized sociopathy isn't a standard to look up to.

LBJ was a mixed bag, but when he stood up for equal rights, that was the issue that allowed selfishness to gain power over compassion. Carter was a great and honest president, educated, brilliant, compassionate and brave, yet from the moment he was elected, he was being attacked by the press. When he was elected, my high school paper had multiple article attacking him and lamenting his election. Trust me that today, no such articles have ever been written in that paper about Bush. Trust me that today the teacher and the student and the principal would suffer if they dared to allow such a thing to occur.

because any broad coalition only stays together as long as each member "gets theirs". You don't see any of the world's philosophies that champions selfishness. It may take a while, but rest assured that liberal ideals will win in the end.

... interests were. In the 1970s, the New Deal and the Great Society made people so comfortable they fell for the Reagan era lies that "greed is good." People forgot that as a society we're at our best when we work as a team.

IMHO,the BEST thing anyone here can do is point out to every one you communicate to that Civilization is a team sport. (Like that? I came up with that phrase, spread it around.) To Christians, remind them that all sin is based on selfishness. To atheists, point out that the whole reason we had the New Deal was because billionaires manage society for their own benefit if Democratic government doesn't intervene. Whatever, find a way to explain to people that WITHOUT TEAMWORK, WE ALL LOSE.

repub administrator has submitted a plea for a court order to unplug.

They're trying to convince themselves more than us.

The way I see history, most social change is slow and under the surface and maligned in the political arena. Then it becomes an "issue"- beaten down and made to prove itself. Exhaustion sets in and no one remains quite convinced that it's worth it. But then the "conservative" side just can't muster opposition anymore. Then there's a brief, heady, period of breakthrough.

So the status quo holds sway for most of the time and seems to last seemingly forever. The fools are fooled by this appearance. But it snaps abruptly at times. Just washes away. Unfortunately, those times are rare, which "progressives" seem to forget often as well. The wise keep both things in mind....