This blog entry is a long time in the making for me, since this has been a word that has made me want to kill the human race for over a year now. I am sick and tired of empty political words. Progressive. Let me break this word down, and explain just why it bugs me so much. The word progress is defined as follows:
1. Movement, as toward a goal; advance.
2. Development or growth: students who show progress.
3. Steady improvement, as of a society or civilization: a believer in human progress. See Synonyms at development.
4. A ceremonial journey made by a sovereign through his or her realm.
(courtesy http://www.thefreedictionary.com/)
My problem with the over use of the word progressive is that liberals took the word, and changed the word progressive to just mean liberal. So if you are debating politics, and someone says something like "At least Barack Obama is progressive", what they really mean is, "At least Barack Obama is liberal."
I have to say this isn't completely liberals doing. If you came up with a model for who isn't progressive it would be George W. Bush, so he set the table for anyone who doesn't believe in creationism to be labeled "progressive." However, most liberals I believe know what they are doing, and it is a pompous verbal jab at whoever they are conversating with.
This word is so pompous to me because by using "progressive" in the context of politics, it insinuates you understand the value and direction of the human race and know when you see progress! Is the human race really that intrinsically valuable where we view being nice to each other as progress? In the grand scheme of things, who cares how people treat other people. We are not important, and I think it is extremely pompous to think we are.
I also hear this used all the time in regards to Obama being open to alternate energy solutions. There is a huge energy problem right in our face! Again Bush was a giant dummy and ignored this, but I wouldn't call having common sense progressive. Anyway in conclusion, I think it is very progressive of me to think the president is not progressive. I am tired of the over use of this word, it has been stripped of all meaning at this point and now just means liberal.
Monday, February 2, 2009
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2 comments:
What! Progressive isn't used as a condescending term to Republicans. It is just the opposite of conservative by definition. People who favor reform or change are "progressive" instead of being conservative and favoring traditional values and opposing radical change and ideas. I don't think anyone who says it is trying to be a dick on purpose even though yeah it prob sounds like it is implied and yeah they prob are kinda being a dick on purpose, but still, it is just the definition.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/progressive
1. favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, esp. in political matters
The idea of understanding what progress is, is really pompous though. That is how it is used int he liberal sense, it is not just something different. It is used in a way that Democrats understand what progress is and are working toward it. Is giving people free money for doing nothing progress? The word is over used.
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