This dialogue between David Frum and Jonah Goldberg has been getting some attention:
Let’s bracket the “Is Obama a socialist?” question in favor of something a little less contentious. What, if anything, is the difference between a democratic socialist and an American liberal? Is it a matter of degree? Or are there some deep-seated philosophical differences between American liberals and European social democrats? I’d be interested to hear everyone – liberal and non-liberal alike – weigh in.
Growing up in a progressive town and than moving all over I have come to find there is a one big difference to liberals and progressives. They both want to change the system we have to create more safety nets and more equality for people and overall a more fair society for everyone. However they have a much different approach to how to get there.
Liberals tend to be more pragmatic and realistic of what can be done now. They take a more implementable view of how to get there.
Progressives want to get those outcomes much more immediately, for instance wanted single payer, immediate withdrawal of Iraq, etc.
I define Obama as a liberal, both want basically the same outcomes (expanded health care, withdrawal from Iraq) but they have different approaches of how to get there.
Now to put that in comparison to Europe, they have a much different situation. They are not as much fighting FOR things as defending the status quo. But they too have two factions, reformers and left wingers.
Basically reformers are the neo-liberals like Tony Blair, while left-wingers are trying to continue expanding the welfare state.
Americans liberals are trying to get to where Europe already is, while European social democrats are trying to keep what they already have.
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