[lbo-talk] Liberal

[c b]

> From: "Jim Farmelant"
>
>
> That's because you're originally from Europe and
> you're thinking of the label the way that most Europeans
> do. Friedrich Hayek always insisted on calling himself
> a "liberal", and he was alway clear that meant supporting
> free-market economics. In the US, the term "liberal"
> is generally used in place of the term "social democrat."
> Prior to the 1980s, an American liberal was someone
> who generally supported a relatively generous welfare
> state.

^^^^^
CB:Roughly speaking.... in the US , FDR and the New Deal changed the
meaning from its classical meaning to equivalent of social democrat.
Classical Liberals had been the original bourgeoisie (laissez faire)
in opposition to conservatives who represented the ancien regime.
Reaganites succeeded in making "liberal" unpopular in US, as they were
seeking to overthrow New Deal regime.  "Neo-liberal" is not used in
mass discourse, but is confined to left intellectuals, pretty much.
Tea-Republicans may help revive popularity of the New Deal sense FDR
for the term, hopefully.