My first steemit post

Hi,

I'm going to be discussing politics and hopefully learning somethings from the diverse steemit community.

Here is my first discussion : I am trying to characterise what it is to be liberal.

What does it mean to be a liberal?

There are different strains of liberalism.
In what follows I will explore what I find to be common to all of them in 2017 in the Western World.

Religion:

The liberal firmly believes that religion has an important influence on the way societies are formed and run. Most card-carrying left – wingers do not believe that strict adherence to dogmatic moral guidelines is essential for salvation, if there is such a thing. Having religious institutions as a cornerstone of society is antiquated and discriminatory. Dogmatic religions like Catholicism and its various schismatic and post-reformation sects encourage the distinction of people by binary gender and sexualities, attack what we now hold to be fundamental woman’s rights and encourage the destruction of our planet by “being fruitful and multiply[ing].” A self-identifying liberal may entertain religious traditions for nostalgic purposes, but believing in anything but ‘science’ may enter them into the realm of the hypocritical bigot.

Education:

Education is essential for a western society – it needs to be subsidized by those the system has already processed and should teach what is beneficial for the advancement and diversification of humanity. A typical liberal believes that condemning oneself or one’s descendants to blue collar stagnation is not only wrong but also destructive. A society that does not have most somewhat capable individuals having a higher education has not fully been taught the ways of acceptance and compassion for fellow creatures. Curriculum itself should be accepting, all-encompassing and teach tools that enable the students to be embrace all tradition, creed and colour. The focus is not on grades but on comprehension, cohesion and compassion to all. Children need to be introduced to diversity and lifestyle options at a young age so that when they are choosing who or what they want to be they come from a powerful, educated position, rather than an ignorant one.

Economy:

A left-winger’s economy requires industries that need help to receive subsidy, it requires unions and it requires fair pay and fair hiring practices. We are all equal and must be treated as such by employers and government. Corporations that destroy the environment need to be heavily taxed (to help support education and social programs). Minimum wages, maximum hours and social benefits need to be favourable to the less fortunate in society. Seminars for sensitivity training, programs for  disadvantaged and a general atmosphere of acceptance are essential in this economy. The advantages of globalism are embraced and the economy is shifted to the tertiary industries (service side).  

Foreign Policy:

As a liberal, I believe that I am morally obligated to help spread this system of acceptance worldwide and will fight for it to succeed. Whether it be through active service or paying taxes, I will defend the rights of all creatures to live free and to be accepted. A country stuck in the middle ages needs to be helped along the path to prevent human and animal rights abuses.

Family:

Family is very important to liberals. Social values are instilled in children at a young age, including acceptance and healthy skepticism. It is also very important to remember that the saying ‘it takes a village’ to raise a child embodies the whole of the liberal ideal. We are all responsible for making the best society that we can manage. It starts with the impressionable. If the foundations are flawed, the house will fail. As such it is important to separate children from oppressive problematic parents and establish a strong, state funded foster care and adoption system. Families that cannot afford children need to be permitted the option of abortion and free hormonal birth control. 

Immigration:

   It is not only our duty but also our responsibility to spread liberal democracy to the rest of humanity by any means necessary. This includes inviting the less fortunate into our home nation. If we can save millions of refugees from political oppression by bringing them here and introducing them to our system and way of life, we are successful, moral people. If someone attempts to block this, they quite possibly are racist, bigoted and simply greedy. Who are they to claim ownership of the land that we should share with the less fortunate?

Personal Sovereignty:

This will have some overlap. Drugs and alcohol should be legal and taxed to a safe extent, obviously destructive drugs like crack cocaine and crystal meth should remain controlled. There should be no vice laws with regards to sex and lifestyle decisions. Abortions should be free as should be physician assisted suicide. Criminals should be rehabilitated as soon as possible with a constructive system of correction rather than destructive. You should be held accountable to what views you profess in public, and hate crime, speech or thought should be punished accordingly.