What Kind of Progressive Are You?

 

What Kind of Progressive Are You?

I like being a Progressive. It’s a forward sounding, ambitious name that reflects how I go through life- at a run, not a leisurely crawl. I know that Liberal is a giant, generous term that embraces the Democratic philosophy. We are all in the same boat as Liberals point out, but the metaphor is just a bit too laid back for me. Which reminds me of a metaphor which also describes the soul of the Democratic philosophy, but reflects my outlook better. We’re all on a journey together. Sometimes we pull the wagon, sometimes we ride on the wagon, but we’re all going there together.

I call myself a Progressive. When I ran across a list in a ‘don’t think of an elephant’ by George Lakoff I thought I would share it. (I have edited some parts of Lakoff’s list for brevity and capitalized Progressive because it deserves to be a proper noun.) The question is- what value defines your Progressive style?

1. Socioeconomic Progressives believe that money and class define society. All solutions are ultimately economic and class solutions

2. Identity politics Progressives believe that it is time for an oppressed group to get its share now.

3. Environmentalist Progressives think in terms of sustainability of the earth, sacredness of the earth, and protection of native peoples.

4. Civil liberties Progressives want to maintain freedoms against threats to freedom.

5. Spiritual Progressives have a nurturant form of religion which connects them to other people and makes them think of service to others as part of their spirituality.

6.Anti-authoritarian Progressives think that we have to fight illegitimate forms of authority, including corporations.

I like the sound of several of these, but when it comes down to finding solutions, I think ‘Freedom First.’ I’m a civil liberties Progressive. Which one are you?

Nancy Sherer

 

 


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