# Why is liberalism such a bad thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 29, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481 "2017-01-29T03:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/81 "2017-01-30T20:27:33Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It shouldn’t be such a huge deal to suspect that this thing, which has been so powerful throughout American history, might still be at play with a particular event, or assertion, or criticism, or whatever. Even when it’s incorrect. It should and can spark reasonable discussion. Do you think it’s more likely than not that a false accusation of racism will spark reasonable discussion? In any event, like I said, we are oceans apart on this. Not like there is no common ground, but more like there is no common planet. False accusations of racism destroy discussion, they don’t encourage it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/82 "2017-01-30T20:34:04Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Do you think it’s more likely than not that a false accusation of racism will spark reasonable discussion? I don’t know. But I blame hyperbolic/ultra-defensive responses more for poisoning such discussions than the false accusations. Rush Limbaugh and his ilk have been complaining about false accusations of racism to the point that they treat no accusations seriously, unless they’re of liberals. And it’s worked – their listeners don’t see accusations of racism as legitimate. People who strongly suspect that racism is involved in something shouldn’t tiptoe around it. I don’t advocate saying “you’re racist!” in any but the most obvious (e.g. racial slurs, or advocacy of Jim Crow or segregation or the like) examples, but “you know, that thing you just said sounds racist to me, let me explain why…” is entirely reasonable, IMO. Some liberals undoubtedly go too far, and I’d encourage them to be careful. But I think that the infotainers like Rush are far, far more guilty of poisoning reasonable discussion and understanding on this issue than liberals. > [@](#): > > In any event, like I said, we are oceans apart on this. Not like there is no common ground, but more like there is no common planet. False accusations of racism destroy discussion, they don’t encourage it. It only destroys discussion if the one accused decides they don’t want to talk about it any more. Why not advocate that, if someone thinks that they’re falsely accused of racism, they respond with questions? “Why do you think that’s racist?” Why doesn’t that make sense to you? ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/83 "2017-01-30T21:23:01Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The current atmosphere surrounding liberalism has almost nothing to do with actual, rational disagreements over policy or religion. It has to do with a concerted effort to demonize liberals culturally and socially in order to hold together a loose coalition of groups some of which might otherwise be in favor of many liberal policies. > > It’s why many of the arguments in this thread—such as complaints about PC, safe spaces, etc., are fundamentally dishonest and objectively moronic. > > … > > It’s based on the ide that liberals and liberalism are taking away something from “real” Americans Post snipped. I love how it is only an effort to demonize the left yet the real world consequences of the liberal thinking splatting against the windshield of the real world are ignored. For example, colleges have been skewing harder and harder left for a long time. And the real world consequences of the hard swing left is that companies are finding that new college graduates are unemployable. > [@](#): > > Nearly three-quarters of hiring managers complain that millennials — even those with college degrees — aren’t prepared for the job market and lack an adequate “work ethic,” according to a survey from Bentley University, a private business school in Waltham, Mass. [Linky](http://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/29/the-surprising-reason-college-grads-cant-get-a-job.html). > [@](#): > > A survey by the Workforce Solutions Group at St. Louis Community College finds that more than 60% of employers say applicants lack “communication and interpersonal skills” — a jump of about 10 percentage points in just two years. A wide margin of managers also say today’s applicants can’t think critically and creatively, solve problems or write well. [Linky](http://business.time.com/2013/11/10/the-real-reason-new-college-grads-cant-get-hired/). > [@](#): > > Another day, another data set arguing that new college grads aren’t meeting employer needs in terms of skills. > > According to a new Payscale survey there exists a significant skills gap between what employers want and the skills new college grads (don’t) possess. > … > The Payscale survey found that 44% of managers feel writing proficiency is the hard skill most lacking among recent college graduates. > … > Critical thinking/problem-solving. Overall, 60% of managers said this is the soft skill lacking the most among new college graduates. > … [Linky](https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/5-skills-employers-want-in-new-grads-and-arent-finding). I can go on with the cites, this is a well known problem. The push towards ‘safe spaces’, PC campuses and other liberal ‘protect the pooor widdle kids from the real world’ policies is turning them into infants who can’t think and run away anytime anything that might offended them is encountered. Instead of debating those who they disagree with, they get them [banned](http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-disinvited-speakers-at-colleges-2016-7), oops, I mean disinvited, from talking. And sometimes it is downright funny. Like the ‘Uncomfortable Learning’ series at Williams College that was supposed to be about confronting controversial ideas. Of course, in true liberal fashion, the college disinvited not one but two speakers who had controversial ideas. [Linky](https://www.thefire.org/williams-college-bars-uncomfortable-learning-speaker-from-campus-declares-hate-speech-too-uncomfortable/). So much for winning by crafting strong arguments. Who needs that? You might have to encounter a scary idea and that is unacceptable. Just ban the people you don’t like and pretend everything is ok while you hold a pillow in your safe space and chant the mantra ‘I \*am \*special’. Note, the above is just about employ-ability. There are tons of other ways that this type of thinking is causing problems. I’d post more but a) I don’t have the time and b) there are tons of articles on the subject if one really wants to know about the issue. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/84 "2017-01-31T00:41:18Z")
Yeah, if those 11 people hadn’t been disinvited to speak at a college once, millenials could write better! ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/85 "2017-01-31T05:08:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It only destroys discussion if the one accused decides they don’t want to talk about it any more. Why not advocate that, if someone thinks that they’re falsely accused of racism, they respond with questions? “Why do you think that’s racist?” Why doesn’t that make sense to you? I think it’s reasonable for a person to start to tune out false accusations when they occur frequently enough. People aren’t saints and time is limited. It makes sense because there definitely isn’t time to engage every person who casually tosses accusations of racism at any hint of disagreement. As an example, the ACA was a lightning rod for this, IMO. There’s lots to disagree with about the ACA, but inevitably discussions include casual accusations of racism. ---
**Author:** ![Kahunahh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/50afbb/32.png) [@Kahunahh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kahunahh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/86 "2017-01-31T08:02:04Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Yeah, if those 11 people hadn’t been disinvited to speak at a college once, millenials could write better! The core point is they’re sheltered from ideas they don’t like, to the detriment of their education, character, and socialization and growth as a human being. And having witnessed a few of these speakers in person, and many on YouTube, the protests against them are very rarely peaceful or reserved. Rushing the stage and seizing microphones, while campus security does nothing, bringing and using whistles at speeches, chanting loudly mid-speech, general heckling. These are silencing and disruption tactics, not peaceful protests, and the enforcement of policy is extremely politicized, left wing speakers rarely face this kind of action, and when they do, disruption is dealt with (as it should be, in all cases, regardless of agenda). Leftists are more prone and willing to resort to violence and silencing tactics in recent decades, and abuse their positions of power to advocate for this, and downplay the sins of their own, and play up everything that the right does (I’m fully aware of the fact that the right does this as well, it’s also disgusting when they do it, but, that’s not the topic at hand). ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/87 "2017-01-31T08:37:46Z")
> [@Kahunahh](#): > > Leftists are more prone and willing to resort to violence and silencing tactics in recent decades, and abuse their positions of power to advocate for this, and downplay the sins of their own, and play up everything that the right does (I’m fully aware of the fact that the right does this as well, it’s also disgusting when they do it, but, that’s not the topic at hand). Orly? > **[Racist Backlash Greets President Barack Obama](https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2009/racist-backlash-greets-president-barack-obama)** > > Even as many celebrated, the election of America's first black president provoked a furious backlash from some angry whites [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-attacks-idUSKBN1352NO](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-attacks-idUSKBN1352NO) > [@](#): > > Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center civil rights group, said he had not seen such a rash of hate crimes in the United States since Barack Obama was elected America’s first black president in 2008. > **[Bullied for Not Believing in God](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/bullied-for-not-believing-in-god/279095/)** > > Despite secularism and atheism being on the rise, some areligious students feel discriminated against—at times violently. > **[Atheist mom gets death threats over school Bible complaints -- but Christians...](https://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/atheist-mom-gets-death-threats-over-school-bible-complaints-but-christians-claim-theyre-the-victims/)** > > An Oklahoma woman said she plans to move after receiving threats from other parents because her complaints ended a public school Bible giveaway.The woman contacted the American Humanist Association last month after her son told her his third-grade... > **[R.I. Student Draws Ire Over School Prayer Challenge](https://www.npr.org/2012/02/14/146538958/rhode-island-district-weighs-students-prayer-lawsuit)** > > A student in Cranston, R.I., sued the city over a banner in the high school auditorium. She started receiving death threats after a federal judge ruled in her favor, ordering the banner removed. The school board is expected to decide Thursday whether... Do you want me to bring up the mosques that have been burned lately? I would like a cite on your claim that “Leftists are more prone and willing to resort to violence and silencing tactics in recent decades” ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/88 "2017-01-31T09:22:05Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Orly? > > [https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2009/racist-backlash-greets-president-barack-obama](https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2009/racist-backlash-greets-president-barack-obama) > > [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-attacks-idUSKBN1352NO](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-attacks-idUSKBN1352NO) > > [Bullied for Not Believing in God - The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/bullied-for-not-believing-in-god/279095/) > [Atheist mom gets death threats over school Bible complaints -- but Christians claim they're the victims](http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/atheist-mom-gets-death-threats-over-school-bible-complaints-but-christians-claim-theyre-the-victims/) > > [Rhode Island Student Draws Ire Over School Prayer Challenge : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2012/02/14/146538958/rhode-island-district-weighs-students-prayer-lawsuit) > > Do you want me to bring up the mosques that have been burned lately? > > I would like a cite on your claim that “Leftists are more prone and willing to resort to violence and silencing tactics in recent decades” His cite is your post - your facts are silencing his assertions! And reason is committing violence against the alternative facts put forward by the right. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/89 "2017-01-31T12:48:11Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I think it’s reasonable for a person to start to tune out false accusations when they occur frequently enough. People aren’t saints and time is limited. It makes sense because there definitely isn’t time to engage every person who casually tosses accusations of racism at any hint of disagreement. As an example, the ACA was a lightning rod for this, IMO. There’s lots to disagree with about the ACA, but inevitably discussions include casual accusations of racism. I recall the Dope discussions on the ACA, and IIRC such accusations in these threads were very rare. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/90 "2017-01-31T13:14:32Z")
People don’t like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don’t run, don’t walk. We’re in their homes and in their heads and we haven’t the right. We’re meddlesome. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/91 "2017-01-31T14:09:43Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I don’t know. But I blame hyperbolic/ultra-defensive responses more for poisoning such discussions than the false accusations. This seems odd - if I accuse someone of racism, it’s their fault for poisoning the discussion because they get defensive. > [@](#): > > It only destroys discussion if the one accused decides they don’t want to talk about it any more. Why not advocate that, if someone thinks that they’re falsely accused of racism, they respond with questions? “Why do you think that’s racist?” Why doesn’t that make sense to you? Because accusations of racism are often an attempt to change the subject when the liberal is losing the argument. Talking about why it’s racist is changing the subject to a topic that the liberal can’t lose - accusations of racism are usually un-falsifiable. > [@](#): > > Rush Limbaugh and his ilk have been complaining about false accusations of racism to the point that they treat no accusations seriously, unless they’re of liberals. And it’s worked – their listeners don’t see accusations of racism as legitimate. So Rush Limbaugh is doing what you recommend - not reacting to accusations of racism defensively or hyperbolically. So Rush and his listeners are not poisoning the debate, just like you ask. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/92 "2017-01-31T14:12:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > This seems odd - if I accuse someone of racism, it’s their fault for poisoning the discussion because they get defensive. It can be. Not always, but sometimes. Sometimes such accusations are reasonable, and can and should spark more discussion. Sometimes they’re not. > [@](#): > > Because accusations of racism are often an attempt to change the subject when the liberal is losing the argument. Talking about why it’s racist is changing the subject to a topic that the liberal can’t lose - accusations of racism are usually un-falsifiable. You say “often” – the only thing we disagree on, it seems, is how often this is. You probably think most of the time, and I think it’s considerably less often. > [@](#): > > So Rush Limbaugh is doing what you recommend - not reacting to accusations of racism defensively or hyperbolically. So Rush and his listeners are not poisoning the debate, just like you ask. > > Regards, > Shodan How did I say that? I meant the opposite. He’s and other radio right wing entertainers have been responding with ridiculous hyperbole to accusations of racism for years. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/93 "2017-01-31T14:43:45Z")
That’s the point, and, from the point of view of liberals, the problem - they don’t take accusations of racism seriously. And thereby prevent liberals from changing the subject when they are losing the argument. Laughing at people who make accusations of racism isn’t hyperbole just because it infuriates liberals. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/94 "2017-01-31T14:48:22Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That’s the point, and, from the point of view of liberals, the problem - they don’t take accusations of racism seriously. And thereby prevent liberals from changing the subject when they are losing the argument. So you think such accusations are _always_ attempts to change the subject because they/we are losing the argument, rather than honest attempts to characterize them? > [@](#): > > Laughing at people who make accusations of racism isn’t hyperbole just because it infuriates liberals. > > Regards, > Shodan When did I say it was? I think many reasonable accusations have been brushed aside by hyperbole and the like from the radio entertainers. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/95 "2017-01-31T15:00:35Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Actually I think in the long run liberalism has been slowly winning. > > Think about issues of gender, race, and homosexuality. Liberals have won on all fronts. Women have the right to vote and work wherever they want. Their is no legal school segregation. Gays can marry. > > Maybe the problem comes when they try to grab for too much, too fast? When liberals fight for freedom, they win. When they fight for government regulation, they lose. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/96 "2017-01-31T15:01:57Z")
There is a perception by conservatives that liberals want to take all their money away and give to people who don’t deserve it in the form of entitlements. > [@](#): > > I don’t have time for reading boring and long-winded political tomes[…] Sorry, but you are asking a very complicated question and you will not understand what I just said and what’s right and wrong about it without doing some reading. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/97 "2017-01-31T16:22:57Z")
America, like it or not, is a center right country. So what passes for liberal here is conservative in many other western nations. Aside for why conservatives hate Liberals? Many reasons. Conservatives perceive threats more acutely than Liberals. So when Liberals are in power conservatives fear that crime, terrorism, hostile foreign governments, etc will run roughshod over us since they feel Liberals do not take these things seriously enough. Conservatives place a higher value on cultural purity than Liberals. So Liberals do things that make conservatives feel their culture of purity is being infected. Gay rights, women’s rights, minority rights, immigration, drug use, different religions, etc. Conservatives feel that liberal economic and government policies will make it impossible for businesses to make ends meet due to higher costs of doing business. They fear this will lead to mass unemployment and recessions. Conservatives value tradition and respect for authority. Liberals reject tradition and question authority figures (like police officers). They think conservatives are tough and individualistic while Liberals are weak, unarmed wimps. Conservatives value just desserts, good people are rewarded and bad people punished. Liberal policies of rehabilitation over punishment, or progressive tax hikes to fund social programs are seen as rewarding bad people and punishing good people. Conservatives fear Liberals foster a culture of dependence to win votes, creating great society programs to make people dependent on the government so those same people will vote Liberals back into power to protect those programs. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/98 "2017-01-31T16:23:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So you think such accusations are _always_ attempts to change the subject because they/we are losing the argument, rather than honest attempts to characterize them? If I say “often” and you interpret that as “always”, I tend to lose faith in claims of honest characterization. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/99 "2017-01-31T16:25:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If I say “often” and you interpret that as “always”, I tend to lose faith in claims of honest characterization. > > Regards, > Shodan I noted the “often” before, and commented on it, but then your next post seemed to me to directly contradict that, thus I asked you the question. I’m glad to see that I misunderstood, and that the only thing we really disagree on is how often such accusations are reasonable and legitimate and how often they are attempts to end a losing argument. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481/100 "2017-01-31T16:34:24Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Actually I think in the long run liberalism has been slowly winning. > > Think about issues of gender, race, and homosexuality. Liberals have won on all fronts. Women have the right to vote and work wherever they want. Their is no legal school segregation. Gays can marry. > > Maybe the problem comes when they try to grab for too much, too fast? On social issues Liberals are winning. However on economic issues that have been losing. Labor unions are shrinking, income inequality is up, lobbying is up, middle class economic stress is up. Taxes are more regressive. These trends haven’t changed much. A Democrat President may move things to the left while a Republican moves them to the right but the overall trendline is constant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-liberalism-such-a-bad-thing/778481.md?page=6)