Ever notice when the media tries to slip something into our thought processes? It may seem innocent on the surface, but it actually has some subliminal meaning. Maybe it's a new fashion statement or perhaps a new word added to our vernacular. They slip it in then build on it until it is an accepted concept. For example, the media has been increasingly talking about "Progressive" Democrats as if they are just that, people interested in implementing positive changes to our government. If you listen to the press carefully, you would get the impression that "progressives" are either moderates or possibly even conservatives. I'm sorry, this is just not so as "progressives" actually represent the left side of American politics.
The term "progressive" goes back to the Progressive Era which is considered the period between the 1890s to 1920s. This was an important movement aimed at cleaning up political corruption in government and women's suffrage, among other things. A diverse set of noteworthy people gravitated to the movement including Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Charles Evans Hughes, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Booker T. Washington, Upton Sinclair, and Republican Presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt (who implemented many such reforms during his presidency).
More recently, the "Progressive Democrats of America" (PDA) was formed in 2004 primarily by supporters of Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean. Make no mistake, it is not working in concert with moderate Democrats or Republicans, and it is most definitely not conservative in nature. They are unabashed liberals and although I do not agree with their policies, it is their right to hold their beliefs. I believe the term "progressive" was deliberately selected to conjure up images from a bygone era.
However, my problem is with the "progressive" label. One could deduce if you are not in agreement with the "progressive" point-of-view then you would be an "obstructionist" and therefore an impediment to progress. This is a very clever way of manipulating public perceptions for political gain, something the media seems more than willing to advance.
To me, "progressive" is subliminal brainwashing of the worst kind as it is misleading the public to believe their policies are not liberal in nature and therefore are more positive and palatable to implement. The reality is that "progressive" is a misnomer as it represents the doctrine of the left. One could, therefore, correctly assume that "progressives" are nothing more than liberals in sheep's clothing.
Now, about those "Blue Dog" Democrats which we used to call "Dixiecrats"...
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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