A book written by Marcus G. Raskin, cofounder of the Institute of Policy Studies, has the purpose of let people understand the real meaning of liberalism and the importance of it through the times in America.

The main purpose of the book would be to put an end to the idea that liberal democracy is exhausted and with no future posibilities. He rejects with facts, history and understanding that America has a choice in liberal democracy to avoid playing "out the fate of being the greates imperialist power since Rome"

I agree when he says that acting as imperialists would start "a war without end in a period of nuclearism wherein humanity itself is a stake".

As a note for the reader, he explains the three stages of liberalism since the beginning of our nation (with one of my political heroes included: Thomas Jefferson).

Stage I liberalism:
The government was understood as an "oppressive machine when it was not controlled by the people". This stage included that the "conception of removing fetters from the people would result in more freedom". "LIberals came to be identify with the underprivileged and the poor, and the adherents of liberalism brought forward ideas of justice and political equality"

That was at the beginning of our country. First stage liberalism, without liberal tenets, was transformed into conservatism and defense of oligarchic reaction. Let's say, the economical freedom that was supported to create a balance in society was nastily changed by selfish individualists to promote self-enrichment and capitalism.

Liberalism has the main purpose of recognizing that a system currently used doesn't work and that the need of change is undeniable. You will see in this book how liberalism has always defied the "is" and defined the "will be".

Stage II liberalism:

At the beginning of the twentieth century it was ovious that capitalism has to change in order to "withstand the onslaught of movements that seem to be shaking the foundations of the Republic". The economical, cultural and social classes were deeply divided. For a change to happen, operations in capitalism itself has to change, Therefore, the progressivism era begun. The early stage of second stage liberalism.

It had four objectives:
1. Introducing rules of game in capitalism
2. Strengthning the federal government
3. Legitimating one segment of the working class while de legitimating another.
4. Expanding American military and economic power throughout the world.

"Stage II liberalism is understood as government intervention in the domestic economy to set standards for decency".

Look for the next topic, where I will finished with stage III liberalism and the Clinton's "Third way"

I gotta go eat.

__________________
"The greatest glory in life lies not in never falling but in rising everytime you fall"
Nelson Mandela

I guess it's bad news for liberals that such a book is necessary.

That idea is only conceivable to people like you, Conservatives are afraid of liberalism. Liberalism is the recognition of two things: (1) that an actual system is obsolete and (2) the need of change to make progress possible. Liberalism means change, means progress!!

__________________
"The greatest glory in life lies not in never falling but in rising everytime you fall"
Nelson Mandela

Point (1) makes no sense, you need to expand to give people an idea of what you're talking about (an actual system of what is obsolete?)

Point (2) is a very poor argument. Not only is your premise bad (progress can occur without change), but the reasoning makes no sense... liberalism does not always lead to change, and change certainly doesn't always result in progress, so it's a very weak argument.

=Change sometimes makes progress possible. Liberalism sometimes means change which sometimes means progress.

Conservatives are quaking in their boots.

Clinton had to move the Democrat party towards the center and adopt some Republican issues (as in Welfare Reform) in order to get elected. That's because a pure liberal cannot get elected in this country. The Democrat party has already moved away from Clinton's Third Way. The Democrats lost the majority in the Senate, the House, the Presidency....and in many, many states. In fact, in my state of Texas....Republicans are in control of just about every elected position for the first time ever.