What Is the Difference Between a Liberal and a Leftist?

             The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the difference between liberals and leftists. After being confused for numerous years about liberals and leftists, I am beginning to better understand why one is good and the other can be dangerous for America. Dennis Prager made the following statement that should cause some pondering: “The great tragedy of our time is that liberals vote left.” In an article posted at The Daily Signal, Prager explained his statement. 

Virtually every value liberals have held for a century is now held by conservatives and scorned by leftists. Therefore, America, in serious jeopardy of being lost, will be saved when people convince the liberals in their life that the left, not the conservative, is their enemy.

This process begins by establishing whether a friend or relative is a liberal or a leftist. If it turns out that he or she is a liberal, it is worth engaging in respectful dialogue on the issues of the day.

If the friend or relative is a leftist, you can probably only talk about innocuous subjects such as the weather (though not about global warming) or sports (though not about players taking a knee during the national anthem).

If you talk about the great issues of the day with a left-wing friend or relative, that could be the last time you talk to each other. He or she is likely to unfriend you not only on social media but also in life. Leftists generally do not dialogue; they dismiss.

            After Prager explained his statement and the difference in how liberals and leftists respond, he shared 32 questions to pose to friends and/or relatives to determine – as much for them as for you – whether they are liberal or left. Remember, liberals are good, but leftists can be dangerous. Here are some of Prager’s questions. You can find the rest here. “The great tragedy of our time is that liberals vote left.”

Race

1. Many universities now have all-black dormitories, and some have all-black graduation exercises. Do you support these developments?

3. Is the goal of being “colorblind” – doing one’s best to ignore a person’s color and concentrating only on the person’s character and personality – a noble goal or a racist one?            

4. Do you believe the color of a person’s skin tells you anything of importance about that person?

5. Do you agree that all white Americans are racist?

7. Is it possible for a black person to be a racist?

America

12. Do you agree with The New York Times’ 1619 Project that America was not founded in 1776 but in 1619 with the first arrival of black slaves in North America, and that the Revolutionary War was fought in order to preserve slavery?

14. Has the United States, overall, made the world a better place?

16. Has capitalism been a net-plus for America and the world?

18. Could a good person have voted for Donald Trump in 2020?

20. Should America have full control over its borders to prevent illegal immigration?

21. There are between 11 and 30 million people in America who entered the country illegally. Should they all be put on a path to citizenship?

Men and Women

26. Should it be legal for a teenage girl to have her breasts surgically removed because she identifies as a male – or should there be a minimum age of 18 or 21?

27. Schoolteachers have been told to stop calling students “boys and girls” because a student might not identify as either male or female. Do you agree with this policy?

28. Should biological males who identify as females be allowed to compete against biological females in sports?

29. Is the statement, “Men give birth” science-based?

30. Do you agree with the practice of inviting a drag queen into public libraries and elementary school classrooms to conduct a “Drag Queen Story Hour”?

Speech

31. Do you believe that free speech allows for hate speech, or should hate speech be banned?

32. If you believe hate speech should be banned, who do you believe should determine what is hate speech?

Prager suggested that Americans send the list of questions to their family members and friends who have views that are left of whatever their views are. Their answers will bring clarity. You may find that you have more in common with them than you previously thought, and this would be good. You may also find that you have nothing in common with them and that you should keep to safe subjects of conversation – like the weather, sports, recipes, and warm memories.”