Definitions of Political Terms that get distorted in the media.

This is from WordWeb dictionary and Webster's New World. Roget's and others say the same things.

Fascism: 1. An adherent of fascism or other right-wing authoritarian views. 2. A political theory advocating an authoritarian hierarchical government (as opposed to democracy or liberalism) Fascist: 1. An adherent of fascism or other right-wing authoritarian views.

Liberal: n 1. A person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties 2. A person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets. adj: 1. Showing or characterized by broad-mindedness 2. Having political or social views favoring reform and progress, 3. Tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.

Conservative: adj 1. Resistant to change, 2. Opposed to liberal reforms, 3. Avoiding excess, 4. Unimaginatively conventional, 5. Conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class.

Reactionary: 1. An extreme conservative; an opponent of progress or liberalism, 2. Extremely conservative.

Communism: 1. any theory or system of common ownership of property. 2, socialism as formulated by Marx, Lenin, etc. Communist: 1. A socialist who advocates communism.

Socialism: 1. a theory by which the means of production and distribution are owned by society rather than by individuals.

So what conclusions can we draw from this?
1. Liberals favor "an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets". Sound like Jefferson, thats right, he was one of the biggest Liberals of his time. Research the foundations of liberalism and you'll find thats what America was founded on. You'll also realize how much the word 'liberal' has been distorted to label and reject anyone who is working for progress on any issue.
2. I've heard people of Faux News and others claim that the Nazis were "Liberals". This is so laughable. This idea is based upon the idea that the Nazis persecuted Christians and the Nazi party has "socialist" in their name. Liberals at the time with their laissez-faire policies and so forth would have never been confused with 'socialists' as the words may be blurred together today. This idea that the Nazis were 'liberals' because they persecuted Christians is so laughable. There were blatent Christian themes in dozens of Hitler's speeches. If one reads the Nuremberg Laws or orders sent to troops one will find similar Christian themese. For example, under the Nuremberg laws you were "Jewish" and hence lost all citenzenship and rights if your spouse attended or was a member of a Synagogue. The Nurumberg laws were a religious standard at least as much as an ethnic standard. Another example of Christian themes in fascist ideology comes from an order sent out by German Field-Marshal Walter von Reichenau to the Nazi troops on the German-Soviet border which stressed "just atonement required of the Jewish subhumans." A teacher at my sister's conservative Christian school told her that the Nazis persecuted Hindus, Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals because the Nazis believed too strongly in evolution. This idea that the Nazi's persecuted Christians I believe comes solely from events in which Polish Priests were persecuted, but they were persecuted for opposing Hitler, not for simply being Christian.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Christians. Tonight, I spent the evening as a volunteer actor for Summer Bible School for kids from area churches as well as kids from my church that I'm very active in. I'll be helping with Summer Bible School all next week. I am a Christian and I go to a Christian school. From my grandparents down you will find Christians active in churches, so obviously I'm not attacking Christians here. I am attacking the fascists in history who have manipulated, lied, distorted, and killed under the guise of Christianity. I am attacking those who fail the recognize the effects of fusing nationalism and Christianity. It it time for us to truthfully recognize these things.
But then again, we can just all become reactionaries and blame everything we don't like on any people working for progess. After all, it worked for Hitler, whos first victims were political enemies in the worker's party (second largest) in Germany, which was purged from Parliament after Hitler was given power by the conservatives.
Faithfully,
--Rob