Progressive: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Progressive-liberal-leftist-socialist-socdem-bernie-sanders.jpg|thumb|America's favorite [[Politics|politician]]; has the world's most famous mittens]]
[[File:Progressive-liberal-leftist-socialist-socdem-bernie-sanders.jpg|thumb|America's favorite [[Politics|politician]]; has the world's most famous mittens]]
[[wikipedia:Progressivism_in_the_United_States|Progressive]] is used as a shorthand for the mainstream social democratic [[political]] view that is center-left in most democracies but considered far-left in the US.
[[wikipedia:Progressivism_in_the_United_States|Progressives]] [[believe]] in [[progress]]--making incremental improvements to the way [[society]] functions to improve [[utilitarian]] outcomes. Beyond this, no specific assumptions about [[beliefs]] or policy should be implied by the use of this term.<blockquote>''"There are three critical ingredients to democratic renewal and progressive change in America: [[good]] public policy, grassroots organizing and electoral politics."''  -[[wikipedia:Paul_Wellstone|Paul Wellstone]]</blockquote>[[wikipedia:Progressivism_in_the_United_States|Progressive]] is used as a shorthand for the mainstream [[wikipedia:Social_democracy|social democratic]] [[political]] view that is centrist in most countries but considered radical leftism by the rabidly pro-[[capitalist]] [[media]] in America.
 
Progressives should be distinguished from "liberals" that tend to focus on identify [[politics]] and [[culture war]] distractions over more [[universal]] principles [[like]] [[income inequality]]. All disadvantaged groups have one thing in common: they are poor. Policies and [[philosophies]] that support helping poor people first are the most [[just]].


== Political Progressivism ==
== Political Progressivism ==


Progressives support things like a strong [[social safety net]], [[universal health care]], personal [[freedom]], a mixed [[capitalist]] and [[socialist]] economy, and other liberal policies that have proven to improve [[happiness]] in the countries that have implemented them.
Progressives support things like a strong [[social safety net]], [[universal health care]], personal [[freedom]], a mixed [[capitalist]] and [[socialist]] [[economy]], and other liberal policies that have proven to improve [[happiness]] in the countries that have implemented them.


The term must be used to distinguish progressives from the mainstream democratic party in the US, which does not advocate strongly for these things. And lacking an actual social democrat party, the term progressive is the best descriptor we have.
The term must be used to distinguish progressives from the mainstream democratic party in the US, which does not advocate strongly for these things. And lacking an actual [[social]] democrat party, the term progressive is the best descriptor we have.


== Secularism ==
== Secularism ==
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It would be nice if progressives even attempted to define their own beliefs. Instead they allow right wing [[propaganda]] networks to fill the search results for "what is progressivism" and similar terms with inflammatory strawman characterizations of their beliefs. If you don't define your [[belief system]] then your opponents will do it for you.
It would be nice if progressives even attempted to define their own beliefs. Instead they allow right wing [[propaganda]] networks to fill the search results for "what is progressivism" and similar terms with inflammatory strawman characterizations of their beliefs. If you don't define your [[belief system]] then your opponents will do it for you.
[https://medium.com/backyard-theology/what-is-progressive-christianity-84c280eedefc Defining Progressive Christianity]


== Not Politics, Best Practices ==
== Not Politics, Best Practices ==
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The use of Progressive also separates the support for specific policies like [[universal health care]] from support for a political party. [[metaculture]] supports the implementation of [[Evidence-Based Best Practices]] that maximize the [[happiness]] of a [[society]]. There is strong support for the efficacy of the policies supported by progressives.
The use of Progressive also separates the support for specific policies like [[universal health care]] from support for a political party. [[metaculture]] supports the implementation of [[Evidence-Based Best Practices]] that maximize the [[happiness]] of a [[society]]. There is strong support for the efficacy of the policies supported by progressives.


Plus, [[metaculture]] is describing the [[belief system]] that already exists but has yet to be fully and accurately described. Secular Progressives are the group most likely to share it.
Plus, [[metaculture]] is describing the [[belief system]] that already exists but has yet to be fully and accurately described. [[Secular]] Progressives are the group most likely to share it.


As political alignments shift in the [[future]] it may be the case that another group adheres more to the [[best practices]] strategy than self-identified "progressives". Should that happen, then this page will be updated to reflect that change.
As [[political]] alignments shift in the [[future]] it may be the case that another group adheres more to the [[best practices]] strategy than self-identified "progressives". Should that happen, then this page will be updated to reflect that change.


== Beware of Tankies ==
== Beware of Tankies ==
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Given that it is impossible to tell the [[trolls]] from the [[propaganda]] farms from the actual [[Persuasion|persuadable]] leftists, and tankies are rarely encountered in the real world, it is best to assume all online tankies are [[trolls]] and never to engage with them.
Given that it is impossible to tell the [[trolls]] from the [[propaganda]] farms from the actual [[Persuasion|persuadable]] leftists, and tankies are rarely encountered in the real world, it is best to assume all online tankies are [[trolls]] and never to engage with them.
Many tankies, as well as [[Ideological|ideologically]] pure [[Socialist|socialists]] and [[Communist|communists]], will call you a [[wikt:shitlib|shitlib]] for expressing views that attempt to use pragmatism to find a path towards [[progress]] without [[revolution]]. Don't feed the [[trolls]]. These people are loud on the Internet, but rarely found in real [[life]]. Don't let them divert you from tactics that actually have a chance of gaining broad [[democratic]] support.


== Progressive Media ==
== Progressive Media ==
There is plenty of progressive media out there for those that want to follow [[politics]].
There is plenty of progressive media out there for those that want to follow [[politics]].


The recent episode, "[https://www.theringer.com/2024/7/26/24206749/why-are-conservatives-happier-than-progressives Why are Conservatives happier than Progressives?]" from [https://www.theringer.com/plain-english-with-derek-thompson-podcast Derek Thompson's Plain English] [[podcast]], does a great job of breaking down the "[[happiness]] gap" between [[conservatives]] and progressives, and ways that we can approach progressive values in ways that are less catastrophizing, more productive, cooperative, and conducive to creating [[happiness]].
The episode, "[https://www.theringer.com/2024/7/26/24206749/why-are-conservatives-happier-than-progressives Why are Conservatives happier than Progressives?]" from [https://www.theringer.com/plain-english-with-derek-thompson-podcast Derek Thompson's Plain English] [[podcast]], does a great job of breaking down the "[[happiness]] gap" between [[conservatives]] and progressives, and ways that we can approach progressive [[values]] in ways that are less catastrophizing, more productive, cooperative, and conducive to creating [[happiness]].


Here are some short videos that outline the [[history]] and [[philosophy]] of progressivism.<br>
Here are some short videos that outline the [[history]] and [[philosophy]] of progressivism.<br>
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<br>
<br>
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbN9OD83f5I||center|Bernie Sanders Calls for a "21st Centuryy Bill of Rights"|frame}}
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbN9OD83f5I||center|Bernie Sanders Calls for a "21st Centuryy Bill of Rights"|frame}}
<br>While this [[wiki]] tries to avoid references to the toxic term "woke," this video gives a good justification for this position from an activist perspective.
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akk6FGBXMGM||center|Left-Wing Does NOT Mean Woke - Susan Neiman|frame}}
== Progressive House ==
Let there be house [[music]]!
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIDpkhfx4nY||center|My House - Chuck Roberts In the Beginning there was Jack|frame}}
<br>''"If house is a nation, I want to be president."''
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17n5lccSFOI||center|Efdemin - Just a Track|frame}}
<br>
<br>
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx9yZYIJMyA||center|Deep Progressive House Space Visual Mix|frame}}
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx9yZYIJMyA||center|Deep Progressive House Space Visual Mix|frame}}

Latest revision as of 01:17, 16 February 2025

America's favorite politician; has the world's most famous mittens

Progressives believe in progress--making incremental improvements to the way society functions to improve utilitarian outcomes. Beyond this, no specific assumptions about beliefs or policy should be implied by the use of this term.

"There are three critical ingredients to democratic renewal and progressive change in America: good public policy, grassroots organizing and electoral politics." -Paul Wellstone

Progressive is used as a shorthand for the mainstream social democratic political view that is centrist in most countries but considered radical leftism by the rabidly pro-capitalist media in America.

Progressives should be distinguished from "liberals" that tend to focus on identify politics and culture war distractions over more universal principles like income inequality. All disadvantaged groups have one thing in common: they are poor. Policies and philosophies that support helping poor people first are the most just.

Political Progressivism

Progressives support things like a strong social safety net, universal health care, personal freedom, a mixed capitalist and socialist economy, and other liberal policies that have proven to improve happiness in the countries that have implemented them.

The term must be used to distinguish progressives from the mainstream democratic party in the US, which does not advocate strongly for these things. And lacking an actual social democrat party, the term progressive is the best descriptor we have.

Secularism

Progressives also tend to be more secular, and share many of the beliefs that go along with that. Even though these are spiritual beliefs rather than political ones, the two are correlated. This is why the term "secular progressives" is often used in this wiki to describe the group who shares these two core beliefs.

Defining Our Beliefs and Goals

Believers of a religion can identify as "Christian" or "Muslim" or "Buddhist" and instantly convey gigabytes of information about their beliefs, as well as become part of an in-group. Secular progressives are just a loose affiliation of correlated political and spiritual beliefs, not a religion or even a political party.

metaculture attempts to define the core belief system that underlies secular progressivism and present it in a way that makes it easy to understand and communicate to others.

It would be nice if progressives even attempted to define their own beliefs. Instead they allow right wing propaganda networks to fill the search results for "what is progressivism" and similar terms with inflammatory strawman characterizations of their beliefs. If you don't define your belief system then your opponents will do it for you.

Defining Progressive Christianity

Not Politics, Best Practices

The use of Progressive also separates the support for specific policies like universal health care from support for a political party. metaculture supports the implementation of Evidence-Based Best Practices that maximize the happiness of a society. There is strong support for the efficacy of the policies supported by progressives.

Plus, metaculture is describing the belief system that already exists but has yet to be fully and accurately described. Secular Progressives are the group most likely to share it.

As political alignments shift in the future it may be the case that another group adheres more to the best practices strategy than self-identified "progressives". Should that happen, then this page will be updated to reflect that change.

Beware of Tankies

Tankies are online trolls and misinformed leftists that identify as communists but are just contrarians that take the opposite of the prevailing liberal view of any current or historical authoritarian regime that calls itself socialist. Many tankies are propagandists employed by those regimes to support their agendas and sew discord within democracies.

Given that it is impossible to tell the trolls from the propaganda farms from the actual persuadable leftists, and tankies are rarely encountered in the real world, it is best to assume all online tankies are trolls and never to engage with them.

Many tankies, as well as ideologically pure socialists and communists, will call you a shitlib for expressing views that attempt to use pragmatism to find a path towards progress without revolution. Don't feed the trolls. These people are loud on the Internet, but rarely found in real life. Don't let them divert you from tactics that actually have a chance of gaining broad democratic support.

Progressive Media

There is plenty of progressive media out there for those that want to follow politics.

The episode, "Why are Conservatives happier than Progressives?" from Derek Thompson's Plain English podcast, does a great job of breaking down the "happiness gap" between conservatives and progressives, and ways that we can approach progressive values in ways that are less catastrophizing, more productive, cooperative, and conducive to creating happiness.

Here are some short videos that outline the history and philosophy of progressivism.

The History of Progressivism in 120 Seconds


Bernie Sanders Calls for a "21st Centuryy Bill of Rights"


While this wiki tries to avoid references to the toxic term "woke," this video gives a good justification for this position from an activist perspective.

Left-Wing Does NOT Mean Woke - Susan Neiman

Progressive House

Let there be house music!

My House - Chuck Roberts In the Beginning there was Jack


"If house is a nation, I want to be president."

Efdemin - Just a Track


Deep Progressive House Space Visual Mix