Are You a Progressive?

[Martin Hash]

Ask yourself these 3 questions:

1) Are those who have excess obligated to provide for those who have less?
2) Should employees share ownership in the business where they work?
3) Do churches have too much power over people’s lives?

Compare your answers to the 3 tenets of Marxism.
1) From those according to their ability, to those according to their need.
2) Workers own the means of production.
3) Religion is the opiate of the masses.

[John]

I used the term to describe those who advocate for the overthrow of the government by the working class. Those that think capital should be redistributed equally among the proletariate (once the bourgeoisie are eliminated). Marxism, socialism, capitalism, communism, even fascism have positives and negatives as political and economic philosophies. Basing political and economic decisions upon only one ideology is extremism and rightly considered to be a characteristic of the lunatic fringe.
All of the labeling that goes on, especially by those in the right wing media, is part of how those in power maintain control. I am very liberal, very progressive, however you want to label it. But there are many issues on which I depart from what is traditionally considered liberal/progressive positions.
For example I am very much against the death penalty under any circumstances. But I am very much in favor of cruel and unusual punishment. I think murderers should be locked in a small cell given just enough food to survive, no TV, no books, nothing.
Also certain aspects of Unions bother me such as their work rules, the "job for life" mentality and the often exhibited attitude that the world owes them a living.
So all of these labels serve more to confuse and diminish ourselves than they do to empower and enlighten.

[Martin Hash]

Labels matter very much. Ask the bond traders who sold Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) as "AAA" (no risk) – the singular most catastrophic mislabeling that ever collapsed the American financial system.