Yes, all the discussion about what is a "good" liberal and what is a "bad" liberal.
During the '60's liberal was a word Democrats embraced with pride. Lyndon Johnson on the stump claiming, "Let's get more good liberals elected.". No need to explain that the meaning of the word has changed. The right decries liberals as idiots incapable of persecuting a war, or defending our nation against outside threats.
I would like to offer a different take. The worst kind of liberals are the conservative liberals that brought us their "beautiful" war in Iraq. Sitting at their desks, reading reams of writings, they devised a scheme of changing the world, with the export of the American Revolution, to bring freedom and democratcy not only to Iraq, but to the World.
William Kristol and his merry band of ideologues are in fact the worst kind of liberals. They put on rose colored glasses, and are incapable of turning the page on Iraq.
These "liberal" conservatives wanting to end tyranny round the world, are the worst kind of liberals. They deny reality. They bloviate grand schemes. Their vision lacks any practical reality. Every single thing they have touched has turned to flames.
William Kristol, Richard Perle (who now claims to be a democrat) are really liberals in wolf's clothing, guilty of a grand scheme of social engineering, without a plan. They are the liberals they so decry.
The worst kind of liberal, is one that doesn't recongize practical realities and wants to pick the low hanging fruit of the tree, (Iraq) while being too arrogant to even consider the realities of the other side.
Put aside whether you think the war in Iraq was a good idea or not. We are there and it is time to turn the page.
What was the biggest mistake the neo-liberals made in prosecuting their war? THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE ENEMY.
As good progressive liberals, let's not make the same mistake.
In order to win the culture wars, the political wars, and get past this vile rhetoric, I say we as proud liberals need to understand the enemy. If you want to win converts to our side, it is unwise, imho, to start out the debate, with you are an idiot, or a moron. They shut their ears and don't hear a thing we say.