don't fence me in

    My European advisers tell me Americans have drifted
    away from the classical connotations of the word 'liberal'.
    When I see it here, I think: 'Democrat .... PC .... feminist
    .... tender-minded .... NYTimes-reader .... brother-keeper
    .... draft-dodger .... whale-saver .... wimp ....' etc.

    Whereas.

    I believe it originally conveyed the sense of someone who
    placed individual liberty as the highest political value -
    trailed at a respectful distance by secondary considerations
    of equality, fairness, kindness, & so on .

    I've always rather fancied old Isaiah Berlin. His hedgehogs
    & foxes were great, I thought. But just as welcome was
    his pointing out that certain ideas - exalted & desirable
    in themselves - may be finally incompatible: liberty & equality
    being just the most obvious examples. (And don't add love
    & marriage - on this, my fiftieth wedding anniversary.)

    When youse guys speak of 'liberals', which version do you have
    in mind?

    Scottie B.

-
* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH
Received on Wed Oct 1 04:03:54 2003