LiberalLoather

Hear the shrill whistle blow. Notice the fantastic plume pouring from the heated stack, drifting slowly down to lie along the endless parallel ribbon of track. Listen to the steady rythym of the heavy steel wheels striking the joints in the rails. It's the train we know as "America" moving steadily forward, having left the confines of oppression a fur piece back down the line. There have been many twists, turns, and jolts along freedom's path in its march of progress, yet progress, indeed, has occured.
The progressive movement began in earnest during the latter part of the 19th century . It was a time when citizens started to fear big business and corrupt politicians. Powerful corporations were gaining power over individuals by monpolizing industry, commerce, and employment opportunities. Following the American Civil War, Americans were attempting to rebuild their hopes and dreams.
"Progressivism", a term that left-leaning champions of irresponsibility have borrowed (or would that be stolen?) from liberty's giants such as Theodore Roosevelt, is much like a disengaged parent who let's its children hang out the window of the carriage, run up and down the isle, and generally do their own thing.When some concerned travelling aquaintance comes to report the children's reckless behavior in the dining car, the doting mother or father may explain: "They'll be alright". The parent might even offer a rejoinder: "Oh, really?" or maybe, "Are you kidding?". Under their breath or in their self-centered psyche, they might really be saying, "I wish this bitch would mind her own business". Never mind the consequences of the children's actions concerning themselves or others. Lack of discipline and accountability passing from one generation to the next ending in poverty or despair.
The liberal brand of progressivism is not really progressive.
Progressivism, the real thing, understands that individuals have a duty to be responsible while traveling aboard freedom's express. This proper form of the movement, populated by reasonable conservatives, collectively agree that their country should be governed using foresight while using hindsight to avoid mistakes of the past. Faux "Progressivism", the perversion of the just movement, is much different. It uses hindsight to accuse its opponents and ignores foresight while concentrating intensely on the present.
Progressivism seeks liberty within the bounds of personal responsibility towards God and Neighbor. "Progressivism" hungers to justify every incident of instant self-gratification at the expense of the creator they long to deny and the fellow citizen whose own views are disregarded as unimportant.
America is the movement. The great experiment that is America is Progressivism. Having begun, it faces every obstacle with care, attempting to avoid any pitfalls in it path as it makes its way steadily and purposely forward.
"Progressivism" is hardly America. "Progressivism" is France. The mob who claims Progressivism's label is much akin to the murderous throngs of the French Revolution. Eliminating anyone who gets in their way and destroying the very things they need to become free, they end up terror-forming their own world into one led by an unhinged tyrant such as Napoleon Bonaparte.
Today's "Progressives" long to be like Europe when the continent itself is facing tyrannical rule by militant islamic fundamentalists who refuse to conform their adopted nation's rule of law and demand their fellow citizens bend to their own. Deluded Liberals like Chrissy Hyndes say things like: "I hope the Muslims win."

Every train is required to have at least two crewmen. Both are essential for safe operation. The first, important for obvious reasons, is the engineer who controls the locomotive that provides power to move any cars coupled to it. The second, equally as important, is the brakeman. The brakeman is tasked with slowing any excess momentum of the payload in order to keep it from running away or derailing. No train can legally be operated without these two critical components. In America's sojourn of justice, Liberalism leads the way while Conservatism attempts to keep it honest. Progressivism understands this simple fact. "Progressivism" ignores it.
Progressivism honors the will of the majority while respecting the rights of the minority. "Progressivism" demands the will of the minority and ignores the rights of the majority.
In humanity's hunt for liberty, "Progressivism" uses a sawed-off shotgun; Progressivism takes careful aim with it's match-grade sniper rifle.
In American politics, conservatism is not the totalitarian legalism its opponents characterize it as. It is the filter of the liberty all mankind strives to achieve. Neither is liberalism the luke-warm bio-hazardous cess-pool that "Progressives" want to make it. It is the driving force of individual freedom and justice. Regardless of the deep divisions that mainstream media wishes America to have, the vast majority of the nation's citizens fall into an ideological category that is both liberal and conservative. Using the red-blue color scale to describe the differences between yankee ideologies, the USA truly is a purple blend of ideas. Thoughtful, reasonable passengers aboard freedom's express dismiss the fringes of the two as harmful to progress. America, despite the recklessness it sometimes displays, is still a Progressive state as opposed to "Progressive".
While the battered old train of modern lore called "The City of New Orleans" sits humbly on the lay-by being repaired, the venerable old iron horse we know as "America" continues on its unparalelled journey. The fight is on, Like the brave patriots and deluded terrorists aboard Flight 77 on 9/11/01, the passengers are fighting over the controls. Do we really need to go down the path of tomorrow without a brakeman to keep us from plunging headlong into the night?