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I do not know what terms really mean, So I make them up. A progressive is somebody who thinks life is a cooperative, not a cut-throat competition.

SeanMoore 4 Dec 31
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I think you might be describing a democratic socialist, or possibly a hippy. In the Western definition of Progressive (that is people who like to define themselves as "progressive" as if on an unwavering path leading inevitably to a political and social nirvana) I have noticed a few diagnostic characteristics: 1) Must favour of Palestinian terrorists over Israeli ones; 2) Must make allowances for Islamic cultural anachronisms over those of other religions; 3) Must be derisive and dismissive of old men of pale skin tone as stereotyped, interchangeable units making up some kind of imagined, immutable group set on conservatism and domination. There are others...

Garbonza Level 6 Jan 1, 2020

Wow. You make a lot of rules to be a progressive.

@dan325 I said "people who like to define themselves as progressive", as distinguished from socialists; e.g. among their leaders certain newbie Democrats who do favour certain terrorists (Hamas, Hezbollah...) over Israeli ones and have very little time for the stereotype of old white men (possibly excepting the ever-indulgent Bernie, who seems to bend over backwards for them). The characteristics cited were intended as guideline tendencies, the possession of which would get you into the progressives club no questions asked.

@dan325 You seriously haven't been paying attention if you don't know the stereotype -- treated as a blood-oath truism in Progressive circles -- about "old white men ruling the world", or that the Palestinian politicians are "the good ones" even though they use their people as human shields. Ask any journalist who's been there. I'm absolutely certain there are many men (and women) on this site who have been loaded up with guilt for things they've never done, and call themselves progressive out of a sense of atonement when they should have stayed socialists or social democrats. You hang out around self-proclaimed "progressives" as long as I have -- or have you ever? -- you'll find out there's an entire package of beliefs expected of you so you're on the "right side". Why do you think the word they choose is "progressive" rather than, say, socialist or social democrat -- because maybe they think there is just one straight and narrow path to an inevitable, narrowly defined end point they call progress? Me, I prefer to think for myself issue by issue.

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Your definition is an interesting one. Cooperation would seem to be the more beneficial choice for individuals and society. But it seems that cooperation breaks down at the point it becomes a threat to the group's self-interest or one's own self-interest.
Climate change is an example. There are people on both sides of the issue of whether people have contributed to climate change. And there is some general concern that it is a danger to all of the world's populations. But, even while faced with the potential consequences individuals and societal groups are either taking some action or not to slow or reverse climate change.
So we may, in the terms you propose, label those who seek cooperation and take some action are progressives and those who do not something else. My question becomes at what point the cooperation among progressives breaks down.
Suppose climate change does not slow down and our world changes. One aspect of the change may be droughts in places we traditionally grow food. As that occurs new areas would have to be farmed as they become the zones in which our traditional foods would grow. The migration of peoples to these areas will follow. But they are already occupied. Will the people who occupy the new food growing areas cooperate with those migrating by necessity? Or will they seek to protect their territory and culture? The answer to that question will give meaning to your definition or demonstrate that being progressive may depend upon the situation in which one finds themselves.

ArthurK Level 6 Jan 1, 2020

Like most things in life, I can only make general statements on how to approach things. Cooperation is a life choice and preferred option. It is not an ideology that must be followed regardless of the consequences.

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Unfortunately, too often life is red in tooth and claw. This is how nature often works and if we want to escape her clutches we need to understand this natural proclivity and then take steps to make changes in ourselves.

JackPedigo Level 9 Dec 31, 2019

Man is a social creature. The tooth and claw that you refer to are not aspects of our struggle with nature but rather of class oppression. A more just society removes that dog-eat-dog aspect.

@Krish55 Totally disagree. Red of tooth and claw applies to all life including ours. It's easy to deny this when things are fairly easy and comfortable but look around in the world and see what is actually happening. In parts of the world children are being enlisted in military and often have to kill their parents, siblings or friends. There have been many times in history when things were so bad that parents ate their own children. During the hunting/gathering stage of humans people understood the need to keep the population stable as the resource base could only support only so many. Infanticide was a common occurrence. We humans are not some special, blessed species who control nature and are the center of the world. That idea should have gone out when we realized there is no god.

3

Close enough

bobwjr Level 10 Dec 31, 2019
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