I refuse to call leftwing "progressives" liberals, as there is nothing liberal about them in reality.

Another example of what a farce contemporary conservatism has become. They have nothing to offer but fear-mongering about straw men. Times changing isn't some leftist plot, times change. Not surprising that a movement based on demonizing anyone who disagrees with them is shrinking.

I'm afraid the fringes tend to yell the loudest, and are therefore awarded de facto branding rights (especially in how each side views the other). Most people are in the middle — moderate liberals and moderate conservatives — but aren't the loudest voices and don't draw as much attention as the wing nuts do. Unfortunately, even the moderates have largely allowed the extremists to polarize them and pull them away from the center. Equilibrium will eventually return, and with it more stability, but I think we have a ways to go before we see the political fervor reduce from a boil to a simmer.

Speaking globally, I feel that real progressives, and I include myself, feel badgered by right wing religious moralism and anti modernism on the Right, and woke politically correct regressive leftism on the Left. In this scenario there is only one winner: the far Right. That's why the Right, and their media servants push it.