For hump day, how about if we find something upon which we can all agree? Are you ready?
Because if you're reading this, I am nearly certain you are a liberal. A classic liberal, in fact.
That's because, until its corruption in the not-too-distant past for cynical and partisan reasons, the term meant something else. In fact, and if you are not already aware, the traditional definition of liberalism sounds a heck of a lot more like Ike above and Ronald Reagan, vs. AOC.
So here is an explanation of liberalism. But to keep it fresh, let's go all modern and turn to Claude 3, the AI engine from Anthropic, and my current go-to.
My prompt was:
I am a first-year political science major. Please provide a one-paragraph, neutral definition of classic liberalism.
Its response:
Classic liberalism is a political ideology that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, emphasizing individual liberties, limited government, free markets, and the rule of law. It upholds the principles of individual rights, private property, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.
Classic liberals believe that the primary role of government is to protect these individual rights and liberties, while allowing individuals to pursue their own economic and personal interests with minimal state interference.
This philosophy is rooted in the ideas of thinkers such as John Locke, Adam Smith, and John Stuart Mill, and it played a significant role in shaping the political systems of many Western democracies.
Who knew?
FROM THE UNWASHED MASSES
Hunter Deuce, clearly one not to click hyperlinks, still found a way to amuse, albeit via a cartoon, by dumping on my beloved alma mater.
Kudos for flying the banner of amateur athletics, but with regard to schools, that ship sailed a looooong time ago. It does make me think of this South Park clip, though.
And the buildings are represented accurately, too. Seriously.
And a big welcome home to the aged, yet spry, jet setters, my cousin and family matriarch Lally Darwin Heinz, and her equally rockstar hubby, Harrison Heinz. These guys just returned from a major trip to Spain and despite the shout-out in her own travelogue . . .
My cousin Portico is delighted that we came over to the dark side and fully relished the five-star settings.
. . . I have a strong feeling this was not their first visit to the Diamond Certified dark side.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
KLUF
A classic liberal like you deserves a classic rock album today, and what says classic liberalism more than saying A Farewell to Kings? Here is my favorite band Rush with one of their finest. I've mentioned this plenty - heck, I did an entire post on it once - but it is worth repeating: This live version of "Xanadu," recorded in early 1981 on their just-starting Moving Pictures tour, is definitive.
