Is there (Should there be) a Progressive Purity Test?

[NightWatcher]

Are there some ideals that one MUST hold in order to call yourself a (Big P) Progressive?

I thought there were/are, but I guess not.

What ideals should all Progressives hold sacred?

(note: I was called out for suggesting that Progressives should be against the death penalty in another thread and it got me thinking if there should be some ideals that transcend all others within "Progressive" circles)

Should we be anti war? in all cases? in self defense?
Should we be in favor of equal rights for all?

[HopeHoops]

1. I don't think the chick in the commercials is a virgin.

So, no.

[Scurrilous]

2. Suggesting that a particular point of view...

...is required in order to be a Democrat, liberal, or progressive is against DU rules.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Yes.

Thoughtfulness.

[LeftinOH]

4. Just one: Don't be a hypocrite.

[demosincebirth]

14. That would be my test too.

[kctim]

5. Guess you may need one amongst yourselves

but the rest of us have no problem with determining 'progressive' stances on the issues.

[county worker]

6. This is the kind of thing that leads to bullying.

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. ?

[county worker]

22. When there is a purity test you either agree to you are the enemy.

There are a few topics here that if you say something different you are said to be pushing a right wing meme.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. No And Yes

Should we be anti war? in all cases? in self defense?
Should we be in favor of equal rights for all?

[MineralMan]

8. Not on DU there isn't, and shouldn't be.

I've seen all sorts of definitions of progressive. Some of those are actually definitions of anarchy. Others are definitions of Marxism. Seems that everyone thinks he or she is a progressive these days, and that the rest are not. Pretty flexible word, I guess.

[JoePhilly]

9. at times it reminds me of the fundies ....

My flavor of "Christianity" is the "TRUE" one.

My progressivism is better than yours.

I think it is more like the old music equilizer in the car (high end) ... a bunch of sliders, Push them all UP, you get one extreme, which sucked. Push them all DOWN, you get a new extreme, which also sucked.

I tended to find that at times, it made sense to slide the levels up or down some.

And I do the same with my politics. Sometimes the song has too much bass. I'll shift it away.

Right now, our country has too much RIGHT WING nonsense .... and so I am working to pull pretty much every level in the other direction.

And when I become concerned that we as a country might abolish private property ... which I've seen advocated on DU at times ... I will push the level in the other direction. But we are no where close to that world today.

[xchrom]

10. Neo-liberalism is the throw down.

Plenty of people are seemingly progressive.

But endorse things that are patently anti-democratic, anti-people.

They cand equal rights for all, be pro-choice and still want to
Privatize schools, cut SS, tie the population to
Insurance companies.

[Radical Activist]

11. There will never be agreement.

And there will always be the game of one person setting their viewpoint as the standard for what a "real" progressive believes.

[RaleighNCDUer]

26. No matter how right-wing that viewpoint might be.

How's this - if you espouse positions to the right of Ronald Reagan, you are NOT a progressive.

Can everyone agree with that?

Is that a purity test?

[JuniperLea]

12. I prefer sticking to the original and actual definition of a progressive...

Especially since advocating anything else on DU is against the rules. I'm seeing some definitions that just don't sit well.

[MineralMan]

13. We are all progressives now....

[damntexdem]

16. Yes: progressives should be excommunicated if they ...

propose progressive purity tests.

;-)

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. I don't know.

Is "progressive DLCer" an oxymoron?

Or just a normal moron?

[Nite Owl]

19. LOL

So true
A DLCer can call themselves whatever they want but are they anywhere near being Progressive? I guess they are progressive corporatists?

[FiveGoodMen]

18. Absolutely

* Everybody counts -- there are not certain groups based on race, age, sex, orientation, etc whose rights can be ignored.

* We're all in this together -- no one should fall through the cracks. We need Social Security, we need assistance for those who have lost their jobs, we need health care for everyone. No, not a requirement that everyone buys insurance -- we need CARE for everyone.

(Everyone is here understood to mean everyone as opposed to all-but-35-million or whatever)

* We should never start trouble like, for instance, unnecessary wars (and that's just about all of them).

[AndrewP]

20. Some seem to have a purity test for people to pass

I consider myself Progressive, and would certainly have more in common with a hardcore Liberal type than a moderate. But I don't know if I'd pass a "purity" test.

[TygrBright]

21. I think the purity test should be opposing a purity test. n/t

[aquart]

23. NO. And you should be ashamed of yourself for asking.

[lumberjack_jeff]

24. Yes. Because I'm the only true progressive. n/t

[stray cat]

25. And if you don't meet it you can not vote democratic but must vote republican!

that will show them!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. "Man is the only animal that has discovered the One True God...several of them." Mark Twain

Pigeon holes are for pigeons.

[RaleighNCDUer]

30. Are you suggesting there is no such things as progressive principles?

Would you accept Reagan calling himself a progressive?

How about Bush?

Nixon?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. I'm suggesting that someone calling themselves "progressive" doesn't make it so.

Any more than someone calling themselves Christians, or Democrats, or Communists, or Real Men, or Patriots, or any of the other comfortable little boxes we are too fond of putting people in and labeling.

I don't give a rip what Reagan, Bush, Nixon called themselves. In my eyes, they're still assholes. Nor do I care that Obama calls the PR stunt in Afghanistan a "necessary war".

They're are plenty of folks here that tell me that this administration has "progressive principles" and that we should support every move they make no matter how destructive, self-aggrandizing, or downright criminal.

[RaleighNCDUer]

36. Thank you. I thought you were suggesting quite the opposite.

When you come down to it, what people call themselves is immaterial - when discussing public policy, what matters is the consensus opinion.

Someone who wants to de-regulate the financial industry so a very few can get very rich at the expense of very many is NOT a progressive, no matter what he might call himself.

And there is a huge difference between the government tightening regulations on industry abuses, and government increasing surveillance and police powers over the public - despite what the teabaggers might say.

[mitchum]

28. It appears you were wrong

[Riftaxe]

29. Your going in the wrong order!

First gain power, then you hold the pogrom!

Personally I prefer the term Liberal, no idea why you have such a desire to relabel things.

[old mark]

31. No. nt

[pampango]

32. Decreasing income inequality from its current staggering level. n/t

[TheKentuckian]

33. Yeah, if you're a corporate taintlicker then the hell with you.

You can't worship Mammon and be progressive or liberal other than the gilded age economic variety.

[yurbud]

35. on foreign policy, economics, and jobs, yes. cultural issues...not so much.

[CakeGrrl]

37. Who administers this Purity Test, and what's the penalty for failure?

:eyes:

[Posteritatis]

38. There isn't, and there probably shouldn't be. (nt)

[Lyric]

39. I reject the "purity test" framing.

Is it a "purity test" for vegans to expect that other vegans will not eat meat, milk, or eggs? It doesn't seem so to me--it seems like that's the whole POINT of calling yourself "vegan". If you wear leather and eat steaks, you aren't a vegan, no matter WHAT label you give yourself. Similarly, you can call yourself a "progressive" and a "liberal" until you're blue in the face, but if you're anti-choice, anti-equality, anti-welfare, anti-union, and generally a right-wing asshat, then don't whine about "purity tests" when people refuse to accept you as a "progressive".

If there is no set definition for "progressive", then the word is utterly meaningless. The vague bullshit often touted by DINOs about how "progressive" should be defined as "in favor of progress" doesn't cut it, because it's so broad that it ceases to mean anything. Even right-wingers can claim to be in favor of "progress"...because they define "progress" a lot differently than WE do.

I can respect someone who doesn't believe in labels. However, such a person wouldn't call themselves a "progressive" anyway, because progressive IS a label.