Liberal's, Conservatives, Zen and Existentialism have personalities shaped by ideas.
Seeing those personalities is important.
Liberals are not liberals because of govenrment programs. Liberals, are liberals, for the reasons given in any run of the mill dictionary definition:
thefreedictionary.com
lib·er·al (lbr-l, lbrl) adj. 1. a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism. d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. 2. a. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor. b. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes. 3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation. 4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education. 5. |