Liberals tend to be "liberal" which means generous. The lie that liberals are somehow rich and exploitive is the projection of their critics who are actually rich and exploitive. They are not the liberals. For instance, Hollywood is not owned by liberals. The studios are owned by large corporations who lean toward the GOP such as Gulf and Western. Just follow the money trail.

Greed is not a liberal trait. Generally, they are humanitarian,
"bleeding hearts" if you like, and not given to exploitation.
Many of them are "dreamers" in that they don't buy into the dog-eat-dog views of the Neocon "Social Darwinists" of today. A liberal is essentially a kind of moralist which is based on a nurturing view of the world. (Back to Lakoff, again).

Liberals are not oppposed to capitalism, per se. They are opposed to unfettered capitalism which ruins the working class and when out of control, it enslaves as many as it puports to help.

The solution is a common bond between socialism and capitalism which is what Social Security represents. This has taken place in America in the best of times. The rise of the middle class of the forties under FDR was a product of this alliance. This was the time of unions and protection by government for working people.

Socialism is vastly misunderstood. It doesn't have to be monolithic as a total form of government. Social programs are socialistic such as Head Start, Affirmative Action, Post and Pre-natal Child Care, Equal Rights for Women, Planned Parenthood, the right of union arbitration and many of the constructive programs that have defined the American way of life for decades. Also, Separation of Church and State is an American ideal.

These are about to be attacked by the current Administration.
In place you will see wealth accumulated by a few, the fall of the dollar, the rise of povery (which is happening now), the suppression of freedom of speech, the thievery of money paid into the Social Security fund, the corruption of the voting process,
a tolerance for torture, and the abuse of religious fundamentalism that rivals Al Quaida madrasas. We have a so-called "Christian" Taliban that places women as beneath men, and zealots who are frothing at the mouth while they pound others over the head with the Bible and beat their children.You are seeing a disrespect for the environment through a denial of science which is being evidenced by the effects of global warming (guess what caused that tsunami), and a "clean air" initiative which in Orwellian fashion is polluting our skies and excusing those who do it.

The double-talk of the inauguration speech will become more evident and hopefully, Bush will lose on Social Security destruction and this will make him a lame duck.

If liberals win, everyone will win. The rich probably won't become poorer but the rise of working and middle class out of poverty will make this country once again a leader in the world.

The difference between the Liberals and their detractors is that the detractors won't work toward making a better life for all Americans but the Liberals will.

Frank